I'm back from the road...

by Shrug on Mar 16, 2008 11:16 PM PDT

Two weeks in Nashville, Olympia, and Austin. Some observations:

(1) Elvis is still the king of dead guys in Nashville, but Johnny Cash is racing way up the posthumous hit parade.

(2) You do not have to be dead (yet) to get your own statue in Nashville. Billy Graham has one.

(3) Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert are brilliant. As for the rest of the contemporary country scene in Nashville... well.

(4) I should never try to sing Stevie Wonder at karaoke after I've had six Witty Chucks and have blown my voice by singing Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and impersonating Sean Connery rapping "Stronger."

(5) Austin, Texas is the most bohemian city in the United States. Sorry, Yakima.

(6) Never take public transit after midnight in Austin. Actually, you don't even have to make the choice: the fucking buses just won't stop for you.

(7) Hayes Carll's "She Left Me For Jesus" is the greatest country song of the decade.

(8) My Morning Jacket is the closest thing to Radiohead America has, and they will soon give the best arena concerts on the planet.

(9) Sensible shoes are a must in Austin during SXSW. I found this out the hard way. The bottoms of my feet look like the top of Mount Vesuvius. My daughter looked at them tonight and said, "That looks like meat and juice!"

(10) I no longer have an aversion to cowboy hats.

(11) Both Nashville and Austin are hardcore basketball towns at the moment for good reason.

(12) I guess we're not, eh?

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Comments

RE: 10

I'm disappointed to hear that, Shrug.

by BrettJMiller on Mar 16, 2008 11:51 PM PDT reply actions

Oh yeah?

Chuck Norris and Tommy Lee Jones are coming over to my house tonight, and we're going to shoot at things that aren't moving. Pow!

--Shrug

by Shrug on Mar 17, 2008 1:01 AM PDT up reply actions

That's an ominous shot.

Anyone want to see a photo where I look like Wayne Coyne? I slept on wet hair and it did something...weird.

by John Morgan on Mar 17, 2008 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions

Haha

I'd love to see that shot.

Jimmimoose = Phildopip's lover.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Mar 17, 2008 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions

My Morning Jacket is fantastic.

I saw them opening for the Doves in 2002 and frankly, they made the Doves look like boring amateurs (and that's saying a lot, 'cause the Doves were pretty damn good in concert).

Jim James played the entire show with bare feet, as well as his front zipper down. He spilled bottled water and beer on his jeans. But goddamn, that show rocked.

I saw them about a year later at a smaller venue, and they rocked that one as well. I'll tell you this, there's nothing like hearing the moving slide guitar part in "Steam Engine" live. It sent chills down my spine.

Jimmimoose = Phildopip's lover.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Mar 17, 2008 10:05 AM PDT reply actions

I love how you imply

That the concert was somehow hurt by the fact that he spilled stuff all over himself. That made the show, for me. :-)

But yes, one of the best live acts I've seen in a good long while.

Meanwhile, anyone have any plans for St. Patrick's Day?

Phildopip = Jimmimoose's body check

by jimmimoose on Mar 17, 2008 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions

Irish dive bar.

Get drunk. Is there any other possible plan for St Patrick's Day?

"I'm not familiar with this type of.. thing I'm seeing."

by Thingray on Mar 17, 2008 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions

They were astonishing.

I liked Z a lot, but didn't get why they immediately followed it up with a double-live album. Now I do.

--Shrug

by Shrug on Mar 18, 2008 12:34 AM PDT up reply actions

BTW

That's pretty awesome that you went to SXSW.

by John Morgan on Mar 17, 2008 1:14 PM PDT reply actions

My first time.

It's a madhouse. The maddest house imaginable. I had to do a lot of running around which was (and still is) murder on my feet. But it was exciting. I'm bringing better shoes next time.

Oh, and I took this thing for the 6th time. Came in second. Nice, but not enough.

--Shrug

by Shrug on Mar 18, 2008 12:37 AM PDT up reply actions

Wow.

I wouldn't have even recognized that as you. I can definitely see the Wayne Coyne resemblance.

btw, John, are you going to Sasquatch?

Jimmimoose = Phildopip's lover.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Mar 17, 2008 1:40 PM PDT reply actions

Probably the Monday show.

Alanya is a huge Flaming Lips fan, and my friend Matt loves Mars Volta (though he might be stuck in a gig), so that looks like the best day. I would love to go to all three, but I started thinking about it and I wasn't happy with Modest Mouse when I last saw them at the Gorge, and I doubt REM holds up after so many years, plus word is The Cure suck live and I know Death Cab is so-so, so I think we'll just do Monday.

by John Morgan on Mar 17, 2008 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Cool.

Maybe I'll see ya there. I'm doing two days (Saturday, Monday, and camping Saturday-Monday). I'm definitely excited to see Flight of the Conchords.

Jimmimoose = Phildopip's lover.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Mar 17, 2008 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Glad you had fun.

Glad you seemed to have a good time in my hometown of Nashville.

by hartley on Mar 17, 2008 2:09 PM PDT reply actions

Thank you!

You come from a hell of a great place. I really enjoy Nashville. They always treat me real well when I'm in Tennessee.

Hopefully the next time I go there I'll be able to have a free day or two so I can actually soak in the surrounding areas. I'm also way overdue for a trip to Memphis.

--Shrug

by Shrug on Mar 18, 2008 12:41 AM PDT up reply actions

You don't have to be as cool as Shrug to hear...

My Morning Jacket live.

by John Morgan on Mar 20, 2008 9:32 AM PDT reply actions

Man, nice find, John.

I had no clue MMJ was releasing a new album in June. In my opinion, every one of their albums has been stronger than the last, and that's saying a lot because "Tennessee Fire" was quite good.

Jimmimoose = Phildopip's lover.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Mar 20, 2008 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions