Bluegrass

  • Bluegrass,  Climate Change,  Environmentalism,  Music,  Tech

    What I’m reading while uploading…

    • Hardcore Troubadours – a bio of the Old Crow Medicine Show
    • Catalogs of Data Visualization on Coding Horror
    • Minorities become the majority in 10 percent of U.S. counties – which has the interesting quote

      In northern Virginia, Teresita Jacinto said she feels less welcome today than when she first arrived 30 years ago, when she was one of few Hispanics in the area.

      “Not only are we feeling less welcome, we are feeling threatened,” said Jacinto, a teacher in Woodbridge, Virginia, about 20 miles southwest of Washington.

      “I think across the board all of us feel like we’re not welcome,” said Jacinto, who was born in the U.S. and volunteers for an advocacy group called Mexicans Without Borders.

      Perhaps it’s because she’s feeling unwelcome because she’s advocating an unpopular cause?

    • The Old Crow Medicine Show on AT & T Blueroom
    • Green Fakers on Radar. The celebrity excuses are funny.
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  • Atlanta,  Bluegrass,  Music

    A good time was had by all

    My first ever gig at Limerick Junction was a success. Everyone seemed to have a good time. The songs “I Miss Ronald Reagan” (written by Tommy Womack) and my song “Heroin and Cheetos” seemed to go over particularly well. My would-be guitar showcase of Bonaparte’s retreat fell a bit flat. The room sounds noticeably different when full than when half full and that threw me off a bit as the set progressed.

    On the whole a good night. The A-Sides rocked as usual. The photo was taken by my brother, who also recorded the show.

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  • Bluegrass,  Music,  Open Mic Night

    A good crowd

    As usual, I did the open mic last night. Unusually, there was a good and enthusiastic crowd, probably the best I’ve ever had. I happened to be in fine voice last night too, which helped. A good time was had by all.

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  • Bluegrass,  Funny,  Music

    My funniest line from last night

    Was when I said “I’ve seen the greatest minds of my generation destroyed by Dave Mathews”, which got a good laugh from my fellow acoustic purists who were going over new material at the open mic last night.

    Which I won by the way. I could just barely hear myself in the monitors, but evidently is sounded good in the crowd. I got my guitar showpiece, Bonaparte’s Retreat (in Drop D tuning) mostly right, which is a rare thing.

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  • Bluegrass,  Music

    The theme for the best of all country songs

    I was looking up the history of my favorite fiddle tune, Bonaparte’s Retreat (I play it in drop D), and came across this little Southern gem. To wit, three men

    were taken prisoner by the Guard-no one knows why, but the area had been ravaged by scalawags and bushwackers, and the populace had suffered numerous raids of family farms by Union troops hunting provisions. The village of Waynesville had been burned two months earlier, and the citizenry was beleaguered and anxious. Cantrell writes: “The group traveled toward Cataloochee Valley and Henry Grooms, clutching his fiddle and bow, was asked by his captors to play a tune. Realizing he was performing for his own firing squad Grooms struck up Bonaparte’s Retreat.” When he finished the three men were lined up against an oak tree and shot, the bodies left where they feel. Henry’s wife gathered the bodies and buried them in a single grove in Sutton Cemetery No. 1 in the Mount Sterling community, the plain headstone reading only “Murdered.”

    Now I just need to write the song.

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  • Bluegrass,  Music,  Photography

    Open Mic Night once again


    I did the open mic night at Limerick for the first time in quite a while last night. The songs I played were Blackjack County Chain, Red Clay Halo, Will You Miss Me, and
    Waitin’ Around to Die. I played breaks on Blackjack County Chain and Will You Miss Me. It’s hard to tell how it all sounded with the PA the way it is. I’m bringing my pre-amp next time.

    The A-Sides are in the photo above.

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  • Bluegrass,  Climate Change,  Funny,  Music,  Photography

    Midweek rapid fire

    • Real life Pac Man – hysterical
    • One must not question the existence of Global Warming – This is in line with a trend I’ve been noticing in the media and it’s associated hacks, which is the annoying “No serious [insert either scientist, economist, expert, industry insider, analyst] disputes the existence of [insert theory that one is pushing]” mantra.
    • Proportionate responses – one of the more daft comments on the Israel -Hezbollah conflict was that Israel’s response was disproportionate. Intentionally proportionate responses went out with the Greeks, and it’s only by accident now when the response is proportionate. The whole notion of strategy is matching strength to weakness. That is most of Sun Tsu’s Art of war.
    • AcousticFriends.com – MySpace for the bluegrass/acoustic crowd. I’m listed on there as “Pale Rider”.
    • Townes van Zandt Lyrics – and some tab
    • A guide to black and white photography
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