As fans of this blog know by now, I spent 1985-6 in York on a Rotary Post-graduate Fellowship. There I first heard the second Reception single, "Once More," by the Wedding Present whilst working as a staffer at URY. They rapidly became one of my favorite bands. Here's a little something I wrote about their early best phase for PopMatters.
Woke up to this shocking news which came to me in a circuitous route. Someone landed here when they Googled this: "closing of harvard university press display room in harvard square." Sure I understand the world of publishing has changed, but surely the wealthiest University in the history of the world could cut its own Press a little slack on the rent of a room or two in Holyoke Center, now couldn't they? I know, I know, the silly mantra: "Every tub on its own bottom" Blah Blah Blah.
Now you'll have to head to Blackwell's in Oxford, Foyle's in London, or Powell's in Portland for that amazing wall half red half green filled with Loeb Classical editions. Plus how many cheapo copies of Lipstick Traces did I score over the years (slight damage here, dog ear tear there, et cetera et cetera et cetera)? And no I'm not interested in hearing how great your Kindle is!
Lagniappe for making it this far. Our title song on German TV in 1978:
I wish I was in Tijuana eating barbecued iguana. —Stan Ridgway
It's somehow perfectly appropriate that I will go see the USA v. Mexico CONCACAF WC qualifier from Azteca on Telemundo at a Peruvian restaurant in Mississippi. As usual Mexican fans will surely outnumber us Yanks!
Ole! Ole Ole Ole. Just one Cantor "Dramatico Final! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL!" pretty please.
Anybody who really knows me understands it was only a matter of time before the GBV You Tube entry sprung up. They also probably realized it would be a multiple parter. I dedicate Part 1 to my Facebook friend Doug Gillard: he of the endless riffs!
Doug was in a lot of bands before GBV, lastly Cobra Verde, for whom he wrote a little ditty made famous by Pollard & co. "I am A Tree"
Tallahassee native that I am this clip, filmed at the Cow Haus as it was in 2002, gives me great joy! At a 40 Watt show, Doug accepted my copy of Mag Earwhig! to get signed by the entire band to send to my friend who had just moved to Dayton, OH to be a Department Chair. Ask yourself one question: why was the lead guitarist for international "rock stars" wandering around a club freely available to his fans? Yeah, Doug is a mensch!
"Redmen and Their Wives"
Speaking of the 40 Watt, I only ever heard this track live once on the Electrifying Conclusion tour in Athens, GA.
"Back to the Lake"
Amoeba in-houses rule whether Hollywood or Haight!
Speak Kindly of Bob's best solo album, the one with Doug Gillard!
GBV is done, but occasionally this will happen:
I haven't done nearly full justice really to the genius of Doug Gillard, but you get a real taste of him here. All I can say is the club will always be open, when DG is in town!
I close with 2 rare pictures I took myself.
The first features DG in full flight at the legendary Last Place on Earth show in Memphis.
We shall never forget the other guys: Farley and Tobias. They were way cool too. Here they hang out at The Nick after Ice Storm 2000 with Gordon before GBV's set!
The Mediterannean patio-fest small dinner party was a memorable evening, in spite of the patio-lessness. Just too muggy. We started with some skewers to gnosh on:
I set up dinner as serve yourself stytle buffet in the dining room. What you don't see here is the Moroccan black olive loaf bread on the table.
Our Main course proved a cultural hybrid: Marella Pasta from Apulia married with a Catalan Red Pepper Sauce and Gulf Shrimp.
The salad was a colorful marinated affair including roasted red pepper slices, green, orange, and yellow bell pepper slices, Vidalia onion slices, quartered artichoke hearts, various olives, tomatoes of all shapes, sizes and hues, and mango slices with a lime ginger garlic homemade vinaigrette:
Not to brag, but it was pretty good and a nice culmination for the weekend de cuisine.
The Strokes' song title seems an appropriate sentiment for this ongoing weekend de cuisine. Last night was a little grill out followed by a DVD in the music room. Tonight pre-"Thursday Night is Poker Night Event #8," I have a potluck supper from 5:30-7:00 three houses down the hill on Edgewood. Here's what I made.
Basically a faux Mediterranean marinated salad with lemon ginger garlic vinaigrette and optional garlic and herb feta cheese crumbles.
Essentially I cut up three different size, type and shade tomatoes (well no cut to cherry), a Vidalia onion, a mango, a red and green bell pepper and then added pitted black olives and quartered artichoke hearts. Seasoned the salad and drenched it with fresh lime juice. Then I marinated with the aforementioned homemade vinaigrette. We'll see how it turned out in about an hour.
Tomorrow I have the Starshine benefit for SAAC Cook-off at the State Theatre. I'm sorta pulling for Vicki Leach because of this, but Ty Thames, Jay Yates or J.J. winning would be great too. Saturday I'm doing a Mediterranean inflected pasta feed on the back patio with a focus on Catalan-cuisine, though no El Bulli foamy pyrotechnics I fear.
Well no left, actually. Yesterday, they inducted two of the left fielders of my youth into the Baseball Hall of Fame: the utterly unique Rickey Henderson, of whom Bill James once exclaimed that statistically he had two Hall of Fame careers (!), and the BoSox Jim Rice, my second favorite player on my favorite team after right fielder Dwight "Dewey" Evans, he of the cannon and perfect form when performing the long throw from the outfield.
No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; Am an attendant lord, one that will do To swell a progress, start a scene or two, Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool, Deferential, glad to be of use, Politic, cautious, and meticulous; Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse; At times, indeed, almost ridiculous— Almost, at times, the Fool.
I grow old … I grow old … I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think that they will sing to me.
from T. S. Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" 11.111-125
Woke up to find out my third PopMatters YoutTube essay jumped the queue and was published a mere 2 days after I submitted it. Now the purpose for my trip to Antone's is made clear.
I love restaurants that set up in converted train cars.
I had a migas and cheese taco and a chorizo and cheese taco con dos salsas (pictured) and a Diet Coke all for $5 even.
The main entrance to campus overseen by the famous UT Tower.
The entrance to Harry Ransom Center.
Two great exhibitions I saw.
Lunch at the Famous Ruby's BBQ: 2 1/2 pound mixed plates Elgin Sausages and either Beef/Pork with Cole Slaw and BBQ Beans plus Freshly Squeezed Homemade Lemonade.
This afternoon took Gracie for another play period at Town Lake underneath Mo-Pac Bridge and a walk down and back to Deep Eddy Pool concluded with a fantastic Papaya Maya smoothie. That will be all from Austin. Adios amigos!
I'm spending the week of July 15th-22nd visiting my Stanford pal Isaac and staying at his place on Blanco @ 9th just around the corner from Waterloo Records, Book People, and The Whole Foods flagship store, while his wife Janine and his daughter Madison are visiting family in the Netherlands.
My upstairs lair above the converted "garage", also known as Janine's home office work, where her famous Jane Austen book is coming to its final fruition.
What the garage was converted into.
The central core of the main 1893 Victorian farmhouse cottage.
Various shots of the house and garage's exteriors. Yes . . . it has a white picket fence.
