In which many gigs are discussed (we'll get to Sue presently).
Bad cat daddy had to leave gig early tonight to feed the cat, who has been alone all day. I am home now, but (now that he has been fed), he is not hanging out with me from his usual perch by the computer. He's a bit "hrumph", I suspect -- is chilling in some other room, which mayhaps he will leave should I enter. I missed the Tranzmitors for this? I could have at least missed them for Digression (see previous post).
I did get to see H.Ä.L.T.. whom I have promised future press to. I like them, but I have questions, including basic ones, like what does H.Ä.L.T. stand for...? I also wonder, given that the bassist reminds me of Dave Tregunna, if that name means anything to him? (Also: is his look more Melvins or Birthday Party? I am unable to decide). I am now attending gigs by bands so much younger than I am that I can no longer assume common ground. There were, like, 13-year-olds dancing around in the audience, I'm pretty sure!
I also liked that touring band Cheap Glue (from Minnesota!) did a cover of the Pointed Sticks "Out of Luck." I promptly emailed a couple of Pointed Sticks and let them know it was happening. Fun band, that Cheap Glue, but I hope they sold a lot of merch, because it's a long way back to Minnesota.
Shot vid (but not the Pointed Sticks cover).
Turns out the best time I had, though, at the Red Gate tonight, was dancing to "Big Brown Eyes" by Code-22 (who I also mentioned to Nick; I think he'd dig'em). I'd forgotten how much I like that song! It was also my best photo of the night.
This was my third time seeing Code-22, and I well-documented
the first, in the dank environs of Alf House, including a vid of
the very song I mentioned above. Someone: this song badly needs to be on a 7".
Does Pete not look a smidge like...
But as I say, this was my second night out in two days; my wife and I went to see Sue Foley the night prior, as well. Sue was great, though I liked some pieces better than others (particularly was taken with the dark, earthy "
Southern Men" and her cover of
Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Jack O' Diamonds," which is a revealing song to research if you want to understand the odd lore around that particular playing card, which also appears in Clarence Ashley's "
The Coo Coo Bird" (aka "The Cuckoo"). It relates to
Conquian, a card game related to rummy that (maybe?) also dates back to an ancient Chinese card game called
khanhoo? I was, weirdly, finding more revealing stuff on my phone than I am on my computer, but invite you to dive down your own rabbithole, here. Suffice to say, there is some complexity to playing the Jack O' Diamonds in Conquian, because of how cards get scored, that makes it a risky card, apparently -- but I'm not entirely clear how that works. Some variants of the game remove the 8s 9s and 10s, so the Jack joins runs with the 7, making it, if I understand correctly, the highest-scored "non-face-card", which also makes it a card you can lose points on? Not totally clear! I'll ask Sue Foley about it if I see her again. Just as well that Townes used
stud poker for his song, though; rummy wouldn't cut it. See also:
Seven Psychopaths.
...But while we are talking about the meaning of songs that Sue sang, did guest
Steve Kozak really lead a song with a chorus of "If the house is a rockin', don't bother-knockin'"? Did anyone else get confused by that lyric? To me, it brought to mind and cross-pollinated with that classic dare-I-say-'white-trash' bumper sticker,"If the trailer is a rockin', don't come a knockin'", which I think means, "If I'm fucking someone in here, don't bug me"? So if the whole HOUSE is rocking, what is that, a gigantic orgy?
...And in that case you should just come on in and join the fun?
The vibe of the song is far more roadhouse than it is group sex, but still, that was where I initially took that lyric. Erika didn't seem to share my puzzlement, translating for me that it meant if there's a party, come on in. Which is certainly the first of the entendres, but... was there seriously not a second one? Is this all in my dirty little mind? I did not want these thoughts in my head.
Anyhow, great show. I was less fond of the boogie-woogie stuff than the deeper blues of the evening, but Foley's playing was very hot throughout, and her band, including old Yale co-conspirator John Penner, were great; plus she was gracious through the meet and greet, signing whatever was placed in front of her and patiently listening to everyone's stories (I tried to spare her any of my own, though I did try to tell her that I was getting a poster signed for Rob Frith; she joins Tony Levin in the ranks of musicians I have mentioned that story to who a) had not already heard it and b) did not seem to care! It must be hard to feign polite interest in the stories people tell you at meet and greets (incidentally, Stick Men are coming back in September; Tony DID chat with Rob about a mutual friend, even if he didn't know the Sir Paul story; and Pat and Markus did!).
...as for Sue Foley, I bought her 2024-Grammy-winning
One Guitar Woman, which focuses on her acoustic, fingerpicking side, with a few moments of flamenco, as well as a copy of
her book, which has an Ellen McIlwaine interview in it. Besides that, we meet-and-greeters got swagged -- signed posters, bags, and Sue Foley tea towels. To be honest, Erika and I are not sure we need two of those!
If anyone else is craving a Sue Foley tea towel, hit me up? Also, my wife wanted to know if those were Louboutins, but we never got around to asking! (They had the trademark red inner heel).
What might else one say to Dr. Foley? Congrats on the PhD in Musicology, and thank you for educating the world about Charo, because for years, I thought she was basically just a joke, a manufactured, cartoonish, somewhat vulgar made-for-TV bimbette. I saw her clowning around on television when I was a kid and even then found her annoying and silly. I am blown away and humbled to learn that she was (and still is?) a flamenco guitarist and I will be reading that chapter in your book as well.
I don't have much else to say at the moment. Happy for the folk festers (wait, that sounds wrong: the folk festival goers?) that the weather cleared, but I'm sitting this one out (I hafta work). But I do have some fun photos of Billy Hopeless with the Parole Models at Khats last weekend (I shot a clip that includes one full song; hang in there for it): He ended up giving roses to various girls in the crowd afterwards, and when the girls ran out, gave one to me, as well.
Ever the romantic...
I also, somewhere in there, made it to a co-op picnic event where David M. played a short set, including "
If I Was a Bat," in which I partook; his wife Danielle also joined him for "
Manic Monday," and I took a couple of my favourite-ever photos of M.:
Finally, the Deadcats show -- I didn't get much, but here's RuBarb and Chopper:
About Chopper: someone explain edamame to him, okay? He came by where Erika and I were sitting (at the Counter at LanaLou's) just as our edamame arrived, and I offered him one, but instead of popping the beans out, I'm pretty sure he just threw the whole thing in his mouth and chewed it up. Probably not the best way to have your first experience of edamame, if that's what that was!
It's been fun getting out to a few shows, though I'm glad to have slowed down a little. But for people who have an interest in such matters, note that Aging Youth Gang will be opening the night at LanaLou's tonight (July 18th), trying out a few new songs, apparently; they'll be followed by Motorama (the present incarnation of both bands involving Orchard Pinkish, incidentally) and then Witchy Sister, which also involves Marcus Lander of Motorama. Deets
here, and apologies to Billy Bragg, who I will not be seeing at the festival!
I am told (by a maybe slightly less-than-reliable Orchard Pinkish, who was chewin' the devil's lettuce when we interacted) that Witchy Sister involves Marcus Lander, of Motorama, and that Orchard will be in two of the bands, playing guitar in Motorama and bass in Aging Youth Gang. Or was that the other way around?
But hey, you have
options. Hope wherever you end up, dear reader, you have fun!
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