This weekend was originally slated for personal business or work but somehow when neither of those was forthcoming, and too much of both happened in the past few weeks, I decided to end Inauguration week with music I love and music that’s inherently fun and interesting. Friday night was no show but plenty of fun, and Saturday held promise with a trip to The National, Richmond, for Drive By Truckers. Yes I’ve gone several times this year but there was a large group of friends gathering and their shows are best as a shared event. We arrived and using texting found our friends and started in on the fun right away. Here are some shots of the band members, who absolutely cooked.
After the show, I was so sweaty from dancing and moving that I was able to walk to the parking deck sans coat and not feel it. Next we all headed to Chris’s for a late night impromptu breakfast and more fun conversation (well at least all the cool kids showed up!)
Sunday, after seriously awesome conversations, I did some housework and met up with Heather and Brad, who cooked, from scratch, one of the best Indian meals I’ve ever enjoyed. There was home made red bean curry, perfect rice, home made Naan bread, and a spinach saag that made me want endlessly more. Next we met up with Posie and headed to the Gravity Lounge to see Kevin Kinney, formerly of drivin n cryin. Last time I saw that band, they filled a 5000+ outdoor arena. This Sunday night, he and his really talented band pulled in a mere 60 patrons to the Gravity Lounge.
Kinney started with a classic, Scarred but Smarter from dnc. He was in a talkative, joking mood, and the band was tight, although I didn’t know any of his newer songs (and not sure of any of the titles!) Some of my favorites were What Jesus do you know? (following a story about being confronted by evangelists in a Piggly Wiggly), 40 Miles of Mountain Road, Bring home the bacon and take out the trash (by request while he was struggling to get in tune), and Blues on top of blues/love on top of love, a real highlight. He tuned his guitar a few times “because this is a good song” while ignoring tuning for others!!!! Of course he ended the encore with Straight to Hell and a few other oldies, and my girlfriends and I enjoyed the humor-filled, down home rock show.
Last night there was yet more music, again back to the Gravity Lounge. The opening act was an all acoustic local, Shannon Worrell, accompanied by Sam ??? of Sons of Bill, who made the set with an eerie lap steel guitar piece. Shannon had a great voice and well crafted songs, but I was in a rocking mood, not up for the girl folkie approach–she even apologized knowing we were there for a burning down the house show. And sorry Shannon, but who put that monstrosity of a bow in your hair? I’ve got a stylist to send you to…..My favorite song was one that a local poet helped her write, but now I can’t recall the title. It was clearly poetically superior!
Last on the list was Alejandro Escoveda, of Mexico, California, New York, Chicago, etc…..his past is filled with an extensive, varied musical history including a punk period with a minor, successful band. He and his band tore it up and I even bought a tshirt!
Alejandro played nearly all of the songs from his newest record, Real Animal, and during the encore did a broad range of covers from Lou Reed to the Rolling Stones–his Beast of Burden was excellent, and I usually hate that song done by anyone but the Stones!
I danced enough to get warm and keep warm enough that I could dash back to the car in my tshirt….got home before the precipitation and stayed in out of the ice danger today….good thing too, with two fatal accidents nearby already.
Ahem.