No Joy in Mudville

My last post was filled with excitement for the beginning of baseball. The dog and I love baseball, but it never ceases to amaze me how the soulless owners of the clubs find new ways to remove the joy from the game and dollars from my wallet. Case in point, the Mariners flexible pricing plan for seats at Safeco. Using the pricing model from the airline industry where adjacent seats may differ in cost by the $100s, Howie, Chuck and the boys have decided to award their dedicated fans by letting market demand determine the price of every seat in Safeco for every game. So those wanting to see Felix pitch on a Friday night against the Yankees may pay $90 for a seat that was priced at $42 last year. I'm not talking about scalper or secondary market pricing. This is what the Mariners are charging at their ticket offices. Meanwhile the dedicated fans, fans who purchased tickets, went to the games and bought overpriced hot dogs, pop and merchandise while watching their team lose 100 games, are reduced to taking the day off to get left field bleacher seats on a Wednesday afternoon against the Royals!

I usually go to 6-8 Mariners games per year. Not this year! I bought tickets for train night and that’s it. I’ll go see the Blue Jackets play in Silverdale. They are more affordable and they’ll probably win more games. Ernest Thayer was right. There is no joy in Mudville.

To add insult to injury the Mariners are publicly supporting efforts to bring the NHL and bring back the NBA (who cares about the NBA!) with a new facility south of Safeco's parking garage. Unfortunately, they are doing everything they can behind the scenes to stop the process and perceived threat to their fan base. Maybe I'm crazy, but if the mariners actually fielded a competitive team with serious prospects for post-season play they wouldn't have to worry about other sports teams syphoning off their patrons.

The Alpha and the Alpha’s Mate traveled to eastern BC to play in the snow without the dog and then were gone most of the following week despensing justice and tearing up casinos with librarians. Needless to say the dog has been feeling neglected in need of therapy or a support group. The Alpha’s Mate is still traveling this week but E and the Alpha are home. We’ll do our best to make the dog feel wanted. We’ll be settled in and back to our routine by next week.

In the Headphones

Carnivale Electros (2012) by Galactic

Funky, Soulful R&B crafted like a good pot of gumbo with the influences and performances of a who’s who of contemporary New Orleans musicians. The Birthplace of Jazz indeed.

Preaching the Blues (2011) by Fleetwood Mac

The founding members of Fleetwood Mac began as John Mayall’s band, The Bluesbreakers. Preaching the Blues is a snapshot from a time capsule capturing a 1971 performance in Canada. Also, it's pretty much Disc 2 of the 2003 Madison Blues box set.

Voice of Ages (2012) by The Chieftains

In their 50^th year as a band the Chieftains have put together a collection of mostly traditional folk tunes with the help of an impressive group of friends.

Visuals

The Big Screen

The Hunger Games (2012)

Gary Ross (Pleasantville) directs Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) as a kick-ass Katniss.

On the Player

Young Adult (2011)

Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) directs, Diablo Cody (Juno) writes, Charlize Theron leads the cast and Patton Oswald steals the show.
A depressed author of a young adult book series travels back to her hometown in an attempt to resurrect what she remembers as a “happier” past. It has it's moments.

My Week with Marilyn (2011)

A version of Marilyn Monroe’s trip to England in 1956 when she made The Prince and the Showgirl. Michelle Williams is fantastic!

The Contender (2000)

Joan Allen stars as a VP hopeful to Jeff Bridges’ president. Gary Oldman shines as the McCarthy-like congressman who plans to spoil the party.

Tube

If I can’t watch a show on the network website then my favorite place to go for online TV is Project Free TV.  Sure you get a few pop-ups, but there’s nothing to download and I have very few problems.

Southland

Just finished the 4^th season. It’s the best cop show since The Shield. From TNT, the first 3 seasons are out on DVD.

Shameless

William H. Macy is absolutely brilliant as morally challenged citizen attempting to game the system at every opportunity and his resourceful brood haven’t fallen far from the tree. Some of it's best moments are when Macy's character rails against everything that's wrong with the government. I’ve no doubt that my more conservative friends think this is what happens in the home of every welfare and disability recipient in the country. From Showtime, the first season is out on DVD.

Weeds

Nancy Botwin is a selfish, amoral scumbag! Doug, Andy and the boys are the only reason to continue watching! From Showtime, the first 7 seasons are out on DVD, the first 6 are on Netflix to stream.

On the Nightstand

Life (2010) by Keith Richards

All things Rolling Stones from a man who slept twice a week for decades whether he needed it or not. 

What the Dog Saw (2009) by Malcolm Gladwell

A collection of Gladwell’s articles from The New Yorker. How to communicate with dogs, how to hire the right person for the right job, the secrets behind the collapse of Enron and finding a solution for homelessness in America, among other topics.

An Unfinished Life (2003) by Robert Dallek

A degenerative condition of the spine, constant urinary tract infections, digestive issues, chronic pain, the use of copious amounts of drugs to counter the effects of the previous, chasing skirts, trying to change Civil Rights laws and thwarting the Red Menace. JFK probably would have died by the early 1970s if he hadn’t been killed in Dallas.

The Tiger’s Wife (2011) by Tea Obreht

Less a novel than a collection of stories spanning nearly a century shared by a granddaughter and her grandfather in Bosnia.

a promise of what could be...

One phrase in the English language that tends to fill our hearts with hope, “Pitchers and catchers report to training camp” While the dog and I pay very little attention to Spring Training (we give it up for Lent) those seven simple words are filled with potential, a promise of what could be. Some of you would say, “Why bother? Your home team is the Mariners and they’re usually done by Father’s Day” I would reply, “I may live in the moisture laden Pac NW, home to only team to win 116 games in one season, besides the Evil Empire (Yankees). However, I was born a Red Sox fan and will remain one until I die!” Just to clarify, I do cheer for the M’s as long as it helps the Sox. Unfortunately the Sox have established a tradition of playing poorly in Safeco. While the seats are better/cheaper and the food is tastier at Safeco than at Fenway ($9 bleacher seats and I’ll take Al’s Gourmet Sausage over a Rem-Dog any day of the week) it’s rare to see a Sox victory on that field.
I was laid low this past week, hovering on death’s door with a life threatening man cold. Haven’t slept well since Tuesday, my throat feels like I’ve been gargling with ground glass and hot coals, freezing with chills then frying with fever and lastly, aches and a general feeling of malaise. The dog loved having me home, but was a bit let down due to a lack of trips to the park. I’m feeling better now, thankyouverymuch.

In the Headphones
We’ve been listening to a lot of opera lately. The dog loves anything by Puccini and I can’t disagree. To give Giacomo’s work some perspective, we’ve been contrasting it with various shows from The Grateful Dead’s Complete European Tour circa 1972 and several Pac Northwest shows The Black Crowes have done over the years. Tacoma, Dec ’10 was amazing! One of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. Live Downloads has many Black Crowes shows available, direct from the sound board. For the Dead’s stuff you’ll have to go to their site or scan e-bay or Amazon for people selling used copies.
By the way, if you haven’t checked out an HD simulcast of The Met performances you have to check it out. It’s the next best thing to actually being at the opera house and you can wear jeans and eat popcorn!

Visuals
On the Big Screen
The Descendants
The movie is very good and Clooney’s OK, albeit a bit flat. I'm just not sure it’s worthy of Oscar noms for Film, Director, Actor, Screenplay and editing.
On the Player
Anonymous
A film based on the Oxford Theory of Shakespeare Authorship, i.e., Bill Shakespeare did not any poems of plays, the Earl of Oxford actually did.
The Big Year
Three men compete to spot the most species of birds in North America in one year, a very pleasant and enjoyable movie.
Contagion
An exotic disease contracted by an American businesswoman leads to 26 million deaths and global chaos. Watched this while I was sick, probably shouldn’t have.
Superbad
From 2007. Pretty much a documentary film of how males approach their high school years. A must see for every teenage girl!
Warrior
Estranged brothers end up in the same mixed martial arts competition, both with huge reasons to win. Somewhat predictable, but I gotta say I liked it.
Tube
Dune
The William Hurt, mini-series version from 2000. A bit closer to the book that the David Lynch version.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
OK, OK. It’s slow, dry and confusing, but Alec Guinness rocks!

On the Nightstand
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Just started it so can’t say much except that I’m hooked.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Non-fiction story of a poor, African American woman from Baltimore whose cells were used to discover a vaccine for polio, are present in nearly every research lab in the world and her family has never seen a dime in compensation.
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
A fictionalized account of a marine company in Vietnam. Intense and tragic.

Snow Day

The snow finally arrived. The dog and I, joined by the alpha’s mate, went for a walk in the park. Both the dog and the alpha’s mate love the snow. It’s too bad that 4 inches of the stuff shuts everything down, but who doesn’t love a snow day!
I picked up a LeMonde RevMaster stationary bike and have been logging some miles in the cave, in front of the tube, in an effort to make good on my New Year’s imagilutions. The dog’s smart enough to embrace her imperfections and accept her lot in life. She is at peace with the world while I continue to rage against the dying of the light, refusing to go gently into that good night.
The woodstove is cranked. The prodigy just finished filling the wood box. The dog and I are rotating through the artists listed below along with whatever else suits us on this wintery day as we putter around in the kitchen making pizza dough, sauce and prepping toppings.
One for the Deadheads; I just picked up a copy of The Grateful Dead’s complete European Tour from 1972, all 22 shows which include eleven versions of Dark Star. The dog loves Dark Star

In the Headphones
All We Are Saying… Bill Frisell
Frisell masterfully creates instrumental versions of John Lennon tunes.
Dennis Coffey - Dennis Coffey
The funkiest, most soulful R&B guitarist and band leader that you've never heard of.
El Camino – The Black Keys
Down and dirty, the boys from Akron do it again.
I’m With You - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The first Chili Peppers studio release since the Dead Sea was sick.
Hurry Up We’re Dreaming - M83
French combo's been around for a decade. This is their double disc release of mostly techno music. Very nice.
The Other Side of Midnight – Galactic
Galactic gets every musician in NOLA to show up on this live release. It's getting a lot of rotations on my playlist.
The Singing Mailman Delivers – John Prine
John Prine was an FM radio staple in the seventies sharing simple songs with simple lyrics telling simple stories. This release features some of his earliest live shows. Americana at it's best.

Visuals
Big Screen
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Loved the original, but this version seems to do a more complete job of telling the story.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
The first was the best, but this is a close second.

On the Player
Beginners
A sad story of life beginning at 72.
Ides of March
Some people will do anything to win.
Moneyball
Loved the book, loved the movie and Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a god!
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
A dark and gory, very humorous take on the teen slasher movie.

Tube
Justified: Season 2
Rayland Givens, a local boy turned FBI agent, attempts to thwart crime in rural Kentucky and he's not too particular about how he does it.
Boardwalk Empire: Season 1
Prohibition-era Atlantic City

On the Night Stand
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Why didn’t any of my history teachers tell me that our 16th president was a skilled and successful dispatcher off the undead?
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
Hope’s aunt cooks and Hope waitresses, after losing their café in Brooklyn they head to Wisconsin. Newbery winner and ALA Notable Book.
In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson
William Dodd’s experience as Ambassador to Germany in the 30s.
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
Eli and Charlie Sisters are hired guns with a code. However, the code does not involve a social contract with any other human on the planet. A good, old-fashioned western.

Nu-Soul

I’m grateful to my dad because he’s a music lover. He loves the crooners (Nat King Cole), Big-Band Jazz (Benny Goodman) and he still sings in the church choir every Sunday. On car trips he made us listen to Country and Western. It was presented as a compromise between the Jazz he liked and the Rock we liked. However, after having my own kids I now know that the Country and Western stations were the only ones that came in and played music he liked.
My dad’s diverse musical taste coupled with growing up in a household with older siblings, prevented my earliest exposure from being limited to the bubblegum Pop sounds of The Partridge Family, The Osmonds and The Monkees.
My siblings had their radio stations and their 45s. WRKO out of Boston had the best signal on the AM dial (this was before FM’s popularity) for Pop music and they played everything, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin and The Temptations to name a few. I was supposed to stay out of my brother’s and sister’s rooms, but could hear what they were listening to through the door (until my dad told them to turn it down) and when they weren’t home I’d sneak in and play their 45s. Through that experience I gained access to the songs of The Turtles, Cream, The Mamas and the Papas, pre-Disco-era Bee Gees and the sweet sounds of Motown and Memphis, Rhythm & Blues (R&B), Funk and Soul!
The term Rhythm & Blues was first used in the late 40s to describe any music produced by African Americans for African Americans. Time progressed and the definition narrowed. As with all forms of modern popular music R&B’s roots can be traced to the Blues. However, its complexity evolved from the three chords, five notes and the repetitive lyrical structure of its musical parent. Through the influence of Gospel and Jazz, R&B featured a toe-tapping groove from the bass and drums which set the foundation for great melodies from a combination of keyboards, horns and guitars and finished nicely with harmonizing, background vocalists. By the early 60s R&B was branching off into sub-genres such as Soul (Aretha Franklin) and Funk (James Brown).
Fast forward several decades and I am happy to call your attention to a resurgence in the classic sounds made popular by the Stax and Motown record labels. Several very talented artists are paying homage to the pioneers of R&B with a genre they call Neo-Soul or Nu-Soul. All I can say is that it’s about time!

Mayer Hawthorne - Don’t let the Budd Holly glasses and a cardigan fool you, this guy can sing. If you are a fan of Marvin Gaye you may enjoy A Strange Arrangement or How Do You Do?.

Raphael Saadiq - One of my favorites, former Tony! Toni! Tone! member channels The Temptations, Sam & Dave and the Miracles. Check out Stone Rollin’ or The Way I See It.

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - Aretha Franklin will always be the Queen of Soul, but Sharon could easily be the Princess. My favorite Dap Kings release is I Learned the Hard Way.

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears – Put on Joe’s latest, Scandalous, sit back, close your eyes and realize how much James Brown has influenced music. You’ll be out of your chair before the first chorus!

Kings Go Forth – This band reminds me of The Impressions along with Curtis Mayfield’s solo work. Outsiders Are Back is their most recent release.

Fitz and the Tantrums – I saw Fitz and the crew at Bumberhoot this year. They do a wonderful job of capturing the Philly sound made popular by Hall & Oats. Pickin' Up the Pieces is the first CD of, hopefully, many to come.

The next two are artists are from New Orleans, LA and tend more toward Funk, but really are a testament to the city’s musical heritage.
Galactic – Pick up any of their discs, put ‘em in the player and try to sit still. I double-dare ya. Ya-ka-mayand The Other Side of Midnight are the band’s latest two CDs.

Trombone Shorty – I saw Shorty and the boys twice at this year’s B-Shoot, they were hands down the best act I’ve seen in years. Please listen to Backatown or For True.

The New Mastersounds – These folks epitomize the funky, soulful instrumentals from soundtracks of late 60s, early 70s cop movies where the music was, more often than not, the best part of the film. Start with Plug & Play.

Quadron – Saw them at B-Shoot this year. I can’t get over how much they remind me of The Supremes and they hail from Denmark! They have one release, Quadron.

The last two groups are home grown right here in the damp, mossy, Pacific North West.
Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme – Sly Stone, James Brown and George Clinton rolled into one. Get Us Is What Time It Is and play it loud. You will no longer need your gym membership.

Maktub – Honestly, these guys were the first of the Nu-Soul movement to grab my attention. While Reggie Watts vocal acrobatics may be a show-stopper, the musicians are top-shelf and the band is tight. I love all of their CDs, but Khronosis still my favorite.

Did I mention that the dog loves R&B?

Time for the Obligatory Best of the Year List

Or what the dog and I enjoyed in 2011

The dog and I were hoping for a walk, but it’s raining. I just drank my last eggnog latte of the season (well maybe not), the presents under the tree have been unwrapped, I’ve had way too much rich food and it’s nearly time to resolve to eat healthy and exercise, for a couple of weeks any way...

In the headphones:
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
A fuller sound than For Emma.
Death Cab – Codes and Keys
Ben and the boys whip up some more tasty tunes.
Foster the People – Torches
If MGMT had embraced the sound that made them popular, the sound that people liked, then this is what the follow-up to Oracular Spectacular would have sounded like.
Grateful Dead – Europe ’72, Vol. II
In 2011 the surviving members dug into the archives and offered all 22 shows from their 1972 tour of Europe on 60 CDs, but at nearly $500 for the set it’s reserved for the more committed Deadhead. Europe ’72 is one of the best live albums of the 70s whose only drawback is that it didn’t include Dark Star. Vol. II corrects that oversight and then some.
The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart
While technically a 2010 release, Subpop remastered the Seattle Folk-Rockers tunes and re-released it in 2011. Do something nice for your ears and buy this disc.
Mayer Hawthorne – How Do You Do
Cardigan and Buddy Holly glasses aside, this guy can sing and leads the Nu Soul movement.
Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’
Another solid Nu Soul effort from Raphael and every bit as good as The Way I See It.
Rolling Stones - Brussels Affair
Live, download-only version of the Brussels show from the 1973 European tour and a steal at $4.99.
Trombone Shorty – For True
Two shows at Bumbershoot including the soundcheck and KEXP show at the children’s theater, these guys come to the game ready to play.
Vetiver – The Errant Charm
Named for a perennial grass native to India. Saw ‘em twice at B-shoot 2011, another creat collection of tunes from Andy Cabic and Co
White Denim - D
ZZ Top meets King Crimson. Especially pleasing, intricate guitar work, with nice harmonies and toe-tapping beats. White Denim is one of my new favorite groups.

Visuals: Big Screen
Cedar Rapids
Directed by Miguel Arteta, starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly and Anne Heche
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Directed by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa, starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Julianne Moore
Harry Potter and the End of the Series, Part II
Directed by David Yates, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint
Midnight In Paris
Directed by Woody Allen, starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates
Super 8
Directed by J.J. Abrams, starring Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka and Kyle Chandler
Water For Elephants
Robert Pattinson shows he's more than a sparkling vampire glamoring winey teens on the edge of the Northwest rain forest.
Win, Win
Directed by Thomas McCarthy, starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan and Jeffrey Tambor
Visuals: Tube
Good Wife Season Three
A cuckolded Chicago politician’s wife makes her way in the world and a name for herself as a partner-tracked lawyer.
Modern Family Season Three
Best cast and writing in a sitcom since Seinfeld.
Sons of Anarchy Season Four
The trials and tribulations of a group of motorcycle enthusiasts from northern California makes for an interesting spin on the story of Hamlet.
Treme Season One
From the creators of The Wire, Post-Katrina New Orleans with an amazing soundtrack.
Walking Dead Season Two
The zombie apocalypse is upon us.
Visuals: Revisits
Friday Night Lights
Life and football in a Texas high school.
Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Gene Rodenberry's legacy lives on in my favorite of the Star Trek series.
The Wire
Balitmore cops wrestling with bureaucracy, nepotism and petty differences while trying to catch bad guys.

On the nightstand:
The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Ship Breaker (book 1 of 2) by Paolo Bacigalupi
The Hunger Games (book 1 of 3) by Suzanne Collins

Three days before B’s Bday (B the brother, not B the partner)

Just back from a short trip to Vancouver, BC. B and I walked around Stanley Park in the sun, got some reflexology on our feet while sipping jasmine tea in overstuffed chairs and listening to the Grateful Dead, spent a morning on Granville Island, saw As You Like It at Bard on the Beach, ate at a killer Afghani restaurant and enjoyed ourselves in a generally, laid back, mostly Canadian manner. The dog stayed home with E.

What the Dog and I are listening to:
The dog has been on a Jazz kick lately. She likes nothing better than to lie in the sun and let the music transport her to a place filled with steak bones, unlimited belly rubs and slower squirrels, but that doesn’t stop her from enjoying other music as well.

Joshua Redman – James Farm
I love Josh’s music. He borrows a bit from all who’ve come before and heads in his own direction.

Corea, Clarke & White – Forever
Return to Forever alum reunite for a two disc musical journey in which they really stretch their legs.

Al Di Meola – Pursuit of the Radical Rhapsody
Speaking of Return to Forever, Al has slowed his fretboard work down a bit and created something very nice.

Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Orchestra – 40 Acres and a Burro
More jazz than Latin, but I like it.

Foster the People – Torches
This is what MGMT’s follow-up to Oracular Spectacular should have sounded like.

Dave Alvin – Eleven Eleven
Former Blasters guitarist offers a rootsy sound.

Iggy Pop - Roadkill Rising: The Bootleg Collection
If punk has a grandpa it’s Iggy. Play this loud!

Vetiver – The Errant Charm
Named for a perennial grass native to India. Saw ‘em twice at B-shoot 2011, another creat collection of tunes from Andy Cabic and Co.

Gillian Welch – The Harrow & the Harvest
There’s no one quite like Gillian.

Bon Iver – Bon Iver
A fuller sound than For Emma

What the Dog and I are reading:

I Am Not Sidney Porter by Percival Everett

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

What the dog and I are watching:

The More the Merrier
1943, directed by George Stevens. Starring Joel Macrea, Jean Arthur and Charles Colburn. A housing shortage in war time DC leads to comical situations.

Sons of Anarchy Season Four
An interesting spin on Hamlet.

Even though the dog was born and raised in the Northwest, she’s a hardcore Sox fan with no love for the Yankees.
Derek Jeter terminated his engagement with Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights and she’s the newest Charlie’s Angel). Prior to the relationship with Ms. Kelly, I suspected Jeter was gay. Now there’s no negative connotation to him being gay, it’s an observation not a judgment. The reason for my suspicion; confirmed bachelor, well groomed, good dancer, drinks wine coolers and likes Cold Play. Since he’s broken it off with her, I no longer suspect that he’s gay (and there’s still no negative connotation to him being gay, it’s an observation not a judgment).
That being said the Red Sox are 3-7 in their last 10 games. Are they trying to finish the season the way they started it? Tampa Bay is four games out of the wild card and the Angels are five back with twelve games left to play. Boston has two more with TB, four with the Orioles, a day off, then three with the Yanks in the Bronx. They finish the regular season with three games in Baltimore.
The Yanks are 6-4 for their last 10. They have 13 games (12 tough ones) left, no days off, two to complete the series with Toronto, one against Minnesota then four against TB, three versus the Sox at home then they travel to TB to play three and finish the season.
If the Sox get their heads out of their asses and the Yanks put their heads further in their asses, the Sox could finish in first place and TB or the Angels could take the wildcard. Of course that’s a perfect world scenario.
Go Sox!

Ineffable – a PG-13 way of communicating that someone is not available for intimate contact.

Bumbershoot 2011

Friends, the links to the MySpace pages of the bands mentioned below are in my Bumbershoot Preview column.
The Dog couldn't go to Bumbershoot.
Saturday
First up, Vetiver in the Bumbershoot Music Lounge (intimate, unplugged, 40 minute sets in a 100 seat theater). Unfortunately I had no tickets for Music Lounge show, there was a huge line to get into the festival and the food court (excellent idea One Reel) near the entrance compelled B to peruse because he was feeling puckish, truth be known, so was I. Once we’d knocked back the first of many gyros from St. Demetrios (a slice of heaven on a pita for $6) we proceeded to the KEXP booth to join the queue for the tickets. Our prospects looked bleak, but we got in. Vetiver played a mixture of new songs from their latest, The Errant Charm, and some from their previous four releases. It was the first performance of their new tour. I had hoped to hear More of This, but was denied that pleasure. I spoke to the lead guitarist after the Music Lounge set and he assured me that they’d play it during their performance at the Fountain Stage. They didn’t. In spite of that hollow promise Vetiver was great.
Next up, Kris Orlowski at Level 3, one of the two EMP stages. Unfortunately it was full. Note to EMP and One Reel, the Sky Church performances had room all weekend even after moving the barriers at the back of the room closer to the stage (WTF, four security guys need 25% of the floor space?) However, every Level 3 show was filled long before performers took the stage and huge lines continued to build outside. I’m just saying…
B and I made our way back the Mural Stage and proceeded to consume the first of many, many free Starbucks beverages. Howard, your plea to corporations to refuse to contribute to campaigns until Congress gets its collective head out of its collective ass, sponsoring one of the best stages at Bumbershoot and sharing free drinks with Bumbershooters are improving my opinion of you. Just get an NBA team to return or even better an NHL team to come to Seattle and we’re good.
We rendezvoused with J, D and R for Wagons, an Aussie C&W band with a great sense of humor. Good music and the front man’s between song banter reminded me of Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords.
While at Wagons my buddy T sent a text asking if we wanted in for the Bumbershoot Music Lounge show for Trombone Shorty. Since Shorty was on my list of must sees, I quickly replied ‘yes’. We sat three rows back, center stage. T and I got to catch up a bit during the sound check. Trombone Shorty came out with his band, none of whom looked to be over 30, and proceeded to melt our faces off with one of the tightest, sharpest sounding Jazz-Funk-R&B/Soul performances I’ve ever seen. The man channeled James Brown, Marvin Gaye and Dizzy Gillespie at various times throughout the show. They were fabulous!!!!! I bought their CD Backatown.
We walked the grounds a bit. T showed us the (hopefully) new home for KEXP. We grabbed a Starbucks, listened to a bit of Nortec Collective at Fisher Green and PS I Love You at The Fountain where two nice ladies gave us passes to the VIP beer garden where we enjoyed a tasty beverage and watched Shabazz Palaces. We couldn’t get in to see Pickwick or Jayme Stone, the previously mentioned Level 3 factor nixed those opportunities, but did see Trombone Shorty a second time and got another gyro from St. Demetrios. Our last act was Ray LaMontagne in Key arena. The Music was great, but I dislike the venue. It’s inside, the seats are not comfortable and the sound is sub-par. I appreciate the need to “weather-proof” the festival and understand that Memorial Stadium costs more, but the Key sucks for music. Once again I’m just saying…
We left Ray after four songs and made our way to Mavis Staples. Mavis did not disappoint. We arrived just as she was getting into The Weight. Mavis has a great voice, greater stage presence and always has a tight band. We missed her last couple of songs as we hustled to the ferry.

Sunday
I was lucky to have my Brother and my life-partner along for the day. Once through the gates we went straight to get comedy stage passes. We opted for The Improvised Shakespeare Company in Bagley Wright later that day. The comedy shows are so popular that you have to get passes to guarantee a seat and they “sell out” early. On the way back we caught a bit of Kore Ionz at Fisher then got another gyro from St. Demetrios and on to the Mural for the remainder of Kasey Anderson and the first of our many, many free Starbucks beverages of the day. Massey Ferguson, a good old Southern Rock band from Snohomish, was next at the Mural where we were joined by my old shipmate J.
The Improvised Shakespeare Company (at Bagley Wright) is a five man improvisation troop from Western Washington in Bellingham. They ask the audience shout out topics, they select one and create a one act play on the spot in Shakespearean tradition. The Unintended Mustache was brilliant to say the least!
I should mention that due to various construction projects on the Seattle Center grounds Bumbershoot was forced to move some stages and eliminate others. In addition the art installations, some of B’s (B the life-partner not B the brother) and my highlights, were smaller this year, but worth seeing nonetheless. And we always enjoy Flatstock, the poster art show next to the Fisher stage. This year was no exception. We made our way across the campus to EMP for Kaylee Cole, alas, the Level 3 factor was in play once again so we were denied. We returned to Starbucks and listened to Jessica Lea Mayfield at the Mural. She has a great voice, but her songs sound the same and she really didn’t talk much.
Let me be perfectly clear on something. I don’t expect a musician to perform like a wind-up monkey with an organ grinder. However, a little bit of between song banter, an effort to connect with the people who bought tickets (and maybe a CD) would be appreciated. If you’re Van Morrison, you can get away without talking to the crowd, but most of the performers at B-shoot aren’t Van. I’m just saying…
I got another gyro from St. Demetrios then back to the Mural Stage for several more tasty Starbucks drinks and Leon Russell. Leon played all his hits and then some. Most of the hits were reworked, for example Back to the Island was done a bit more up-tempo, so much so that I didn’t recognize it until the chorus. He’s a great showman with excellent musicians and the show rocked.
After Leon we tried to get into see Macklemore at the Key. As we spoke to security at the entrance we could see people coming out of the exit, but due to a lack of communication between the entrance and the exit, security was convinced that the building was at capacity. My only disappointment of the day, I didn’t get to see Pickwick in the Music Lounge.

Monday
Very tired. We didn’t get to sleep until 3:30 AM and rose at 5:45 AM to drive J to the airport. I met B, A and my old friend A at the ticket booth. We bee-lined it for the KEXP booth where we met R and queued up for Music Lounge tickets to see Charles Bradley. While in line for Charles, B went to get comedy passes, but they were “sold out”. We got in to the Music Lounge show. Wow! Charles Bradley has been around a long time and is one of the hardest working men in music, ‘nuff said! Denied for Fitz and the Tantrums show in the Music Lounge as the line we so long, but R got in.
Got another gyro from St. Demetrios, saw a bit of Quadron at the Fountain, Head Like a Kite at Fisher, and Grand Hallway at the mural. All good, Quadron was the best of the three, in fact I bought their CD and have been playing it a lot.
Dennis Coffey at Fisher was very good and he wasn’t even on my list. You Am I, a marginally talented, extremely profane gang from Aussie was at the Fountain. I left for more Starbucks and Ian Moore at the Mural.
Greensky Bluegrass followed Ian. The five man Bluegrass band from Michigan opened with Traffic’s Light Up or Leave Me Alone and proceeded to jam away like they’d been playing together since birth. Great stage presence, excellent musicianship and for Bluegrass, the tunes Rocked! No Ravenna Woods, once again the Level 3 factor, aka no room and long lines at EMP. I finished with Fitz and the Tantrums at the Key. By the time they took the stage I was running on fumes. I caught the first half of the set and boogied with Stu to the ferry.

Highlights:
Vetiver, Trombone Shorty, Massey Ferguson, Greensky Bluegrass, Improvised Shakespeare Company, free iced mochas and $6 gyros from St. Demetrio.

By the way, Dave Matthews still sucks a fat baby's ass for playing the Gorge opposite Bumbershoot.