David Olney, with blurbs!

"Few are capable of spinning such colorful and multi-layered yarns with so little excess fat. On this fine new release, Olney spans the gamut from OBSTREPEROUS* GLEE to NAKED TERROR."
-American Songwriter Magazine

"Olney stands out LIKE A JALEPENO IN A BOWL OF VANILLA PUDDING in Nashville."
-William Michael Smith, Houston Press (TX)


Thanks to an email, I have spent most of my post-work evening listening to the absolutely stirring songs of David Olney. His concerts are often remembered by their music-loving attendees as if anyone who wasn't there must have woken up on Lady Luck's bad side. I kind of agree.

I told my wife tonight about the times I took dates to see him do his thing at venues like 12th and Porter, Douglas Corner and The Bluebird Cafe. The dates would tell me later that they went just because they liked me and were good sports. Before: "David who? Okay, Michael." Afterward: "Wow! David Olney, right? I need to buy his CD. Oh, and what's your name again? Mark, right?"

Some songs seem to come to us exactly when we need to hear them most. David Olney's "Jerusalem Tomorrow" was one of those songs. I don't know the year, but it was maybe 1991 when I was sitting in front of my little guy's house waiting for the court-appointed time for me to knock on his door and take him out with me for a little bonding time. I was early and left to wait for time to do its thing as I sat in my car while listening to WRLT. On came "Jerusalem Tomorrow" and I was hooked. I was jotting down lyrics so that I could call the station later and find out whose voice belonged to this mysterious and prolific song. Gone was the "woe is me" and here was the "who was that?" ( I have since decided that "Jerusalem Tomorrow" would have fit perfectly on the Leap Of Faith soundtrack. If you've seen the movie, check the lyrics and tell me you don't agree.)

I've read about his famous show at Douglas Corner when the power went out and instead of canceling the show he played acoustically to a room full of music fans and lit candles. I bet the magic in the air that night was, as they say, palpable. I've felt touches of that magic when hearing David Olney sing his wonderful songs at various venues over the years.

So if you ever get a chance to see David Olney in concert, jump at that opportunity. And if you are ever asked what your favorite concerts are and you've never seen David Olney, then go ahead with your list but note that there is room for error. Then jump at your next opportunity to see him live. He's on my list.

1. Tom Waits
2. Peter Himmelman
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. Dave Olney

*Note to self: Look up "obstreperous."

Ever So Slightly

She doesn't know it yet, but baby Sam and I have our song. When she's born in a few weeks I'll tell her all about it.

Peter Himmelman sings "Motel Room in Davenport."

This Furious World thing is just about perfect for me. For much of the 90s, I was often in the clubs to see the acts I loved so much. Working in a record store had its perks and it seemed like I rarely went more than a few days without being on some list to see some band at some club. Time has moved forward quite briskly and it's found me a bit older, broker, and working many late night hours. With a beautiful wife and children at home, my familial responsibilities keep me far from the music clubs anyway. Thankfully, I see just as many live shows now as I did back then. (Oh, how I love the Internet.)

Peter Himmelman's Furious World brings my domestic world a free, live show each and every Tuesday night. Peter doesn't have to come to Nashville and I don't have to leave my living room. I read bedtime stories to my kiddos, kiss their foreheads as I tuck them in, walk down the hall to my laptop and click a link for an hour of Peter Himmelman playing his songs for so many wombats like me. The show is expertly directed by Nice Fish Films and I hear that there's a documentary in the works.

Enjoy the music. I always do.

Josh

Ari

Thanks for the beads!

I'm going to grow vegetables on my apartment porch.

Watching coverage of The White House's Victory Garden yesterday, I'm a bit inspired to do a little planting of my own. I didn't think I could do that since I live in an apartment, but a friend made me hip to container gardening. So now the research begins and hopefully this can be something that will be fun for the kiddos as well.

Sandstorm Battle

The youngest Star Wars fan here at Chez Bez is out of town this week, but that doesn't mean that his Star Wars action figures aren't getting any attention.

Ready for Baby Samantha

Spell It However You Like

"Britney Is Back!," sez Sasha Frere-Jones in a review of her Circus show.

An excerpt:
Sometimes, it felt like being at a theme restaurant: videos playing constantly, employees all in colorful costume, everyone hewing to a single concept.

Anywhere I Lay My Head

On the library's hold shelf await four CDs for me:

• The #1 Baroque album [sound recording]
• Baroque adagios [sound recording] : [over 2 1/2 hours of sublime music]
• 808's & heartbreak [sound recording] / Kanye West
• Anywhere I lay my head [sound recording] / Scarlett Johansson
  

The first two are for my son and the last two are for me. Despite so many perceived reasons not to, I keep coming back to Kanye. As for Scarlett, this record, which I prematurely dismissed on first listen, won't let me be. I realized my initial criticism was weak when I saw someone comment somewhere that the last thing we need is another Diana Krall-like treatment of Tom Waits songs. And that's no knock on Diana Krall. Her interpretation of "Temptation" is stellar and sexy as hell. But Scarlett keeps it interesting by taking familiar songs and doing something altogether different with them. For better or worse, she doesn't take the easy road.

So tomorrow is good. We're getting our carpets cleaned, I'm picking up some good discs at the library, and we'll be one day closer to that new baby's arrival. (April 14!)

On The Greenway

Before my the day's shift at the hotel, we took the opportunity to get some exercise and quality time on the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. (Google Maps user Mark B. has a nice map of it here.)

The Money is Both Fast and Mad

On June 16, 2007, I remarked on CNBC's Fast Money program noticing how it was produced just like an NFL pre-game show. All of these "experts" shooting the bull on stocks and telling us what to buy and what to sell, all the while taking good-natured shots at one another for the entertainment of their viewers. Of course it's entertainment. If it's on TV, even a show that's supposedly about advice is really about ratings, right? But folks take it seriously because it's presented as a show to be taken seriously. Same thing for Jim Cramer's Mad Money.

Anyway, Jon Stewart nailed it when in his interview with Cramer, he said, "I understand you want to make finance entertaining. But it's not a fucking game."* Good for him to say that to Cramer and, more specifically to CNBC, but also good for us to hear him say it. No financial advice on matters like these will be guaranteed, but getting it from a television show is likely not best place for it.

*Quote taken from Southern Beale's Dear American Media: Stop Hurting America

Self This, Self That

It must be great to be Tom Waits.