Social Calendar Updates - April 6-12th '13 edition

Thank the heavens it's the weekend. And thank the heavens, too...for (finally!) Spring is coming. (And, in comparison to most, I have absolutely no reason at all to complain about our winter. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I've earned my PhD in Complaining now.  So why let great life experience go to waste??)

That said, I'm taking a quick moment to update several things of interest on the 'to do' calendar (in general for right now):

Today, April 6th:

• For the NCAA basketball fans out there (go Wichita State! my underdog love goes unchecked still), Southern Rail in Carrboro is having a viewing party (both for the semis today and the actual final game on Monday).  Free admission, but I recommend dining/beers there any time.
• And, for something completely new to my experience:  The Vaudevillain Revue - U.S.Oh! is on over at Motorco tonight.  Promises to have "...live music, burlesque, comedy, circus arts, and general shenanigans...". (Seriously, now, who doesn't like 'general shenanigans'?  Not love them, even?)  Doors open at 9pm, $10 tix now (plus Eventbrite charges, I think, unless bought in advance or at Motorco proper).  Facebook page updates here.

Tomorrow, April 7th:

• For the college baseball fans out there, UNC, the No. 1 ranked college mens' baseball team, has a home stand weekend (Friday-Sunday) battle versus Maryland.  Tickets are very affordable ($7-$10), and Sunday's game has a 1pm start time.  Home games are at Boshamer Stadium, and save $5 back for approved parking (nearby parking decks).
• And the aforementioned Motorco is hosting a "Mad Men" premiere party tomorrow night.  Free admission, on the jumbo megatron.  Starts at 8pm, but arrive early enough to drink and fix your hair.

Monday, April 8th:

• In what could be a problematic attention-divided night for me should Wichita State (hopefully) advance to the NCAA Championship Game, Monday is the Season Home Opener for the Durham Bulls.  Tickets are still available as I write this, but generally this frequently sells out...so act quickly. (Not to mention, it's predicted to be in the low to mid 70s at first pitch.  Ahh, spring.) **First pitch is at 605pm this year**, but allow some time (and a few bucks) for traffic parking in advance.
• As mentioned above, Southern Rail will also be showing the NCAA Mens' Final game. (Complete with, I'm sure, the irritating send-off that CBS always does yearly with their "One Shining Moment" segment.  Even though I'll be watching the Bulls start, I always hate to see college basketball end.)
• And the wonderful folks with Band Together have a *huge* event booked for May 4th and are seeking volunteers to help out.  Volunteer meeting is Monday, April 8th, 6pm, at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh...details found here. Their May 4th fundraiser will be at Cary’s Booth Amphitheater and has Lyle Lovett, Delta Rae, Chatham County Line, and the Mac and Juice Quartet on the bill. Proceeds will aid the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities, with a goal of $850,000. Tix start at $34.50 (plus fees, advance) for the lawn and are on sale now. If you can't volunteer to help on the 4th, come out to the show!

Days in between: 

• Several things that involve me working, or exercising, or daydreaming, or all of the above, in here and that's not very exciting stuff, so I'll spare you.  Unless I win the lottery and then I'll update y'all before I leave from the international terminal.

 Friday,  April 12th:

• Unfortunately, these two cannot be combined, and both are scheduled at the wonderful Carolina Theatre in Durham:  In one area, starting at 8pm, it's the Classic Albums Live series, this time with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" in its entirety, plus some other Floyd gems afterwards. Tix are $29-$39, and they do serve some tasty brews from their concession stand (which is not totally appropriate for this album, I agree, but proper stuffs are not legal in this state).  Up in the movie house at the Carolina, their Retroclassics Film Series has a doubleheader of "The Mummy" & "The Invisible Man" (yes, the originals...with Boris Karloff and Claude Rains!).  This monster tour-de-fierce starts at 7pm, and I think tix hold strong at $8 for both...and I cannot stress this enough...**get your tickets in advance if possible and get there early for both a good seat and tasty concessions**.  Several of these Retro series' movies have sold out/almost sold out this season. (Kudos to Jim and his great staff for bringing all their different Series to us, by the way.)  I still hold out hope for the classic "Wizard of Oz" film and this Floyd audio pairing someday in a proper theatre, though.
• And while I adore Floyd and Boris and Claude (and Jim & his people!), I'm heading over to Raleigh instead for something even rarer:  to watch a restored print of Mary Pickford's "Dorothy Verndon of Haddon Hall" from 1924.  And thankfully, it will feature live piano accompaniment (amazingly, I've been to some silents that didn't...and it's damn trying in that format).  Starting at 8pm, this is an one-time only show at the North Carolina Museum of Art.  Tickets are $5-$7 (plus fees), and can be purchased online.  I do so have a weakness for the silent movies, and many are lost gems.  Hopefully, the original "America's Sweetheart" won't disappoint.

I'll probably be found in the popcorn line...

Elvis Costello, June 14 @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre

This is the first of my 'catch-up' posts...items I've written about in my journal since the spring, but am just now bringing over to the blog. Have some patience with me, folks, as I get them all moved over...

---

Every so often, I get to see God, live and in person. Now when some people say that, it generally entails some further explanation about a religious epiphany that has occurred to them. In my case, it's a tad bit more humble and a far bit more accessible to the modern man and gal: it just means I've seen an Elvis Costello show.

I had such a pleasure this past Sunday (June 14), out at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. Ideally, Koka is not a great venue for 'big draw' concerts, but given this was God's tour with The Sugarcanes (promoting his latest album, "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane"), a smaller venue such as this worked really, really well. The material on this album, as well as some of his more recent releases, suits a 'quieter' venue much better than the mammoth Walnut Creek would in comparison, or even in comparison to the new (and dare I say it?) and sterile-feeling Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC). This album mines from a more bluegrass, traditional, Americana-like stream, but still features God's poignant and brilliant lyrics. (I occasionally read an interview with some new 'up and coming' talent who says he/she just also wants to be a great songwriter. Until someone actually says they've studied under the tutelage of God and His pen, I really can't take them too seriously. He's that damn good.) Add to this that Koka probably has the best acoustics of any largish-size venue in the area, so having a good show was almost a given before arrival.

A bit to my amazement, the show did not seem like a complete sell-out. I always buy lawn seats there, as you can bring your own chair (and, depending on the event, can often bring in your own food and drink), and there were more than a few 'empty' spots near the back. 'Tis a shame, really, for those that missed it, but was a full-fare show for those that did make it out...and many of us are/were die-hard fans. God, who over the years has been both relaxed and uptight talking in the shows of which I've been in attendance, seemed in particularly good spirits Sunday. Not such a hard place to be, really, as The Sugarcanes (featuring Jim Lauderdale) were in fine form and his audience more than receptive to any number of small errors. It was not a perfect show to be certain...but I've rarely been to a live show that was...but its few imperfections made it all the more human and great.

All told, age and newly rediscovered fatherhood has served Him, and His musical ventures, very well. Whereas other contemporaries have long since come and gone (and perhaps even tried to come back again in the form of a reunion tour or something), or perhaps have seen their lyrical impact fall on deaf years, Mr Costello He keeps cranking out gems here or there that still have relevance, still creating a devoted following. Considering that some of that following (myself included) have been fans for 30+ years now is quite a testament. Further, the fact that He and His audience would/could still consider themselves 'young' and 'still questioning' is quite a revelation: either as a sign of greatness still to come or as a sign of our mutual utopian hope for the world to improve itself.

Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes do a cover of the Grateful Dead's "Friend of Mine" at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary, NC, June 14, 2009.
God's voice sounded strained mid-song a bit at times...I don't know if it was a cold or allergies or age taking a toss at him...but he gave a very full, diverse set. The few 'classics' he whipped out from his many previous incarnations..."Allison", "Indoor Fireworks", and "King of America"...had been slightly modified to fit more easily within The Sugarcanes 'sound'. I've seen him on three continents so far over the years...and should I win the lottery, I will go see him on any other applicable ones...but his steadiness remains throughout. As I enthusiastically told a friend of mine tonight (a friend who plays regularly with a local bluegrass band), it wasn't so much as a band playing God's songs, backing God, as much as it was God sitting in on a really great bluegrass jam session, desperately wanting to contribute in any way he could. The success of shows such as Sunday's reaffirms that His disciples, like the leader Himself, refuse to be genre-typed or boxed in musically. And we're all damn well better off because of it.

The tour continues through the summer months, so go see them when it rolls through your neck of the woods: like fine-aged whisky, the blend of age with Elvis only tastes sweeter as it spreads out through your brain, your heart, and even your soul. Check out the tour schedule here.

'Tis Music All About the Land

Sorry about the delay in posting, folks. Still recovering a bit from my ear infection, although that has been greatly decreased and just also a wee bit swamped at work, too. Work is really getting the better of me, honestly, and a vacation is going to have to come soon or I risk severe burn-out later. I've also been working on a few projects here around the house as well, prepping for summer and all...a few art projects here, a few household repair things there, the odd plant purchase or two...those kinds of mundane things I figure few want to read about.

---

That said, I'll make a quick post to the 'entertainment updates' of this blog:

This upcoming Friday, May 30th, it's a win-win for the locals around here looking in two different varieties of music. Choose your poison: catchy, albeit slightly offbeat and poignant piano-driven charmers or a more rock-infused Celtic band with a slightly PG-13(+) song list.

The more known act (so far), the simply wonderful Ben Folds (and former resident of the area), is breezing through for a one-night-only stand over at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. He got a rather nice mention in the local papers, but admittedly as a long-time fan who has not followed his personal life as much as his professional one, I found myself a bit dismayed that he's already on marriage number four and is now again residing in Nashville. I had clearly been under the impression that marriage number three, fatherhood, and a long-distance move to Adelaide (this is Australia) had done the witty pianomeister good...very good even. Sadly, very sadly even, not to be. Dear Ben's not that much older than me...and I can't help but wonder what dismissive songs about marriage, breakup, and divorce are just waiting to be penned from his creative inkwell. A biting, sarcastic, but very thoughtful inkwell. I have no doubt the constant challenges he has faced personally continues to make him the great, and at times very brutally honest, artist that he is professionally. For the uninitiated, that fact alone makes seeing Ben a 'must do' item. Seeing him in the intimate Koka Booth setting is an added plus.

If there is one thing, however, I have learned from all of my Ben following it is this: never presume to know his next move or his current sentiment, for both will surprise you. His hit list is nothing short of unconventional material...songs about going with a girlfriend to her abortion, to angry declarations of war against ex-lovers still holding his possessions, to solemn promises of eternal father loyalty to his newborn children. It's never been about the music so much...which is quite fabulously good in its own right...but more about the message that music is carrying. And Ben, God love him, lives to tinker with that message as much as he can. Two of my all-time fave songs from Ben are "Battle of Who Could Care Less", and "Jesusland" (do a search on YouTube for the videos, as embedding of such is not available for these songs; the links above go to LyricsMania for the song lyrics).

Tickets are $35 for the general seats at Koka and the show is scheduled to begin at 8pm. Considering this is Cary and the Koka Booth with its sometimes poorly organized parking detail, I'd be there by no later than 6:30pm, though.

The second option for the evening is my new good friends, My Three Kilts, down from Goldsboro way. In some sort of six degrees of local bands who play The Pogues covers, I found about these lads one night while attending a Hercules Mulligan show. My beloved Hercs, (who have reconstituted their lineup since the winter and now are composed of Chris King, Dave Cauthorn and new fiddler Lisa Wolff), were on the same schedule with them somewhere and the WR and I stayed around to give them a listen (and drink the beer), I think off Dave Cauthorn's strong recommendation. Impressed we were with that first go around, we caught them again at the recent Tir Na Nog's raucous St. Patty's Day celebrations. Since then, they've become my second favourite local Celtic-based band (sorry, guys, but I believe in the being-true-to-your-school thing and the Hercs still come first, nothing personal). I'm still searching, though, for the proper adjective description for them: they are a bit more 'plugged in' than the Hercs, and they are more rock-infused versus the strong bluegrass background of Dave with HM. And although the dear WR may disagree with me on this, I still contend that MTK bassist Scott reminds me of Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick...in a very good way.

Both HM and MTK do some of the same songs (but that's a rule de naturale with most Irish bar bands, frankly), but hearing the differences in approach can be very interesting. Just like the Hercs, MTK has an excellent rapport with the audience and their enthusiasm is contagious. Good guys, this Scott, Rob and Shane. For those who can make the trip down to the metropolis of Goldsboro (and you know you want to), they are playing at The Flying Shamrock also on Friday, but their show starts at 9pm. (For those that can't make it to Goldsboro, they play again at Tir Na Nog in Raleigh on June 27th at 7pm. Likewise, my long-beloved Hercs play again there on June 13th, also starting at 7pm.)

(Editor note, May 31: Highly recommend The Flying Shamrock in Goldsboro. Good food, excellent staff, more 'fresh-tasting' beer even, enthusiastic crowd. Well worth the trip and gas expense.)

Slowly, ever so slowly, a Raleigh-based Celtic 'scene' emerges...LOL.

And, finally, next week on June 2 and 3, for those of you who have far more money/less hangups about the ticket price than me, The Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, SC, officially opens with great anticipated fanfare. Ideally, when I first heard about it, it sounded like a helluva outing: 2 fabulous bands breaking in the joint, and then the ticket price also included theme park admission, parking, some 'opening weekend' souvenirs, that kind of thing. Considering I've not had a vacation yet this year (other than an odd single day or two) and haven't been to the beach in awhile, it sounded like a really good deal for a bit...until I saw the price tag, excluding my gas, food and hotel expense. For one ticket, friends, which you cannot break down to see just one band on one night, nor just see the bands and skip the park is...drum roll, please...$284+. Again, that's not counting travel, food, or lodging expense.

Now I do love The Eagles...a tremendously influential and wonderful band, of whom I am the owner of several of their albums. And long-time friends will admit I've been a lover of The Moody Blues since my teens...20 years after they started hitting the scene, if you're keeping score...so much to the point that one of their signature lyrics doubled as my quote in my senior yearbook. I'm really not doubting the value of the bands themselves...but, as a longtime fan of both, I also have a good 'working idea' of what each is worth in the current market. I recently shilled out $85 to go see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band in Greensboro and that was, essentially, a general admission (bleed) seat...and unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that even the mighty Bruce & Co did not sell out the Coliseum (especially in the upper tiers). Something a little less than Bruce...The Boss is always my barometer in these things...for each of these bands would have given me pause to consider. I've seen The Moody Blues several times, albeit being one of the younger audience members generally, and have adored The Eagles for more years than I care to recall (their "Hotel California" is still the unofficial air-guitar, air-drums, and air-bass song of my former reservations employer). In short, this is not/should not be a hard sell and has a mass audience potential.

However, when you throw in the mandatory theme park cost...not so much me (being afraid of heights and all as I am, that sort of greatly reduces the truly 'fun' ones for the adults)...and then the other 'opening weekend' razzmatazz: I can take it or leave it. And frankly, 'being first' anyplace for anything really screams against my basic nature. Then when you throw in a minimum $60 for a round-trip tank of gas from here and a night's lodging in Myrtle...it freakishly soon teeters on a month's rent allotment. So 'left it' is where the idea has come and died, unfortunately. Clearly, I'm not the only one having some buyer's anxiety out there: as I write this, about only a week out from the shows, lots of tickets are still available. Word to Hard Rock Park: don't give people ticket shock before you even develop your customer base. In case you've missed it, there's a recession going on and you just might want to take that into consideration when pricing your entertainment.

A great idea for an opening, albeit very poorly executed given the current (and very anxious) economic climate I fear. If someone does go to the opening gala, I'd be interested in hearing from you about the crowd and an overall review. In the meantime, though, I'll just have to content myself with playing my air drums while I drive...listening to the "Greatest Hits" CD.