A One, an a Two, an a One Two Three Four

Wait. That sounds too Lawrence Welk-y. Let’s get this started by tapping the drumsticks instead. Tap..tap..tap..tap....twang.  That’s the sound I’m looking for. Rock on.

We’ve been hittin’ up concerts again. I realized I hadn’t told you, my blogging community, about some of the concerts we attended over the last year or so. We can’t have you being uninformed, so I need to give you the lowdown on some of our latest musical affairs.

But, first things first.  You should go to the theater to see the newly released comedy movie The Naked Gun. Faithful readers might recall that, per my bucket list, I was cast as a background extra in that movie when it was filming nearby. The Naked Gun, starring Gwen, as Pedestrian. You can read about my day on the movie set here. (These Pretzels are Making Me Thirsty). During production, the movie was called Law of Toughness, but they changed the name to capture the essence of The Naked Gun movie series.

I just saw the movie, and it was ridiculously funny. Pure silliness. Eye-rolling, corny jokes. One-liner after one-liner. Dead-pan humor. In the style of: "Surely you can’t be serious! I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley."  Producer Seth MacFarlane was going for an old-school spoof movie to celebrate the art of comedy, and he nailed it. Giving people something to laugh about in these troubled times.

I think the role that shone through brightest was Pedestrian, whose onscreen appearance lasted for about a nanosecond. It was a compelling scene, if you knew to sweep your eyes away from the action happening in the seat of a car, squint hard to look through the back windshield at the distant street, and notice the slight movement of people walking down the sidewalk, way, way, way back there. There she is! Pedestrian!! Boy, that gal really brought it. Oscar-worthy performance, I think.

If you're into goofball humor, treat yourself and go see The Naked Gun.

Now, back to the music. Let’s take it from the top.

*****

The Concert That Was Nostalgic and Surprising

We traveled to my old stomping grounds at University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, to see Hootie and the Blowfish perform. The concert was uber-nostalgic. Darius Rucker and crew started their band while students at University of South Carolina in the 1980s, while I was in graduate school at the same university. The guys played at the Heart of Columbia motel regularly, and they were quite popular around town. They went national in the 90s with their multi-platinum album Cracked Rear View. Darius and friends remain big supporters of UofSC sports teams, and other school-related ventures. They like to keep in touch with what’s happening on campus. The band reunited not long ago to tour, and we wanted to see them perform back where it all began.

The whole city was abuzz with anticipation. Hootie and the Blowfish did not disappoint. The concert was simply amazing. It was a hometown celebration. A great big lovefest—us lovin’ on the band and the band lovin’ on us.  Darius threw in some of his solo country music, as well, and in addition to all the Hootie songs, we were singing Wagon Wheel, Alright, and Beers and Sunshine at the top of our lungs. It was so much fun, and a great throwback to times past.

We were staying near the concert venue at a downtown hotel. In a surprise encounter,  Rob ran into Darius Rucker at our hotel elevator a few hours before the show. Only, it didn’t sink in until Darius had already walked away, taking his two dogs out for a potty break. Rob missed his chance to chat it up. Darn it.

Another surprise was the concert’s opening act Collective Soul. I had minimal knowledge of the band, which hails from Stockbridge, Georgia, not far from where we live. I kind of expected to sit through their portion of the show just waiting for Hootie’s turn to take the stage.  But, Rob and I both loved their performance. We had a great time rocking out to their songs. Band members had a lot of personality, and we gave their set a big thumbs up. I would absolutely recommend seeing them. All-in-all a fantastic night of music.

*****

The Concert That Was Cavernous

We traveled to Tennessee to see the band Little Feat in concert at The Caverns venue. The Caverns is, believe it or not, an underground cave in the mountains where musical acts perform. Little Feat is a 1970s rock band that combines rock, R&B, blues, rockabilly, boogie, and funk to create a unique style and sound. We love their music and we wanted to check out The Caverns. We jumped at the chance to see the band perform in the mysterious sunken den. Little Feat brought the energy and connected with the crowd in the small rocky cavern. Even though they were missing Lowell George, the founder and original lead singer who died in the 70s, the band’s sound was genuine.  Songs like Dixie Chicken, Willin’, and Fat Man in the Bathtub. Everything we expected. We felt cozy in our underground hideaway as the band tore through song after song. The acoustics were wonderful, temperatures were comfortable, audience was lively, and the band was perfect. We had a great, great time.

*****

The Concert That Was Respectful

We saw Willie. Finally. You can read about our first attempt to see Willie Nelson in concert here (I've Got the Music In Me). Being that he is a music icon, we thought we had to somehow someway make it to a Willie concert. And soon. This summer, we did. It was wonderful to see Willie Nelson perform. We are very glad that we went. His nimble fingers played the guitar with precision. But, if one was expecting to hear classic songs sung the way they remembered them, one might be slightly disappointed. Willie loves to tour (…the life I love is making music with my friends. I can’t wait to get on the road again…). But, with his bouts of emphysema, singing abilities are limited. He sang/spoke songs, breathing deeply, taking breaks between phrases, leaving some vocals to the other band members. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, I’m just describing. He was 2 weeks shy of his 92nd birthday. So, I give him extreme kudos and much respect for getting on the stage and powering through. He is truly a legend.

His son Micah joined him in the band. Micah was pretty good, but he’s no Lucas. (Lucas is another son. I’m a big fan. For details, like I said, go back and read about our first attempt to see Willie here. Lucas and Micah are both in their 30s, while their oldest sibling is in her 70s. Willie is, as mentioned, 92. You do the math.

*****

I am not a big fan of country music, by any means. But, I’m starting to let it grow on me more, because so many musicians and songs are crossing genres in ways that make them difficult to categorize. Sometimes it’s hard to define what kind of song you are listening to. My opinion, of course. I’ve opened my ears to more types of music, including some country music, instead of covering my ears and saying, “I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you!”  Methinks my musical tastes are becoming more well-rounded because of it.

Hey yall, DO cover your ears a minute, why don't cha. I need to raise my voice and holler at some people over in the back there.

--->>HEY POLITICIANS, TAKE NOTE!!!! In the world of music, it’s not US vs THEM. It’s not MY SIDE IS RIGHT, YOURS IS WRONG. It’s not PEOPLE NEED TO LISTEN TO ME, NOT YOU. It’s not MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY. In the world of music, there is cooperation and collaboration. Musicians reach out, team up, blend sounds, and work together. Together we stand, divided we fall. Musical acts are interested in retaining fans and drawing in new listeners. They experiment and take chances. There are many successful crossovers that blend styles. Beyonce, Ringo, and Lil Nas X doing country? Kendrick Lamar doing jazz? Kacey Musgraves doing indie rock? Dolly Parton inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? You know what I’m talking about. You’ve heard musical innovations and genre-fusions. Mr. and Ms. Esteemed Government Official, you might want to learn a lesson about compromise and playing nicely with others by studying creative artists. PLEASE?! PLEASE?!!!!!!!!<<---

You can uncover your ears now, folks. My, my, are we out of time already?  I have so much more to say. There are other concerts I want to tell you about, but a girl can only type so much in one sitting. You will have to wait for another day to hear about more of our musical adventures.

• What kind of music are you listening to? Anybody I should check out?

If you have any recommendations, do tell. I have been known to travel if there’s a special concert worth attending. And, I'm always updating playlists with songs that are new to me. Lay it on me, peeps. Give me something good to listen to. Let's start the music.  [Cue the play out song…]