[let me tell y'all a story so far fetched it must be true]

[minervacat]

The good:

1. the Truckers remain the best goddamned rock show I've seen this year.
   
   
2. The Dexateens, who didn't blow me away with their studio stuff, are completely fantastic live -- interesting sonically and visually, tight harmonies, great guitar work. Plus they're all adorable handsy twenty-somethings with guitars. You know I love those.
   
   
3. Shonna Tucker is all of the following things: hot as hell; fantastically talented; bad ass; adored by all five of the little boys in the Dexateens, plus also both her lead guitarists. I'm gonna write Shonna/Spencer Smith and it's gonna be amazing, because Shonna very obviously enjoys the affection of younger men. \o/
   
   
4. Mike Cooley is one of the most exceptional guitar players I've ever watched. He also has a collection of ugly flowered shirts to rival Ryan Ross's.
   
   
5. At one point during "You and Your Crystal Meth", Patterson was flailing around screaming like Patterson does, and every eye in the place was on him, except for mine, because I couldn't stop staring at Cooley's hands on the fretboard of his guitar. And then Mike Cooley, goddamn motherfucking Mike Cooley, looked down and caught me staring at him with my mouth half open. Because I'm kind of a total doof like that.
   
   
6. I got to spend the evening with good folks, talking music and travel and photography. (quicknow, I rocked it with Maluca from Flickr & her crew, plus S. & A. & the kid, all night. Quality people.)
   
   
7. Patterson sang the second verse of "the Company I Keep" first, and then cracked up on stage.
   
   
8. Definitely at least two tapers' rigs halfway back in the audience.
   
   
9. mike cooley mike cooley mike cooley mike cooley patterson hood shonna tucker mike cooley brad morgan mike cooley.

The Bad:

1. The mix was among the worst I've ever heard in the Cradle, nigh unlistenable whenever Patterson was on the mic -- it sounded like he was singing underwater into a box full of styrofoam. To hear any vocals at all I had to take my ear plugs out, and now my ears are ringing so badly I'm not sure I'm going to be able to fall asleep.
   
   
2. I hate "Goode's Field Road", Patterson, I fucking hate it, and I know it was slated to go on The Dirty South and you replaced it with "Lookout Mountain" at the last minute and that's a good thing because "Lookout Mountain" is a better fucking song, so I don't know why you stuck GFR on the new album and I don't know why I have to listen to it.
   
   
3. Oh, right: because I'm not Patterson Hood and I have no say in this shit. I forget.
   
   
4. Some drunk girl hot girl danced against my ass for the entire 40 minute encore and then she spilled her beer on me and I nearly punched her in the face. GET OFF MY ASS, YOU DRUNK ASSHOLE.

The Set List:
Marry Me
Why Henry Drinks
Righteous Path
Uncle Frank
Putting People On The Moon
3 Dimes Down
the Company I Keep
Rebels (Tom Petty cover)
One of These Days
I'm Sorry Huston
You And Your Crystal Meth
Goode's Field Road
Checkout Time In Vegas
Sinkhole (!!!)
Hell No I Ain't Happy
Lookout Mountain
--
Ghost To Most
Opening Act
Bob
Let There Be Rock
Life In The Factory (!!!!!!!!!)
Buttholeville --> State Trooper --> Buttholeville

TIME FOR BED NOW.