One Man Bands and Irish Tunes and Onion Dip...so, so much Onion Dip
Swear to Eris, the best damn times of my life have been spent cutting a rug, talking 'round a kitchen table or squirreled away in a solid book. This week...this week had a helluva lot of beauty in it.
It could have easily been spent pining and downcast, as every damn writer I know is in Boston at ReaderCon, but hell, I am meant for more than moping. I kept busy with shows.
::chest splits and intestines flop out in the shape of musical notes::
::pokes at notes with a quill::
Thursday I went to the Abbey Pub to see Lou Shields and Soda Gardocki with ShawnaBanana. Both are one man bands, though Soda's been known to travel with a band when the world puts one behind him. In various incarnations he's opened on tours for greats like Wanda Jackson, Jack White and the Ramones.
I'd never seen a full set by Soda before and only heard him on Spotify with a full-backed band. And hell, that man, that man doesn't need a band behind him to make a crowd holler and sway. His voice is black velvet and gravel and he can play some hella dirty banjo.
He can also talk about books - and not only books - female authors. His songs are chock fulla mighty women. Dude even co-wrote a song with his grandma - the intro to the song said with a chuckle, "My grandma's motto was, 'I like my liquor strong and my men weak." He was done with his set when Banana and I begged him to do a cover of "Jackson". It's a male/female duet and we'd heard on good authority that Gardocki did both parts. Soda pulled out a deep-set Johnny Cash bass-baritone and then...then he went all high pitch, hilariously squealy for the June Carter part. Know what I love? An artist that takes themselves seriously. Know what I adore even more? An artist who can laugh at themselves. It makes me want to fling money at them in any way possible.
Other Thursday night highlights: Lou Shields' cigar box guitars made from spare parts and broken skateboards, meeting more folks in the Chicago roots music scene, having Banana straddle my lap like a koala, puppy piling on the Abbey's outdoor furniture.
Friday I went with my dark-eyed fella and a few other characters to see The Tossers play at a Chicago Irish Fest. Immediate nostalgia hit me twofold. 1. It was held at the Irish American Heritage Center...the last time I was there it was with C.S.E. Cooney (now of the far Rhode Island way) to see a play. 2. The Tossers have now been together for 20 years. 20 YEARS. That's insane. I remember seeing them at Off the Alley, this little all ages dive, when I was 14. Then I was like - no way. No way. It has been 16 years since I have seen the Tossers. How the hell did that happen? Weird. I danced. I sweat. The Chicago night crawled under the tent and goosed the crowd while we basked in all the classics. Need a song for a bender? The Tossers have one. Poor and outta booze? Yep. Woke up in jail? Check. Classic folk songs? Yup. They even have a diddy from the way back they play when their lead singer is tossin his guts off the stage.
Good times, had by all. I am fond of any song that can cause me to link arms with friends and sway. Which the Tossers made me do. Excellent.
Saturday I worked 9-5 at the library and then went straight to Banana's house wherein she fed me CHILI LIME TOFU TACOS! Om nom nom. We scrambled over to 4 Miles 2 Memphis for a free show. Yep, Soda Gardocki - a Chicago native who flees town in the winter months - was playing again.
Saturday ended with Banana and me and onion dip. So, so much onion dip. LOVE HER ONION DIP. I don't care if it is only a packet of a frikkin powder and vegan sour cream. She makes the best onion dip evers.
What else? I feel as if more was done this weekend. Oh. I worked on Sunday, too, then got to hang out and nap around.
Monday was helltons of busywork and then. And then. AND THEN!
I went to Reggie's to see, hold your breath here ladies and germs,
...Antoine Dukes - who sounded like a strawhat singer outta the '20s. Bonus points: he had a pointed mustache
...Rachel Kate - who put me in a good mood and almost made me cry. Yep. Both those things can happen AT THE SAME TIME! Bought a shirt and a CD. Her voice is an errie power folk river and, wow. I want you to know her. I want you to know her because not only was she uber talented, but she was super nice.
...Filthy Still - who got me and Banana boot-pounding the floorboards, as they always do.
...Mikey Classic - who gives the best GD pirate face out there while he one man bands it between Goddamn Gallows tours.
...Molly Gene One Whoaman Band - who HOLY EF...gawd. That woman. That woman takes my breath away. She plays the bluesiest hillbilly shit I've ever heard. Slide. Banjo. Guitar. Harmonica. She plays a homemade footdrum that has a snare, high hat and bass in it. Her. You need to see her. I mean, if EVER she is passing through your town, do it. She's a cowboy boot wearing, hellraising, gutteral singing, head swinging, wild one not afraid to get dirty and give it all. LOVE. THIS. WOMAN!
...and the gutbucket soul of Ten Foot Polecats
It was an insane week and I was busy enough that I didn't pine too heavily on not getting to go to Boston and hang with all my gorgeous writer friends. Next year, you maniacs, next year I will go to ALL OF THE CONVENTIONS.
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