Monday, April 12, 2010

The Rock Show

Music has always been important to me. Silena has always been important to me. Therefore, it was no accident that within months of the beginning of our relationship I took Silena to her first club show. Friends, rock is a beautiful gift and I firmly believe that it is most fully enjoyed in small clubs with no more than 2,000 of your closest friends. (or people you barely know, whatever) In the fall of 1996 I took my sweetheart to see Cracker and Wilco at the Five Points Music Hall. (R.I.P) We got to be in the front row as Jeff Tweedy of Wilco fell off the stage as he tried to kick in his distortion on "So Misunderstood." We got to watch as David Lowery of Cracker managed to make some dude in the audience so mad that he took off his newly purchased Cracker t-shirt and threw it on the stage in disgust. Needless to say, it was a great introduction into the world of club shows for Silena and since then we have made many great memories as we built the live soundtrack for our relationship. Sebadoh. Hum. Swervedriver. Polvo. Yo La Tengo. Mary Lou Lord (solo at the mighty Nick!). Robbie Fulks. Dwight Yoakam. Willie Nelson. Johnny Cash! (that's right friends, on his final tour ever at beautiful Chastain Park in Atlanta by candlelight and under the starlight with the rednecks, hillbillies, frat boys, yuppies, and mohawk sporting punks!) Beck. The Cardigans. Atari Teenage Riot. Junior Brown. (Like 6 times!) Charlie Robison. Les Savy Fav. (Dude hung from the ceiling like a bat and had his mutton chops shaved on stage while singing...while singing!!!) Modest Mouse. (With Graham in late May in beautiful Athens, Georgia with a gourmet meal in our bellies as we strolled beneath the mighty oaks of UGA before heading for the famous 40 Watt Club.) Drive By Truckers. (Alabama's own at the mighty Nick several times and the beautiful Alabama Theater twice.) Lucero. Andrew Bird! Los Campesinos. (authors of the most epic song title ever: "This is How You Spell Ha! Ha! Ha! I Destroyed the Hopes and Dreams of a Generation of Feaux Romantics") Titus Andronicus. Bon Iver. (the only word I can use to describe that show is...you know what? There are no words to describe how beautiful that show was.) All those years and most of the aforementioned shows were witnessed in Atlanta and Athens, Georgia. Now that we are old(ish) and responsible(ish) bands I love are coming to Birmingham. Every once in a while a show works out perfectly like it did on Saturday night. It's no secret that Silena is a complete "Twihard." (I can't believe I just used that term...) Her favorite track off the New Moon soundtrack is by a band called "Band of Skulls." (What else would they be called?) One of my favorite new bands is called the Whigs, from Athens. (Where else would they be from?) Well, friends, both bands played at Workplay on Saturday in a co-headlining show! It was unbelievable! Despite a somewhat meager crowd, both bands did their best to rock our faces off. It was an all ages show so we got to be the creepy old people there, but we didn't care. I was with my sweetie and my ears were ringing. That, friends was living. I have a video to show you which I'll attach at a later date. For now enjoy Silena's photos below. Rock on... The Whigs... Band of Skulls...

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