Alright, a little elaboration on last night's show.

I was happy upon arriving at the Lighthouse to see that it is looking much better. Bob finally fixed the large holes in the floor and has completed most of the painting and finishing work. It's going to take some time for that place to overcome the stigma of the infamous Do Drop Inn, but if Bob does it right, it will make a great venue.

I was also very happy to see Greg and Molly from Porter Hall Tennessee. They made this trip as a duo, and opened the show. Their CD is great, and if you like Honky Tonk, country harmony, or Lucinda Williams, you'll like Porter Hall. They did a great duo-acoustic guitar set. Gary is an even better lead guitar player than I remembered. And Molly's voice sounds better each time I hear it.

Next up was Bobby Bare Jr. and his band. I love Boo-Tay. (come on now, it's the name of the album he did with his band Bare Jr. Sheesh.) And I liked what I've heard of his new solo effort. So I was looking forward to hearing BBJ live for the first time. The band consisted of Bobby on rhythm acoustic and electric guitar and lead vocals, lead electric guitar player (I think his name was Teal, no kidding), bass, drums, backing vocals and tambourine and a keyboard/organ/accordion player to really fill out the sound.

And fill it out they did. They rocked and rolled so hard that they blew a fuse. Literally. On what was to be their last song, the power failed for the whole sound system. Luckily they still had power in their amps, and finished the song without blinking. They hopped down off of the stage and rocked the folks on the dance floor up close and personal.

Included in those receiving personal rocking was Jim James of My Morning Jacket, who was enjoying the set very much. It seems that BBJ and MMJ have formed something of a mutual admiration society. And it only makes sense. Because the set Bobby and band manufactured last night was not unlike a good My Morning Jacket set. BBJ tends more towards the country end of the spectrum than does MMJ, but there were moments where I really sensed The Vibe. It's an inexplicable state, a kind of groove that MMJ hits on stage that makes your hair stand up and your head float. The best compliment I think I can pay Bobby Bare Jr. is that I got that feeling several times during their set. It was fantastic.

Closing the show was Louisville's Hell's 1/2 Acre. They seem like genuinely nice guys, and had a good Rockabilly/Country vibe going on. The bass and lead guitar players were on top of it. But the natural process of coming down from the high of BBJ's set and some problems related to the blown soundboard led me to loose interest in their set after a few numbers.

So, in summation:
Porter Hall Tennessee = fantastic honky tonk band (which will be playing again tonight at the Lighthouse, all by themselves)
Bobby Bare Jr. = Awesome. Rocked the lights out at the lighthouse.
Hell's 1/2 Acre = Good Rockabilly, which is nice to see in town. But undermined by a tough act to follow and a completely rocked sound system.

Posted 11:40 AM by Jackson Cooper |

Ok. Before I go to bed. Four words:

Bobby
Freaking
Bare
Junior

Good night.

Posted 2:09 AM by Jackson Cooper |

Last night at IBMA was surprisingly short for me. I arrived at 7:15 and waited for my friend Lee Ann in the lobby until about 7:45. First stop: Mike and Michelle's suite on the 4th floor. Their room is the hub of activity every year, and last night was no exception. Most of the members of Roundabout were on hand, warming-up for their showcase in the First Quality room that night. They were joined in the suite by Matt Phelps, an excellent young guitar player and grandson of resonator guitar master Alan Phelps.

The room was pretty crowded. Mike and Michelle had been working the booth all day, and were taking their only break before the long night. Filling out the rest of the room was a good contingent of the Bluegrass Anonymous gang. The remaining members of Roundabout came in, and they proceeded to do a final run-through their set for the evening. Their bass player had to step out for a minute, and they asked me to sit in for a song.

I've jammed with these guys before, and I could barely keep up then. But last night they were playing with the pedal to the metal, preparing to impress the IBMA crowd. So I was doing all I could not to pass out while trying to play. I did alright, and didn't garner any dirty looks, which are the universal Bluegrass signal for "You're screwing it up. Stop."

It is a fact that the best way to sharpen your skills on an instrument is to play with people better than you. And these guys are way, way better than me. The worst thing you can do while playing is start to think about what you're doing. It's a sure-fire stumbling block. And when you play with guys that good, you don't have time to think. So naturally, you play better. I only sat in on one number, but it rekindled by enthusiasm for bass. I'll definitely have to start taking it back up to the BBC on Wednesdays.

I noticed while playing that my carpal tunnel is coming back. My right hand got weak while I was playing, and that hasn't happened in a while. I had a nasty bout of the CT a while back when I was in school and working at the Papa John's warehouse. I think this recurrence has a lot to do with my work setup. It's definitely ergonomically incorrect. And I've been getting little spasms in my mouse-clicking finger, which is ultradisturbing.

Anyhow, back to last night. Lee Ann and I set out to see the sights for a little while before the showcases got cranked-up. There wasn't much going on, but it stuck me as we strolled the halls how many more people I know this year than last. And I consider most of those people friends now. Walking through the halls of the Galt House was a much nicer experience this time around.

After a short trip back up to the room to refuel, we went down to the First Quality room to catch Roundabout, again. They were outstanding. Hopefully someone with a record label was in the audience, and recognized the raw talent waiting to be unleashed. After their show Lee Ann and I left. It was only midnight, but I was tired. And I do want to conserve energy for the weekend. I plan on hitting things hard Friday and Saturday.

Tonight is the big Hell's 1/2 Acre, Porter Hall Tennessee, Bobby Bare Jr. show at the Lighthouse. I'll be working the door, and hopefully drinking free.

Posted 4:21 PM by Jackson Cooper |

Yesterday was a particularly nasty day at work. So I headed home to get a shower, change clothes and get a bite to eat before driving down to the Galt House for IBMA:Round2.0.

I took 64 down to the River Road/3rd st. exit and turned onto Main, looking for a place to park. Of course, there was nothing. I parked in the Galt House garage the night before, but only managed to avoid the $5 fee by staying until the attendants had gone home. So last night I went in search of the ever elusive street parking. But my first pass along Main, 4th, Market and 2nd yielded nothing within walking distance.

I had resigned myself to the fact that I would have to pay at the Galt House lot, seeing as how I wasn't going to stay late. But just as I was preparing to turn North on 4th into the Galt House turnaround, I spotted a parking space. On the corner of Fourth and Main: spitting distance from the Galt House. Right by all the fancy tour busses lined-up in front of the hotel. It was a good omen, and I made the appropriate sacrificial offerings.

Once inside, things were jumping. There were random groups of pickers, family groups of pickers and professional bands strewn across the lobby and on every floor. I checked in at the First Quality showcase room, to see if they needed any help setting-up, but my man Byron had things under control. (Byron is a super cool guy, who looks disturbingly like David Crosby.) So I headed up to the suite where my friends and co-workers are staying. Several folks were inside hanging-out and picking.

After a few spins around taking pictures and enjoying the music sprouting up at every turn, I headed home around midnight. It's still early in the week, and I need to conserve my energy for the weekend.

I've already taken a bunch of pictures. I'll get a bunch of them up at the end of the week, but for now I'll just include a couple in my updates.



Posted 10:52 AM by Jackson Cooper |

     ugh. NOT enough sleep
   damn seven o'clock ALARM
       snooze button. cold floor.

   bluegrass all week long
        I don't know if I'll make it
 until tomorrow

         they say too much work
 is better than being bored
     but sleep trumps them both

Posted 9:55 AM by Jackson Cooper |

I'm a mess. I had a 9 for 10 hitting performance in the baseball game today, including one in-the-park homerun. I also took a tumble in the outfield, and our team lost. We were down 20-15 in the bottom of the ninth, and managed to get the lead down to one, but came up just short. We don't play competitively, so it's no big deal loosing. But it sure would have felt good to complete the come-back.

And now I'm really feeling that fall. It wasn't anything big. There was a pop-up hit towards me in center field. I initially thought it was hit over my head, so I backed-up. But then it began to drop, and I was too far back. So I planted my foot to come in, and it went right out from under me. It was a strange sensation, because I almost managed to regain my composure. But at the last minute, I lost my balance and tumbled down onto the ground.

It must have looked hilarious. It didn't feel hilarious, but I can appreciate that kind of comedy, even when I am the unintentional target.

Posting this coming week will probably be sparse. As I think I said, I'll be running back and forth between work and the Galt House, where the International Bluegrass Musicians' Association convention will take place. It turns-out that I won't have to work the booth, which is fine by me. I'll be down there Monday to set up the wireless network, and then on most evenings for the picking in the halls and the shows in the showcase rooms. It's a surreal event, and even if you don't particularly like Bluegrass, you should check it out. It's a trip.

Posted 7:51 PM by Jackson Cooper |