SOUNDTRACK: RHEOSTATICS-Record Runner, Ottawa ON, November 29, 1996 – In Store Acoustic (1996).
In Dave Bidini’s book On a Cold Road (which I am reading now), he writes how bad in store record appearances really are. You don’t play your own equipment, typically (no room), you have to play stripped down versions of the songs. People are shopping around you. And, the punch line (see end of the review).
Despite that, this set (a pit stop after opening for the Tragically Hip the night before (and later the same night, too)) is really fun. Martin Tielli says that they’re usually not up so early (it’s 2PM). They play a couple of acoustic numbers and then invite someone in the crowd to sing “The Ballad of Wendell Clark Pts 1 & 2,” and a young lady does an admirable job. They also throw in “Bud the Spud.”
Then the take some more requests, and tell the crowd that they have a new shirt out (with Chickadees on it). But they tell them not to buy it at the HIP show, because they had to sell the shirts for $40 (what the HIP charge). They’ll be back in a couple of months and they’ll sell them cheaper.
The punchline at the end of the show is when they say that their albums are available at the store. And when they ask someone if that’s true, it turns out that they have one copy of their new album and one copy of an old one. (“enough for everyone,” quips Tielli).
You can download it here.
[READ: July 29, 2010] “Twins”
I didn’t like this story in the beginning. In fact, if I hadn’t promised myself I’d read all 20 of the 20 under 40 authors, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. The exposition felt too long, too detailed, and without a lot of focus. In fact, it wasn’t until about four pages into the story that it really caught my interest.
The story is about twins, born to a single black mother from a white father. One of the babies, Mickey (named after his father Mike) is white, while the other boy, Allmon, is black. But other than that they look alike.
And the interesting part for me came when the mother (Mike is long out of the picture at this point) is walking with the kids and they see a yard sale. The host of the sale can’t help but comment about the two kids. And she asks one question after another until she goes too far. The way this scene played out was very emotional, very powerful, and it really brought the story to life. (more…)
NDTRACK: JOHN PRINE-“New Train” & “Ain’t Hurtin’ Nobody” (1995).
We’re staying at a beach house for the 4th of July. There’s John Prine on the iPod. I’ve never heard him before, although I have of course heard of him.
SOUNDTRACK: SELF-“Trunk Fulla Amps” (2000). 
I bought an album by Self many years ago. They had since released several other discs, but I hadn’t heard any of them. Then, they came out with this fantastic and very vulgar song. It reeks of one-hit wonder status and yet it is super catchy (and rather funny).
I Just Read About That... 