musicology

For years now, Dirk has wanted to get a group of people together for a music listening/appreciation/sharing night. When I mentioned this to our pal and my coworker, Dr. Pig (this is not his real name, this is just what we call him), he was all for it. So last night was our first Musicology night. We have all sorts of great ideas for upcoming evenings, but we wanted to start things off by each choosing a handful of songs and taking turns listening. I wanted to post the songs that I shared here:

1. Keep the Car Running by Arcade Fire
2. Ingrid Bergman by Billy Bragg & Wilco
3. The Wind by Cat Stevens
4. America by Donna the Buffalo
5. World Love by the Magnetic Fields
6. King of Carrot Flowers pt. One by Neutral Milk Hotel

Future Musicology evenings will be organized around more specific topics (lyrics, cover songs, music videos, etc.), but I did hear some new music, some old music that was new to me, and I fell in love with a few new groups, as well. As you all know, music is a huge part of our life, so finding others who appreciate all genres of music and are willing to share is always refreshing!

I'd like whoever's reading this to post the song that you may currently be listening to on repeat because you love it so much! Mine is "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros {thanks, Brooke!}

This is the band I fell in love with last night. They're from Lafayette, Louisiana, and the talent they display for such a young group is mind boggling. Dirk also has a little crush on the drummer:


And, if you have some time, check out this Tiny Desk Concert Dr. Pig shared with us. We've been fans of the Avett Brothers for a couple of years, and I love the way they harmonize and the structure of this song, how it builds, gives me huge chills!

WBW will return next week...

In the meantime, I just thought I'd share some photos from our wonderful widespread panic weekend!

There were tornadoes touching down, so they moved Friday night's show to the BJCC, which is connected to the Sheraton. So our friends Tim & Shannon reserved a room there and we ventured downtown to beat the weather.


I love Dirk in this photo, reading the label. I've taught him well.


I debated whether or not to share this photo with the internets, but anybody who knows me will know that I like wine. And these people who know this I would consider close enough to be friends or family. And friends and family don't judge, and you are who I write my blog for. And yes, I brought mini bottles of pinot with me.


Once we found the room, we did take some jumping pics. Obviously.



Then we ventured over to the venue, where we secured a section of the floor.

We danced and frolicked all evening. I met some fun new friends, like this guy. I'm not sure what his name is, but he's apparently hilarious. I call him Rasputin.


The next day was spent recovering and sipping mimosas. Then we headed to our pal Conrad's for lunner (lunch-dinner) and some more reunion time with friends from across the country. Here we all are!

And there was more jumping. Duh.



Then we moved on (again) to Saturday night's venue: Oak Mountain Ampitheater. We fit eight people and a cooler in Dirk's 4Runner. I'm sure it was completely legal. I was in the "trunk" area with Collins and Holly. I wouldn't trade this spot in the car for the world. Oh, the things we thought and talked about! Like Sister Wives. And how it would kind of be nice to have one. She'd take care of the laundry and dishes and you wouldn't even have to pay her!


The lot before the show was so much fun! There was more jumping:



And flipping, too! This is my new favorite Words with Friend. His name is Chip. And he's Happy Happy Happy!




And here's a photo of my favorite show buddy in the whole wide world :)


And then we got into the show and our seats were AWESOME! We were able to sneak Collins up, too!


The revelry continued into Monday, and now I'm exhausted. Done. Spent. And preparing for a weekend in the wilderness. Woo hoo!

LIZA!

My 30th birthday WEEK was officially kicked off yesterday! Woo hoo! Aimee and Liz surprised me with a girl's night out to dinner, drinks, and LIZA MINELLI! Ha!

I had to get before and after shots since I don't get fancied up very often.
Here we are, all ready to go on my front porch.
The lighting on Liza was super awful for photos, but you get the picture. She's an interesting bird, this one, and the crowd was equally interesting. This was the first concert I remember going to where we actually sat down the whole time?! And there was no set break! And no encore! Phish has shaped my concert experience ;)
So much fun!
I loved the writing in this bathroom at UAB's art building. And the fact that we were primping in the mirror. Oh, the irony!
We did meet up with a few of our significant others (we did need a DD, after all) at a new fun and funky bar called Parkside. It's pet friendly and we can't wait to go back with our dogs! Here I am trying desperately to have cleavage.
And here's the "after", taken around 6:30 this morning. Hahahahaha!

I need to share this with the masses....

because it is amazing. I have been obsessing over Arcade Fire's latest album for a week now. It's ALL I've been listening to. And this link will demonstrate why (for all of you from Galva-Holstein, just type in Holstein, Iowa. You will be amazed.)

http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com

So I have a thing for musicians...

Or maybe just THIS musician. I always love watching Dirk perform, and have been going to see his shows for almost six years now. His bands have changed, his bass guitar has changed, but the feeling I get when he gets up there and sings in his James Morrison-esque voice has not changed.

Dirk started playing with a local band "Earthbound" about a year ago after taking a break from being a full-time musician with his former band "Looney Mill." Earthbound is an established Birmingham band with a very J.J. Cale/Grateful Dead sound. Needless to say, they have a built-in crowd around here. Joining a band that had been around for awhile meant that Dirk was not needed to be front and center since EB already has a lead singer and background vocals.

But a few weekends ago, the guys opened for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, a group out of New Orleans that I have been going to see since back in my college days on the mountain when they would play frat parties in Sewanee. Now they open and sometimes play with huge names like Widespread Panic.

After Earthbound's set I excused myself to the ladies and was exiting the nasty gross stall when I heard a familiar sound. It was DIRK! And he was SINGING! A sound I hadn't realized I had missed so much in the past two and a half years since Looney Mill disintegrated. I started shrieking like a schoolgirl (literally shrieking like we used to do in first grade when we would wait at the side of the school building during middle recess to watch Colin Breyfogle walk up from the high school for lunch) and ran out to boogey. Dirk had somehow been able to talk some of the Dirty Dozen musicians into performing Bill Wither's song "Use Me" with him. SO much fun.



I can't really describe how proud I am of him when he's doing his thing. And as much as he grumbles and gripes about practice and the late nights (he's playing tonight and they won't START until midnight), I think it is SO important for him to have this creative outlet. And when he's up there and the girls are falling all over themselves because of his hotness and mad sex appeal, I think, "He's marrying ME, b!&%^3s!"

Phishville

So the concert we've been looking forward to for almost six months has come and gone and it was amazing! My body is still recovering from six hours of boogeying in a confined space on a hard concrete floor, and I'm feeling super old, but whatever.
It was Brooke's first Phish show, and since she's been listening to them for years and years, it was super exciting to be there with her and watch her experience it. And yes, at one point during the night she made me laugh so hard I peed my pants a little bit.
Taylor was very excited for us, and very excited for a visit from Pamela, her super sweet babysitter, whom we talked about all day long before she showed up.
Piper has found a new best friend. I took Piper up with me and Dirk and Sips joined us a few days later, so Piper had two days to bond with her cousin. And by bond I mean wrestle and mouth and jump all over each other.
All I wanted was a "Backwards Down the Number Line" and a "Loving Cup" encore, and I got both and it was fabulous.
Can you feel the joy in this photo? Dirk has always been more of a Widespread Panic guy, and I've always been a Phish gal, and I've slowly but surely brought him around. Now he's constantly downloading and listening to shows, keeping up with their set lists, etc., and it's so fun to share this with each other!
The light show was so amazing. The fact that the band had no set list and was just playing whatever they felt like and that the lights could be so 100% spot on with transitions is just amazing to me!

So all in all, it really pumped me up for the next two shows we'll be seeing in Colorado the end of July! Woot woot!