Lovely song…

According to Wikipedia, Matsuo Basho was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. That’s pretty impressive, since the Edo period is listed as going from 1603 to 1868, whereas Basho was only around from 1644 to 1694. He was a famous haiku poet and teacher at the time, but preferred to wander the countryside for inspiration rather than languish in high society.

I think it’s because of his preference for going out and experiencing life that makes him so vibrant and accessible… and funny. He’s another one of my favorite examples of a “stodgy and staid” topic like “respectable poetry” having room for rascals. So in honor of Basho and a very wild week, I want to share a translation of one of his poems (I don’t know who translated it):

Eaten alive by
lice and fleas — now the horse
beside my pillow pees

- Basho

Originality is a rare concept in Bollywood. Every movie that the world’s largest film industry churns out has usually predictive, borrowed and an oft-repeated script; yet once in a while, like a whiff of a fresh air, releases a movie that grips the core of one’s imagination. The latest Indian movie ‘Kaminey’ (Rascals) by Vishal Bhardwaj is one such movie. So fastened your seat belts, get ready for the wild ride and enjoy the two hours of edge-of- the-seat entertainment.

‘Kaminey’ is about twin brothers, Charlie and Guddu [Shahid Kapur] (no, they were not separated in the village fair). Three years ago the two brother who have nothing in common set on different paths and vow not to see each other again but life put them face to face in an unexpected turn of events.
Charlie, who lisps as he pronounces ‘S’ as ‘F’, have a deadly formula of shortcut for achieving things in life. One night he finds a guitar case with cocaine worth of 10 crore rupees that can set him as a professional bookie. But life never offers anything so easily and he gets himself into a deep mess. His twin brother Guddu, who stammers, works as social worker and spreads awareness about HIV but ironically ends up impregnating his girlfriend Sweety [Priyanka Chopra]. Guddu after a little reluctance marries her. But to his dismay Sweety turns out to be a sister of a local goon cum aspiring politician Bhope Bahu [Amol Gupte] who is hell bent on making Guddu’s life hard. The two brothers strive to save their necks and of their loved ones and in the process they suck deeper into the world of bookies, drug mafia, corrupt cops and gangsters.

The performance by Shahid Kapur as twins is top-notch. Forget ‘Ishq Vishq, Vivah, Jab We Met and Kismet Konnection; this is undoubtedly the best performance of his career so far where he finally managed to shed his chocolate boy image and emerged as a rough and tough man. He masters the speech defect perfectly. You can’t help falling in love with Charlie’s lisp. Every time he pronounces ‘saale’ as ‘faale’ and ‘dus’ as ‘duf’ a smile is bound to appear.

Priyanka Chopra has a short role as the screen is mostly dominated by Shahid Kapur but she does leave an impression in a role of a feisty, Marathi girl. She gets loud as required by the script but doesn’t go overboard. The surprise package is a diabetic thug cum aspiring politician played by Amol Gupte (the writer and creative director of Taare Zameen Per). His filthy look and uncouth personality is a treat to watch.

The music is ‘Dhan Te Nan’. Yes, the movie has other soothing tracks but it is the ‘Dhan Te Nan’ that topped the charts and could be heard playing everywhere. The song can more or less fall in the same league as ‘Goli Maar Bheje Main’ from the movie ‘Satya’. When I listened the song first time, I thought to give it a miss but when I heard it the second time the music grew on me. It is not easy to ignore Gulzar’s lyrics anyway. Every popular piece of work tends to invite some sort of controversy and this song was no exception. The song has lyrics ‘Til Til Tara Mira Teli Ka Tel’; the Teli Samaj found the lyrics disgusting and demanded them to be changed. Vishal’s reaction to the controversy was that he’d change the lyrics only if the hundreds of phrases related to Teli Samaj were removed from the Hindi books.

Vishal Bhardwaj, the director, writer and composer of the movie deserves accolades because stories like those are easy to conceive but in the process of filming focus can be lost easily and the end result is a sheer disappointment. He came in the limelight in 1996 with his popular song ‘Chappa Chappa Charkha Chale’ from the film ‘Maachis’ (again the Gulzar-Vishal combo) and now he don’t need any introduction. His iconoclast movies such as: Makdee, Maqbool, The Blue Umbrella, Omkara and Blood Brothers (a short movie about HIV awareness) speaks volumes about his caliber and have already established him as one of the finest filmmakers.

The movie is definitely worth a watch. IF you like pulp movies.

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How ya doin’ today? Glad you came by. Hope you won’t regret it ;/

~~~
First Up…Deeep Thoughts…on deep quotes
~”I had a linguistics professor who said that it’s man’s ability to use language that makes him the dominant species on the planet. That may be. But I think there’s one other thing that separates us from animals. We aren’t afraid of vacuum cleaners.”-Jeff Stilson
~”I like to tell people I have the heart of a small boy. Then I say it’s in a jar on my desk.”-Stephen King
~”I’m afraid of the dark,and suspicious of the light.”-Woody Allen
~”I’m not confused, I’m well mixed.”-Robert Frost
~”It’s not true that life is one damn thing after another. It’s the same damn thing over and over.”-Edna St. Vincent Milay

~~~~~
Name Dropping
(Folks whose Follies I Frequently Follow)
~Carleton Bryant: Washington Times editor, humor columnist and blogger
http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/out-context/
http://twitter.com/nittwit7000

~Clayton Morris:
“Clayton Morris a self-described casual geek, anchor of Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel, and co-host of the stupendously popular podcast The Grizzly Bear Egg Café. When he’s not staring at his computer screen, he’s walking through New York City, reading books and eating pizza. Sometimes all at once.
Clayton is also a Mac junkie and recently spoke with The MacCast about his reasons for switching, how he uses his Macs and iPhone as tools at Fox, how technology and podcasting is changing the face of media and more.”
http://claytonmorris.com
http://twitter.com/claytonmorris

~~~~~
Big Music Notes
~1968, The Beatles started a nine week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Hey Jude’. The Paul McCartney song written about Lennon’s son Julian gave the group their 16th US No.1 and the biggest selling single of 1968.
~1968, The Rascals went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Time Peace / The Rascals’ Greatest Hits’. 
~1974, Bad Company went to No.1 on the US album chart with their self-titled debut album. Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke had come out of Free, while Mick Ralphs had played guitar with Mott the Hoople and Boz Burrell was bass player for King Crimson before the group formed in 1973. They produced six albums together before disbanding in 1983.
~1974, Canadian singer Andy Kim went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Rock Me Gently’. Kim was the co-writer of The Archies ‘Sugar Sugar’.
~1991 Miles Davis jazz musician, dies at 65 from pneumonia //1991, American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Miles Davis died of a stroke and pneumonia. His 1959 album ‘Kind of Blue’, is a major influence on jazz music. Davis is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

~~~~~
Believe It or Don’t
~In George Washington’s days, there were no cameras. One’s image was either sculpted or painted.  Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms.  Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are ‘limbs,’ therefore painting them would cost the buyer more.
Hence the expression, ‘Okay, but it’ll cost you an arm and a leg.’
(Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint)

~~~~~
Late Night Yuck-Yucks
(from a recent Conan)
~While he’s in New York for the U.N. conference, Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi is traveling with an entourage of 50 attractive female bodyguards. The guards are there in case Gadhafi gets attacked or in case he wants to make a music video from 1985.
~Yesterday, President Obama welcomed the members of the U.N. General Assembly to New York and he said, “I’d like to encourage you to do some shopping while you’re here.” I think it worked, because China immediately bought eight banks, two car companies, and the state of Wyoming.
~According to The New York Times, Manuel Zelaya, the recently deposed president of Honduras, is holed up with supporters who don’t bathe, eat only rice and beans, and one guy who hasn’t changed his Che Guevara T-shirt in days. So basically, Manuel Zelaya is holed up in a freshman dorm room.

~~~~~
From Recent Tweetin’
(http://twitter.com/…)
~meepace: A Ferrari driver w/frosted tips on CityLine just got pissed over waiting for a funeral procession. Double invitation to grow up.
~Thisdayinmusic: The longest gap for UK No.1 hit is held by Elvis. His first was ‘All Shook Up’ in 1957 and his last ‘A Little Less Conversation in 2002.
~Thisdayinmusic: Today’s Anagram – Steven Patrick Morrissey – Transcript evokes misery
~weirdralph: The older I get, the less alcohol I drink. I find I get pretty much the same effect just by standing up really fast.

~~~~~
Big Birthdays
~1938 Ben E King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson) in Henderson, NC; moved to Harlem, NYC at a young age. Ben was one of the principal lead singers of The Drifters; went onto a successful solo career; “Throughout his career he has achieved five number one hits, which were “There Goes My Baby”, “Save The Last Dance For Me”, “Stand By Me”, “Supernatural Thing”, and the 1986 re-issue of “Stand By Me”. He also earned twelve Top 10 hits and Twenty four Top 40 hits, from 1959 to 1986. He has also been inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a Drifters member and nominated for his career as a solo artist but not yet accepted.
Currently, King is active in his charitable foundation, the Stand By Me Foundation. He has been a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey since the late 1960s
 
~1967 Moon Unit Zappa, Frank’s daughter, born in NYC. At the age of 14, she was the vocalist for her dad’s hit single “Valley Girl”; in the mid-80’s she frequently guest VJ’d, along with her brother Dweezil, on MTV. As an adult, Moon has done stand-up comedy, acted in films and sitcoms, as well as writing a novel “America, the Beautiful” and contributing to various magazines and periodicals. Moon is married to matchbox twenty member Paul Doucette, and in ‘04 had their first child, Mathilda.

~1902, Born on this day, Ed Sullivan, TV host, The Ed Sullivan Singers and Orchestra. Introduced The Beatles and other UK acts to America via his Ed Sullivan TV show. The Beatles appearance on February 9th 1964 is considered a milestone in American pop culture; the broadcast drew an estimated 73 million viewers. Sullivan died on 13th October 1974.

~~~~~
And Finally…Living Smooth ‘n’ Jazzy Lifestyle Tip
(aka “Oh Geez…is that ALL it is?! Silly me.”)
~”First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”- Epictetus (55-135 AD) Greek Philosopher

Well thanks for the visit…Make the most of your Monday…

When you want to get your drink on, sometimes you must attack the Liquor Store drive-thru by any means necessary.

[As Seen on E. 70th by David]

Une playlist 100% british cette semaine:

The Kills: Alison Mosshart (VV) et Jamie Hince

Kills – URA Fever
Courteeners – Not nineteen forever
Arctic Monkeys – This house is a circus
The Rascals – Suspicious Wit
Glasvegas – Geraldine
Calvin Harris <3 – The Girls
Amy Winehouse- Tears dry on their own

Clip: My mystakes were made for you (Last Shadow Puppets) par Richard Ayoade qui a aussi réalisé certains épisode des Mighty Boosh. On aime la video de part son style ralenti, la noirceur laissant place à la lumière aveuglante du kiosque… et pas du tout aussi parceque Alexa Chung est en guess star au début… pas du tout…

This business of living is not always neat and tidy. We scuffle through life, loving others and being loved, hurting others and being hurt, and sometimes the best that we can hope for is that the balance is even when the time comes to say goodbye.

One of the worst pains of life here is that those times of farewell often come before we’ve been able to even that balance.

A while back, I wrote about the band my friend Jake (his middle name was Jacques, but he prounounced it “Jake”) pulled together in the early 1990s, the band that jammed every Thursday evening at his house in Eden Prairie, a suburb southwest of Minneapolis. I played keyboards there for more than six years, running through a wide repertoire of rock, blues, R&B and jazz as we practiced every week and hosted parties for our friends twice a year. I wasn’t as accomplished a musician as the other guys in the band, but some of the best evenings of my life came on the stage Jake built in his house, taking part in a musical communion as the nine or so of us made our way through “Mustang Sally” and “Statesboro Blues” or maybe “Freedom Overspill” and “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen.”

Then, in 1999, I began to have some health problems, and there were Thursday evenings when I didn’t have the energy to get to Jake’s. And the band had changed. As the membership of the band had evolved, I found myself playing music with a group of guys whose everyday work brought them in contact with each other in the corporate world. I wasn’t, by a very long shot, a corporate guy. So came the evening – an inevitable moment, as I look back, but one that caught me utterly by surprise – when Jake sent word that I didn’t need to come back the next Thursday; the band could do without me.

That hurt. A lot. It still does. I’ve heard nothing from Jake – or from other members of the band – in the eight years since. At times, I’ve fantasized about being invited to return to the group and turning Jake down. And I’ve pondered calling Jake, if only to tell him simply that I deserved better.

Neither of those can ever happen now. I got an email last evening from Coop, a business associate of Jake’s who played guitar with us for a couple of years (and who was one of the St. Cloud State students who shared my Denmark adventure years before that). Coop told me that Jake is gone. In late July, he’d been riding his beloved Harley on a hill in the nearby city of Chanhassen and lost control of the machine. He spent more than three weeks in the trauma unit at a Minneapolis hospital before crossing over on August 16.

And it’s hard to know what to feel. Jake opened a door for me and helped to bring me some of the best times of my life. One comes to mind immediately: Near the end of one party, we did Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released,” and as I sang the lead vocal behind the keyboard, I saw gentle smiles on the faces of many of our guests as they slow-danced. But Jake also closed that door, leaving me on the outside, and I recall as well the grief of the first Thursday night when I was no longer welcome at Jake’s.

I never got the chance – nor did I create the opportunity – to tell Jake how I felt. But there is something I can do to bring things back into balance. Without ever saying any of the words I’d like to have said, and without ever hearing the words of reconciliation that I’d love to have heard, I can forgive him. Not for his sake, but for mine: I read somewhere long ago that forgiveness isn’t something we do for the person who has hurt us. It is, rather, a grace we give ourselves. With that grace, what will matter is not Jake’s closing the door with me on the outside but the fact that he’d opened it and invited me in six or seven years earlier.

One of our drummers, Doc, was in the band from the time Jake began bringing musicians out to his house. Doc told me once that in the early years, Jake wasn’t all that good a bass player. But Jake worked hard over the years, and by the time we were hosting our two parties a year, Jake was a damned good bass player. That was about the time I did a piece on our band for the Eden Prairie newspaper. As I interviewed the guys, I asked them all what band in history they’d like to have played with. Jake’s answer surprised me. He said his dream gig would have been playing bass for the blue-eyed soul of the Rascals.

Jake and I will meet again, or at least our souls will, most likely the next time around. We’ve got some things to work out and – I hope – some music to make. In the meantime, take a listen to “Me & My Friends” by the Rascals, especially the bass part. It actually sounds a lot like Jake, and it’s today’s Saturday Single.

“Me & My Friends” by the Rascals from Freedom Suite [1969]

Ted Kennedy endorses Barack Obama for president in January 2008. Photo by diggersf, licensed via Creative Commons

Most of us in America, including me, are too young to remember the Camelot era firsthand, so we hold little brief for the Kennedy mystique. Many of us wonder how he got re-elected to the Senate, term after term, for 47 years, despite his well-documented failures of character. Surely there had to be more to it than his name.

Well, one reason might be the long parade of stooges who were his opponents. During the few years I lived in Boston, I was privileged to vote for Kennedy just once, when he ran against a hairdo named Mitt Romney. I remember thinking that Kennedy, then 62 years old, seemed enervated and out of touch until the debates, when the old lion roared back to life, fought with vigor, and easily wiped the floor with his empty-suit rival. This is why I voted for him, and why Massachusetts citizens kept doing so: he never stopped fighting, fighting for us, and fighting against those who did not have our best interests at heart.

I’m glad to see that, despite his death last week, the fight continues for causes he believed in, particularly for universal health care. After all, his opponents didn’t waste any time after he died trying to recast his legacy as one of compromise (Kennedy was, indeed, known for reaching across the aisle to befriend and make deals with Republicans, but he compromised only on means and tactics, never on ideals or policy goals), or shrugging that his absence from the Senate chambers in recent months is the reason Republicans have yet to be presented with a health care bill they can sign off on (as if Kennedy’s recent absence, after 40 years of fighting nonstop for health care reform, were the reason, rather than Republican intransigence and bad faith), or threatening that to urge passage of health care reform as his dying wish was to crassly politicize his death (as if to argue against reform would not be an even more crass politicization of his death). Kennedy’s dying wishes on the matter were pretty clear, as he laid out in this Newsweek essay a month before he died: he wanted universal coverage and a government-run public option so that individuals who can’t afford or obtain private health insurance can still get affordable coverage. (Note to Blue Dog Democrats: Passing a health bill with Kennedy’s name on it that pays lip service to reform while not actually including a public option that would make coverage affordable for everyone is no tribute at all.)

One more way to remember Senator Kennedy, courtesy of the Rascals, after the jump.In 1968, after his brother Robert was assassinated, the reluctant Ted Kennedy, the youngest of the nine Kennedy siblings, had to assume the family mantle, not just as patriarch to the rest of the clan, but as standard-bearer of the dream his brothers had articulated. To offer him moral support, the Rascals, fresh off their hit peace anthem “People Got to Be Free,” wrote a song for Ted called “A Ray of Hope,” expressing optimism that he would be able to carry on his brothers’ legacy. Over decades of tireless work in the Senate and countless legislative successes on behalf of people in need, Ted Kennedy certainly did that. Today, the song, which still sounds fresh, lovely, and inspirational, stands as an equally fitting eulogy to Ted, as well as a call to action for those of us who shared his dream. Listen to it here, then go on, do your work.

Chart Position: NR

• Lead vocals: Felix Cavaliere

The November Midwest/South tour dates are up on the Tour Page.  There’s a lot to look forward to with stops in Lafayette, Oxford, Floore’s Country Store in Helotes, TX and a blowout show with Jason Isbell in Austin.  I’m not sure who’ll be opening the other dates.

The big Hindi film opening in American theaters on Friday, August 14, 2009, is Kaminey (“Scoundrels”), a dark comedy about a pair of feuding identical twins who get into trouble. Shahid Kapoor plays both twins, one of whom has a lisp while the other stutters. Priyanka Chopra plays the stutterer’s girlfriend.

In the Chicago area, Kaminey will run at the AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, AMC Cantera 30 in Warrenville and Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs 15 min.

The Golf Glen 5 and South Barrington 30 will also show this week’s other new Hindi film, Life Partner, a comedy about marriage starring Govinda. Its runtime is listed as 2 hrs 20 min.

Love Aaj Kal, which has earned $2,134,627 in U.S. theaters so far, continues for a third week at the Cantera 30, South Barrington 30 and Golf Glen 5 cinemas.

Other Indian movies in theaters this weekend include the Telugu flicks Anjaneyulu at the Golf Glen 5 and Magadheera at Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove.

I went and thought it would be stupid.  Stupid in that the band members would have lost their voices after 40 years and would play low-energy sets that would leave the audience dry.  I was freakin’ wrong.

Each act gained in intensity.  By the time Mountain came on, I was ready for anything.  And, man, did they deliver.

I was too young in the 60s to enjoy the lifestyle; of which I’m really sorry I missed.  I wouldn’t have gone to the extreme, but ‘oh’ to have had the chance.  I’m all about natural cures, avoiding toxins, eating healthy, eschewing animal consumption.  Peace and love sound good too.  I could have been the ultimate hippie.

So, who was there?  All the lead singers before Mountain played with the same core band (Godfrey Townsend, Greg Smith, Steve Murphy, Manny Focarazzo), , which didn’t decrease the quality at all.  They were excellent.  From first to last:  Joey Molland from Badfinger, Flo and Eddie from The Turtles, Felix Cavalier from The Rascals, Chuck Negron from Three Dog Night, Leslie West and Corky Laing from Mountain with Rev Jones on bass.

A special word about Mountain.  I didn’t recognize the band name (I really was young in the 60s).  And, at first, I didn’t recognize the music.  But, even if every song was new, it didn’t matter.  They’re as appropriate today as they would have been then.  They play a heavy blend of rock and blues that I want for my own.

It was more fun than expected and the best show I’ve ever been to where the average age was 60.  Special props, though to Rev Jones and Greg Smith.  Amazing skills and great f*in energy from dudes who weren’t there.

This is a common question I hear nearly every adoption event. It amuses me how little people know about these dogs, and how persuasive misinformed news stories can be.

I have done so much research about the breed and feel it necessary to prepare all volunteers and breed advocates for this very question. After all what is the most important thing in a parents life? The one thing they have to protect against the world and anything else out there that could hurt them- their kids! In this case we are not fighting fire with fire but WATER with fire. It’s our jobs to put this fire out!

So here are some very interesting tidbits to remember that you may not know:

•    Pit bulls are actually nicknamed “The Nanny Dog” due to their protective and nurturing nature toward children. – Animal Planet (either Dogs 101 or It’s Me Or The Dog, I can’t remember)
•    Petey from The Little Rascals was a Pit Bull
•    UKC registry- “American Pit Bull Terriers make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children.” They are only 1 of 3 breeds noted for their love of children.
•    UKC registry- “The American Pit Bull Terrier is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers.”
•    AKC registry- ” The American Staffordshire Terrier is a people-oriented dog that thrives when he is made part of the family and given a job to do. Although friendly, this breed is loyal to his family and will protect them from any threat.”
•    AKC registry- Staffordshire Bull Terrier “Today, he serves primarily as a family companion and is seen in the show, obedience and agility rings.”
•    AKC registry- Staffordshire Bull Terrier “This, coupled with its affection for its friends, and children in particular, its off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes it a foremost all-purpose dog.”
•    http://en.wikipedia.org- “In the mid 1800’s Pit Bull-type dogs became popular as family pets for citizens who were not involved in dog-fighting or farming.”

*As a dog enthusiast you should know what a UKC/AKC Registry is. If you don’t a breed registry is the standard for a breed. “Breed standards help define the ideal animal of a breed and provide goals for breeders in improving stock.” If you want to show your dog it must meet all the standards for that breed including temperment, gait (walk), characteristics, and appearance.

Scores from the American Temperment Test society:

• American Pit Bull Terrier  85.3%
• American Staffordshire Terrier  83.9%
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier 88%

Compared to:

• Chihuahua 71.1%
• Dachshund 72.7%
• Golden Retriever 84.6%
• German Shepard 83.7%

Great links to check out:

http://www.google.com/search?q=max+the+shelter+dog&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

http://www.strongerthanall.net/kidsnpits.html

http://www.badrap.org/rescue/owning.cfm

http://www.pitbulllovers.com/training-articles/can-pit-bulls-be-safe-with-kids.html

And just for fun, I know this is a Bull Terrier but I love this photo!

Okay, two days to go before showing the result of this week’s mission. We have decided what holiday to base our animated video short on. No, it has nothing to do with either Carlsberg or J. P. Chenet.

Some will say it’s an obvious choice and some might end up surprised. However, we are going to keep it a secret until Friday. All I can tell you is that the Swedish King is on board since yesterday, and this morning these three Rascals knocked on our door and begged us to be part of this week’s film. We’ll see about that.

I only wish more of our readers would send in their Rascal gang sightings, like the one Thomas Wheatley helpfully submitted today.

However, we did receive a hot tip earlier this evening that, “I just saw a pidgeon [sic] eating a condom at whole foods.” That one, although unrelated to personal mobility devices, was also pretty good.

Previously: Your Rascal, your safety, and you

Here is a video that our great friend David Parvey shot for the Blue Ridge Rascals. We had the privileged of meeting the Rascals while we visited David in Virginia. We also were able to see them perform live on their radio show at WPAQ…. This video features the late great Jerry Tackett on lead vocals. Rest in peace Jerry.

While in Hillsville we go to WPAQ in Mount Airy, NC to see the radio show that our friend David films every week. WPAQ is a Country, Americana, and Bluegrass formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Mount Airy, North Carolina AND… Mount Airy was the birthplace and childhood home of American actor Andy Griffith, and is said to be the inspiration for the fictional community Mayberry, the setting of The Andy Griffith Show.

So, here we are in the heart of Appalachia… in this historic radio station in Mayberry… or Mount Airy, sitting back and relaxing while David is filming the weekly live radio performance of the Blue Ridge Rascals. Awesome to say the least. The Blue Ridge Rascals have a weekly live show at WPAQ and play a mix of country, bluegrass, traditional and countrified rock numbers. While chatting with the band after the show, Tim who sings (alongside Jerry) informs us that he has extra one day tickets to Merlefest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina which is going on the following day. Since we planned to head to Asheville in the morning, we greatly accept the offer. We later find out Doc Watson and Emmylou Harris are playing the night we are going… So on our way to Asheville, we make a pit stop in Wilkesboro for MerleFest! Thanks Tim and Bobby!

Upon arriving and parking, we realize a stack of Amy’s hats are missing from the car. Unfortunately, when we left Hillsville that afternoon, I had the back windows down in the truck and we believe they flew out the window!!! Doh. Needless to say, Amy was bummed, but as we enter the festival there are about a half dozen vendors with hats and we pick out a few possible candidates to start her new collection. We walk around for a bit checking out vendors, listening to music, and people watching. We then hit up the food vendors for what we think will be an impossible task in finding some vegetarian food… But surprisingly there a few good options. I opt for a veggie burger and Amy gets the red beans and rice. Mmmm.

Showtime! We grab a patch of grass among the hundreds of lawn chairs. We can’t really get a good eye shot of the stage, but we catch glimpses of the giant screen from time to time. Doc Watson takes the stage and puts on a great performance. Amy wants to dance, but everyone else is glued to their lawn chairs. We are very excited to see Emmylou being long time fans of her, especially the songs she performed with Gram Parsons. And wouldn’t you know it, the second song in is “The Return of the Grievous Angel.” Awesome! We are satisfied. We pick up Amy’s new hat and hit the road for Asheville.

Chart Position: 27

• Lead vocals: Felix Cavaliere