“Well the night’s forlorn
And the morning’s born
And the morning shines
With the lights of love
And you’ll miss sunrise
If you close your eyes
And that would break
My heart in two”
-Townes Van Zandt, “If I Needed You”
Charlottesville
Back home tonight. The drive was pretty exhausting, but it took less time than I expected. I’m very glad to be back in my little home, but I always get emotional when I leave Alabama. It’s become a little like a second home to me. I always have such a good time there, and I love seeing my artist friends. This year’s show was not the greatest sales-wise, but rarely if ever have I had more fun there.
A Chandra-Owl:
A word about expectations.
We all have memories that we carry around with us. Memories of places we’ve been, things we’ve done, sensations we’ve experienced. We like to think that our memories of such things are accurate, but often the reality of a thing is based more on situations and circumstances than on facts. So often, second readings don’t measure up.
This brings us to Johnny Ray’s BBQ in Birmingham. I went to Johnny Ray’s last year with my friend Chandra, completely out of the blue. We had been driving around, looking for a place for dinner. We ate good bar-be-que, and then, only because we had a little room left in our tummies and not because we had any great yearning for dessert, we ordered some pie. What happened then changed us. It forever altered our ideas about dessert, and it remained in our collective memory. The lemon pie we had that night lived on - it was remembered not just as good pie. Not just as the best pie we’d ever had. Not just as the best dessert. But The Best Food Either of Us Had Ever Put Into Our Mouths.
So this year, we’re back in Birmingham with Chandra’s family - her husband Chris (who is a fine and talented cook himself), and her cool and knowing daughter Madison - and we talked them into going back to Johnny Ray’s. I wanted to go - I wanted to experience the pie again - but I’m also a little leery - it doesn’t seem possible that any food could possibly live up to that memory. Surely we were mistaken. Or exaggerating. I warned Chandra - maybe we shouldn’t build this pie up so much - maybe we should just go there, without recounting all of the details of how the pie affected us.
The pie was not what we remembered. The pie was better. Much, much better. We all agreed. Even Chris, who knows a thing or two about food, said it was probably the best food he had ever eaten. I do not exaggerate when I say I had tears in my eyes. The pie made me cry. How is this possible? How could any sensation that lives in memory as the best ever be that much better than the way you remember it?
Oh Johnny Ray’s, you have my heart.
—–
Signed,
Birmingham, Alabama
The show is great - I’m right next to my friend Chandra and her awesome family, so we’ve been hanging out. And drinking far too much wine. Went to the artist party last night, but I was so tired - I’ve gotten far too little sleep in the last week, and it was catching up to me - I came back to the motel and just crashed. Fell asleep about 9 and slept almost 11 hours. I feel so much better this morning.
This is a fun show - the people are friendly and nice, and I always meet nice people and make great friends. I doubt I will sell much - if anything - but it’s great to be here.
Browsing…
Morristown, Tennessee
I can’t even tell you how much I love traveling and doing art shows. I won’t get to do nearly as many with my new job, but I feel lucky that I’ll still get to do some - and hopefully I will still be able to get into my favorite ones, and be able to get off work in order to do most of those.
This is going to be a tough trip - usually when I go to Birmingham, I go down in two days (getting there Thursday afternoon to set up) and back in two days (taking my time to take side trips and take pics), but because I couldn’t get off work as much, I’m going down in a day and a half and coming back in one. It will be a tiring trip, but Magic City is among my all-time favorite shows - I will get to see lots of friends, eat lots of great food, meet lots of nice people, and drink absurd amounts of wine.
And of course there’s also the outside chance that I will make some money.
As for the trip, well, the previous record didn’t last long…
1. I want one of these! From Boing Boing: Artistic License ID Cards!
2. Have you seen this? Shelly Jackson’ Ineradicable Stain: Skin Project. I never really wanted a tattoo, but this could almost change my mind…? (Thanks, Kate).
3. Looks like the rumors are true. Sad times for Charlottesville music lovers: Both Plan 9 and Satellite Ballroom are done. (The Hook).
4. Leaving Wednesday night for Alabama and the Magic City Art Connection. I can’t wait!
5. Beguile.
1. Did anyone else hear an incredibly loud boom about 2 o’clock in the morning? Like shake-the-foundation, end-of-the-world, they’ve-dropped-the-big-one loud? Me and my dog heard it (and believe me, blind dogs hate sudden, loud noises). I figured the end was near, so I went back to sleep, but when I got up this morning, it was a normal, rainy Sunday morning. I looked on the local blogs, I looked on the (very cool) USGS earthquake site. No news. I can’t believe it’s not all over the intarweb - it was that loud.
2. I love cvillelaw’s “Today in History” bits on Democratic Central. Do you remember Jimmy Carter’s epic battle with the aquatic killer bunny?
3. From Bedazzled: I have a pretty strong memory of this song. My sisters had a record of “Up, Up and Away (in My Beautiful Balloon)” that I loved when I was about seven or so, so I knew The Fifth Dimension. Then, in the eventful year of 1969, The Fifths had a huge hit with a medley from the musical “Hair”, “Age of Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In“. The song was played all over the place, and put them on teevee variety programs. I have a really vivid memory of watching them on some show (Flip Wilson maybe?), and my dad making fun of the song by saying “I wonder what the title of that song is?” (the second half of the medley basically repeats the phrase “Let the sunshine in” about six hundred times).
I’m not sure if the video here was the same clip, but it could have been. I love the 60’s styling on this one - you can bet some director somewhere was really proud of the effects in this clip.
(Trivia: according to the site classicbands.com, The Fifths recorded the single in a Las Vegas studio that was close to some railroad tracks, and you can supposedly hear a train going by at the end of the master tape).
4. From Boing Boing, the legal way to be a drug dealer. Oh, Morley S. Preppernau, where are when we need you?
5. Dead ladybugs, caught between a screen and a storm window.
It’s a little known fact that my dog was once a member of the early-80’s new wave band A Flock of Seagulls.
He ran. He ran so far away. He ran all night and day.
He couldn’t get away.
Movie Recommendation: John and Mary: Why doesn’t everyone know this movie? I had never even heard of it. Dustin Hoffman is believable and sweet, and Mia Farrow is… well… I am in love with Mia Farrow. This is one of those movies that is both a reflection of its time, and about as non-dated as it can be.
—–
Not Mia Farrow:
Went to see Steve Earle last night - he’s just great. Here’s a man who makes the art he feels the need to make, and makes it with passion and abandon. He didn’t play my favorite song, but he played lots of good ones…
Some mornings will find me up above the timberline
Lonesome don’t seem like much once you’re this high
When it’s all said and done I usually find
Me and the eagle are of the same mind
-Steve Earle, “Me and the Eagle”
An older picture:
