TriJangle Interview, part 3 - Pierce Pettis

This is the third and last of the three drive-by interviews with the main participants of the upcoming "Songwriters in the Round" show that will be held on Saturday, November 14. Three outstanding musicians and songsmiths will come together for an evening of good music at the Westridge Auditorium Theater in Elgin, Illinois.

Pierce Pettis, Pat Terry and John Austin are the featured artists. In case you missed it, the interview with Pat Terry can be found here. The interview with John Austin can be found here.

Pierce Pettis was the last to respond to the questions, so I'll finish up with him.


Q: What guitar are you playing the most these days?

Lowden J25, Avalon "Legacy"

Q: What are you actively listening to?

My daughter, Grace's CD

Q: What music is inspiring you?

My daughter, Grace's CD

Q: Yes, this is your typical, what's in the CD player, ipod, etc...

wires and stuff

Q: In a sentence or two, what did you take away from working with Mark Heard?

Some of his silverware . . . but seriously, folks. Mark was the funniest and most honest person I've even known. He was serious about his work, rather than himself --reversing the usual trend.

For more info about Pierce, please visit his website, PiercePettis.com.

My connection to Pierce Pettis...

Hmmm... I really don't have one. Sort of, but with his music. It was probably the late fall or early winter of 1990. Angie and I were in a Chicago area mall, walking through a store. The CD player was playing Pierce's version of 'In The Bleak Midwinter.' I think we stopped all shopping and stood and just listened to it. After the song finished, we found out which CD it was on (Windham Hill's, "A Winter's Solstice, Vol. III"). We immediately bought it. Today, when I told Angie that Pierce had responded to the interview questions she said, "Oh, I can't wait until we start playing Christmas music. 'In The Bleak Midwinter' is the first song I want to play." I agreed. I think I'll be pulling the Christmas music out this weekend.

Ticket information can be found at TriJangle.com.

Halloween Newspaper Ads

This came from a copy of the North Countryman, as supplied by the Northern New York Library Network Digital Newspaper project. It is either from 1964 or 1965.


Going back a few decades I found this advertisement from the North Countryman from 1933.



Boo!

TriJangle interview, part 2 - John Austin

This is the second of three drive-by interviews with the main participants of the upcoming "Songwriters in the Round" show that will be held on Saturday, November 14. Three outstanding musicians and songsmiths will come together for an evening of good music at the Westridge Auditorium Theater in Elgin, Illinois.

Pierce Pettis, Pat Terry and John Austin are the featured artists. In case you missed it, the interview with Pat Terry can be found here.

John Austin was the second to respond to the questions, so he goes next.


Q: What guitar are you playing the most these days?

I play a Taylor 514-C that Doug White presented to me as a gift back in the mid 1990s, after the Takamine Santa Fe that I'd bought from Bill Mallonee was broken into pieces when it was run over by an airplane. (I bought the guitar from Bill after my beloved 1970 Guild D-25 was stolen.) I was drawn to the Taylor 514-C because it had a darker tone than the other Taylors that were out at the time. It's aging nicely!

Q: What are you actively listening to? What music is inspiring you?

I would echo Pat Terry's list. Honestly, I'm not listening to much music right now -- except for some old 78s from the early 20th Century that I sometimes play on my late grandmother's Victrola (which is almost the antithesis of an iPod). Some are from the 1910s and feature really cool Hawaiian guitar parts. Unfortunately there is still something wrong with one of the Victrola springs and half way through a song I have to get up from the sofa and start cranking the thing again.

But, in general, I'm inspired by artists who have a body of work; I've never really been inspired by new artists. The more dead they are, the better! Willy Deville, who died earlier this year, was a great, under appreciated singer/songwriter. Warren Zevon died a while ago, but I like the two records he did before he was diagnosed with cancer: "Life'll Kill Ya" and "My Ride's Here" (much of which he wrote with the also now dead Hunter S. Thompson). I like the Ray Davies song "Working Man's Cafe", and "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap. As far as the current state of the music industry goes...I find the songs and attitude of Charlie Peacock inspiring. (And he's very much alive!)

Q: In a sentence or two, what did you take away from working with Mark Heard?

Capturing good music is a lot like collecting butterflies or bottling bees. And the secret to not sinking under is in having a good sense of humor -- you've got to hold onto that for as long as you can.

For more info about John, please visit his website, OfficialJohnAustin.com.

My connection to John Austin...

In the late 1980s and early 1990s I was involved with Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois. I don't remember the sequence of events, but a new church plant was being started in Chicago. Services were to be held in a nightclub. John was asked to play and I was asked to play with John. We opened the first service with David Bowie's "A Space Oddity." Major Tom and all that. I'm assuming that Doug had his hand in this somehow or another.

Ticket information can be found at TriJangle.com.

TriJangle interview, part 1 - Pat Terry

My friend, Doug, is producing a show. On Saturday, November 14, three outstanding musicians and songwriters will come together for an evening of good music at the Westridge Auditorium Theater in Elgin, Illinois.

Pierce Pettis, Pat Terry and John Austin are the "Songwriters in the Round".

I asked Doug if I could do a short interview with each of them. I tossed out three questions, one for the gearheads, the second one as the obligatory question (and I told Doug I wouldn't use: If you were a tree...), and the third one as the thread that runs through all three of their lives.

Pat Terry was the first to respond to the questions, so I'll post his first...


Q: What guitar are you playing the most these days?

My favorite guitar is still my 1970 Martin D28, which I bought brand new and have used on every project I've done since then.

Q: What are you actively listening to? What music is inspiring you?

I've been listening to Wilco, Rosanne Cash, Johnny Winter, and Leonard Cohen... and of course, there's always some Lennon/McCartney thrown in for good measure.

Q: In a sentence or two, what did you take away from working with Mark Heard?

Mark always drove home the importance of doing whatever was vital and real to me at the time. In the end, I think as songwriters that's all we have to offer.

For more info about Pat Terry, please visit his website, PatTerryOnline.com. His Q&A section has a lot more questions and his answers are more in-depth, but I specifically didn't want the guys to spend hours answering my questions. This was to be more of a drive-by interview.

My connection to Pat Terry...

Pat (along with James Dean Hicks and Roger Murrah) wrote the song, National Working Woman's Holiday. Sammy Kershaw recorded it in 1994, where it made it to the #2 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. Sammy's current keyboard player is Steve Farmer. I went to high school with Steve and were in a number of bands together, both legit and pick-up bands. So, it is almost like Pat and I are old buddies.

Ticket information can be found at TriJangle.com.

Blackberry fusion

Yes, Angie did buy this at the store a few weeks ago. But I'm talking about the new cell phones that Angie and I have.

Blackberry 8330 Curve

Okay, I started this post back in September. You can see that I'm up on my blogging. Actually, I've been rather busy, with Buddy Walk, football games, life in general.

We decided at the end of August to hop on the "phone as a data device" train. We had some bar phones that we got from Sprint. They worked well, but we cut out texting from the plan. Didn't need it back then. With Edison in football and a different church schedule that Angie or myself (he's a teen, don't you know), we opted for the Family Data plan. More minutes, no extra cost for all the data and texting one could want.

The Blackberrys work well. Until this Wednesday morning. I got the "JVM error 102" on mine and it wouldn't boot. I spoke with Sprint technical service. Three technicians and 35 minutes later they replied with, "Yes, we're aware of that error. No, we don't know what causes it. No, we don't know how to fix it. Please take it to a Sprint service center for repair or replacement. Oh, you don't have insurance on the device, so you'll probably have to buy a new one. Good luck with that."

Actually, they were kind and helpful. I selected the Sprint store in west Knoxville, signed up for an appointment (online) and headed out the next morning.

About 25 minutes after my arrival, I had a new Blackberry in hand, already activated. I was fortunate to have backed up my old one the night before it died. Weekly backups are now going to be standard operating procedure.

Edison also got a new cell phone. I've forgotten the model, but it is centered around texting. He likes it. He likes it so much that he got in trouble for using it. The details don't matter, but the phone was just returned to him last evening. I think that he learned his lesson.

So, text me if you want to. Although the Blackberry has a QWERTY keyboard, my thumbs don't move very fast. Don't hold your breath waiting for me to reply.

Mad Skills

This is a screen capture of one of the most viewed photos from Yahoo! News.

The text on the side says:

An Indian army soldier displays his skills on the sidelines of the Polo Season 2009 in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009. The Hyderabad Polo season began Sept.14 and ends Sept.29. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

I'm sorry? Exactly what skills are those? And why at a polo match? I know that the matches themselves can be a bit a bit rough, but the image I have in my mind of polo is rather upper class, starched shirts and champagne. Not burning petrol and three cans of silver spray paint.

North! Or Be Eaten - a review

"Pencils down." That is a phrase that I heard often in school. The time for the test was over. The teacher's pet would walk about and collect them to be graded. It didn't matter if you were actually finished with the test. The time was up.

I have been watching the calendar slip by at a very fast pace this last month. I just heard the teacher say, "Pencils down." My time was up. My review was due.

I did not finish reading the wonderfully written North! Or Be Eaten. But I read enough of it to form some opinions and I gather them here.

North! Or Be Eaten is the second book in the Wingfeather Saga. I don't know if the Saga is a trilogy. Surely it must be, for it is a fantasy story. (Oh, be quiet Mr. Lewis. You, too, Mr. Jordan.)

One of the problems when one starts to read a Saga from the middle is that one doesn't really know what's going on. I caught on soon enough, but I probably should have read book one (On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness) first.

The author, Andrew Peterson, paints on a wide open canvas with his brush and colors. The central characters, Janner, Tink and Leeli Igiby, travel with their family and friends towards the Ice Prairies to the North. They are outrunning the Fangs of Dang and trolls. Hence, the title of the book.

There is action in each chapter, suspense in every other chapter, wonderful word pictures on each page. Describing the sea dragons that Janner encounters ...

They were as beautiful as they were fearsome. Their bodies shimmered with metallic scales that swirled with color. The dragon closest to him glittered orange and gold, like the strikes of a thousand matchsticks, but its winglike fins cycled between shades of blue.

Oskar is the character I identified with most. The bookseller was more of a booklover. One that cherished the pages between the covers. I think that Oskar would have liked to have read this book.

I sometimes heard another phrase in school. "Pencils down. It is time for recess."

My recess will be finishing North! Or Be Eaten. A time to set my busy schedule aside and relax without care.

Find a copy of this book. Better yet, find a copy of the first book. Read it. And then find and read this one. Be taken to another place.

---

North! Or Be Eaten
Written and Illustrated by Andrew Peterson
Published by WaterBrook Press in 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4000-7387-0

Good Food in Nashville

Sometimes pictures just say things more clearly than words. But I'll add captions. They don't count.

Noshville. Our favorite eating joint in the Nashville area.

Monte Cristo. Mark.

Hamburger. Plain. Caroline. (or, as she calls it, Hurburger.)

Reuben. Angie.

Tennessee Club. Edison.

Knish. Angie.

GiGi's Cupcakes.

She Said Yes

Twenty years ago today, Angie said "yes" when I asked her to marry me.

Well, not exactly. It was lots of tears, nodding, shaking, etc. I finally had to ask her if that meant yes. She finally said yes.

Thank you, Angie.

Random

Edison wanders around saying, "That's so random."

Following his cue, I'm going to share a few random things with you.

• A music video of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears performing "Sugarfoot".
• keaggy.com (too hard to explain)
• Inside the belly... (Green Monster photos)
• A book from the library for Caroline
• Early Baseball Boardgame Collection

Well, that should do it for now.

Have fun exploring. Randomly.

Oops!

According to an AP story...

An Oscar Meyer Wienermobile crashed into the home and outdoor deck of Nick Krupp in Racine, Wis. on Friday morning, July 17, 2009. According to a witness, the vehicle was parked in the driveway. The driver lurched the vehicle forward instead of backing out of the driveway, hitting Krupp's deck and cracking the foundation of his house.

From the Archives

I have heard / read a few stories lately that deal with materials from the archives and I want to share them.

The Codex Sinaiticus has been digitized. This is the world's oldest Christian Bible.

An original copy of the Declaration of Independence was recently discovered in the British National Archives. Here's a link to the NPR story.

And finally, the Archives and Special Collections of Wheaton College have a blog, ReCollections. Fascinating tidbits from their holdings.

Now, stop living for today. Go back and live in the past.

Happy Father's Day

My brother said it much better than I ever could have.

I said some stuff. Mine, though important, seems almost superficial. His is much more real.

This is not a "Dad loved you best" Smothers Brothers take off. Steve just hit the nail on the head. With the hammer he stole from dad.

Steve, we're both winners in this game. Except that it isn't a game.

Dad, thank you for your leadership, your faithfulness to mom, to the family and to God. Thank you.

Happy Father's Day.

More New Math

I like Car Talk on NPR. The guys opened yesterday's show with a nod to MoreNewMath.com.

The people behind MNM use mathematical equations to define words. It is easier if you just go and look.

Well, here's one before you go...

Pirate = Thief + Boat + Bandana - Leg

Enjoy.

What I've been up to lately

Last weekend the family and I went to Michigan (via Chicagoland). Here are some of the things we saw...

A pair of very dedicated NASCAR fans. I guess they like Mark Martin. Or something. I would have picked another driver, I think. This is at a cemetery just southeast of Indianapolis.

Another gravestone just down the way. I'm not up on my chemistry. A little help?

We stopped in Homewood, IL, for Aurelio's Pizza with some of Angie's High School classmates. No, I don't remember all of their names.

Later that night we drove to Battle Creek, MI, for a few hours sleep before heading out to Owosso, MI. Our nephew, Daniel, graduated from High School. Daniel is on the right.

Coming back, somewhere in Ohio, we stopped for gas. This American Iron Horse was on the other side of the pump. I talked to the rider and he was kind enough to let me take a few photos.

We arrived home very early on Monday morning. Just enough time to unpack and catch some shuteye before attending Caroline's end of pre-school program. She'll attend a few weeks of summer school and then she'll be attending kindergarten.

Angie and I spent part of Monday crafting a to-do list of around the house projects. I've cleaned the gutters and tonight I put up the new light in the kitchen...

Before

After

We're still catching up on our sleep and a few TV programs that we missed. Okay, one. In Plain Sight. Good writing.

So, I'm off to bed with dreams of another item crossed off of the to-do list.

Overheard

This is a transcript of a meeting that purportedly came from the office of Mr. Bud Selig.  I have not been able to verify any of it, nor do I know who else was present.

 

Okay, boys. The Montreal Expos. Poor attendance. What can we do about them?

Yeah, I know they were the first expansion team in Canada. But they haven’t won anything. And should they get hot again, like they were in 1994, we can’t afford another strike to crush them. It wouldn’t be good for the major market teams.

Besides, they’ve already done their part. The produced Carter, Raines and Dawson. It’s time to shut them down.

(unintelligible) 

What? We can’t just yank their franchise? Why not? I’m commissioner.

Okay, let’s play monopoly. No, not the Parker Bros. game. Real stuff. Let’s buy them. Get Loria on the phone. Have him move their management to Florida. Leave the team in Montreal. That’ll teach ‘em.

(phone rings)

Oh, crud. The Twins are on the other line. Seems that they have to play at the Humpdome. We like symmetry, and that will leave us with an odd number of teams.

We’ve got to keep them around for a while. What to do? What to do?

Let’s put the team in a better park. Hmm… Where to put them? What about Puerto Rico? I know a lot of their fans will visit them there. Not. Even if they don’t get more attendance, the ballpark down there is smaller and it will look like there are more fans because there are less seats. And San Juan is warm all year. In Montreal the fans come to the Parc Jarry in parkas in July.

(unintelligible) 

What? They moved out of Parc Jarry? When? After the Olympics? What Olympics? Why doesn’t anyone let me in on these things? Crud.

Any chance we can sneak a grinder into Cooperstown? That @#$%& Carter was inducted wearing an Expos cap. Spraypaint? Hey, call that punkrockpainter guy. Maybe he can create new postcards with any other logo. We must erase the memory of the Expos from the collective minds and history books of baseball.

Cattle. That’s all the fans are. Cattle. Next thing you know, they’ll be wanting some sort of assurance that the baseball card companies will verify any game used material that they put on cards. Distance ourselves from that one, too.

The New Math

see more G-Rated fails at Fail Blog

Happy Mother's Day

This is an ad from the Plattsburgh Daily Press, May of 1940.

Remember Mother this Sunday! Here are things she loves and never has enough of.

Like I want to go and buy her some "Fine Quality Heavy Rayon Panties." But it is a good price. The Hershey's syrup. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

My Day is Complete

Yes, the Weekly World News has been added by Google Books.

Read it here.

Actually, my week is complete because I have a wonderful wife, two beautiful children and a job.

This is just the icing on that cake.

Easter Carols

From the April 4, 1929 issue of the Plattsburgh Sentinel...

The rest of the story can be found here.