Rain, Dogs and Cowboy Singers. After surviving the Los Lonely Boys concert, the intrepid Christ Unity Church Singles Group set out on Saturday to visit the Wildlife West Nature Park up in Edgewood, and take in their so called chuckwagon dinner featuring entertainment from beloved (at least locally) cowboy band Syd Masters and the Swing Riders.
As soon as we arrived at the park, it started to rain. It sort of went off and on for a while, so in between raindrops we got to see some of the animals including various owls, hawks, javelinas, coyotes, wolves and deer. It was right when we were viewing the last three that it started POURING! Thankfully, there was a gazebo nearby which we literally huddled under as the wind kicked up and the rains came in at a 45 degree angle. Oh, I should mention the thunder and lightning! Yeesh!
Anyway, it was getting close to time for the dinner and show, so as soon as the rain let up a bit we made a mad dash for it. Unfortunately, the dinner area was as far as you could get from were we were.
Ok, now, don't get me wrong, a chuckwagon dinner should include an actual chuckwagon on premises, right? Well, there was none to be found. It was more of a mess hall/cafeteria chow line set up. Food included BBQ chicken, beef, potato, beans, applesauce, and cookies. Where was the son-of-a-bitch stew, sourdough biscuits and sock coffee? Damn phonies! For what it was, it was reasonably tasty.
Luckily, slightly more authentic cowboy fun was on hand in the form of Syd Masters and the Swing Riders. They are sort of a local version of Riders in the Sky. They emulate the old cowboy bands of the 1930s and 1940s but with a healthy dose of cornball, campy humor, and some clever original songs along with the old standards. The best part of the evening came when two of are group were asked to assist in the singing of "Ghost Riders in the Sky." John D. was asked to provide a loud whistle, another guy was to provide the whipcrack noise via a leather belt, and our own shy quiet Joan "from Michigan" was asked to do the loud "YAH!" It came out more like "Yah?" Needless to say we were in hysterics, and she was beet red!
But the big thrill of the night came for Karen when she got to meet Syd after the show. You see, Karen thinks Syd is dreamy (my words, not exactly hers!) She'll kill me if she reads this, but she was as giddy as a schoolgirl! She didn't want to wash her hand after meeting him!
The dog part of our story, which I almost forgot: My oldest dog, Perkins, who is nearly deaf, still hates thunder and lightning and is scared to death of both. Well, it didn't even look like rain when I left Albuquerque earlier in the day, so I left Perkins and Harley on the back porch. Lightning and thunder occur, Perkins freaks out doggy style and somehow this thirteen year-old dog claws his way over a four-foot cement block fence and into the front yard. Luckily my older neighbors across the street see him running about (actually trying to get in the front door!) and come over and try to corral him. They finally succeed with the help of my next door neighbor, and hen Harley, my chihuahua takes a dash for the front. Luckily, they finally get both critters in, and all is well. I come home to hear three panicked messages from my neighbors and my Dad, but when I let the dogs in, they don't bother to tell me about their afternoon adventures. Thanks, Jim, Millie and Phyllis for taking care of your neighbor!

The Peasant's are Revolting! "I'll say! They stink on ice!" That exchange came immediately to mind after I experienced tonight's Los Lonely Boys concert at the Rio Grande Zoo. The Zoo must have offered a special discount to members of the "Drunk and/or Obnoxious A@@hole Club of Albuquerque", because a large contingent was in attendance. But I'll get back to that in a minute.
First I must recount my experiences of the evening.
I arrived at 4:30 to stake out a place in line. I was shortly joined by the lovely ladies Sheryl, Vivian, and Sonya. So far so good. Everyone pretty mellow. Hot, but we are in the shade. Gates were supposed to open at 5:30. Oh, this is lawn seating only, by the way. They opened at 6:00 pm. To my surprise and delight, Sheryl and Sonya take off like roadrunners toward the concert area, with Vivian and myself lagging behind. The ladies stake out a brilliant spot center stage, about 15 feet back from the very front. All is well, John is pleased. Surrounded by three wonderful ladies, it is good to be the King! The lovely Barbara joins us shortly later and buys me a beer as thanks for helping to secure such great spots, though I protest that Sheryl and Sonya did most of the work. Life is still great. Show starts late because the bad was late arriving on their plane due to weather. Still cool, all is well.
Then the show starts. The fine gentleman sitting on a blanket directly in front of me decides he has a beautiful keister and wants to display it for my pleasure and that of everyone who has the honor of sitting in back of him, so he decides to stand up for the first 5 songs. John's a bit cheesed off (Why do the idiots always sit in front of me? My "Victim" light starts flashing.) I decide to not let Mr. Insensitive to the Needs of Others spoil the show, so I attempt move my chair to one side. Unfortunately I forget that I had my beer in the cupholder in the chair arm, so when I go to move it, the beer spills all over the chair seat. Alarms go off! Time for John to get pissed! A@@hole boy caused this, He's going down, time to get enraged! Or at least this is how I may have reacted in the past. I amaze even myself by not panicking, dumping the beer out of the chair, and slowly reaching for the spare chair we brought. Sheryl scoots over a bit, and by God, I can see past a@@hole boy! All is well, for me at least. Some other people start throwing food at our friend, and all he does is turn around and snarl, not at me though. Finally his legs get tired and he sits down for at least three songs.
Meanwhile, to our left, we notice a couple of guys who are on about their sixth beers, screaming at each other. They get up and walk away. Later, one guy comes back with more alcohol, and kisses another guy square on the lips. Time to cut you off, Sparky. Besides I thought all that kinda stuff wasn't supposed to happen until the Indigo Girls concert in a couple weeks.
A few minutes later, a big ol' fight breaks out to the left of us, apparently between two women. My suspicion is one asked the other to sit down, and the other refused. Catfight ensues along with much screaming. Security guards rush over and hang out to keep the peace. A few minutes later one can see the Zoo Director, a stout older man, running back and forth in front of the stage, apparently trying to decide whether or not to have a heart attack. I can hear him thinking "this is the last damn time I agree to have a $15 rock concert here!" By now I have had about $300 worth of entertainment, including the music.
Oh yeah, the music. The Los Lonely Boys were awesome. They went through nearly every song in their album, and even brought their Dad out to play and sing a few tunes. Turns out he wrote "The Bottle Let Me Down," and a couple other country classics. Best part of the show. The Boys themselves are masterful musicians, and their playing was brilliant. It's amazing that they can get such a big sound out of a three piece band. They had tons of energy and were massively entertaining.
I am proud of my behavior tonight because, unlike last years Los Lobos show, I didn't let the idiots get me down and cause me to ruin my evening. I blessed them and let them go. I had a great time and was not about to let them take control over me. Hummm. This Unity stuff must be starting to take hold. By writing my experiences in this blog I vent, with humor, instead of blowing my top.
Just some thoughts to put out there for the Zoo people. Perhaps you ought to rethink the selling of alcohol at these events. I saw more booze consumed at this show than any in recent memory including at the El Rey, which is a drinker's paradise. The booze definitely brought the nasty out in more than a few concert goers. A@@holes and alcohol never mix. Yes I know it is a money maker. I don't know, maybe $15 is just too cheap. Maybe $25 tickets would have kept out the riff-raff.
Anyway can't wait to see how many lesbians start fistfights at the Indigo Girls show! Hopefully, it'll be mellower.

Dreamin' the dream. Kids, the comedy dream is alive and well, thank you. A couple weeks ago there was a goal setting workshop at church. I took the class because lately I've been feeling I needed to work on some issues of focus. A pretty eye-opening experience! This got me thinking about were I want my life to be in the next few years, and what my dreams and goals are. The stand-up comedy thing has been put on hold lately, largely because I didn't have the money for the comedy classes that are being offered at the local comedy club.
I had mentioned the goal class to my friend Sheryl, who was very interested, so we got together to work on goal-setting. Sheryl was remarkably helpful in getting me to verbalize my comedy goal, and we agreed keep encouraging each other to work and keep working toward our goal. I've written down more ideas and comedy concepts in the last four days than I have in the last four years. I'm also researching the various stand-up comedy sites on the web to gather advice and encouragement. I now know I can achieve anything I desire, because I already have all the necessary God-given abilities within me. I just need to bring them out and shape them into reality.
Oh, and a word about Sheryl (she'll probably kill me!). She has been working on a book and a one-woman show, which I got a sample of the other day. She is remarkably talented, and she has her dream and goal down to even minute details. Right now she needs to finish the book and mold the show, but when she unleashes it on the world, watch out! A new star will be born. Actually, being her agent wouldn't be a bad gig either!

Wynton Marsallis, my hero. We went up to Santa Fe to see the great jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsallis perform at the Lensic Theatre, and it turn out to be the concert of a lifetime. The music was brilliant, flawless, and a brilliant example that "real" jazz is alive , kickin' and better than even, despite all the "smooth jazz" stuff you hear on the radio. But what struck me the most was the sheer effortlessness and joy with which Wynton and his band played. It was as if Wynton was merely a channel from which God poured this perfect music. I would love to a have just one-tenth the confidence, ease, and grace that this man displayed on stage. Talent like that is a treasure to all who are lucky enough to be exposed to it.

Brain Farts. Quick comments as they explode in the old brain box.
...Saw Around the World in 80 Days over the weekend and was shocked at how entertaining a movie it was. Fast paced, a mix of dry British wit, pratt falls and Jackie Chan acrobatics. Steve Coogan of 24 Hour Party People gave a perfect performance as Fogg and Jackie was fun as usual as his sidekick. Highly recommended for brainless fun....Also recommend Lighthouse Hill, a very quirky, very funny, inspirational and very touching British movie, which was this month's offering from the Spiritual Cinema Circle, a monthly service that brings uplifting, spiritual movies into you mailbox every month....Saw country/folksinger Caroline Herring at the Bio-Park tonight. She reminds me a bit of Iris Dement, but with a stronger deeper voice. Good songwriting, but for God's sake, how about and upbeat, happy tune just once?....Off to the Los Lonely Boys concert at the Zoo tomorrow. The show is sold out, and based on recent crowds there, we're showing up at 4:30 to get a good place in line. Remember John, patience, tolerance and joy...Just chill, enjoy the tunes and don't worry about the crowd.

What a Zoo! I went to my second Zoo Music show of the year this last Friday, and man, who invited all these damn people? The place is becoming way too crowded. A couple years ago, they decided to make free admission to the zoo concerts one of the benefits of membership to the NM Zoological Society. This seems to me to have opened the floodgates and led to the overstuffed attendance of these shows. I left the house an hour ahead of showtime. I took me 10 minutes to get from 10th and Central to the Zoo parking lot. It took another 5 to find a place to park. The zoo lot was already full so I had to park about 2 blocks away at the end of a residential street. It took another 20 minutes waiting in the zoo member line (this has NEVER happened before) until I was actually in place. Going to these events is becoming such a hassle that I think many people are going to get turned off by the experience. However, I was determined to see the show, and the hassle turned out to be well worth the effort.
The performer that night was Natalie MacMaster, a Celtic fiddle player from Cape Breton Island Canada. Her emphasis is on traditional Celtic music, but with some wonderful twists and turns toward rock, bluegrass and jazz influences.
What struck me most about Natalie was her tremendous energy. It takes enormous skill to play the fiddle as masterfully as she did, but she also bounced around the stage like a hummingbird on crack, dancing, jumping and rarely standing still.
We also got a brief step dancing performance from three local Celtic dance students, who added an even more theatrical touch to the evening. The music was uplifting, delightful and brilliantly played. The energy was spectacular. If you have any interest in Celtic music, don't miss Natalie MacMaster the next time she comes to town!

Thank You Dad! Just want to take this time to say a few words about my father. My father was largely absent up until my 14th birthday, due to a job that put him on the road nearly every week of the year. I might have seen him on the odd weekend, but it seemed rare. After we moved to Albuquerque when Dad quit his job and decided to finally open his own business, did I actually really begin to know my father. Yes, there was some tension, as I felt some anger and resentment toward him for not being there before, but I came to know an amazing man. He sacrificed his personal life and dedicated himself to hard work to provide for mom and me, even if we (wrongly) resented him for it. It must have been as hard for him to be away from us as it was for us to be away from him. Now after my mother passed away, my father has been a guardian angel of sorts, always there when I need advice, help with a home repair, or even a bit of financial aid. He does all this with no grumbling, no grousing and a lot of love. We have been through a lot in the last three years: health issues, financial problems, emotional issues. He has provided me with help whenever I've needed it. I hope I have also done the same for him. Thank you Dad, I love you.

Does Humor Belong in Music? As the late, great Frank Zappa proved, you bet yer ass it does, chico! Humorous music has always been a favorite genre of mine, from folk and country singers with a good sense of humor like John Prine, Steve Goodman, and Kinky Friedman, to rock jokesters like Frank Zappa, the Bonzo Dog Band and the Beastie Boys. Then, there are also the outright parody people, like Allan Sherman and Weird Al Yankovic.
One genre of music, I don't consider all that funny is Bluegrass. All that talk about dustbowls, jealous men carving up their unfaithful wives, and men being unjustly hung for crimes they didn't commit. Well, I just found out, not all Bluegrass is dead serious.
The Austin Lounge Lizards have been performing satirical Bluegrass for 25 years. I discovered them last Friday. They appeared at the Rio Grande Zoo for the Zoo Music series. They were remarkably original, hilariously funny, and musically excellent. Unfortunately, this all seemed lost on the audience, save for a few scattered longtime fans. The Lounge Lizards play foot tapping songs, but their lyrics are very intelligent and clever. This requires concentration on the part of the audience for full enjoyment. But when you have open lawn seating with people chatting openly, kids screaming and running around, and random zoo noises like cicadas and running water all around you, its hard to pay close attention. I went with a group, and some people, didn't even notice the funny lyrics. One felt they would be better if they just quit singing and played their instruments.
Some of their best tunes included "Tastes Like Chicken," about how all things have a certain similarity to our favorite fowl, "Stupid Texas Song" a great jab at those annoying songs praising the Lone Star state, and "Strange Noise in the Dark," about a man being driven insane by his neighbor's noisy lovemaking.
They even did a few minutes of rap music in German, which actually was pretty cool.
I ended up buying three CDs: Strange Noises in the Dark,(my favorite), Never an Adult Moment and Small Minds. I highly recommend all their albums and that you visit their web site, which is on the links list.

Can Blue Men Sing The Whites? I have to take this time to sing the praises of one of the greatest events in my neck o' the woods: The Madrid Blues Festival. This is the fourth time I've gone in the last three years, and I just enjoy it more each time.
For the uninitiated, this is a 4 hour blues show put on by the NM Jazz Workshop, held several times each summer at the Oscar Huber Memorial Ballpark in the former ghost town of Madrid NM, nestled in the mountains about an hour from Albuquerque. The town of Madrid is now a tourist town, made up of old hippies, artists and misfits, and a favorite hangout for bikers.
The show itself is made up usually of local blues talent, often plus one lesser known national act. Some of the "name" acts have included Big Bill Morganfield, Bob Margolin and the Chicago Blues All Stars, Nappy Brown, and today's featured act, Debbie Davies.
The music is usually excellent, especially for the hard-core blues fan. But while the music is the main attractions there are many other reasons that keep me going back.
For one, the change of scenery is fantastic. You drive up through the mountains and leave the noise and traffic of Albuquerque behind. The air is fresher, the surroundings greener, the pace slower. Madrid is a really cool, funky little town. There are lots of cool shops and galleries, but the "main attraction" of Madrid is the Mine Shaft Tavern, the "diveyest" dive in the area, and a regular hangout for bikers and "colorful" locals.
Speaking of the people, even if you are not into the blues, this is one of the greatest people watching places on the planet. There are ALL sort of folks at this show. Young, old, rich, poor, old hippies, artists, college students, beautiful women, ugly women, ugly guys, beautiful guys, little children playing and laughing, and lots of dogs.
The whole affair is like "Woodstock" transplanted to the NM mountains. There are only two rules: no glass containers and no smoking. The main "unwritten" rule is be yourself and have a great time. And that people do. People dance with abandon, whether they can dance or not. Here, the phrase "dance as if no one were watching" is taken to heart. People are watching but, you are free to do as you please, and no one will say anything if you dance like a duck on crack. Everyone is naturally friendly, perhaps because the normal pressures and claustrophobia of city life are forgotten up here. There is a freedom, a looseness, a joy up here that I cannot find anywhere in the city of Albuquerque.
The ballfield is dusty, and there is very little shade unless you bring an umbrella or canopy of your own. It is hot, blazing hot. But who cares? Cover yourself with sunblock, wear a floppy hat, drink plenty of water. If you get too hot, you can sit in the grandstand, which are the covered bleachers behind the stage. You see the backs of the performers, but you see the fronts of the dancers and the rest of the crowd.
I've seen many of the same memorable people every time I come up: the old hairy bearded shirtless guy who dances during EVERY song and with almost every woman in the park. The guy with the really big cowboy hat, handlebar mustache and Hawaiian shirt. The cat with the rubber band tied around his beard. The stocky older woman in the short dress and cowboy boots. And of course many barely dressed beautiful young ladies dancing their hearts out. To the girl in the purple top and very short jean shorts: I want to bear your children, or at least know which branch of TDs you perform at.
As for a mini review of today's show: It was the best yet. Stan Hirsch is an excellent solo player with a deep bluesy voice. Joannie Griffin is an Albuquerque legend, and has a great husky voice. She sometimes performs at my church, but here, she pulls out the stops, backed by her band Combo Special. Karen commented that is was great to see a mature, full figured woman, who does not conform to the stick-thin Brittney pop star image up on stage shakin' her stuff around. I've heard great things about the Memphis P-Tails and they proved their worthiness with a great set of swampy, boogie-blues. But the real treat was Debbie Davies. She is truly one of the great electric blues guitar players I've heard, woman or man. A fine singer too, and her set was like a power-plant explosion. Very uptempo, cocky, and full of great songs and masterful guitar work. If you have not heard of her, seek her out. You will not be disappointed.
Oh yeah, one minor point. There were no black performers today, and very few black audience members, making for the whitest blues show around. It proves the blues today transcends its roots and all racial boundaries. Yes folks, white men can sing the blues, and kinda dance to it too.
Kudos to the Jazz Workshop for these great shows and the opportunity to escape reality and join a near perfect world even if for only four hours a few Sundays every summer.

Wooo Boy Am I tired! Don't know if it's the heat, stress, or what, but man have I been tired lately. Also I've come down with some sort of mutant proto-cold thing, where I haven't gotten full blown cold symptoms, just this sort of back-of-the-throat cruddy feeling. I take like a zillion mgs of Vitamin C everyday, so maybe that's holding it off. Whatever, but I hate it! I went on my first long bike ride since moving into the house today, and it felt great. Hopefully it will help me sleep better tonight and get some needed rest. Bike riding is one of the great joys of my life, so it was great to get back into it.
What the heck, how 'bout some reviews:

Bubba Ho-Tep Elvis and JFK fight off a soul-sucking mummy in an East Texas nursing home. No kidding. That's the plot of this very unusual movie, that's part touching character study, part horror film and part comedy. Written by the great Texas mystery-horror author Joe Lansdale and directed by the creator of Phantasm, Don Coscarelli, this is one strange but often wonderful movie. This one has Elvis (Bruce Campbell) , who had been impersonating and Elvis impersonator when he broke his hip and landed in a nursing home, teaming up with Ossie Davis as a black man who thinks he's John F. Kennedy ("They dyed me!)to solve some mysterious murders in an old folks home. Campbell is great as Elvis, who laments his poor choices in life and is given a chance at redemption by solving the murders and capturing the mummy. The DVD not only has a commentary by Coscarelli and Campbell but one by Elvis as well. On the commentary, the King complains about all the crudity and unnecessarily vulgar content of the movie, gives the recipe for peanut butter and banana sandwiches and takes many phone calls, one asking him to pick up groceries at the store. If you are looking for something totally unique, this is it! Highly recommended.

Morris Day and the Time live in concert at Isleta Casino. I've always been a huge fan of these guys ever since their appearance in Purple Rain, so I really wanted to check this show out. After much angst trying to get someone to go with me, and failing, I decided to go solo. Man, am I glad I did! This was the best $15 I've ever spent on a concert, and the most fun I've had solo at a show since the Alice Cooper concert three years ago. Morris, his valet Jerome and the whole band were in fine form, looking sharp in their brightly colored suits, and getting the whole crowd up and shaking their booty. Most everyone stood during the whole show, cause as Morris said "If this music don't get you shakin your ass, you must be dead!" There was much great choreography, lots of dumb jokes, and a hilarious, extended version of "Ice Cream Castles" in which about 20 women from the audience followed Jerome onstage and shook their booties with abandon. It felt like 1984 all over again for about 80 glorious, butt shakin' minutes.

So what are you thinking? Communication has been a big issue this last month. Lack of the use of it, and the over reliance on assumption has caused a myriad of problems for me that could have been solved just by my asking a few simple if possibly embarrassing questions. Don Miguel Ruiz in the wonderful The Four Agreements implores us to never assume anything. I have learned through experience how important a principle this is. In one instance this month, I assumed someone shared certain feelings that I had, based on nothing more than comments, outward actions and body language. I was devastated to find out that this person was definitely not on the same page! Also, I was confronted by someone who had made several assumptions about my attitude toward them based on one small aspect of my behavior. They had no idea that this behavior was not intended as a personal slight to them, but was an outward manifestation of all the personal stress and emotional strain I was going through. Both of these incidents could have been avoided if more questions were asked in the course of the relationship, and answered in open honest ways. One can never know exactly what another person is thinking, feeling, or experiencing. We may think we know, but this impression is based on our own experiences and knowledge, not that of the other person. We all carry around our individual perceptions of reality, and they are ALWAYS different from someone else's perception because our backgrounds, upbringing, influences, experiences and thought processing are all unique to each of us. Anyway, I recommend picking up Don Miguel's Four Agreements and his new book The Voice of Knowledge for a more eloquent version of this topic. They are both hightly recommended!

So, where the hell have you been? I know, it's been over a month since I sat down to enter anything into the blog. So, what's been going on? Well, life actually.
Since the last post I have:
Moved into my new house.
Put everything where it needs to go.
Bought a few new furnishings/appliances for the new house.
Dealt with a number of financial difficulties, including my old mortgage company taking an extra payment out of my account, unknown to me, causing a huge overdraft and four big service charges, all while experiencing the slowest May sales in the history of my business, causing much financial angst, panic and heartburn.
Dealt with weirded-out dogs who couldn't understand why we were in a new house, and were eating each others dog food and getting very sick.
Dealt with various emotional matters including some heartbreak, self-doubt, fear, and a whole steaming smelly pile of personal issues rearing their ugly head just when I was occupied with all this other stuff.
Gone on an unintentional journey of self-discovery and self-examination that has been REALLY freaky but enlightening and is still very much ongoing.
Gone to a few concerts, seen a few movies, listened to a few new CDs.
The last 45 or days have really been about three things: change, growth, and self-discovery. I'm very thankful to God for all this opportunity, but man, am I exhausted!
So kids here's the plan: Things are settling down a bit, and I'm starting to actually have some free time and some ability to focus, so I will attempt to write more frequently in the old blog. I may ease into it with some reviews, but I feel a real need to unload some personal musings as well. So consider this a start, a first stab if you will. More to follow. I promise. Really. No fooling. I mean it.