But I can't see the road if I'm looking at the signs

Hey, Megs,

Everyone is getting excited for this weekend's games. All of campus is abuzz about the arrival of the GameDay crew. (Most references do oddly seem to be about Lee Corso, though. Have these people never seen Kirk Herbstreit??)

photo via ohiostate.scout.com

I've been trying to come up with clever signage--I'm thinking about taking Ella down to the set after her game on Saturday. Right now I'm thinking, "Is it War Eagle or Tigers? Make up your minds, Auburn!" It has a ring to it, no? I told Jenna about the GameDay festivities (she and her husband are coming up to support the Tigers [they both work at Auburn]) and she came up with "Tigers slam the Dores!" or "War Eagle soars over Commodores!" I think I would probably pay her $20 to go down there with those signs. Hilarious. For your (continued) reading pleasure, here is a funny story about GameDay signs.

Evan and I went to the Ryman to see the Raconteurs last night. It was a good show, what we saw of it. We started off the evening eating sushi at Ru-Sans (I don't recommend it) and rolled in to the show about 15 minutes late. Oh well. When we got to our seats, some yay-hoo was sitting there. I held it together and just told him to scoot it (not much I could do since the band was fully rocking out). And then it happened. The band started in on "Consoler of the Lonely" and dude went in to total spazz mode. He was banging his head, doing that weird jerk-your-body dance, and . . . playing air guitar.

photo via militarytimes.com

It was awful. And Evan just laughed and laughed.

Then, to add insult to injury, he started recording their next song (maybe "Five on the Five?" I really have to start doing the set list thing again. The internet has been totally useless on this front lately.) on his little text messaging phone. And just to make sure he got it, he replayed the recording while they were still playing the song. So, in my left ear I got to hear the band playing the song and in my right ear I got to hear a bunch of fuzz. Because, guess what. Little text messaging phones do not record live music well! He finally left when he needed another beer. (Believe me, he did not need another beer.)

After that, everything was gravy. It was a pretty short show (they played for about an hour and a half, I guess), which left time for us to enjoy a Bud and a Maker's Mark at Robert's and for me to get home in time to pay the sitter for only 5 1/2 hours! Good times.

Looking forward to some ZZ Top on Friday! I just have to make it through watching the Biden-Palin debate with Kevin and his parents on Thursday. . . .

Hope all's well out your way.

love, molly

OMG!!!

Megs,

Just got this in an email from VU Athletics:

Dear Commodores Fan,
ESPN's College GameDay coming to Vanderbilt NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Count ESPN's College GameDay crew - yes, Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard - among the audience for Vanderbilt's nationally televised meeting with Southeastern Conference Western Division power Auburn this Saturday on campus. ESPN officials confirmed Sunday morning that its popular "College GameDay Built by the Home Depot" show will broadcast from the Vanderbilt campus on Saturday, October 4. It will mark College GameDay's first appearance in Nashville.


Kirk Herbstreit!! Squee!!

Full story here.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Oxford Town," Bob Dylan

Everybody's got their heads bowed down

I must say that I never thought I'd read this during the election (from the National Review, no less [and no, I do not read the National Review. It was linked to from another site]):

One side effect of McCain's debate gambit is, I'm told, that everyone at Ole Miss now hates him. It will make for a very hostile audience tonight among those students and faculty attending. He might have to apologize for creating the uncertainty or make some explanation up front, which is never ideal. (emphasis mine)

What a joke.

Oh, I got this in an email from Dan (my brother) yesterday (after Palin's interview with Katie Couric):



It made me laugh. Because really, what else can you do at this point?

love, molly

previous post title source: "Astral Weeks," Van Morrison

If I ventured in the slipstream

Hey, Megs.

I should start with some sort of excuse for not posting since April. I got nothing.

Kevin and I went to see a most amazing show last night--The Swell Season at the Ryman. The band is the Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, of the film Once. (Lovely movie, by the way. I'm pretty sure I already recommended it, but if not, here goes: You should watch it. Probably sometime when Todd is out hunting.)

What a show. It was perfectly suited to the Ryman. I love seeing shows there where the artists are completely in awe of what has occured in that room before them (ahem, I am NOT looking your way, Mr. Bob Dylan). He's Irish, she's Czech, and they were loving being in the mother church of country music. It was contagious.

The whole show was just . . . the tingly kind. You know, when certain parts give you shivers and you leave with that tingly feeling. You can hear sort of what it was like on NPR Music. They have Swell Season concert, as well as a concert by The Frames, which is Glen Hansard's band (much beloved in Ireland). They just happened to be, awesomely, the "backing band" last night. What a surprise! What a treat!

As great as the band was, though, I have to say that my favorite part of the evening was a solo song by Hansard. I don't want to make you too terribly jealous, but he played Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks." "Would you kiss-a my eyes?" That one had me leaning closer.

Aha! Look what I found. I know a Luddite like you may not appreciate it, but due to the magic of YouTube, you can hear what it was like (but not really). This is him performing at Bonnaroo:



Note: I would have tried to make my own video of this song, because you know I thought about you as soon as I figured out what it was. But seriously, I was not taking any chances with those senior citizens working security at the Ryman. They've got eagle eyes, and they are vicious.

I think I told you that I have been thinking about moving the family to Chapel Hill. I have Kevin at least considering it. But it's shows like this one that make me think twice about it. Until, that is, I remember that The Swell Season also played in Raleigh, NC, on this tour. And, in Raleigh, I would bet that my seat neighbor would not be trying to out-sing the band and/or audition for a back-up singer spot from the Ryman balcony. Honestly, I cringed every time they requested audience participation because Ms. American Idol over there was trying her hardest to make sure we knew what a lovely songbird she was.

The rest of the audience was awesome, though, and gamely sang along when requested, making for some lovely sounds. (I was a bit displeased when a chorus of "Boo!"s rang out amongst the "Yay!"s when Hansard gave a rousing Irish endorsement of Obama. But if I start going down that road, this post may never recover.) Another of my favorite moments was when Hansard--who had been playing an acoustic guitar for much of the night--started fiddling with the tuners on an electric guitar. It was taking a while for him to get things straight, and things were really very quiet when this guy yelled out from across the room, "Now you know what Dylan felt like!" Hilarious. Hansard laughed and joked along, and then another guy yelled out, "Judas!" It was perfect. Gotta love an audience that is up on its music history and not afraid to show it.



Note: That Youtube video of Dylan (even including the scrolling credits part) is much more awesome than my most recent Dylan experience. Would that I had known that prior to spending $100 on the ticket. :-(

Alright, that's all I have to report from last night's festivities. Upcoming shows include The Raconteurs, Old Crow Medicine Show, and . . . wait for it . . . ZZ Top at the Ryman. More dispatches to come . . .

I hope all is well with you. I miss you much.

love, molly

previous post title source: "Hope For Us All," Nick Lowe