Friday, August 21, 2009

Store whoring

I started a blog for Fox and Fawn. It's good great fun. I just yammer away about all the amazing things we have in the store that I think you should buy. Basically half of the time I'm probably going to be shouting, "TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME BEFORE I TAKE IT HOME!" It's one hell of a struggle, letting things sell. This is a business though, not my personal closet, but sometimes it's tough.

Not that resisting temptation is the most difficult part of my first foray into business partnership. We've had a few bumps but everything has been straightened out. It's scary to be stepping into this role right now with all the economy hellfire that's been spread. Honestly I'm hopeful and we're doing all right. Summer is always hard, I mean think about it, what costs more, a tank top or a jacket? People buy more clothing in the fall because they wear more, like literally wear more items at a time. The equation seems obvious but you'd be surprised how many people outside of retail don't understand that summers are rough.

But...thankfully they aren't too rough. The store has had a wealth of good stuff coming in and we've been able to keep up stock which is important because since we are dirt cheap the seriously amazing stuff gets snatched up pretty much immediately.

It's so scary but at the same time so much more satisfying knowing that you are building something that is yours and one other person's. Something that can and will sustain you and feed you and house you. Every drop of energy we put in goes back to us and we put everything we have back into the store. It's a cycle and it can and will be exhausting at times I'm sure, but after working for other people for so many years, I'm glad I have it this way, for better or worse and thankfully it looks like the former is taking the lead.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Best text ever...

From Sam Jayne
"Hey love as laughter alumni and heavy hitters there is a show in portland sep 20. Isaac is flying us out its the gp showcase for northwest music fest at crystal ballsroom and its gonna be huge. We can use MM double drums and percussion. We just have to find places to tay, i can help with that. Whos in?"

Translation:
Isaac Brock is flying a bunch of us out for the Glacial Pace showcase for the Northwest Music Fest at the Crystal Ballroom. We can use Modest Mouse's gear.

The line-up is:
Modest Mouse
Love as Laughter
Mimicking Birds
Morning Teleportation

I'll be singing back-up and playing tambo/cowbell. It will be an all-star Love as Laughter show I'm sure, since the group has some seriously awesome alumni. I'm stoked. Individual tickets for the show are already SOLD OUT but people with wrist bands will be able to come in until it's at capacity (which is 1000.) SCARY!

Sam recently let me join in for a show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. It was free and the afterparty for the Mission of Burma show earlier that afternoon. We played with The Nasties and Violent Bullshit and it was a real good time. The Nasties are fucking awesome and we hope to have them play at the shop real soon.

Anyway, this means I'll be in Portland for a couple of days in September. My broke ass can't afford any more vacations (my most recent ones have been on someone else's dime or paid for by DJing gigs) so this is grand great news! I'm so excited...and this is gonna be way easier than tour.

Gotta practice my harmonies!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Highway Kind

Watched Be Here to Love Me for the first time last night. The doc was so-so, still heartbreaking, but not the greatest film. But the quality of the storytelling doesn't really matter, I love Townes Van Zandt so much that any further glimpses into his story bring me joy. Nothing beats his scenes in Heartworn Highway, though. However, getting to see that much Guy Clark made me so happy. In my circle it seems like everyone knows Townes (and with good cause, he is one of the greatest songwriters of all time) but no one pays much mind to his contemporaries. Guy Clark, Joe Ely, Steve Earle, all great and all I'm going to be listening to in the shop today.

There are two great recordings that I believe are bootlegs. I'll post them on an update soon. There is the "Afternoon Workshop" which was recorded in 1983 at the Vic Theater as part of a songwriter's workshop with John Prine, John Hiatt, Guy Clark, and Joe Ely featuring storytelling and an amazing version of Joe Ely playing Butch Hancock's Boxcars.



Here is Guy Clark playing Rita Ballou on the Texan Connection



And live in Austin, LA Freeway...this one kills me. If you go to the YouTube page there are some crazy comments...



The other record is Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark - Together at the Bluebird Cafe. It's a superb live album that has amazing story-telling and a great vibe between the three (at least deserving to be called) legends. I highly suggest it. It's funny, heartbreaking, and beautiful.

Here's Steve Earle on David Letterman playing his Celtic Appalachian fusion country hit...Copperhead Road...1988


Here's a cool interview with Steve Earle. Can't find a good embeddable video of "I Ain't Ever Satisfied:


And here is the a crazy Desperados Waiting for a Train All-Stars performance: