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Waiting for Fireworks

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The Last, Great Hope for Musical Sincerity

Several years ago, I read Johnny Cash’s memoir, Cash: The Autobiography.  Of the many passages that stood out to me, the strong one came from a very brief section in which Cash was discussing the songs and style of country artists.  With just a tinge of “old man-itis,” he noted that while country artists of the past wore clothing and sang songs that reflected the materiality of their lives (i.e., those jeans and cowboy boots were part of their labor; songs about poverty reflected their lives), it was more the case now that the style and the themes were a requirement of the genre and no longer reflected lived experience (i.e., those jeans and boots are not reflective of a working life). 

While I’m not interested in defending “authenticity” in music or elsewhere, and while I have no cause to romanticize the past, I do want to spend a moment reflecting on, for lack of a better word, sincerity.  I want to reflect on this in relation to music in specific because, for my money, there is no art form that can so richly tap a wide array of emotions.  And tapping into those emotions from time to time—aurally and otherwise—is valuable for a number of reasons. I also want to reflect on it because I witnessed a performance last night that has changed my thinking somewhat and has given me hope.

Over the years, I have found it more difficult for music to open my emotional cylinders in quite the same way it did when I was young, and, honestly, I miss its therapeutic function.  Some of the reasons it no longer works are obvious: age jades.  Regardless of the buoyancy of your personality, emotions don’t tap as easily—or at least in quite the same way—when you’re middle-aged as when you’re young.  But I think it’s more than that: pleading guilty to my own case of “old man-itis,” I want to suggest that Cash is right.  It’s difficult to perform sincerity when you’re so strongly self-aware that you’re performing.

Building a Better Nashville Star

While Nashville Star is now in its sixth season, this is the first year that it has appeared on broadcast network television, appearing on Monday nights on NBC (having been on USA through the first five seasons).  For those who haven’t watched it, Nashville Star is a country music step child of American Idol (hereafter, AI)--which is sort of odd in that Carrie Underwood, one of the current darlings of pop country music, emerged on American Idol. 

While I am a fan of American Idol and a sometimes fan of pop country music, I did not watch Nashville Star until this season.  The set up is similar to AI in that the early show shortens the list of procedures from the masses down to a smaller number (12 in the case of Nashville Star) and the following weeks—all with themes—allow “America” to vote to eliminate one singer each week.  While there are a few minor differences in the format, the show is very similar to AI. 

All in all, it’s an adequate show and fairly entertaining.  While there is no one with the charisma of Simon Cowell, John Rich does a wonderful job as the sarcastic centerpiece in the judges’ chamber.  Country music newcomer, Jewel (yes, for those who haven’t been paying attention, she’s hitting the country charts now) is far more thoughtful and useful than Paula Abdul and singer-songwriter Jeffrey Steele actually gives advice beyond “That was pitchy, dog.”  The singers are hit and miss, just as on Idol, but you can find yourself getting emotionally connected to the show. 

That said, the show does have some glaring problems that, if corrected, could make for a strong rival to American Idol.  Here, then, I propose, five ways to improve Nashville Star:

Einstein says...

Make your own.

Road Rules

As a person who walks, runs, drives, and now, bikes, up and down some of the same Nashville roads, I feel qualified to offer a few rules for proper etiquette regardless of how one travels.  I do not take this list as exhaustive, nor do I think ever rule is beyond question.  I do, however, think it to be something of a good start.  I welcome amendments, suggestions, and arguments.

Walkers:

1. 
   1. Stay on the sidewalk.  Even if you’re power walking for exercise, the impact on your knees is not as great as that for even the slowest runners.  You’ll just jam up any other pathway.
2. If you’re walking with a friend or friends, it’s fine to walk side by side.  However, one of you needs to move aside when someone walks toward you in the opposite direction.  Remember, think of your “extra” walker as being in the passing lane.
3. If you’re wearing an iPod, stay to the right.  Don’t sway into the left lane, as you’re not going to hear approaching folks. 
4. If you have a dog walking with you, (A) keep it on a leash, (B) don’t let it wander up to people uninvited—some of us are terrified of even your nice dog, (C) bring a bag to pick up poop.

Bye-bye, George

Eddie Izzard's Psychological Inner Peace

On Friday night, my Bonnie and I attended Eddie Izzard’s “Stripped” performance at the Ryman Auditorium.  Having been a dedicated fan since actually catching his “Dress to Kill” show on HBO several years back (even given my disappointment with some of the other performances available on DVD), it was with great anticipation that we took our seats. 

Izzard did not disappoint.  Pound for pound, the guy is the funniest man on the planet, and for almost two full hours, my stomach hurt.  When I wasn’t looking at Bonnie to see if she “got the joke,” I was banging my arm on the chair in front of me as a form of physical relief. 

Izzard’s performance worked for any number of reasons.  First, there was something especially delicious and slightly ironic about watching him in this former church and former home of the Grand Ole Opry.  Given his general left of center views, his engaged dismissal of religious based explanations of almost anything, and his occasion forays into transvestism, there is simply something rather non-Rymanesque about Izzard (well, on second glance, the transvestim fits elements of both country music and religion).  I felt it, and the entire audience understood it as well.  This was one of those magical moments when the setting itself made us all feel like we were part of a conspiracy.  With that as a starting point, Izzard had us as soon as the lights went down.  And with his quick pacing, he never let go.

The last sergeant

I woke up with this poem this morning...

The last sergeant wrote in code
dreamed in code
in furtive Post-it codes
that whipped out to sea
or melted on the floors
of jungle ruins.

Plans and diaries and love notes to
the lost emperor, or his heir,
who could not find a place to land
and so floated,
somewhere,
beatific.

The occupiers glimpsed him
in their shadows and imagined
his tattered sergeant's uniform.
decorations in code,
memories in
ribbon.

The legend grew fierce but
he was croaking mad when they found him
so they didn't recognize
his radio to the stars
moldering in the cave-trash leftovers
of a twenty-year mission
to nowhere.

Obama needs to hear from us

To put things in Army vernacular, Obama stepped on his dick last week. And no, I'm not talking about his reversal on fund-raising, which was hypocritical  but tactical.

No, I'm talking about the FISA bill. It was Obama's first true test as the leader of both a party and a movement, and let's be blunt: He flunked it. Badly. 

The (cartoon) Medium is the Message

Click on the image to see it full size.

Tonight's flooding

Flooding in North Central Charleston, SC from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

We fixed the flooding downtown, which was good, but is the public works drainage fairy ever going to find her way to North Central?

By the way, the storm that dumped all this rain was rotating and produced gusts of at least 50 mph.

Happy solstice, y'all!

In Praise of Cancellation

In 1996, Fox television aired six episodes of Profit, a weekly hour long drama focusing on Jim Profit, a newly promoted Jr. Vice-President of Acquisitions at Gracen & Gracen, a family owned multinational corporation.  The show focuses on the intrigues and unethical underhanded dealings that we might imagine take place in such a workplace.  What makes the show tick, however (and it ticks beautifully), is the behavior of Adrian Pasdar’s very complicated Jim Profit character (Believe me: this is a more interesting character than his Nathan Petrelli on Heroes).

Fox didn’t plan on airing only six episodes, of course.  No, this dark and uncomfortable show was supposed to become a regular series.  According to the commentary on the DVD set, the show was cancelled both due to struggling ratings and a number of complaints about the show’s themes (e.g., stepson-stepmother sex, child abuse, lesbianism).  Fox still had two shows in the can, and the entire series can be found in one small DVD box set (just a bit over $11.00 used--what a bargain!) This summer, with my normal TV viewing group down from 6 folks to 3, we decided to rewatch the show and, given the way the show makes me twist uneasily on the sofa, I recommend it highly.  It would make an idea Saturday marathon or a fun two night viewing party.

AP v. Bloggers: The cartoon version

News Item: Associated Press claims bloggers are infringing on its copyright, threatens action.

Right...

Oh, I get it: It's because he's BLACK!

This pin was available this weekend at a vendor booth at the Texas State Republican Convention.

TPM called the Texas GOP and got a disavowal of knowledge from state GOP political director Hans Klingler.

"We had hundreds of vendors at the convention," Klingler said. "I don't know what the merchandise is, we don't check the merchandise."

Klingler added that the party would have done something if it had been brought to their attention at the time. "We wouldn't have let him sell it."

Fair enough. But as one commenter put it yesterday, "I guess we know who's getting the douchebag vote."

When a Bike is not Just a Bike

Although there were years during which I stubbornly refused to admit that I would reach this point, I recently decided that I needed to consider purchasing a bicycle to offset some of the distance running that has been my passion over the last twenty or so years.  It’s not that I’m having any problems yet—although I have to admit that it’s not as thrilling as it used to be—it’s more that I’m persuaded by the collective wisdom of all the guys I’ve met over the years who have told me, with a powerful sense of resignation, “I used to love running, but my knees gave out, so now I do a lot of biking.”  Before the knees go, I’ve been thinking, I might want to get familiar with the next stage of activity.   

Over the past few weeks, I’ve started looking into the type of bike I would like.  When I approach a purchase like this, I generally follow the following routine—although not necessarily in this order: 1. I talk to a lot of folks who are enthusiasts, 2. I do a bit of web research, 3. I go to shops and showrooms, usually with someone who knows what they’re doing; 4. I spend a week getting over sticker shock; 5. I make a decision and quit listening to anyone who might dissuade me.  It’s an imperfect system to be sure, but it’s a system that gets the job done.

Lessig: The flaw in our OS

Reforming our corrupted and corrupting political system is Job No. 1 for Americans during the coming political era, and here's video of Xark hero Larry Lessig laying out the case for his Change Congress movement during his keynote address a week ago at the National Media Reform Conference.

If you haven't donated to Change Congress yet, please do. If you haven't taken the Change Congress pledge, please do that, too. And if you haven't taken the time yet to introduce yourself to these simple but transformative ideas, please watch this video (28 minutes) and wrap your brain around Lessig's clear, profound ideas.

Media sexism

I'm not a Hillary Clinton fan, and my estimation of her has diminished geometrically since April. But when Clinton supporters say that they're mad about sexism in the news media, don't dismiss it as sour grapes. They've got a legit beef.

Americans should demand better.

Garfield minus Garfield

What happens when you Photoshop Garfield the Cat out of the daily Garfield comic strip?

You get a much funnier, much more interesting, highly pomo strip.

Tim McGraw's Profound Sound

I was listening to my iPod the other day when--and this is one of those artists about whom I often lie about having in rotation—I heard the first few notes of Tim McGraw’s Red Ragtop.  I smiled.  I couldn’t help but smile.  I love that song. 

Let me be clear: I don’t love that song in a way that simply makes me want to shake my head along to a beat; I don’t love that song the way one loves a guilty pleasure (although I suppose there are elements of that emotion in my experience); I don’t love it the way I love hearing an artist for a minute or two in the throes of nostalgia; no, I love that song in the way one loves one of the top fifty greatest songs they’ve ever heard.