August 30 2008: Beck, Nada Surf, Band of Horses, the Round, Lucinda Williams - Bumbershoot Music Festival, Seattle Center, Seattle WA

Bumbershoot!, I thought to myself, Shit yeah I'll fly out to the NW on a rediculously cheap ticket and see some family/friends and then go to Bumbershoot for the first time since 2005 and partake in that rediculously great lineup they've got going on this year! Shit yeah! Smooth sailing! Shit yeah!

But the sailing was not all that smooth. I woke up at Sweeney's new place out on NE 69th at at ridiculous hour. I think it was in the neighborhood of 7am. The idea was to walk to the 60th Ave. Max station, take it downtown, walk to the bus station, and get my ass on the 845 greyhound to Seattle in order to catch most if not all of Neko Case's set and most definitely be able to catch 100% of Lucinda Williams' set. This plan was going swimmingly up until the point at which the greyhound ticket seller informed me that the 845 bus was sold out. I went across the street to the train station, but the 830 train was also sold out. I went and got breakfast and tried to get unhungover and called people on craigslist who had advertised rides. No success, aside from getting breakfast. But if I'm going to be stuck somewhere for a couple hours and in need of breakfast, I'd rather be in Portland than maybe just about anywhere.

So anyway: I got on a bus at 1015, and it rolled into Seattle at 215. Ideally, Ryan/Heather would have been there to pick me up, we would have made speed a priority en route to the Seattle Center, and would have caught all of Lucinda. But they were not there, and were still 20m out of town. So I stashed my backpack in a locker and looked around for a cab. The line at the cabstand was three or four parties deep and no cabs were in sight. What was in sight was the Space Needle, and I figured I could hoof it the half-mile or so and save myself a couple bucks and probably get there by 235 at the latest. But I should have waited for a cab, cause it turns out the walk was really more like a full mile than half of one, and I didn't get into the stadium, where Lucinda was playing, until just before 3, aka 15 minutes after she'd started. Oh well.

Lucinda was great though, even if I did miss the first fifteen minutes. Walked in on a tune I didn't know, but next was "Out of Touch." The following tune, a new one called "Little Rock Star," was way way way better than its title might suggest. The highlights were definitely "Essence" and "Joy." An encore was some blues tune by a blues singer she cited but whom I'd never heard of and as such promptly forgot the name of, followed by a Fats Domino tune I'd never heard but which was called "I Live My Life" and was fucking great, followed by "a great blues number:" AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top." Not a bad set at all.

After Lucinda's set I met up with Ryan/Heather and Keith/Robin and we, after convincing Ryan that really no we definitely do want to see Damien Jurado and not play Dance Dance Revolution, headed to that stage they have set up behind the Key Arena to watch something called the Round. Important fact about the Round: two of its members are Damien Jurado and Jen Wood. And when they played Jurado tunes, they played the hits: "Ohio" (maybe the best I've ever heard it, with pedal steel accompaniment), "Lose My Head," "Letters and Drawings" (never seen it since the first time I saw him play, back before I knew the song, in 2002 I think. Goddamn was it nice to hear), and a new one that I vaguely recognized. Good to drink Mirror Ponds with all those folks and listen to songs like "Letters and Drawings." Goddamn is that kind of what I live for.

Interesting fact about history: when I first went to Bumbershoot, in 1999 because Pavement had sold out in Portland, one day's admission was $14. Another fact: in 2005, I got a two-day pass for $45. Last fact: this year's Saturday-only ticket put me back $40.

After dinner and a brief viewing of Band of Horses, who Robin wanted to see, Ryan/Heather and I split from Keith/Robin to head to the Mural Amphitheatre to watch Nada Surf. They were fantastic, but their bassist was sick and unable to play and the replacement didn't have dreads or sing backup, and they didn't do my favorite from the new album, "Are You Lightning." But they did open with "Hi-Speed Soul" and play most of my other favorites. Highlights: "Whose Authority," "Killians Red," "80 Windows," "Do it Again," "See These Bones," "Hyperspace," and the entire encore: "Blizzard of '77" into "Blonde on Blonde" into "Always Love" into "Blankest Year." No "Stalemate/Love Will Tear Us Apart" though.

And to finish off the night we went over to catch the rest of the Beck set with Keith/Robin. We were told we missed "Loser," which would just be amusing as hell to see played live after singing along with it so much at age 13. But he did play "Where it's At," which was amusing as hell to see played live after singing along with it so much at age 15.

August 23 2008: The Amity Front, the Sarah Levecque Band - Red Fire Farm, Granby MA

We got onto this tomato festival bill, which paid in produce (I'll take my own personal big box of tomatos/watermelon/peaches/broccoli/the best garlic I've ever tasted in my admittatly young live/etc over $75 split four ways any day of the week) and which afforded us the immeasurable pleasure of sitting around a farm on a stunningly beautiful saturday afternoon, sipping cold beers and eating some really good tomato-topped pizza and listening to a couple of my favorite bands.

The Amity Front played right after we did. They played well. I hadn't seen them in a while, and they're still good. And Sarah Levecque played after them. Rest assured, they're also still good. And rest assured that there's absolutely nowhere else I'd have rather been that afternoon. It was perfect.

August 14 2008: The Hold Steady, the Loved Ones - 9:30 Club, Washington DC

Last night of the little mini-vacation, in Anna's town! We got some okay food before the show at some place on 14th St. and went over to the show just before the openers came on. They played about the same as they have for the last week - competent but definitely not inspiring. Ran into this guy Mike whom I've run into on a few recent Mountain Goats tours, which was unexpected and nice.

The 9:30 club is bigger than I remember it being. And it was sold out and the audience wasn't too big on being polite, but Anna and I found a spot where we could both see and have easy bar access about halfway back from the stage. "You Gotta Dance With Who You Came With" got played again, along with "Curves and Nerves" and "Girls Like Status." I really like that "Girls Like Status" tune and had never heard it before. Heard "Chillout Tent" for the first time since 2006, and they played it better this time. Franz and Tad sang the main chorus lines together, and then Craig would follow up with the "They gave us oranges and cigarettes" line. I do like that song,

And there were horns! I don't remember on which songs, but they'd come out and play and then go hide somewhere until they were needed again. Too bad they were way to low in the mix.

And the people demanded a second encore after the first one ended with "Killer Parties," so we got "How a Resurrection Really Feels," which I believe was one of the horn songs. Pretty fun. Anna'd never heard of the Hold Steady and luckily had earplugs. And good sport that she is, when I jokingly offered to buy finest/cheapest shots afterwards she, despite having to be at work the next morning, said, "OK, but I think I can only do two."

All vacations should involve multiple cities and loud music, I think.

August 12 2008: The Hold Steady, the Loved Ones - Cat's Cradle, Carrboro NC

It was good to be back in Durham/Chapel Hill/Carrboro again. Rolled into Durham via the overnight Greyhound from Nashville in the early AM and spent my morning downtown. Walked around, ate a kale sandwich that I've since been recreating in my own personal kitchen on a roughly daily basis, checked email at the library, etc.

Showed up at the Cat's Cradle a half-hour after doors opened and soon found myself drinking a beer with Mr. Perry Wright, newly moved from Durham to Raleigh but no worse for the wear. Which is to say that he still drinks beer like Sweeney does. But at least Mr. John Darnielle, who soon arrived, can drink a good local IPA at a reasonable rate. It was good to see both those guys. Yay Durham/Chapel Hill/Carrboro!

And yay Cat's Cradle! I used to have a VHS tape of Ben Folds Five playing a show there the month their first record came out. Goddamn was that a great tape. I believe they opened that set with "Best Imitation of Myself," a song which pretty much ruled my teenage years. So it felt good and full-circle to see the Hold Steady at the Cradle, with John and Perry in the audience with me.

The Hold Steady opened with "Ask Her For Adderall" and segued it right into "Constructive Summer." And then into "Yeah Sapphire," which I finally understood. That "I was a skeptic at first but these miracles work" line really is pretty great. "Cheyanne Sunrise" got played (introduced as "a cowboy song that goes out to all the cowgirls"), and it was nice to hear it live. I mean, if you follow a band around, after the first couple shows you're really just hoping to hear the b-sides. Ran to the bathroom to take a piss during "Navy Sheets." It's nice that they played it in the middle of the set to allow us discerning listeners a justifiable bathroom break.

The last two songs of the set: "How a Resurrection Really Feels" (never heard live before and it was fucking great) and "Slapped Actress" (in the back of the club there were fewer frat boys with backwards baseball caps to fuck it up). Not too shabby. The encore was "Both Crosses" (only song on the new record I hadn't seen live, and definitely the best tune on the record) (with Franz was on banjo and Tad on acoustic) into "Stay Positive" (what a great live song) into "Most People Are DJs" into "Killer Parties." Really, really, really hard to beat an encore like that.

August 9 2008: The Hold Steady, the Loved Ones - 40 Watt Club, Athens GA

So one of the factors that pushed me over the edge of following the Hold Steady around for a few dates was that one of the dates would be in Athens, where I'd never been before but had heard was real nice. And it was. Enjoyed some good local beer and a reasonably-priced dinner a few doors down from the 40 Watt, and found UGA to be a pretty place. But Athens doesn't hold a candle to Oxford I'm here to say.

The show, however was maybe a million times better.

For starters, 24oz cans of PBR sold for under $4. And as if things couldn't get any better, the Hold Steady opened with "Constructive Summer" into "The Swish" into "Hot Soft Lights" into "Chips Ahoy" into "Sequestered in Memphis" into "212 Margarita" into "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" into "Hot Fries." Goddamn, where do I start? How about with "212 Fucking Margarita," which has arguably been my favorite song for the past six months. A song I figured I'd never see live. And it was great. Goddamn.

"Barfruit Blues" was played, which I hadn't seen since I saw them play it in Brooklyn last year, and "Ask Her For Adderall," which I saw them play at Wesleyan earlier in the year but didn't know at the time.

But the real hightlight, again, happened after the set finished up. First encore: "Citrus" into "First Night" into "Stuck Between Stations" into "Most People are DJs." Have I said "godamn" enough yet? Goddamn.

Second encore: a new tune called "Ballad of the Midnight Hauler" into "Killer Parties." "Midnight Hauler" is about a DJ who does a show for truckers. Great fucking tune, especially going into "Killer Parties." Best three lines of the night: "Hey why don't you play some music / You know your music so I'll let you choose it / Hey why don't you play some music now."

And as the show ended the bars throughout Athens called for last call and I exited the club into a sea of 19-year-old drunks with fake IDs. Rock and/or roll.

August 8 2008: The Hold Steady, the Loved Ones - Proud Larry's, Oxford MS

Circa 5pm: rolled into Oxford MS, roughly pretty much in-between Memphis and Jackson, in a rental car with the windows down and the cicadas audibly electric and a complete fucking stranger named Corey in the passenger seat. How did this come to be? The answer: too complicated to really get into. But goddamn. Oxford MS. Oxford happens to be maybe one of the flat-out best places I've ever had the pleasure to visit. A few blocks of downtown centered around a square which is built around the old county courthouse. A college town in the summer without college students. Nice bars, good food, pleasant weather despite being in both the deep south and the month of august.

I was in town was to see the Hold Steady play at his place called Proud Larry's, which is right off the square and has a capacity of 295 patrons. But I do not for one goddamn second believe that the fire marshal would have been too pleased regarding the number of patrons at Proud Larry's. But the beer was good and local and reasonably priced and the Hold Steady were loud. And amongst those over-capacity patrons was this girl named Stephanie whom I've now run into four different times over the past four years, each time at a concert in a different city. How about that.

The Hold Steady opened with "Constructive Summer" and then went right into "Multitude of Casualties" and "Chips Ahoy." Not a bad way to open a set. "Two Handed Handshake" and "You Gotta Dance With Who You Came To The Dance With" (that "they powered up and proceded to jam, man" line was probably the best-delivered of the night") came in pretty quick. "Joke About Jamaica" was great to see after finally comprehending its finer qualities, and "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" provided catharsis after 60 hours of travel. The set ended with "Slapped Actress," which the assholes in the backwards baseball caps sang along with.

Encore started with "Certain Songs," which I'd never heard live before probably could have lived the rest of my life happy without hearing live. But the third and final tune of the encore was "Most People Are DJs," which fucking made my night. Goddamn do I love that song. And hearing it played live remained the night's highlight right up until the moment when I, an hour or so later, sat at William Faulkner's grave and drank a Wild Turkey straight-from-the-bottle toast to him, to Oxford, to the Hold Steady, to good fucking times. Goddamn.

August 2 2008: Josh Ritter, Erin McKeown, the Infamous Stringdusters - Shangri-La Music Festival, Blue Hill Fairgrounds, Blue Hill ME

Drove up with Caitlin cause we had the weekend free and cause Josh Ritter in Middle Of Nowhere Maine sounded like a pretty good time. After eightish hours, when we finally rolled into Middle Of Nowhere, the weather was crisp and cool, the sky was low-overcast, and I changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. First time I'd been in jeans/sweatshirt in what felt like months. Goddamn it felt good. And the nice lady selling tickets was open to negotiation, giving us two admissions and one night of camping for pretty much half-price. To you, lady!

We set up the tent and went to watch the end of the Infamous Stringdusters' set. It was pretty good. I was mostly really really enjoying being at that exact physical location. Maybe 500 people, half in camping-type portable chairs, all surrounding a stage built in front of the county fairgrounds grandstand. After seeing Ritter play in the past few months to a packed Symphony Hall in Boston and a more-densely packed rock club in Brooklyn, this seemed like the perfect place to be.

Erin McKeown came on next. She was backed by Dave Hower and some bassist I didn't recognize. She was infinitely better with the band than she was by herself last month in Greenfield. I thought so. Caitlin thought so. And both of us were pretty sure it wasn't just that tasty Maine beer thinking for us.

And Josh Ritter! He opened with "Mind's Eye," played through a pretty standard setlist with the exception of "Bright Smile," which was really nice to hear. And Caitlin had never heard "Me & Jiggs," so I was glad for her (and for me) that he played that. "Kathleen" had the stupid interlude shit that he's been doing lately, but I didn't mind it so much. Ran over to the bushes to take a leak during "Murder On My Mind." And it was great to hear "Next to the Last Romantic" again. Shit, it was great to hear all those songs again.

What it comes down to is that it was just really really really nice to see Ritter play on a stage in the middle of Maine with only a few hundered other people in the immediate area. It was, pretty much, a perfect evening.