Well, hey there. A busy work schedule, vacation, and the assorted other jobs a typical husband and dad to three has to juggle led to some negligence on my part with regard to IRL. And, to be honest, I was tired and didn’t feel like writing.
Concerts:
I’ve been laying low these past couple of months. Some shows didn’t work for my schedule (the RAA fell the same night as a friend’s 40th birthday party; Paul Collins occurred on parent/teacher night; Ryan Adams was also on a school function night); others just weren’t my jam. I did, however, catch two excellent shows.
1) S Carey with Communist Daughter at the Hi-Fi — Sean Carey and his band have been delivering haunting, dream-like records for a number of years now. I finally got a chance to see him live and bask in the warm aura. Even more exciting that night was the return of the full-band Communist Daughter. I brought the group to Indy for a scarcely attended show in late 2012 and also caught Johnny and Molly solo a few times before and after. The set list on this visit was a fantastic blend of old material along with some new songs.
2) Ages and Ages with Horse Thief at the Hi-Fi — Ages and Ages are a joy to watch. Six-part harmonies and elaborate but hooky songs make it nearly impossible not to get caught up in their pop glow. They were fantastic. The big surprise of the evening was Horse Thief. I knew nothing about the band before they took the stage, yet was first in line to buy their vinyl at the end of the night. Some MMJ, some Fleet Foxes, and an unexpected dash of soul — they’re the real deal.
Yes, there were a few others I wanted to attend, but as I said — tired. A slate of good shows are lined up for January, including the return of Mike Adams at His Honest Weight, Jukebox the Ghost, and Strand of Oaks. Until then, I’m sticking with headphones and vinyl.
I’ll have my list of favorite shows, records, and books up before the end of the month, if you care about such things. Until then, see you ’round like a donut.