I haven’t gone out to see a live band in a long time. It’s not really my thing because even when I was young I was old and crotchety and I generally think it’s too loud and crowded. The sound is bad and just distorts in my ears. I wonder if people who really like loud music aren’t deafened by it already.
But my weird travels through old-timey music took me from banjo lessons to youtube to fiddle videos to thinking I should go see Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet. They’re a band I would really look forward to hearing on Prairie Home Companion, back when I listened to Prairie Home Companion a lot. Not sure why I quit, but nevertheless, I started trying to google Beausoleil. My first problem was that I didn’t know how to spell Beausoleil since I never took French and I had a heck of a time. When I finally figured it out and thought, DUH, I found out they’re touring and making a Portland stop. I bought my first ticket for a show in a long, long time. And, sadly, the first live show I’m not seeing with Megan in a long, long time too.
The opening band was the New Iberians from Portland and I’m not a big fan of their Zydeco/Blues music. When I got to the venue, I noticed I was one of the youngest people there. The New Iberians started out OK but went towards the Bluesy-rocky stuff I don’t like. The sound was muddy, and the women next to me talked throughout the entire set. I wondered if I made a mistake.
When the New Iberians finished, they started taking AWAY speaker cabinets and put up a couple of JBLs. Not only did this clear up the sound, but Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet (sans Jimmy Breaux) was exactly what I wanted to hear. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to play Cajun fiddle in Michael Doucet’s style, but it sure was fun to listen to. I thought I’d miss hearing the accordion (I guess Jimmy Breaux ‘retired’ and started his own band) since that’s what drew me to Beausoleil’s sound, but the music was great without it. And late into their set, Michael Doucet played the accordion! So I guess I’m a fan.
I am also a bad son. My mom was admitted to the hospital again last night, and I called but didn’t visit today. She was admitted to the ICU(!) but is well enough that they sent her to a normal room and talked about letting her out tomorrow. It’s her birthday after all! Keep your fingers crossed…
Interesting. I’ll have to give Beausoleil a listen. Do you like bluegrass? There are some beautiful bluegrass covers of artists like The Beatles, Clapton, etc. I’m not entirely sure of the artists. I think Dan Chapman is one (although that may be steel guitar rather than banjo) and the other is The Ultimate Bluegrass Tribute. Some of the bluegrass versions are nicer than the originals I think.
Hello Todd,
I just finished reading an interview with Ignacio Martin-Baro, published in THE TECH on 4/26/85, back when you were old and crotchey before your time. I learned of the interview from a post on a liberation psychology web network, where psychologists today who follow the principles of liberation psychology–first developed by Martin-Baro–stay in touch and work on expanding the field. You covered that interview for THE TECH, and two really good photos that you took of Martin-Baro were printed. I’m wondering if you have other pictures of him, and whether these two pictures (and possibly others) could be made available to us to share among ourselves and to be included in the collections of information by and about him that we are trying to organize. As you probably recall, he was one of the 6 Jesuits murdered by Salvadoran government soldiers on the campus of the UCA in San Salvador in 1989. I’m one of the people committed to keeping his memory alive, as a colleague and a friend. I co-edited a book containing a selection of his writings, WRITINGS FOR A LIBERATION PSYCHOLOGY (Harvard U. Press, 1994, 1996). I (and others) would really appreciate photos that we could have/borrow/see/ etc.
Write me back when you have a chance. I hope your mom’s health improved and your “bad son syndrome” got resolved in favor of something positive and strong.
Best regards,
Adrianne Aron
Berkeley, CA