06.29.06

It’s not always better live

Posted in hot live action - June 29th, 2006 at 1:03 pm by Cricket

We need to start cataloging conversations with cab drivers here, since sometimes they are better than the shows we see. Nashvegas has some strange birds. So the other night my driver is a late 50s/early 60s-ish black guy, listening to Republican talk radio and periodically turning down the sound to discuss what they are saying with me and rail on about how those guys in Washington are no better than the mafia. Okaaaaaaaay. The radio switches to discussion of the new Superman movie and the following conversation ensues:

Cab Driver: So Kevin Spacey, does he play Lex Luthor on TV?
Me: No, just in the movie, someone else plays him on TV.
CD: Is that boy on TV bald for real?
Me: No, I think the actor just shaves his head.
CD: He shaves his head? What does he do when he’s not on TV? Grow it out? Walk around being a bald boy?
Me: I don’t know. I think they probably pay him enough that it doesn’t matter much.
CD: When is Superman gonna fly on that show? Right now, that Clark Kent, he’s afraid of heights, he’s got to get over that, you know?
Me: Yes.
CD: Who else is on that show? Bo Duke, he’s Clark’s daddy on that, isn’t he?
Me: Yes he is.
CD: And he died and that sure made Clark sad. Clark can’t fly when he’s sad, huh?
Me: No, I guess not.

See, now every cab ride feels like episode of Candid Camera. From the creepy, raving Libertarian guy who told us we seemed to smart and well-spoken to be country fans, to the crazy cabbie chick who had her MySpace address on her card [She looked like Lita Ford.--Mimi] to the guy who lectured us on the history of our neighborhood and talked endlessly about our landlord. We could have a whole “Nashville cabs” blog with the ensuing hilarity and/or creepiness that we come across.

The Western Beat on Tuesday nights has been something of a disappointment to me the last couple weeks. I’m just not coming across as many bands that I love as I’d hoped to. Recent players there include Jayc Harold, Jody Evans, John Brannen, Josh Byrd, Karen Keeley, Robert Burgeis, Stephanie Chapman, Swamp Rat, The Big Happy, and Uncle Earl. That’s a lot of music and yet I can’t really get behind saying anything about most of it. It just hasn’t been grabbing me. Plus, being at these shows alone is sad. If we were tag-teaming it I might be able to muster some good snappy sarcasm about the lesser performers but as it is, I’m mostly just underwhelmed. [This is sad. I'll be back from Alabama soon, Cric, promise.--Mimi]

There were a few surprises. Karen Keeley was really enjoyable. She’s not exactly my cuppa. She’s definitely mainstream radio-friendly, but I wouldn’t hate mainstream country so much if more of it was like this. She’s a little grittier and a little more kick-ass than I usually find in radio-friendly female country singers. It doesn’t hurt that she has charming accent and is really genuinely nice. So if you lean toward any and all country, check her out if you get a chance.

The biggest surprise in recent weeks? I didn’t hate Jody Evans. Apparently he was on Nashville Star. There were a ton of fangirls (and, oddly, Garth Brooks-type cowboys) in the audience to see him. [Wait, Garth Brooks is not a cowboy. What? Oh, Cric.--Mimi] [I meant only that they were wearing cowboy hats and dressed like Garth Brooks. Yeah. Bad. And you wondered why I couldn't make friends at the show.--Cricket] He put on a good show, I mean in terms of straight-up showmanship. His voice is pleasant enough and the song choices didn’t suck. (Yes, apparently I can be suckered with “Juke Joint Jumping.”) He did strike me as someone who was, maybe, um, a theatre major? You know what I mean? And yeah, it did seem a little contrived, his whole Buddy Holly-esque schtick, but like I said I didn’t hate it. (And oh my God, I just looked at his site and he’s actually playing Buddy Holly in a play near here. Man, I might just have to go to that for the high camp factor.)

Next up, more on good shows, just as soon as we go to some. [Hahahahaha. Yeah. Ryan Adams at the Ryman is looking good now, innit? He might fall off the stage!--Mimi]

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