The White Buffalo

Beer with The White Buffalo

/ Deb / Leave a comment
My beer, and White Buffalo’s beer
During a late night of live music, there is a moment when you give in to the evening.

Fans of live music know what I am talking about – that moment when you turn your mind off (no mental To Do lists!), and turn yourself over to being fully present for the music.

For me, it usually happens a few songs in to the night.  The lights wash over me, I can feel the music in my gut, and I’m in.

I’m now halfway through a sprint of shows for my birthday month (“Show-vember is Here!”), and I gotta say – so far, so good.  Last Wednesday night, I was lucky enough to see one of my favorite artists, The White Buffalo, at one of my favorite venues, The Crocodile.

Somewhat unexpectedly, I found myself at the front of the stage.  The opener, a Seattle duo known as Duke Evers, blew me away. I committed quickly and fully:  Yes, I am HERE (on a WEDNESDAY!). And yes, it’s going to be a late night and I have to get up early to pack lunches and get kids out the door before plowing through the rest of my daily list. I will be exhausted and my ears will ring all day. But it will be worth it.

Of course The White Buffalo kicked ass (and took names, a’la “The Pilot”), mowing through all of my favorites before releasing us out into the cold wee hours.   I was painfully, brutally tired on Thursday.  But, as always, it was worth it.

Show-vember is here!

/ Deb / Leave a comment

I’ve taken a long absence from the beloved comfort of this blog.  Not that I haven’t wanted to sit down and live in my head……write words that I fuss over and then, when I hit “publish”, panic like a young mom dropping her kid off for his first day of preschool.   I always want to do that.  Over the past few months, though, my life has been consumed with sunshine, family, and work that actually earns money.

But now the rain is here, I’m in modified hermit mode, and, after not seeing any concerts since August, it just so happens that, for the first 2 weeks of November, I have tickets to four different shows. I’m officially calling it Show-vember, and have decided it’s a sign to come home to my little corner of cyberspace.

It’s always interesting how concerts end up getting lumped closely together for me.  I can go for a few months without a show, and then it seems that all the shows I want to see are bunched together within a short time frame.  I take them on like a musical triathlon – proper pacing being of utmost importance.  My personal long-standing record was established in 2001:  three different shows in three states, within the span of a week (if it matters:  Ben Harper in Seattle, Dave Matthews Band in Las Vegas, and Sting in Chicago.  Ben is the only one I listen to anymore).

And so I’m gearing up for some great music from artists that I love, in a month that thumbs its nose at dreary weather with many fabulous things:  my birthday, Thanksgiving and the Apple Cup (“We’ve Got a Thing…”). And now, also……The Black Keys, Ben Gibbard, Chadwick Stokes and the White Buffalo.  Happy Show-vember to me (and also to you….go to a show, I promise it will make November bearable)!