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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Music City Part 1

One of the advantages of living in Southwest Indiana, besides the Tulip Trees, is the fact that we're only on average between 2 to 3 hours from either Louisville, KY...St. Louis, MO...Indianapolis, IN...Cincinnati, OH...and my favorite...Nashville, TN.

Lady Allwinky and myself, and sometimes just myself, make the trek to Nashville quiet often. Aside from it's beauty, great food and friendly people...the real draw is the music!

Best known for it's Country Music Roots, the Grand Ole' Opry and Honky Tonk Bars, like Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and Layla's Bluegrass Inn, it is also home to the Contemporary Christian music industry and a growing Rock N Roll scene.

The past week I had the good fortune to combine business with music pleasure while attending the Ambulatory Surgery Center convention at Opryland Hotel. After a couple of days of productive business, a vigorous workout and relaxing massage...I pointed my steel horse towards Vanderbilt University on the West End to take in a Dave Matthew's Band concert. It was AWESOME!



Held outside in the Football (Not that sissy soccer game...but real man football) Stadium under a clear 70 degree twilight to clear night sky...it was the perfect setting to let the Spirit flow! I was on the field the entire evening surrounded by 30,000 screaming fans in the stands.

The opening act was Jason Mraz, who is surprisingly much better live than on his records; however, he played the perfect background music to stand in the beer line for 20 minutes to buy your two pints at a time limit. While in line I was feeling quiet generous and gave a young college girl some money, when I saw her frantically looking in her purse for more money, so she wouldn't have to get back in line. I also struck up a conversation with a young 19 Delta soldier, my son being 19 Kilo, who just got back from Iraq on his second 15-month tour, who is getting out of service next month. I bought his beers.



Once Dave took the stage, I was overwhelmed with the aromatherapy of marijuana, something that I hadn't experienced since my college days. I could have closed my eyes and thought I was back in 1973, with young girls in peasant skirts, tie dyed tank tops and headbands swaying barefoot to the music. It was a great circle of life moment for me!



The Band opened up with Bartender...one of my favorite songs. "Bartender please, pour a drink for me, the wine that set Jesus free after three days in the ground."



I made it to the third row in front of the stage and mind melded with the crowd and the Band. I recently have been taking Yoga classes, and the site of the barefooted ladies made me decide to join them in being grounded to the earth while reaching for the heavens. My feet were being massaged by the well kept grass on the playing field and the vibrations through the earth from the music.



Nature soon called, which required a 100 yard run to the other end zone, where the portable toilets were stationed. It became a surreal trip as I remember weaving through bodies as a wide receiver towards the end zone in my younger days.

I moved with speed and determination as I picked my next cut through the natural seams being presented to me. A slight head bob to the left and cutting right to miss the bearded boy coming straight at me. A high step over a beer cup as a young lady was reaching back to grasp either it or my leg. I was Sticky Fingers Wells once again. OK, the nickname wasn't from the Rolling Stones album, or from sexual actions, but from the fact that if the ball was anywhere close to my hands...I CAUGHT IT!

After making a 100 yard Touchdown Reception at Vanderbilt Stadium, I was rewarded with a shit filled porta-potty and another interesting encounter. Making sure that I didn't spill my beer, not falling in and keeping the gag reflex down...I transcended the moment when the music bounced off the plastic walls inside. It was the absolute best place to listen to the music! Sonic purity at its precise point! Every bar, church, stadium has it.

I realized, after finally coming back down from this musical high, that I was there to SEE Dave Matthews, and I couldn't bloody well say, "Oh yea, I saw Dave Matthews in concert inside a porta-potty!" So, I headed back down to my third row front stage area for the last few songs.




The Band was awesome with its new sax player and Tim Reynolds making the tour on guitar with them. Two highlights besides the opening number, where actually covers, the Talking Heads "Burning Down the House" and Bob Dylan's made famous by Jimi Hendrix "All Along the Watchtower".




After the concert ended, I decided to make the 10 minute drive down Broadway to Music Row and Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. I was greeted by the house band with a guest female fiddle player, who looked like Taylor Swift but played like Charlie Daniels running from the Devil! She was awesome! I stayed and helped a squad of Marines on leave shut the place down at 3 a.m.




The perfect end to the perfect night in Music City! Stay tuned for Part 2.

Sir Hook the Music Man and Party Animal of Warrick

8 comments:

  1. Good on the spot reporting there Hookster... plenty of sights and smells.. of Mary Jane....lol...

    Yep porta potty's are a great acoustic chamber to hear music from... some of my finest musical apprecitation has been from inside of them..

    So Glad we never got a Hooky style photo inside ( phew )

    Funny how they have tried soo many times to break Dave Matthews in the UK... at least five occasions over the years, i can rememeber... and he just won't stick...he is still unknown here, yet can fill out stadia in the USA any time he wants. He did say in an interview that he thinks it must be an American thing. I'd say don't mention the word Jesus in a song...and youre in buddy. LOL...

    Soccer...you mean that game where they run around for the whole 90 minutes without padding and use their FEET, rather than football, where they use their HANDS and where they run for a total of fifteen minutes WITH padding!!!

    Sir Dayvd ( who must remember to lose his purse and wear an army cap when he is out drinking with Hooky ) of Oxfordshire

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  2. sure the people waiting in line for the portapotty were glad when you finally came back out...

    and going barefoot is the only way to go through this life...feeling the earth under you keeps you in tune with the ground

    this Kentucky girl learned that a long long time ago!

    thanks for the musical tour

    Lady S

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  3. Excellent post - you took me there, for sure!

    Lady Tammy, the squealy fangirl

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  4. OK Sir D...I'll compromise with you...if you combine American and European Football, you get the Real Man's Sport...RUGBY! Feet, hands, no pads, plenty of running and crashing...Great fun!

    Too bad about DMB in England. I will have to confess that as I stood barefoot in the grass that I felt this is a perfect American Music Night!

    Still, get your buds and go check them out...I guarantee you won't leave with a frown! I'm only sad that his London dates are just a few days before our arrival!

    You can catch them at the O2 Academy-Brixton on June 25 & 26, and the Hard Rock Calling at Hyde Park on June 28.

    We can compare notes at the Eagle and Child in Oxford in July while you try to keep your Army hat on!

    Sir Hook the Music Man of Warrick

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  5. As you say perfect American Night.
    Yeah its a quirk of the US / UK scene.. Tho although i'm playing his myspace now... over the years he hasn't stuck with me either.. Probably too soft round the middle for me... not enough angles..lol...

    Don't know if its a " is he sexy enough thing" for the gals here..too. I think they have got Sting and will just go for that..

    Put simply it's great American Music that Americans like and Brits don't :))

    I'll have that drink off you tho...lol... bring plenty of Money!!!

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  6. OK, we don't have to like the same type of music, but I will let you know that it took me 7 years and a lot of convincing to finally go to see him live.

    His recorded music just doesn't do the music and experience justice. I still challenge you to see him for yourself before you judge.

    Sir Hook Who Likes All the David's of this World of Warrick

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  7. Part 2?
    Part 2?!

    Part 1 was a week's worth of excitement. Can't wait for the "rest of the story."

    Sir Bowie

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  8. Oh yeah music is subjective to the minute degree...i've long given up trying to convince anyone to like what I like.. LOL...

    I used to wonder why the hell they didn't or couldn't get it. One of the great Mysteries of life.

    Mind you finding someone who digs exactly your kind of music or a particular track is real fun...

    I've been down the DMB road many times to check it out in 10 years... :( Saw Him in a Stadium in New Hampshire,in 98.surrounded by adoring fans.. and i'll grant you he can sell himself to the crowd okay...did a great job..
    He gets a lot of airplay there so everyone knows his stuff.

    I probably enjoyed "The Boss" a bit better..

    I can well imagine you running your favorite touchdown through the cinema of your mind ..as you went down the pitch LOl... did you imagine the crowd cheering in your head too.. of such things are dreams made of. :)) Nice thoughts...

    Sir Dayvd ( who is now off to watch Chelsea beat Barcelona,( hopefully ) in the semi-final of the European Cup... in a noisy bar... wooohoo come on the Blues!!! ) of Oxfordshire

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