...Because I'm An Idiot Manchild

I somehow forgot a few other concerts that Gertrude and I have seen. Again, probably because I'm a dumb boy.



Harry Connick, Jr., in Dallas on the She tour, I was hoping for tuxedo and big band, he was in his black jeans and fusion funk band stage.



Tori Amos, I'm pretty sure this was the Cornflake Girl tour. The program had a foreward by Neil Gaiman which started with "Hi, by the way" Tear in Your Hand is Gertrude's ringtone on my phone to this day.



Bobby McFerrin (on the Hush tour, sadly, Yo-Yo Ma did not visit OKC with him)

I think that may be it, bringing our 17 year-ish associated total to 6 if you believe my recollections. Hell, there are probably a couple others waiting to tap me on the shoulder as soon as I hit "Publish Post"

In any case, not nearly enough.

One More Thought...

Gertrude and I have only gone to 3(!) concerts together over the years, but Boy, have they been doozies:


Frank


Lyle


and now John Cougar

We need to do this more.

The Cougar Has Landed!

What a great show! Absolutely fantastic, kids! Johnny came knockin' with his fiddler AND the acordian player. So immediately Gertrude and I were all "Oh, it's on! The only entourage regret I have (and he should be feelin' this) is that his sassy POP SING-AAAAH backup gals weren't there.



He started off with Pink Houses which got everyone to their feet. Cheater.

It was more of an "Everyone get up and enjoy this show" than a shove my new album down your throat show. He played 4 songs from the new album by my count, including the powerful "Jena".

Our boy ripped the roof off the dump several times, but when he kicked the everlovin' shit out of "Crumblin' Down" , I swear, if you were dead a week, you still would have had to get up and sing along.

My favorite was "Rain on the Scarecrow" which he and the band blasted out (4 guitars plus bass) completely electric. Goosebumps and welled up eyes on that one, folks. Always one of my favorites and, for me, his most personal and painful narrative. (I'll save the story of my great-grandfather, the peanut farmer from Eastern Oklahoma, for later)

Gert and I were both extremely disappointed that "Rumbleseat" and "Ain't Even Done With the Night" were left off the set list. There were plenty others I would have loved to have heard ("When Jesus Left Birmingham", "Pop Singer" , "What if I Came Knockin'" but, in all honesty, if he played MY setlist, he wouldn't be finished until Sunday afternoon.

Gertrude was screaming for "Cherry Bomb" when we were riding the escalator up to our seats, and, Bless Her Heart, he didn't deliver that one, either.

Overall, just fantastic! Love that I got to watch him with Gert, he's always been 'one of our guys'; Love that Gertrude scored us the tickets months ago, way before time together was as scarce as it's become. Just a wonderful night.

Thank You, Gertrude.

Here are a couple that I found that I couldn't resist linking: Johnny with The Man in Black hisself, and one with Paul Simon (I actually remember seeing this on NBC waaay back when, Dan Ayckroyd and John Candy hosted some otherwise silly thing-this obviously was great, LOVE their version of The Boxer)

I'm exhausted. From the show and from linking all those damn videos. Main reason I didn't mention any more song titles...I'm spent.

Cougar Alert!

Gert and I are goin' down to the Ford Center (insert product placement/sponsorship here) to see Johnny Cougar anoche, kiddos! Can't wait! File this under 20 years too late, but not a minute too soon. Face time without being on the clock from the Rumble Seat.



I'm not as present here as I'd like to be, and I know I've mentioned several times " how much more I want to post" and I Will . I've got quite a few saved, just not published, that I've been trying to edit to death for months. But this is one that doesn't take my ridiculous scrutiny to put out there. I've been looking forward to this since before face time with Gert became such a premium, now it's even more prescient.

I'm trying not to be too hopeful about the set list. I know he's got the new album out, and it's good, I really like it. So, I'm sure he'll split it up, either new one, old one, or new in the first half, old in the second, but there's so many to choose from that I'm telling myself, whichever ones he chooses will be fine by me.

Then, tomorrow night, there's Saturday Night in the Little Big Town with Zelda and hopefully Gertrude, too. I can feel my arteries clogging already from the Eischens Fried Chicken already. Gotta get me some of the bread and butter pickles, while I'm there.



I found an account of a transplanted first-timer's account of Eischens here. For the uninitiated, this is a pretty good example of what it's like. Except for the Uglyhoma crack.

Enjoy the weekend.

A Difference of Opinions...

"One reason I don't drink is that I want to know when I am having a good time."
-- Nancy Astor Viscountess Astor, (1879 – 1964)
First woman to serve as a Member of Parliament


















I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.
--Francis Albert Sinatra, Chairman of the Board, (1915 - 1998)