Kindle and Bed and Tinkering with the Back End of Moodvane

I don’t know whether I’m on Chris’ death bed or whether he’s on mine, but from the way things seem to be going this week, one of us is going to have to plug our ears to drown out the other’s death rattle. Does anyone else have a weird cold that comes on strong one day and fades the next only to return the again the next? For your sake, I hope not.i think I just had a hot flash. At least my bed is comfortable. I guess everyone on the planet is over at that Gurty exhibit at The Bubble tonight. I bet they’re all having so much fun. Sniffle. I’m just going to stay here and read on my Kindle and play with my blog and feel sorry for myself. It’s gonna all be worth it, though. Chris and I have to be better in time to go back to Mobile for Mardi Gras. No suckers are going to come between us and two days of partying with the Mystics of Time in mid February. I need a vacation!!!
They think we’re really weird up there. They really do. Even though they’re strange people who eat hot piles of crustaceans in hot sauce, they don’t know what to make of South Floridians like Chris and me. They probably wouldn’t know what to do with you either.

Stonefox Adieu, Salt Water Gargle and Killer Comedic Blues/Bluegrass

I feel like I just crawled out of a suitcase. My legs hurt, my shoulders ache and I’m hoping that the warm salt water I’ve been gargling on and off for the last 12 hours will stave off what seems to be a sore throat. Chris has one too, and we sure earned them last weekend. The weird weather didn’t help. On Friday night, we went out to watch local band Stonefox play its last show. It was a pretty dramatic evening. Most bands break up without ever telling anyone, including venues they still have booked. Stonefox’s departure was entertaining and well-attended. Here’s a link to the review I wrote about it for the New Times music blog Crossfade.

On Saturday, we went to The Monterey Club to see Smokestack and the Foothill Fury. It’s a cozy place. Chris and I arrived early to get a seat on the huge couch right in front of the stage. Then, I kicked up my feet and took in Smokestack’s show. This cursing, storytelling, blues-playing man did the math for me, and said that he has been on the road for about two years now. He’s a pretty handsome and seemingly collected guy when he’s not playing, but once he starts his drumming and strumming, he talks and looks like a hillbilly — like someone who might pop out from behind a tree and scare you while you’re camping, or like a character in Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man who cooks beans over a fire and says things like, “Terrible is what it is.” He didn’t say things like that at his show though. Smokestack’s stories were mostly about good karma, sleeping in his Chevy Blazer and getting his ace kicked while breaking up domestic disputes. I want to keep tabs on this guy. He’s a real character, and it’s good to know that there are people like him out there on the road in America.

Yvonne Colon of IWAN and The Bubble warehouse told me that if I ever saw Boise Bob & His Backyard band, I would love them. I had no idea why she thought I would feel that way about them until I saw the show myself. The band played at The Monterey Club with Smokestack on Saturday night, and I could not stop laughing from the moment they went on. Boise Bob yelled, “Living in a swamp, living in a swamp” like he felt persecuted about it. Owen Cash standing on top of his washtub bass (called The Holey Ghost) with his pant legs rolled up making animal sounds cracked me up as did the entire band’s performances of “I Luv Possom Meat” and “Calling in Drunk”. These people are off the chain. I hope they do birthday parties. Seriously.

We’re Gonna Go Nuts with Stonefox and Smokestack…What R U Gonna Do?

Hey Ya’ll. What am I doing up at 2 a.m. on a Thursday night? Good question. I’m watching The Colbert Report with Chris and stealing sips from his glass of red wine. I’m also gearing up for this weekend. We are 100% going to see what’s been listed as STONEFOX’S LAST SHOW on Friday night at a club in Fort Lauderdale called 1921. No, I’ve never been there before, and I have no idea what it’s all about, but if it’s hosting Stonefox’s last show, it might be an interesting little venue. (UPDATE: I’m pretty sure that 1921 is that little room behind the mental ward — remember that sign, “We’re All in Here Because We’re Not There”? Cracked me up.) Anyway, show up! Maybe they’ll change their minds!

We’re 95% sure that we’re going to go see Smokestack and the Foothill Fury at The Monterey Club on Saturday night. I mean, seriously, look at this guy! How could we resist?

Is this dude out of control, or what? I love the line: “Butter’s bad, but I still like it. I love me some damn butter.”

We’re bummed that we’re not going to get to go to The Bubble tonight. It’s been quite a while since we’ve been able to make a show there. Murderous Rampage will play with the yuckily-named Miami band Shroud Eater. Lotsa metal shreds. Poor House Tommy screaming. It’s gonna be hot!

Haiti Relief Benefit Concert Tonight at Propaganda

Tonight’s Haiti Benefit show at Propaganda is gonna be huge. If you haven’t seen Surfer Blood in action, now is your chance. The band can be hard to pin down at a local venue these days. Whether he plays alone or brings along the other 23 members of Invisible Music, John Ralston‘s beautiful, thoughtful songs are sure to hit the spot. Sweet Bronco will be there too. Plus, a band I’ve never seen, Kill Now?!, will take the stage to help with the fundraising efforts. If you haven’t donated to a charity of your choice already, bring a couple of extra bucks. Proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders, and that’s a good one.

Hello, Goodbye

ADDRESS CORRECTION FOR STONEFOX SHOW. THANKS ANDY!
The correct address for the Stonefox show on Friday night is 1921 SOUTH Federal Hwy, not N. as I wrote. Put that in your google maps and drive it. Be there at 9 p.m. Seriously. Bye. BTW, this will only make sense once you’ve read what follows. XO, Court

Stonefox over and done????
I don’t profess to be an expert on using Facebook. I often don’t know whether I’m commenting on someone’s photo, accidentally updating my romantic status or posting an intended private message to someone as a status update until it’s too late to retract the action, but I do know for sure that I recently saw a status update by Stonefox frontman Jordan Asher that indicated that he would soon be moving to New York. I e-mailed the band’s drummer Jeff Rose to find out what the deal was with the band, and he said that it’s very likely that guitarist Jordan Asher and bassist Ross Fuentes will be up in Brooklyn by the time March rolls around. So, it looks likely that South Florida will be losing one of its very best bands in the coming weeks. That being said, don’t miss the opportunity to catch what may be the group’s final show (labeled as “Possible Last Show!” on the MySpace page. I wish they hadn’t used an exclamation mark because I’m less than excited about all of this)this Friday night at 10 p.m. at a place called 1921 (huh? off my radar!)that’s located at 1921 S. Federal Highway.

Alligator Alley Reopening???
I haven’t seen or spoken to Kilmo of Alligator Alley in months. I know he’s been gigging around with the Shack Daddys, but I haven’t been to any of the shows. I texted him on Thursday night to ask him what was up and he texted me back to let me know that he’s eyeballing a couple of Lauderdale locations and hopes to revive his Native Florida-themed institution some time within the next six months!!! Wouldn’t that be crazy? Then, randomly, I bumped into him that same night at the Brendan O’ Hara show at Fat Cat’s, where we talked each other’s faces off, and then again at the Albert Castiglia show at Maguire’s on Saturday. Weird? Definitely. Serendipitous? The universe has yet to put the puzzle together.

Fun with Random Music Videos. Plus, a Touch of Guilt!

Just when I thought one Jess was all I could handle, another one comes into my life. I’m talking about the bass player and sometimes singer in Chris’ band, Jess Glisson. Late last night, when my legs were rubbery with fatigue, along with the rest of my body, from trying to squeeze more into one day than I possibly can, Chris made me stand next to his computer and watch the music videos that Jess had sent to him. They were super funny and almost worth the torture, but I’m still resentful.

The other video I will only link to because, well, I’m just not mean enough to post it here on Moodvane. I would rather link to it and pretend like I accidentally clicked the hyperlink button and pasted the url into it. Then you, in turn, can follow the link, if you have nothing better to do, and let the video just happen to play on your computer while you laugh at how funny it would be if you were really a mean enough person to laugh at a video like this. Deal?

What Went Down When the Gal Pal Posse Encountered Best-Selling Author Elizabeth Gilbert…and The Big Wow

Despite appearances, I found author Elizabeth Gilbert‘s Saturday night book reading and Q&A session at the Temple Israel in Miami compelling. The bright blond 40-year-old cutie discussed her journey from the time when she was just a soul-searching divorcee (soon-to-be or actual, I can’t remember) meditating in Bali to the present, when she is married to the man whom readers of her first book Eat, Pray, Love know as Felipe. Her new book is called Committed, and the best that I can gather from her description of it is that it details her and Felipe’s shift from a couple that never intended to marry to the happily-married suburban couple that they are today. This transition was riddled with difficulties because the federal government intervened in their high-flying romance, which entailed a scene, humorously depicted in the book, in which they ended up getting relationship advice from a government official at a Texas airport.

The talk was amusing in and of itself. For example, Gilbert encouraged us to buy as many copies of her book as we possibly could not for selfish reasons, she claimed, but so that we could assist her in knocking the best-selling (and certainly ghost-written, well co-authored) book of a former Republican vice presidential candidate, whose name I refuse to publish in any form of media, out of the top slots of the best-seller non-fiction list. Don’t worry, local people. When Gilbert signed my copy of Committed, I asked her if she poked fun at Fort Lauderdale in this book the way that she did in the last one, and she assured me that she did not. By the way, it should be noted how wildly my eyes rolled when my BF Jess first recommended Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love to me. “No chick lit for this lady” was my solemn vow. Well, I was wrong and Jess was right. What else is new? True, I’m way past the age at which coolness should be discussed in relative terms, but JJ’s dominance in just about all realms of intellect and culture make me constantly aware that she is a step ahead of me and the rest of humanity. Check out her engagement pic if you don’t believe me:

Congrats to the most amazing peeps on blue-green planet! That’s right! JT helped with the proposal backstage in Arizona.

Weeeeeeeekend…Blast…Have to Keep Up! Shhhh.

Last night was super fun. Sweet Bronco played Vagabond in Miami, which was quite a different scene than what we’re accustomed to up here in Broward. I must say, I loved the energy of the place and the hip music, especially at the beginning of the night when all of the clubgoers pile into the main bar between 10 and 11 p.m. before the dance club side and backyard patio open up. I would definitely go back to Miami to see a show there.

OMG!, I have to go back to Miami now to see Elizabeth Gilbert, author or Eat, Pray, Love, give her spiel about being a gal in a complicated world with all of my gal pals. But, Poor House tonight. Stonefox. To be sure. Gotta run. People are waiting in the car for me. I hope they don’t read this later and realize what a jerk I am!!

Question

Is anyone of my acquaintance planning to go to the Midlake concert at The Social in Orlando tomorrow night? If so, please hit me up on the Facebook. Thanks!

Ketchy Shuby and Fusik at Dive Bar, Plus Photo Gallery. Yay!

Mmmm! Tipico Cafe’s chicken soup is the bomb, and very warming to cold bones on a day like this. Anyway, Sweet Bronco and I went to see Ketchy Shuby and Fusik at The Dive Bar recently. I’ve seen Ketchy Shuby before, and it delivers a latin-infused, blues heavy blast of sax-tinged rock that makes head bobbing inevitable. Plus, the frontman Jason is hilarious and talented; watching the Jimmy Hendrix-froed singer go from Strokesish vocal heights that can otherwise only be reached locally by the likes of Stonefox‘s Jordan Asher to diva hysterics, during which he collapses on his knees, that recall Jennifer Hudson’s Oscar-winning performance in Dreamgirls is good times. But, I’d never seen Fusik before this show. The two bands play together often because they share bass player Mack Henry Moore III. Fusik is louder and jammier than Ketchy Shuby, so the fact that each band plays two sets so that they switch off between them makes for a nice night of tension and release. FUSIK/KETCHY SHUBY PHOTO GALLERY.

We sat off to the side of the stage at the bar, where I had a pretty stellar burger, but I could imagine that sitting in front of the stage during Fusik’s set, as one blond fan with sunglasses on did, would be a lot like being suspended in a dream state in which you are about to, but never actually do, get run over by a jalopy flat bed with 5 guys on board playing space age bluesy reggae amazingness. I’m going to bring my sunglasses next time, and park the ace front and center.