LaVere & McNally

@stoger wrote:

Not necessary: west TN/north MS would typically have highs in 60’s on such early winter days.

BUT, it can get a bit nippy at night, especially to a SoCal boy… ;o)

Tom

It is 100 degrees out as we prepare to go see Neil.

I followed my Sunday attendance at McCabe’s with a visit to Dallas last night (Friday, Oct. 19) to experience Amy and Shannon at the Foundry. Good intentions, but the wrong venue to focus on music. The Foundry features an outdoor stage in a beer garden with picnic tables, attached to an indoor bar, attached to a semi fast-food chicken restaurant. At 9 PM show time, most patrons were there to eat, drink, talk, smoke, and (did I mention?) eat, drink, talk, and smoke. The verb “listen” was checked at the door. With lots of concentration, a person could hear Amy and Shannon by sitting/standing very close to the stage, and tuning out the talkers and background activity. Amy and Shannon’s music was excellent–they took a break at 9:45, and by 10 PM, the restaurant had closed, and more music listeners had evolved near the stage. The second set ended with an 11 PM curfew, due to outdoor noise limits for the residential neighborhood–although the bar apparently was open until 2 AM. Some very good music, but frustrated by the poorly focused environment. In hindsight, I should have chosen the Blue Door tonight in OKC, instead of Dallas. I believe one of our esteemed members may be attending the OKC show. Anyway, Amy and Shannon did buy me a beer on their tab, and did announce a return tour of Texas in February, dates TBA.

I’m going to try and make the tulsa show tomorrow. I believe it is free and at the new Woody Guthrie Park in downtown Tulsa. 😀

Just picked up a ticket for SM & AL at Proud Larry’s in Oxford, MS on Dec 21st. Driving from North Georgia & staying 2.5 miles from the venue. Abner’s Famous Chicken Tenders are a-callin’ my name… 😆

Tom

P.S. Rumor has it a certain Perfesser known in these parts will be attendance (at the show – Abner’s TBD)… 😉

Just realized that the Perfesser & I will be spending our last evening on Earth together in Oxford, MS seeing Shannon & Amy perform at Proud Larry’s. What a way to spend the Apocolypse! I am sure the Perfesser will come up with some highly appropriate literary gem to quote for the occasion… 😉 8)

I’m not sure if this is what the Mayans had in mind when they predicted the “end of time”, but it works for me! 😈

Tom

Now that I am safely back home & caught up on my sleep (never can sleep in those damned hotel rooms), it is time for a brief trip / show report. After a wonderful Southern comfort food meal at the Ajax Diner on the square in downtown Oxford (the square area was absolutely lovely, decked out in Christmas lights & finery), stoger & I ambled on over to Proud Larry’s a good hour before the stated showtime of 9:00 PM. That netted us two seats at the far right end of the bar which, we agreed, were the optimal bar seats for a relatively unobstructed view of the stage across the small room (there is a large, square column to the right of the stage that partially obstructs the view of most of the rest of the seats down the bar). Despite our luck, we both agreed that we would move up front to stand for Amy & Shannon’s set after the two opening acts. While we waited for the first set to begin, Amy & Shannon entered the bar & we had a nice chat with the two of them before the music started.

The first opening act, whose name escapes me, was actually a young man who works at the bar & plays acoustic guitar & sings. He performed a pleasant enough 6-song set. This was followed by a set by a band named the Pollies out of Muscle Shoals, AL. They reminded me very much of the Drive-By Truckers, both in musical stylings & volume. Although I like loud music as much as the next guy, theirs was a bit too loud for the room and/or their amps, making the lead singer’s vocals unintelligible. They were good, though – just needed to tone it down a wee bit in my humble opinion.

As Amy, Shannon, their drummer (Shaun?) and guitarist (whose name I have forgotten – stoger can fill in the blank here) began loading their own gear onto the small stage, stoger & I moved up front & center. What followed was a very entertaining set featuring most (all? I didn’t take notes…) of the songs from the Chasing The Ghost – Rehearsal Sessions EP, as well as others from both of their catalogs. They played approximately 15 songs (there was a set list of 20 or so songs laid on the stage at Shannon’s feet, but they skipped several due to time constraints – it seems Proud Larry’s has a 1:00 AM curfew, which they met with just a few minutes to spare).

After the set, as the doorman tried in vain to shoo the remainder of the audience out the door so they could close up, I purchased a copy of the aforementioned EP (despite having already purchased a digital download) & asked Amy & Shannon to sign the cover for me, which they both graciously did, Amy’s signature complete with a sweet little personalized message. And, for all those inquiring minds, I asked Shannon to clear up something that stoger and I had pondered previously in the evening. The question: is the title of her song from the Coldwater album “Bohemian Wedding Song” as listed there or is it “Bohemian Wedding Prayer Song” as listed on the Chasing The Ghosts EP? The answer: the latter, four-word title is the correct one. Mystery solved… 😉

Tom

P.S. Tonyg, you would have been quite chilly walking around the Oxford square with a low overnight of 29° F… 😆