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by
 This
week ‘The Goods’ finds me a little out of touch.
You see, I have been staying home ever since the Telegraph blew
the lid off the chemtrails conspiracy. For those of you who
don’t know, our government is spending millions of dollars
(received from the Illuminati, no doubt) to spray its people
with deadly chemicals. I know it’s true because this guy
from the very level-headed town of Santa Fe travels around doing
talks about it. So if I seem a little out of the loop this week,
you know why: I’ve been holed up in my house staring at
the sky through brand new, double-paned windows.
Also, every entertainment recommendation this week is an indoor
event.
Ever wonder what would happen if a group of high school teachers
got together, made an old-timey country band and called themselves
“The Erasers?” (I know it sounds square, but it
really isn’t). Well, you can check it out for yourself
at Storyville’s supper club this Friday. The supper club
starts at 5:30, and the music is generally good and family-friendly.
(Unlike last week’s punk rock breakfast. Sheesh, what
was I thinking bringing an 18-month-old to that insanity?)
Jam-grass fans will twirl with delight as Shanti Groove takes
the stage later that night.
The Summit has lots of live music this week. Tonight features
Durango ska favorites, Warsaw. I’ve seen Warsaw a few
times and always have had a great time. Track down a skinny
tie, roll up the cuffs of a brand new pair of jeans, and skank
with pride.
Another perennial fave will be at the Summit on Monday the
16th. Cabaret Diosa plays sultry Latin jazz that will pack the
house and make you dance. The only thing I wonder about is this
band has a lot of members and the stage at the Summit is a little
on the small side. I almost expect some of Caberet Diosa to
set up on the dance floor – which, of course, could be
fun. Call the Summit regarding cover prices. Both shows start
around 8 p.m.
Do you love to play bingo but can’t stand the old-people
smell? Well now you can bingo your little heart out every Thursday
night at Lady Falconburghs. The festivities begin at 9p.m. and
run until 10:30 or so. Expect your basic bingo set-up but with
prizes like T-shirts and beer. A couple of people I know went
last week, and they say they had a real good time.
This Week’s Sign That the End is Near: The very public
battle between Martha Burk and Hootie Johnson over the admission
of a female member to Augusta National Country Club just won’t
end. It’s gotten to the point where I’m afraid to
watch Sportscenter for fear of inadvertently catching another
pointless update. Board members of Augusta are resigning their
posts; New York Times columnists are being censored; and Tiger
Woods is being forced to take a stand because of this.
How about this: Who the hell cares? How is it going to affect
Suzy Homemaker’s life if some rich old white lady is allowed
to join a club and golf with a bunch of rich old white guys?
Martha Burk is a callous publicity hound who could be spending
her time much more productively, and Hootie Johnson is a bumbling,
sexist jerk. My real beef is that this will sully next spring’s
Masters Tournament, one of the greatest sporting events of the
year.
Hootie: Shut up and admit Nancy Lopez so Martha Burk can go
back to lesser causes like, oh say, equal pay for equal work.
This Week’s Album to Drop Everything and Go Buy: Jim
Dickinson is better known for his work as a producer and session
sideman than his actual musical output. In fact, he’s
only released two albums in the last 30 years. The 1972 release
“Dixie Fried” was heavily praised at the time; this
year brings us “Free Beer Tomorrow.” Dickinson has
worked with everyone from Aretha Franklin to the Replacements,
and his vast experience shows on this record. It’s mostly
a blues record, but “Free Beer Tomorrow” has a little
bit of everything. There’s blue-eyed soul, swinging jazz,
a ballad (Merle Haggard’s touching “If I Could Only
Fly”), even some Replacements-like barrelhouse punk.
All the songs on this album seem tossed together and barely
able to keep within the regular boundaries of a typical song.
It sounds like the songs could fall apart at any moment or the
musicians could drift off onto separate tangents abandoning
the song altogether. In lesser hands, this would make for an
ultimately annoying album. But Dickinson’s voice and piano
somehow hold it all together and make sense of it all.
Dickinson’s two sons, Cody and Luther, who make up two-thirds
of the recently popular North Mississippi All-Stars, play drums
and guitar on most tracks, giving “Free Beer” an
intimate, almost familial feel. My only complaint is that this
10-song disc clocks in at just over 35 minutes, and with 30
years between releases I would expect a little more meat.
Keep me posted. mpsheahan@yahoo.com
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