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Here at the Goods, we could
not be happier that Super Bowl Sunday is coming this weekend.
In fact, taking part in Super Sunday is my main entertainment
recommendation for the week. It’s the one day of the
year that everybody is a football fan, and more importantly,
it’s the one day where my lifestyle becomes accepted
and adopted by almost every American. Oh yes, all across
this great land many millions will sit on couches, drink beer,
eat gassy foods and watch TV all day long! I cannot find words
to describe the level of pride I feel on that day. People even
watch the half-time show that has probably stunk since they
switched from marching bands to Carol Channing in Super Bowl
IV. And who can forget the Aerosmith/’NSYNC disaster
of 2001? This year Shania Twain is teaming up with punk-posers
No Doubt to stink up the field for 20 minutes. But my point
is this: Millions will stay on their couches to watch them
stink up the field. USA! USA! USA! As for the game itself,
I need Tampa Bay to win and both teams to score many points.
After a Sunday like that you may be looking for something kinda
low key but nonetheless fun. If so, on Monday head down to
the Office Spiritorium at the Strater Hotel where recovering
Nashvillian Sand Sheff holds court from 6:30 to 10 p.m. and
puts on a one-man show that’s worth seeing. He feeds
off requests, which means he knows a ton of songs, plus he
is a great guitar player. If you go, ask him to do Ray Wiley
Hubbard’s “Up Against the Wall Redneck Mothers” – that’ll
get the party started.
If your idea of fun is hanging around a bunch of men in skirts
as they eat sheep guts, the fifth annual “Robert Burns
Night” is just for you. Robert Burns Night happens this
Saturday at the VFW at 14th Street and Main. This “Irish
extravaganza” will feature the aforementioned kilts and
haggis, plus readings of Burns poetry, bagpipes and, of course,
a cash bar. Burns is largely considered the rock star of the
19th century Scottish poetry scene, and I’m sure event-goers
will create an event befitting a man of that reputation. I’m
not sure why this is being billed as an “Irish extravaganza” when
most of the above seems to be Scottish, but I’m probably
just splitting hairs and risking taking a Dewar’s bottle
upside my Irish head.
Also this Saturday, The Fallen Angel will be hosting a lingerie
fashion show at Scoot ‘n Blues. The show starts around
9 p.m., the cover is just five bucks, and the evening will
feature local gals modeling in their unmentionables. While
mainly a guy thing, the nice young lady I spoke to at the Fallen
Angel said this fashion show would be suitable for a date if
the date wasn’t the “jealous type.” The event
is being sponsored by Planned Parenthood, and while I’m
tempted to make a few jokes about Planned Parenthood sponsoring
a lingerie show, I’ll leave it to you to make up your
own.
Next Thursday, Jan. 30, brings a very cool night of music to
Storyville. Country rock legend BR549 will bring its peppy,
often hilarious show to town. BR549 recently lost two members,
including founding member Gary Bennet, but has hardly skipped
a beat. The remaining members soon found two new members and
are now in the midst of a three-month U.S. tour. Huge fans
also may want to trek up to Telluride on Wednesday to see the
band play the Sheridan Opera House and then come back for the
next night at Storyville. I’ll pay for gas.
One of the great things about BR549 is it attracts both the
older, more conservative country music lover as well as the
straw hat wearin’ youngsters. Half the fun is watching
the two groups warily eye one another. Anyone who caught the
show at the San Juan Room last year knows what I mean. Tickets
are $15 in advance; $20 the day of, but this show will sell
out soon.
This Week’s Sign the End is Near: Who told Arsenio
Hall that it’s alright to come out of seclusion? Just when
all of America had gotten all that asinine whooping and fist
pumping out of its collective consciousness, Hall made his
comeback hosting the recently revived “Star Search.” In
and of itself, that’s fine, since nobody watches that
crap. But since no one is watching, Hall is making the talk
show circuit and being featured on my favorite channel, VH1,
all the time. If Comedy Central starts re-running episodes
of his talk show I swear I’ll pull an Elvis on my TV
set.
This Week’s Album You Can’t Live Without: Some
albums require multiple listenings before their greatness can
sink in. Such is the case with Richard Buckner’s latest, “Impasse.” On
first listen, “Impasse” comes across as a harmless
collection of dark folk-rock numbers. Give it a few listens
though, and songs like “Loaded at the Wrong Door” and “Born
Into Giving it Up” prove to be incredible rock gems that
are both deeply personal and accessible. In fact, the latter
is the best single song I’ve heard in months.
Everything about “Impasse” is understated. Capital
letters are used nowhere in the album’s artwork, drums
are used only when necessary, and there is nary a guitar solo
to be heard. Buckner prefers instead to let the songs stand
on their own. A wide array of guitars in a wide array of tunings
(all played by Buckner) match Buckner’s throaty vocal
delivery to create an album’s worth of material you will
grow to love.
Next Week: The Snowdown Lowdown.
Tell me all about it. mpsheahan@yahoo.com
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