Grilling at the beach

It's the Fourth of July, so we must obey the traditions.

I listened to Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers sing one of my favorite songs of his, "Fourth of July."  I do love that one.

We grilled burgers and dogs because, America.  Being at the beach, though, I had to resort to charcoal.

Click an image to see a larger version.

I might have over-filled the Weber with charcoal because, damn, it was hot, hot enough to take off hand hair.

The burgers just fit

and turned out delicious but with a bit too much carbon; that was totally my fault. Yeah, that's 18 burgers on that grill.

Later, Kyle split a hot dog and added pimento cheese and bacon.

Oh, heck, yeah, that looked good.

Some even went to the grill much later and made s'mores.

I did not, but they're not a dessert I enjoy. Others did seem to like them.

On a serious note, our country is the most divided it's been in my life. Each side in the great political debate spends all of its time attacking the other side and nearly none of its time listening to those other viewpoints. This saddens me, because down this road, nothing good happens.

So, my wish for our country on its birthday is that we all pause to realize that we have more in common than not, that we are all Americans, and that if we can all come together to find solutions to our toughest problems, we can indeed remain a nation united.

The next time you're having one of those days

when nothing is going right, or you're feeling down, or you're cranky, or you're just not quite right, try watching these two videos.  It's hard to do without smiling and feeling a little better at the wonderful silliness that the world sometimes grants us.

First, from the '80s, a video with nothing correct about it, but one it's hard not to smile, if not laugh, at.



Skipping forward a couple of decades, SK and the Sixers bring it Shady Esperanto style.



And now we return to our regularly scheduled work.

Stephen Kellogg and the art of joy

Long-time readers and friends know that I am a huge fan of the music and shows of Stephen Kellogg, both alone and with his former band, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers.  Earlier tonight, a group of us went to see him and a small band of friends in concert. 

It was wonderful, a show full of joy. 

Kellogg and the three guys in the band--whose names I'm sorry to say I did not get, but the guitarist's nickname was Jet Pack and the bass player was Chip from the Sixers--delivered a night of lovely songs, some slow, some soft, some fast, some loud.  They played many of Kellogg's hits, some less well known tunes, and even a song that was totally new to me. 

What stuck with me throughout this show is the same impression I've gotten from every one of his performances:  he loves what he does, takes real joy in it, and he gives it back to the audience. 

I watched this show from right at the stage, because the Cat's Cradle was, to my sorrow, far from full.  I was maybe two feet from him and the band as they sang and played a couple of songs.  Here they are, talking right before a song.

Click on an image to see a larger version.

If you've ever wanted to know what I look like from behind while I'm watching a show, today, thanks to Gina, is your lucky day.

If you can't spot me easily, I'm the one with a neck the size of his rather sizable noggin. 

Kellogg's shows always serve to remind me that you cannot control your audience size, how many people buy your work, your reviews, anything--except the work you produce.  To my thinking, if there was any justice, Stephen Kellogg would be huge, a household name.  He's not, and I'm sorry for that, but I'm glad he keeps producing wonderful music.  

Stephen Kellogg is a performer whose work I and many others love, and he is a man who can fill me with joy.  I thank him for that.

Another SK6ers tune

I have to get up in three hours to head to the airport, and I haven't packed, so this fun song, which they performed in their show the other night, will have to hold you. 

The best concert I've seen this year

Sunday night, Stephen Kellog and The Sixers played the Cat's Cradle for what is probably the very last time. A group of us, led by Sarah and me, went; I had purchased tickets the moment I learned of the show.  The group, which I have loved since Sarah turned me onto them, is making what they are calling their HI-ATE-US tour, because they are taking an indefinite hiatus from performing. 

It's no surprise that this was an emotional show.  Knowing this band, it's also no surprise that it was an excellent show. 

What was surprising was how amazingly emotional it was, how superb it was, and how everyone in the band managed to squeeze so much intensity into this sixteenth stop of their final tour.  They smiled and teared up and played with abandon, all of them clearly still friends, all of them still loving these final shows together. 

In addition to loving the show, I found myself moved and with a great deal to think about, some of which will no doubt find its way to this blog over time. 

As the last full number of the second encore, they played one of my very favorite songs of theirs, "My Favorite Place."



Gradually, the members of the band stopped playing their instruments and gathered together around the microphone, until they were singing to the occasional strumming of one guitar, and then they were singing a capella.  They motioned the audience to join, and we did.  We all sang together, louder and louder, as the power of live music brought musicians and audience together in that perfect joining that makes your heart burst and your spirit soar.  Their love of performing came through in the repeated refrain, and so did our love of their music.  Sarah sobbed, and though I do not cry, my eyes filled and a few tears leaked onto my cheek. 

If you like this group, if you like live music, or if you simply want to witness artists doing their very best right to the end, catch one of their remaining 13 shows. 

Over 28 hours later, my heart still aches from seeing them. 

Two songs that have owned my head for much of today

Sarah turned me on to this one, and it's been bouncing around my skull for quite a while.



The other is one I've featured before, but it's been all over my mind today, so I'm sharing it again.



Here's the thing: I almost never feel like I belong anywhere, but I aspire to that feeling. I suppose I aspire to feel fully human.

Is it any wonder that no matter what I think I'm doing, I end up writing stories about alienation?

The best 2011 album I heard this year

is Gift Horse, from Stephen Kellog and the Sixers. There's not a bad track on it, and it contains quite a few exceptional songs. I've had it in heavy rotation since it arrived, and I'm not tired of it yet.

If you aren't listening to these guys, you should be.

I've linked to a few of the songs before, but I'll still provide some samples here.

First, an in-station video of the one Sarah said she has played the most from the album.



I'm quite partial to this one. I'm using a no-video link just because the audio quality on the live shows I tried was so bad.



If you at all like these songs, buy this album and support these guys. I want them to make many more records.

Two reasons you need to buy Gift Horse

Gift Horse, if you don't already know about it, is the new album from Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers. It's a very strong album, with a lot of great songs. Rather than hit the first single they promoted, let me point you to two others, both via YouTube videos.

Start with this admittedly so-so video of "My Favorite Place."



Then, move to this stronger video of "Roots and Wings," which Sarah also touted on her travel blog.



Yes, you need to get this album.

One more

Yeah, we need one more Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers song. He opened with this one, and I think it's worth a listen. Strike that: it is worth a listen.

Enjoy.

The most fun live music show I've seen so far this year

Last night, I was at the Cat's Cradle for what proved to be the most fun live music show I've caught so far this year. Given all the great bands I've had the privilege to see, a list that includes Mumford & Sons, Josh Ritter, and The Hold Steady, that's saying a lot, but it's true.

What's sad is that the house was never even half full.

The opening act was someone I didn't know: Jon McLaughlin and his band. As soon as they finished their set, I bought both of their CDs that were available at the merch table.

He sang some sweet, folky songs, like this one. (He and his band are indeed from Indiana.)



Near the end of the set, he called up the main band, and they joined him onstage for a rousing version of this fun number. (Sorry about the dead space after the music stops, but this was the best example I could find.)



I've never heard of McLaughlin before, but now I feel privileged to have gotten the chance to see him live.

After the set change, the headliners took the stage: Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers. Frequent readers will know that I love these guys' music, but I've never seen them live.

I'm so glad I had that chance. Their love of performing and of music was palpable. For ninety minutes the audience and the band united in that love with a power and a joy that is sheer magic on those rare moments when it happens.

They played some new songs from their upcoming Gift Horse album, and they played a lot of old favorites. They came into the audience, climbed on milk crates, and did an acoustic version of "Shady Esperanto and the Young Hearts," which I've linked to before but which you can never hear too many times.



They played the single, "Gravity," from the new album.



They also played this song.

We all have the times this song discusses, those moments when you question your own self worth, when you wonder if anyone loves you, if there's any point in going on. If you're in one of those periods now, give this one a listen, and remember that there is always someone who sees you differently, sees a better you than you can see, and that person is often right.

Something to read, something to listen to

For those of you who enjoy reading Sarah's writing, I'm happy to report that she and her friend Kim are doing another yearlong writing project. You can read their work here. Enjoy.

I've been keeping Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers' Glassjaw Boxer CD in heavy rotation lately, and this song really speaks to me. I hope it works for you, too.

My Christmas wish for you

In this wonderful Stephen Kellogg song, the studio version of which is on an album, The Bear, that I consider to be the best CD I heard this year, he sings about the sleep of a satisfied man and what a treasure it is. I wish that satisfaction for you all--and maybe, one day, for myself as well.



If you celebrate Christmas, I hope yours is grand and filled with love and joy. If you don't, I still hope your day is grand and filled with love and joy.

That's all for me for today!

If you're feeling down on yourself

as a lot of people I know are feeling right now, as they confront rough personal issues during what should be a joy-filled holiday season, maybe this song will help.

A little Shady Esperanto

courtesy of Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers.

Enjoy.