Well, here's another reason you always have to stick to seeing your favorites at their regular gigs. Moe Nelson showed up at Visions to play with The Grandsons. Upright, Harmonica, vocals, and Ukelele, that's right-he didn't play the little thing nearly enough, but it's the thought that counts. I wish they sold energy de' Moe in the form of a pill or tonic. You can also see him play with the Hula Monsters if you need a fix.

I got to hear the Spottiswoode song "let's hide away from the sun" twice this week. Cowlick Lucy did it on Wednesday, then The Grandsons on Friday. The song smacks of Spottiswoode, but I think both Cowlick and the Grandsons are going to make something of it. There are some really beautiful vocal runs in it that probably would not be as effective with Spotty's voice.

Cowlick Lucy did really strike me, thank you ladies. Let's see after thinking about it, I'd have to say it struck in 3 ways. 1) Choice of Material-aside from their own writing, doing VU covers and Straub covers and laying down a loungier sound was A-OK. But this issue of materiel is a superficial smak the biggies were 2) Their original songs-twisted girl lyrics, yahoo. They've managed to write lovely analogous narrative lyrics, like "Heading for a Breakdown" and "Sheep in Wool's Clothing", twisted lyrics in the great spirit of "Chewing Gum" by the Carters, you want to laugh and cry at the same time. 3) I love that thay are a 'new' band 'young' band whatever you want to call it-I really relish seeing people on a stage working out performance issues. Those musicians that I know have schooled me in the reality that it's no easy thing to get up there and be coordianted enough to sing, play and instrument and perform. Alot of bands/performers will go through whole careers with only doing the first two. What is the performance aspect. Well its working the audience, making eye contact, being comfortable and relaxed on stage and making the audience believe what you are saying. I'm going to go out on a limb here, but it was the rawness of the voices of the two singers in Cowlick Lucy, an edge of real feeling in the delivery of the lyrics that struck me the most-is it the ellusive Patsy Cline/Billie Holiday factor? While now they are new to the stage and may get off-tempo or off-key-that will go away with practice and performance. If they get comfortable and adept at being on stage and keep delivering songs with emotion in their voices-Cowlick Lucy will be a dangerous and beuatiful band.

I hope my 3rd point makes sense and comes off in the right tone, because I think it's one of the most important things in music, or maybe it's better to say it's the communication of emotion that separates being an artist from simply being a musician.