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Very personally speaking, the last twenty four hours of my life have the makings for some fairly...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:46:15 -0400

Very personally speaking, the last twenty four hours of my life have the makings for some fairly potent memory. In no particular order, some of the highlights for which I am most grateful.

- Playing on the national stage for the first time with my best friend, Joey Ryan.

- Being held high by a most magnificent guest band for our record release show at Largo. The truly great bassist David Piltch, the ever-tasty dobro of Mike Witcher and the haunting finesse of Gabe Witcher on the fiddle.

- The pleasure of singing Ana Egge’s masterpiece “Shadow Fall” with the dear Jill Sobule.

- Our first ever on-stage try at real bluegrass with the musical might that is Ed Helms.

- Our old friend Tom Brosseau bringing his genius as a real force of color to the evening.

- Singing Blaze Foley’s “Clay Pigeons” with Joe Purdy. It’s our secret pleasure behind closed doors to play this through and I was tickled to finally show it publicly.

- Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler from Over The Rhine made the longest trip (from Ohio) to be here for us in celebration…and they showed us how the big boys and girls do it. We played “Only God Can Save Us Now” at my request. I’m not ashamed to have selfishly leaned in to Karin whilst singing harmonies if only to revel more closely in her voice. It’s one we’re all the better for.

- Singing my favorite song of all time “You Can’t Fail Me Now” with the man himself, Joe Henry. As if that weren’t enough, following Joe as he led us through a revelatory version of our own tune, Michigan.

- John C. Reilly busting ass to make the show in time to lead us in an encore of Goodnight Irene.

- Billy Bragg (yeah, Billy Fucking Bragg) with Joe Henry navigating us through Woody Guthrie. Holy shit.

- Most, the incredible and constant support and kindness from friends near and far.

I’m very proud of our accomplishments. But, I’m simply overcome-totally-viewing said accomplishments through your eyes. Thank you ALL for allowing me that pleasure, for sharing your enthusiasm.

LOVE
KENNETH

I always understood constitutional amendments as having great power and particular use in protecting...

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:01:54 -0400

I always understood constitutional amendments as having great power and particular use in protecting freedoms–not prohibiting them. And while that isn’t their explicit role (which–really–is just to clarify the ground rules) I am dumbfounded that any collection of self-respecting and free thinking individuals would spend as much time, energy and fight to draw up literature confirming their own bigotry. This isn’t politically or financially motivated en masse. This hasn’t a shred to do with religious freedom. This is the hateful byproduct of an uneducated and insecure people allowing themselves to be manipulated by fear–the fear that somehow they’ll be lumped in and identified with people they don’t understand. God forbid we exercise with any sort of collective empathy. What might we become then?

Gravely disappointed by Leonard Cohen’s new offering,...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:02:44 -0500

Gravely disappointed by Leonard Cohen’s new offering, “Old Ideas.”

Whilst drawing inspiration for as long as I can remember from his voice, his poetry & his swagger–those vital first two ingredients are lacking altogether with the latter suffering a limp suggested by age but galvanized by worse–laziness. While sometimes cute, the lyrical content here seldom asks any big questions, instead, relies on familiar turns of phrase (however well-executed) that settle for not much more than posturing. The voice–always a quiet admission–is even less musical here, at times so little resembling music you wonder: why the effort? The closest one may find compliment is by calling comparison to a less rough “Heart of Saturday Night” era Tom Waits–abandoning still melody for settling heavily into a rhythm and patter that draws more on poetry than songwriting to spin its yarn.

Cohen needn’t outside inspiration to pull such sleight, he’s called upon it before–and while I’d like to give old LC any benefit of doubt I could afford, his sheer ignorance to production lies quiescent awaiting the final nail in the coffin. From cheesy chord changes to resting firmly on the tropes of the Cohen catalogue-past… From a blatant disregard for melody to the employ of computerized solo violin samples– this may be one of the most poorly produced records I’ve heard in the last decade. As if Leonard Cohen decided, finally, it was time for some new material and proceeded to tear apart purposefully closed notebooks for material. Then he may have asked his 13 year old nephew to write and record all of the music so that uncle Leonard could show up one afternoon to phone it in.

Personally, I often find it emotionally difficult to be underwhelmed by artists who don’t live up to the impression they’ve already made upon me. I find some compassion when being lead to believe that they’ve come by it honestly. And it leaves a process holding some meaning for me–if only one of maturation, reckoning and reflection.

This latest from Leonard Cohen, however, is an embarrassing misstep. A misstep that seems as unforgivable as it was necessary. A misstep that stains the great and important legacy built by one of our truest contemporary poetic greats. I’m embarrassed and appalled. Instead, you ought to stick to the video attached–or better yet–the first ten years of his career for nourishment.

6 Nov 2011. Los Angeles. California. Freaky hail storm.

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:11:09 -0500

6 Nov 2011. Los Angeles. California.

Freaky hail storm.

3 Nov. 2011. Los Angeles. California.

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:37:04 -0400

3 Nov. 2011. Los Angeles. California.

27 Oct 2011. Birmingham. Alabama.

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:08:07 -0400

27 Oct 2011. Birmingham. Alabama.

24 Oct 2011. Asheville. North Carolina.

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:16:07 -0400

24 Oct 2011. Asheville. North Carolina.

23 Oct 2011. Easton, MD.

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:01:19 -0400

23 Oct 2011. Easton, MD.

16 Oct 2011. Pumpkin Patching. Middlefield. Connecticut.

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:26:04 -0400

16 Oct 2011. Pumpkin Patching. Middlefield. Connecticut.

9 Oct 2011. Eagle Rock. California.

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 12:24:10 -0400

9 Oct 2011. Eagle Rock. California.

26 Sept 2011. Cleveland, OH. I photographed a ghost in...

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:24:31 -0400

26 Sept 2011. Cleveland, OH. I photographed a ghost in Beachland Ballroom, an old Croatian dancehall.

30 Sept 2011. Cornell University.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:53:52 -0400

30 Sept 2011. Cornell University.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:52:47 -0400

30 Sept 2011. Cornell University.

29 Sept 2011. Niagara Falls.

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:12:37 -0400

29 Sept 2011. Niagara Falls.

27 Sept. 2011. Rochester, NY

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:08:58 -0400

27 Sept. 2011. Rochester, NY

23 Sept 2011. Dubuque, IA.

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:56:11 -0400

23 Sept 2011. Dubuque, IA.

skyscraper: submission from keeeam: Hancock Center Chicago,...

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:25:13 -0400

skyscraper:

submission from keeeam:

Hancock Center

Chicago, IL

18 Sept 2011. Manhattan.

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 18:06:52 -0400

18 Sept 2011. Manhattan.

18 Sept 2011. Allegheny National Forest (view from airplane.) ...

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:22:41 -0400

18 Sept 2011. Allegheny National Forest (view from airplane.) Pennsylvania.

17 Sept 2011. Cherokee Lemp Historic District. Saint Louis,...

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 19:38:02 -0400

17 Sept 2011. Cherokee Lemp Historic District. Saint Louis, MO.