One of many highlights of the weekend's wedding actually happened on the dance floor. Can you believe it? The reception took place at the Pantlind Ballroom at the Amway Grand in Grand Rapids. It was perhaps the most ornate & elegant room I've ever seen. As the night wore on, & most of the guests had moved on to the after party, the piano player was still playing in the ballroom & there were only a few of us left. Dan shouted out towards the piano, in typical Dan fashion, "can you play any Dylan"? The piano player then began to play a note perfect version of Make You Feel My Love. Christie, of course, wouldn't pass on this opportunity to dance & brought me onto the dance floor with Dan & Jill. It was an incredible moment & one only Dan & Jill could pull off.
Five Favorite Songs of the Day
Ohio River Boat Song-Bonnie Prince Billy Sings Greatest Palace Music
Make You Feel My Love-Bob Dylan, Time Out of Mind
If You Could Read My Mind-Gordon Lightfoot
New Partner-Bonnie Prince Billy Sings Greatest Palace Music
Dan & Jill are getting married this weekend. I sure am getting to be an expert, two tuxedos in a month. I wonder if I'll have a new perspective on weddings now, it used to be something out of reach or far off in the distance but now it'll be a close memory. I couldn't be happier for the two of them, it's exciting to see your friends happy. I'm quite certain it will be an elaborate & joyful affair sure to please the greatest of epicureans. I'm sure it will bring up many memories of eating french bread with olive oil off of paper plates, wonderful breakfasts at the finest restaurants in West Michigan, beers served from the greatest bartenders & listening to music from the greatest players the world has ever seen. Cheers Dan & Jill, we can't wait.
Five Favorite Songs of the Day
Romulus-Sufjan Stevens, Greetings from Michigan
Perhaps Sufjan Stevens greatest song, about a neighboring downriver Detroit hot spot. Everything great about Sufjan is present in this song, a gorgeous melody, heartbreaking lyrics & an elaborate arrangement.
Wedding Bells are Breaking Up that Old Gang of Mine-Fred Rich & his Orchestra
Things Have Changed-Bob Dylan, Liverpool 2001
The finest version of one of Bob Dylan's latter day masterpieces. The perfect bad mood song, if you're not in a bad mood when you listen to this one, you'll remember the last time you were. One of the oddities of Bob Dylan's post 2000 shows is on display here, the Oscar he won for the song in 2000 has shown up on stage ever since.
Lost Verses-Sun Kil Moon, April
Love Would Come-Kevin Davis
Happy Thursday, friends, may your wishes all come true...
Lake Michigan just doesn't look the same, does it?
Just because I was in Hawaii doesn't mean I didn't listen to any tunes while I was there. We usually listened to the local radio station which played some great Hawaiian music. I even found a great little record store. I wasn't even looking for one. We were on our way back from the helicopter ride & I realized that there was a little town that was close by that we hadn't seen yet called Waikulu. It didn't have much tourist stuff going for it, but it would be a town I'd like to live in if I lived in Maui. The record store is called Requests & I could have stayed in there for hours, but I felt kind of guilty looking around a dusty record store when the ocean is so close by. It's one of those types of places where you could probably find just about anything if you felt like taking the time to look through all the disorganized glory. I had fun talking to the fella that worked there, he had dreads & looked as though he was long overdue for a bath. I told him how surprised I was to find a good record store on Maui, that you could hardly find one in Michigan. He was from Kansas & said there's absolutely no way to get a decent reggae record there. I bought the new REM album, the newly remastered Songs of Love & Hate by Leonard Cohen & a t-shirt with the store's name on it that said It's Roots, Brah on the back. Speaking of roots, they had the new Roots album there which my man said was incredible, but only on vinyl so I had to pass.
Speaking of roots & people who are probably long overdue for a bath, pictured above is Charley's, the breakfast joint owned by Willie Nelson. It was a great little place, not at all a tourist trap. It reminds me alot of Wolfgang's in Grand Rapids, although the spinach benedict wasn't as good as Wolfgang's. That was in a town called Pa'ia, which used to be run by hippies & you can still see quite a few traces of it's roots. Paia is on the way towards Hana. Charley's was a perfect last meal in Maui before a bit of shopping before heading to the airport.
Speaking of Hana, next time we go to Hana, I want to stay there. Actually, there's quite a few places in Maui I want to stay, who knows if it'll ever happen. There's alot of places I wanna hike yet. The highlight of the trip, though was the northwest side with the blowhole & the waves crashing against the rocks & the amazing seaside cliffs. I could have spent the whole week hiking up & down the rocks & snapping pictures.
I immersed myself in Dylan's gospel years on the plane & came across a song called I'll Rise Again. Maybe you've heard it, it's one of the few cover songs he sangs during that time, it was written by Ray Boltz. Dylan sings these songs with more passion than during any other time period.
Ray Boltz - Rise Again lyrics
Rise Again Words and Music by Dallas Holm Go ahead drive the nails in My hands, Laugh at Me where you stand. Go ahead, and say it isn't Me, The day will come when you will see, 'Cause I'll rise again. There's no pow'r on earth Can tie Me down. Yes, I'll rise again, Death can't keep Me in the ground. Go ahead mock My name, My love for you is still the same. Go ahead and bury Me, But very soon I will be free. 'Cause I'll rise again. There's no pow'r on earth Can tie Me down. Yes, I'll rise again, Death can't keep Me in the ground. Go ahead, and say I'm dead and gone, But you will see that you were wrong. Go ahead, and try to hide the Son, But all will see that I'm the One. 'Cause I'll come again. There's no pow'r on earth Can keep it back. Yes, I'll come again; Come to take My people back Yes I'll come again; Come to take My people back. 1977 Designer Music, Inc.Going Holm Music (SESAC) (adm. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Five Favorite Songs of the Day
Visions of Johanna-Bob Dylan, Rochester 2004
I go back & forth between Visions of Johanna & Desolation Row for the argument of Dylan's greatest masterpiece. Desolation Row usually wins, but tonight it's Visions of Johanna. Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're tryin' to be so quiet?
Period Piece-Kevin Davis, Symphony Valley Visitor's Bureau
If Kevin Davis has a Visions of Johanna, it would have to be Period Piece. When is Bob Dylan gonna write his Period Piece?
We'll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning-Graham Parsons & Emmylou Harris
Dig Lazarus Dig!!!-Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Dig Lazarus Dig!!!
I remember thinking the morning of my wedding day that three hours was an awfully long time to hang out at the church before the wedding started. Things haven't slowed down since, but it seems like such a long time ago, it reminds me of one of those movies where you see a character in a time period & in the next scene it's ten years later & so many things have changed.
Getting married was alot like the final scene in It's a Wonderful Life (minus the suicide attempt beforehand) where all the people you know stop by & give their best wishes & drop off gifts. So many incredible sights, words, thoughts, sounds & feelings have happened both on that day & since then-it's impossible to list even the favorites. Some day I hope I hear a song or I smell something that takes me back to it, only this time it's slowed down a bit so I can see the things going on behind me & at my sides. We got these pictures & they're pretty good but they don't really show you how blue the ocean is, or how good my ol' man's sermon was or the look my mother gave me as I was standing in front of the church & they don't have all your friends & family in one picture & they really don't capture the way my wife looks in a wedding dress.
Five Favorite Songs of the Day
Shelter From the Storm-Bob Dylan, Lewiston, Ma 2008
Hiding All Away-Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Abattoir Blues Tour
Tomorrow Night-Etta James
Chicago-Sufjan Stevens, Illinois!
Here at the Right Time-Josh Ritter, The Animal Years
Today's the day, friends. It's fun to think that most of the important people in my life are all within a ten mile radius. It was a great rehearsal dinner last night, but it was like having an empty plate at a huge table full of different foods. There were so many people I wanted to sit down & talk to with so little time. I can't imagine what it will be like tonight.
Christie says she's been incredibly nervous. I don't think I've been too nervous, but that could change soon. Ultimately, there's nothing to be nervous about, it's just some friends & family & the woman I love. The sun is shining & it's a wonderful day.
Here's the song of the day.
The Month of May
by Wendy Cope
The Month of May, the merry month of May, So long awaited, and so quickly past. The winter's over, and it's time to play.
I saw a hundred shades of green today And everything that Man made was outclassed. The month of May, the merry month of May.
Now hello pink & white & farewell grey. My spirits are no longer overcast. The winter's over & it's time to play.
Sing fa la la la la, I dare to say, (Tried being modern but it didn't last) The month of May, the merry month of May.
I don't know how much longer I can stay. The summers come, the summers go so fast, And soon there will be no more time to play.
So carpe diem, gather buds, make hay. The world is glorious, Compare, contrast December with the merry month of May. Now is the time, now is the time to play.
Five Favorite Songs of the Day
I'll Be Your Mirror-The Velvet Underground
Tonight Will Be Fine-Leonard Cohen, Songs from a Room
Pictured is the drummer our new dog is named after, but don't tell Christie that. That's not our dog, but it's similar.
Happy Sunday, friends...
I hope this wedding business isn't flying by too fast, but it sure seems like it is. Everybody asks me if I'm getting nervous. The first thing I ask is "should I be?". The second thing is I really don't have time to be nervous. Things are terribly busy at work & for the first time, I realize that with the many impossible demands thrown at me, sometimes the payoff isn't worth the effort involved. I had to lay somebody off last week, not for something they did wrong & not because my store isn't doing well but because the company as a whole isn't doing well. It was one of the worst things I've ever had to do. The kicker is, the employee handled it with complete class. She was understandably upset but after the initial shock, she did her job for the rest of the week as if nothing happened & promised to stay in touch. This upcoming week will be filled with fixing complaints & trying to make sure there is enough help to work at the store while I'm gone. Timing is everything.
I was working on a song playlist for the wedding dinner the other day & I came across a song I hadn't heard in a while. It's called All That Matters by Mark Knopfler (best known as the frontman for the band Dire Straits). It's a great little song, & I can't imagine a better theme for the last couple of weeks. Give it a listen, if you please.
In other news, the Jackie Greene concert in Ann Arbor was fantastic. Mike is a huge fan of Jackie, has seen him in concert a few times. I agreed to go because he wanted me to go. I like his music, but I would have never gone to see him on my own but I'm so glad I went. He's got a mystique to him that few musicians have where you wonder where the songs & the talent come from but yet he works hard to make sure the crowd is having a good time. The Ark is the perfect place to see a show. It's intimate, comfortable & friendly. I think Christie even liked it, I've dragged her to many concerts before & she's a good sport about most of 'em but usually she doesn't really like them.
For a list of today's events, go here. I'll just say that I'm more excited to have a dog than I let on & that I knew Dan was going to propose to Kelly early in the week & I was good enough to keep the secret from Christie. Ha!
I can't wait to get through this week & get this wedding underway. We got a copy of the picture slideshow that Heidi & Emily put together for us for the wedding-we watched it about 8 times yesterday. They did a wonderful job. Christie tears up everytime she watches it.
Five Favorite Songs of the Day
Orange Colored Sky-Nat King Cole
All That Matters-Mark Knopfler, Shangri La
Spirit on the Water-Bob Dylan, Palace of Auburn Hills, 2006
Happy Monday, friends. I've never blogged from anywhere else other than the old Moreland St ghetto until today. I'm in Cleveland for the week for training. I hate these things, mostly because of staying in a hotel & this couldn't have come at a worse time. The auditor's last day was today, we have an increase coming up & other things at work that I don't care to mention. All of these things have to be resolved by Friday May 2, the day before the wedding. People ask me all the time if I'm nervous about the wedding, I tell them I don't think so, but it's hard to tell with all the other things that have to get done before then.
Lots of things have happened since my last blog, most notably, my bachelor party on Saturday & moving Christie's furniture in last week. The bachelor party was a blast even though it was raining & we couldn't golf. I won $250 & had a great time, but I don't think I'll be visiting the casino anytime soon. It seems kind of sad. We sure had fun, though. Having Christie's furniture in the house cements the fact that this thing really is going to happen (not that I ever thought it wouldn't). Her stuff is much nicer than mine, except for my tv, coffee table & of course, my cd collection. I'm quite proud of the way our bedroom turned out now that all of her furniture is there. Her bed is much more comfortable then mine.
Back to Cleveland, a nice surprise was the fact that even though I have to share a hotel room with a complete stranger, the hotel room actually has two floors with two separate bedrooms & two separate bathrooms. I'd still much rather be at home, though. Monday is here, but Friday is coming....
Five Favorite Songs of the Day
Romulus-Sufjan Stevens, Greetings From Michigan
Ohio River Boat Song-Bonnie "Prince" Billy sings Greatest Palace Music
Tomorrow is a Long Time-Bob Dylan, Madison Square Garden, 1998
