Joan Osborne and Taj Mahal at Woodland Park Zoo

By Jack BrummetAll This Is That Music Spectator

It's pretty fun to go to a concert in your neighborhood, although getting there in time from work was a challenge.  I've seen Taj Mahal several times before, stretching back to the 70's.  He was good, and the crowd was clearly there mostly to see him and he delivered what they wanted.  Joan Osborne, on the other hand, was largely met with polite applause during her first few songs. . .despite their power, musicality, rockability, and passion.

I've seen Osborne once before, and she is a fantastic performer.  She is not cocky, but she totally commands the stage.  Her music is blues based rock and roll, although her most famous song "One Of Us" is on the pop side.  Speaking of "One Of Us,"last night the entire concert was a performance of her most famous album Relish (which contains that song, and a bunch of other great tunes like "Right Hand Man," Spider-man," and "Man In The Long Black Coat."  They're all good tunes.  She talked about being embarrassed by her song from the album "Let's just get naked," but since it was on the album, she had to play it.  I am assuming this is the first time she has ever played the album in its entirety, since she mentioned she hadn't played "Get Naked" in 16 years.  It's not a bad song, after all.   But probably not something she thought she would still be playing twenty years later.

She gave a great performance, and made every one of those songs unique and compelling.  I'm breaking out this album again!  The last time I saw her she was fronting the resurrected Dead; this time she was playing her music, and it was wonderful.  As we were walking away, I heard several people say how glad they were they didn't leave after Taj's set.  I don't know how many people were like us, and came to see her, but she definitely made some converts.

Our last stop as we headed out was a visit to the penguins.

http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com/2008/01/index-of-rock-shows-discussed-on-all.html

http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com/2005/09/more-shows-ive-seen-over-years.html

Concert: Three Girls And Their Buddy at Woodland Park Zoo - Emmy Lou Harris, Shawn Calvin, Patty Griffin, and Buddy Miller

It's kind of strange going to a show in your own neighborhood--and a show that starts at 6:00, at that. Most shows I go to you're still waiting for the first band three hours later.

Last night's show by “Three Girls and Their Buddy” was a powerful but mellow night of melody and harmony by four roots stars. They are all accomplished singer-songwriters who play in each other's bands, sing each other's songs, and produce and play on each other's albums. They all mostly have new albums with new songs, and played some of those along with old tunes, and some wonderful covers of various artists (including The Beatles, and Gram Parsons, Emmy Lou's boyfriend in the 60s). My favorite tunes were from Buddy Miller’s recent record with Julie Miller, "Written in Chalk,” in particular the song "Gasoline and Matches." But every single one hit it out of the park more than once, and variously supported each other on guitar, bass, hand percussion and harmony.

For a little over two hours they took turns singing lead and telling a few stories. Buddy's were probably the best, and he put in a few digs against Tacoma, where he lived for a couple of years...and spent much of the rest of the night apologizing. Sort of.

They all sounded good, and it was an inspiring show. It was wonderful to see Buddy Miller back and joking. Earlier in the year, he had a heart attack after one of their shows and was forced to drop off the tour.

Patty Griffin said "I'm 45 years old and I've written two love songs in my life," before singing "Heavenly Day," from her album, "Children Running Through." Emmy Lou Harris, now a 62 year old grandmother, admitted that her mother still insists she wear a bike helmet.

It was like being at a friends house, listening to four people play.

Here is an amateur video from a performance in Colorado two weeks ago:

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Seattle's Blue Scrotumed Monkey

I know this is kind of old news by now. . .after there was a "scandal" and internet meme around the Huffington Post mentioning the b.s.'d monkey. . .but last week, IMAO.US released a FAQ about the monkey escaped from Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo (which is in walking distance of my house...or monkey leaping distance). This is pretty good (one slur aside). They also use a pejorative for a group of which I am a member. Live with it, or don't read it.

BLUE SCROTUM MONKEY FAQ (from http://www.imao.us/)

Q. How much concern should I have that a monkey with a blue scrotum is on the loose?

A. This monkey has been rated an orange level threat by the Monkey Threat Index for its tendency to gnaw on a person’s face or genitals when confused or scared and because it has a bright colored scrotum.

Q. What would rate a red rating?

A. Massive size and climbing a famous building.

Q. The monkey escaped from a zoo in Seattle and I live in Alabama. Does this concern me?

A. Yes it does. Monkeys are smart enough to buy plane or bus tickets, so it could be anywhere by now.

Q. What do I do if I see a monkey with a blue scrotum?

A. Immediately contact authorities or kill it with a hammer.

Q. What if I see a monkey with a purple scrotum?

A. Purples scrotum monkeys are common and harmless. Don’t waste our time with sighting of purple scrotum monkeys, homo.

Q. Well, that was uncalled for.

A. There is a blue scrotum monkey on the loose! We don’t have time for your feelings, Nancy!

Q. What kind of monkey is it?

A. An angry one. With a blue scrotum. And possibly a small caliber revolver.

Q. No, I mean what species is it?

A. Do you want to know its hopes and dreams too? It’s an angry monkey on the loose; what else do you need to know about it? What its favorite color is?

Q. Is it blue?

A. Obviously.

Q. Should I be concerned when I call authorities and mention a monkey, they could take it as a racist statement?

A. Don’t worry; the blue scrotum monkey sighting hotline is completely anonymous, cracker.

Q. Anything else I should know?

A. If the monkey’s scrotum starts flashing red, that means he is about to explode. Seek cover.
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