Vignettes: 329'13

Vignettes

 

329'13

Good Friday sound check

a little late tonight, a front house party with Earl and them.

Can see and hear them the time or two the door to the back opened

no admittance while they prepare, the band.

A good night to rock and remember

the songs of the formative years.

McMurtry remembers Middle Earth as I remember it

flyover, crossroads between coasts.

The aged red bricks of George's

75 plus years of experience, standing sentinel

to the changes to this corner.

Frisco depot across the street, long past its usefulness

its form endures the death of its function.

The line is Ar Mo today, lays a good bass line for the performers as it passes.

Down the hill from the university,

Dickson has sizzled lately, though, it literally sizzled by

McCulloch's order in the dark days of war.

Passing armies, brigands, outlaws, westward trekkers, native peoples driven from home

driving true natives from these their homelands.

Trails, homesteads, hideouts, gristmills

industry, agrarians, pastorals, handiwork,

loggers, bankers, railroaders, charlatan curers, drummers.

 

Good Friday on Dickson, a good crowd for a holiday weekend

McMurtry's band is in good form

rather sparse crowd, not complaining.

A great night for live music a treat after the storms of the morning postponed sunrise,

turned into a pleasant spring day.

Few are from here, come from somewhere far away

McMurtry sings about our home like no other,

this ain't Levelland, but you can see it from here.

Life and death at a crossroads bar,

the future's present and past,

it's all alive here.

The street that could easily have died from neglect and blight

the heart of culture in the second cultural capital of Arkansas.

The many faces of Dickson: war on the east end, wars ravages for its entirety 150 years ago,

Colleges west and east ends,

warehouses, private houses, drug stores, churches, graveyard tucked behind,

restaurants, a courthouse, frat house, Old Main, a sampling of life in toto.

Has been a great year of entertainment at George's,

nice to have great touring bands so close to home share their music here.

American music, self-examining, pragmatic levity in the sound-byte age,

music expresses idea like no other medium.

It is far too late or early in this case to spend more time in reflection,

sleep is the prescribed remedy for a racing mind.

Ryan Bingham is the next George's experience for me, unless I attend the Blues shows next weekend,

not sure, but a strong possibility. 

Have never liked the Blues scene here, spoiled by Helena's past,

took me time to embrace culture of my hometown,

much easier to be critical from afar,

sad to see it suffer impoverished, nearly forgotten.

Glad to be in Fayetteville.

BB