It’s been DAYS, hasn’t it?
I’ve been busy hanging out with my rockstar wife — The Whoreshoes played the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and oh LORD was it the best thing ever. First, they rocked the show. Everyone who walked by (they were close to the entrance) stopped and stayed for the show. People danced. They had a shirtless bearded fellow dancing, and that’s always a sign of success at a festival.
And they got backstage passes! I got one, too! That meant clean bathrooms and free food, water, and beer. But the best part, to me, was the party that night. Warren Hellman, the billionaire who puts on the free concert for San Francisco every year, rents out Slims every year and puts on a party for the performers. It was catered with really super fancy food, things I do not normally get to eat, like prime rib, and there was an open bar, which meant I would have had a fancy drink like an Old Fashioned had I been feeling better and not been driving, and we were hanging out with EVERYONE. Seriously. This may not mean much to those of you not into bluegrass, but Del McCoury patted Lala on the back. I sat at a table and watched a New Lost City Rambler realize that Whoreshoes is spelled with a W and not an H (he was rather taken aback). Laurie Lewis, who was setting up the entertainment, a casual MC of sorts, grabbed performers and pulled them up on stage — everyone doing two songs. The Whoreshoes played while Hazel Dickens, Michelle Shocked, Bela Fleck, and David Rawlings watched. My favorite part of the entertainment was standing mere feet away from Bela Fleck, David Rawlings, and Abigail Washburn as they did a simple tune. Bela Fleck just played instead of losing his damn mind like he sometimes does. David Rawlings looked like an angel, and Abigail Washburn IS one, I think.
Sigh. It was something, all right.
The second day, Sunday, we took Clara and Harriet with us. Harriet, at 16, turns out to be a Festival Dog. Of course, this is because she knows that this is another name for Giant Sandwich Bar of Heaven. Keep your nose down on the ground enough and you’ll come up with the GOOD stuff at a festival.
Clara, on the other hand, usually such a mellow content dog, hated it at first. Hated the crowds, hated the noise, hated the bass, HATED the applause. My border collie at my side turned into a bagel, wrapping herself up tighter and tighter during the first set we watched (Red Wine, of Italian Cats CD fame — Mom, remember?). I coddled her and soothed her and spoke softly into her ear and nothing helped. Then I remembered our dog trainer’s words: don’t LET her be scared. I stopped coddling and rewarded her when she acted brave, and in a little while she was just fine.
Here she’s watching Earl Scruggs:
She likes the banjo. It’s a family thing.
Harriet the Haystack got very sleepy:
Us:
Them:
(Last two courtesy of my friend Will. )
So, yes, they were big, big rockstars, and I was really pleased to be able to be part of it. Plus, I spent a while talking to the most delightful man about his cats, and it turned out later he was Doc Watson’s grandson. (I know it’s name-dropping, but it’s bluegrass, so does it really even count?)
And for those of you keeping score, there’s an unofficial tally of scores on the First Chapters Romance competition. The voting for the second round has now closed, and I repeat, this is an UNOFFICIAL LIST. Just one guy’s best estimate. The five moving on to the last round won’t be announced till Thursday, but unofficially, my book Love Spun might just be moving on. Maybe. Knitters rule, people. Muggles have no idea.
And because you rule, one more picture. I’m at work on an 18 hour shift (think about it, you work eight, and then you work ten more), and Lala just sent me this to cheer me up:
Not-dead Digit in front (DOESN’T HE LOOK GOOD?!?) and silly Waylon in the back, plotting how to leap on Digit’s tail again and get clobbered for the fourteenth time in ten minutes. Lala didn’t tell me what’s going on, I just know.
Holeeee crap! Isn’t it awesome when things go really well for a bit? Just so you know, I <3'd it so much I spammed everyone I know (that doesn't read your blog already) and made them go and vote. I hope it goes all the way, babeeeeeee!
Bela Fleck???
(stops breathing momentarily)
wow.
rockstar ROYALTY.
how insanely kewl.
I would not have recognized him without the “not dead” reference. YAY (not dead) DIGIT! He looks great. How can you look at him every day and just not feel totally blessed? (forget all the Bluegrass elbow rubbing and hot, rocking wife! *g*).
And yeah, knitters DO rule. Happy to be counted among the cool kids.
Congrats on making the unofficial list. That’s something, isn’t it? 🙂
Enjoy your bliss.
m~
Oh! How great! A friend invited us to go with them to the festival, and I thought about it because I thought there might be a chance of seeing the Whoreshoes, but just got in from an exhausting trip on Saturday night and didn’t have the energy! Next year, next year.
What a happy post! It made me grin just to read it. And I don’t even know anything about bluegrass.
Wow. They are totally rockstars. That sounds like a damn good time.
And YAY for the unofficial list. YAYAYAYAYAYAY. and also for Digit look so dapper.
Wow! Name-drop away, it’s OK! I know who most of those people are, and that IS impressive. Sounds like a great time.
Such good stuff going on. Enjoy!
I freakin’ love bluegrass and btw – a little name dropping – when Michael and I owned a limo company (long freakin’ story) we drove Earl Scruggs to get his star on the Hollywood walk of fame. That’s name dropping for you.
Love to you and your rockstar wife!!!
Congrats (unofficially, of course). 🙂
Best yet is seeing Digit up and around.
Denise and the Six-Pack + 1
(who send purrs and headbonks Digit’s way)
O.M.G. Bela Fleck?!?!?!?! AND the Whoreshoes?!?! 😉 That woulda been FUUUUUNNNNN! (Musician type here). And Digit – are you kidding me?! He looks like a Youngster! You have done an amazing job with him. Congrats to all.
He doesn’t look good. He looks GREAT! And he has a “friend” to keep him on his toes! How lucky!
Dude, so fun. Bluegrass name-dropping is still name-dropping for those of us in the (partial) know. I’m impressed.
And oh that Digit. He’s the boy, ain’t he?
As for the shifts, you know I know. Chocolate and coffee are the only answers. Cheetos too. And gummiefruits.
Way cool weekend with the rockstar wife! And Digit looks amazing. So great to see.
Oh, hey, know what else is great? Remember the part where I said I couldn’t go to Rhinebeck this year? Turns out I was wrong! I’m bringing my little boy with me so I won’t be able to hang out as much as others, but I’ll get to meet you. In person. For real. I am very excited. Very very.
oh so cool! geez, i am feeling old..i remember seeing Bela Fleck and the Flecktones at the Fly-By-Nightclub in Spenard right here in Anchorage in the early/mid eighties…eighties my friend! And i lovelovelove Michelle Shocked…i can’t be the only one with her CDs…and i so get the 18hr deal…there are many days i go in at noon on one day and do not clock out until well after 8am the next morning……rinse/wash/repeat. hug the digit for me and that waylon..scold him one…if he doesn’t need it for something now, he will in ten minutes 🙂
Fingers crossed for you!
He looks amazing!! What a sweet boy. He still brings tears to my eyes.
Some of us thing Bluegrass palyers are rockstars! Love Bela, Michelle Shocked, am very jealous.
How in the world can you work an 18 hours shift? That only leaves you 6 hours to go home and sleep until you ahve to do it again!!!!
It’s crazy-making.
Sounds like that festival was a great time. Digit looks fabulous! I love seeing Digit pictures.
OMG that sounds like the best time! I’m so glad Digit is doing well!
I *love* bluegrass! I am so impressed with the elbow rubbing and totally jealous. And so happy about Digit and your novel. Wonderful!
Well, you just keep telling me where to go vote, and I will keep going and voting. Awesome.
And Digit looks great!
Dude. She played after Chris Smither?
Gaahhhhhhh.
I used to sort of hang around Chris in another life. He’s kind of extremely all sorts of freakin’ cool. Also? Not someone you want your then-husband to leave you alone with.
Really good music, though 🙂
Wow what a weekend – WHOO HOO on the moving forward of the book (possible I know) but also isn’t next Sunday the day to set my DVR to see The Whoreshoes on tv 😀 Please tell me it is the right episode since I set it already 😀
Wow! Congrats to Lala! Sounds like you both had a great time, and it’s SO cool that Lala’s band is doing so well!
And holy crap, girl! Maybe it’s “unofficial”, but you’re NUMBER ONE!!! AWESOME!
I’m totally jealous, but glad you had a good time. If I had seen Bela Fleck, Abigail Washburn, and Earl Scruggs I would have either jumped on stage, crying and shouting and embarassed myself, or stood there in shocked paralysis. One extreme or the other…
banjos + knitting = definitely go together
Wow, Digit is a whole new cat! I’m so happy to see that photo!
Digit looks so good!
I haven’t read your blog for a while (I have no idea why not–been off blogs for a bit, I guess)–do you still want plugs in our blogs? I can still do it. Let me know.
That’s pretty cool that you could get Clara to chill out. And that she likes banjos.
My stupid knitter brain saw the picture of Digit and said, “Wow, I like how you got the stripes to match up on his chest.”
I LOVE your dinette set! I have been reading your blog forever and never commented until now. Good stuff!
I missed the concert, sadly, but for good cause: my hubby took me on a carriage ride in the Park. 🙂
We actually heard some of the music at one point, althought I don’t know who it was….
guess what… the lover and i were at that festival. 😉