December 20th, 2015

The playlist for the 20th went like this...

1) James McMurtry's Holiday Message (played every year at this time)
2) Bob Dylan; Winder Wonderland; Christmas in the Heart

3) James McMurtry; Panting by Numbers; Too Long in the Wasteland
4) John Fullbright; Keeping Hope Alive; Songs
5) Chris Stapleton; Traveller; Traveller

6)  John Prine; The Sins of Memphisto; The Missing Years
7) Donnie Fritts; Them Old Love Songs; Oh My Goodness
8) Nanci Griffith; Working in Corners; One Fair Summer Eventing

9) John Prine; A John Prine Christmas; A John Prine Christmas
10) Bob Dylan; Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas; Christmas in the Heart

11) Steve Goodman; In Between the Lines; No Big Surprise
12) Guy Clark; To Live is to Fly; Poet--A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt
13 Steve Goodman; My Old Man; No Big Surprise

14) Sarah Jarosz; Simple Twist of Fate; Build Me Up from the Bones

Show notes...

After my dad passed away 18 months ago I thought I'd probably never again be able to listen to Steve Goodman's My Old Man, but it felt right here around the holidays...McMurtry's Christmas Message is kinda right on, but when you have an 11 and 8 year old at this time of the year he sure seems wrong.  My daughter asked me for the history of Santa Clause, why we have him, etc., and I didn't really have a good answer.  Here's one, well kinda anyway...this is one of the best books I read in 2015, and I really liked this article for some reason.

Happy Holidays everybody...thanks for listening.

December 13th, 2015

Hey Everyone,

I've been away from the blog for quite a while now...the show is alive and well.  New shows nearly every weekend, but for one reason or another the blog has drifted. I shall try once more...maybe I'll even change the color or something.

Playlist for the 13th went like this...

1) James McMurtry; Where's Johnny; Candyland

2) Robert Plant & Allison Krauss; Raising Sand; Killing the Blues
3) Bob Dylan; Hazel; Planet Waves
4) Sarah Jarosz; Rearrange the Art; Build Me Up From the Bones

5) Chris Knight; It Ain't Easy Being Me; Chris Knight
6) Dave Alvin; Ol 55; Step Right Up--The Songs of Tom Waits
7) Tom Waits; Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards); Closing Time
8) Tom Waits; Little Trip to Heaven (On the Wings of Your Love); Closing Time

Three from Chris Stapleton's new one, Traveller

9) Traveller
10) Fire Away
11) Tennessee Whiskey

12) Lyle Lovett (with intro by Guy Clark); South Texas Girl; It's Not Big It's Large
13) Bruce Springsteen; Badlands; Darkness on the Edge of Town

Show thoughts..........

Man is it fun to revisit a song after the passing of a good many years.  Like a conversation with an old friend.  They've changed.  You've changed.  But it's all the same, too.  Haven't heard Where's Johnny for probably five years and like so many McMurtry songs you find a little more in it every time you listen.

Dylan's Hazel ain't a bad song either, though I played it by mistake.   It sounded right though and you can't ask for more.  Was trying to play this one, which I believe is the only time Bob talks about Duluth in a tune.

Maybe I just have James McMurtry on my mind, but Sarah Jarosz's song Rearrange the Art got me thinking of McMurtry's Painting by Numbers, probably the first song of his I ever heard.

Played some Tom Waits today, a guy I've never really listened to quite enough.  Found myself watching a video of his for God's Away on Business which I thought was just delightful and not a bad commentary on the state of things in this goofy ol' world.  Got to thinking I need more Tom Waits in my life...

And speaking of God being away on business, this is an awfully powerful article, the kind that messes you up in all the right ways.  I don't think Donald Trump will read it.

No word on when Chris Stapleton will be around Minnesota, but don't forget Jason Isbell will be here on Feb. 22nd.  One week before Springsteen plays Xcel on the 29th...

I don't know he does it, but for me anyway Lyle Lovett can create an entire visual scene in my head with two or three words.  Seems no matter what he says I somehow find myself outside riding my Big Wheel in the driveway of my childhood home with my parents holding hands and watching me through the picture window...or maybe closing down a bar with old friends.

Thanks for listening.

September 13, 2015

Hi All,

Lots of new shows lately, but my blog woes continue...

Here's how the show went today

1) Loudon Wainwright III; Being a Dad; Little Ship

2) John Hiatt; Buffalo River Home; Perfectly Good Guitar
3) Kasey Musgraves; Pageant Material; Pageant Material
4) Sheryl Crow; Long Gone Lonesome Blues; Timeless

5) Richard Thompson; No Peace, No End; Still
6) Lucinda Williams; Everything has Changed (Demo); West (Demos)
7) Dave Alvin and the Guilty Men; So Long Baby Goodbye; Interstate City

Three songs from Dylan's Street Legal

8) Baby, Stop Crying
9) No Time to Think

10) Warren Zevon; Don't Let Us Get Sick; Preludes
11) Rodney Crowell; Closer to Heaven; Sex & Gasoline

August 9th, 2015

Hi All,

The playlist for the 9th went like this...featured a few tracks this morning from this film
An awfully good movie you can find on Netflix.   

1) Suzy Bogguss; Old Dan Tucker;

2) Jason Isbell; Something More Than Free; Something More Than Free
3) Joe Pug; Silver Harps and Violins; The Great Despiser
4) Justin Townes Earle; Farther From Me; Absent Fathers

Three songs from the soundtrack for 20 Feet From Stardom--loved the movie and the soundtrack is nice.  I played...

5) Lean on Me; Darlene Love (and friends)
6) Gimme Shelter; Merry Clayton
7) He's a Rebel; The Crystals

8) Bruce Springsteen; This Train; Live in New York
9) Rodney Crowell; The Long Journey Home; Tarpaper Sky
10) Trampled by Turtles; Late Night on the Interstate; Live at First Avenue

11) Sturgill Simpson; Life Ain't Fair and the World is Mean;
12) Todd Snider; If Tomorrow Never Comes; Storyteller

13) David Bowie; Young Americans; 20 Feet From Stardom

July 19th, 2015

Hi All,

The playlist for the 19th started with a slow beautiful one from Fred Eaglesmith and went from there...

1) Fred Eaglesmith; The Rocket; Bailin

2) Mandolin Orange; Train Song; Mandolin Orange
3) Todd Snider; Play a Train Song; The Storyteller
4) Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; Orange Blossom Special; Will the Circle be Unbroken

5) Lucinda Williams; Tryin' to Get to Heaven; Chimes of Freedom--The Songs of Bob Dylan
6) Bob Dylan; Workingman's Blues; Modern Times
7) The Avett Brothers; Spanish Pipedream; Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows--The Songs of John Prine

8) Chris Smither; Killing the Blues; Happier Blue
9) James McMurtry; Ain't Got a Place; Complicated Game
10) Parker Millsap; Old Time Religion; Parker Millsap
11) Rodney Crowell & Emmylou Harris; I Just Wanted to See You So Bad; The Traveling Kind

12) Jeffery Foucault; Billy the Bum; Shoot the Moon, Right Between the Eyes
13) Lyle Lovett; Closing Time; Lyle Lovett

14) Todd Snider; Beer Run; Brewed in Texas Vol. 3

July 12th, 2015

Hi All,

I'd best begin with birthday wishes to my wife of 15 years--she's great and has always supported the heck out of this show.

The playlist for the 12th went like this...

1) John Prine; You Got Gold; Live on Tour

2) Bruce Springsteen; Old Dan Tucker; The Seeger Sessions
3) Bruce Springsteen; John Henry; The Seeger Sessions
4) William Elliot Whitmore; Hard Times; Animals in the Dark

Here's the film I mentioned today...awfully darn good movie about...a rock.

5) Dave Alvin; Blue Wing; Wounded Heart of America
6) Suzy Bogguss; Outbound Plane; Wounded Heart of America
7) Steve Goodman; Six Hours Ahead of the Sun; Somebody Else's Troubles

8) Bob Dylan; Folsom Prison Blues; Basement Tapes
9) Bob Dylan; This Wheel's on Fire; Basement Tapes
10) Son Volt; Windfall; Trace

11) John Hiatt; Long Time Comin'; Terms of My Surrender
12) Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard; Somewhere Between; Django and Jimmie
13) Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard; California Zephyr; One Fast Move or I'm Gone

14) Todd Snider; Slim Chance; The Excitement Plan

June 28th, 2015

Hi All,

The playlist for the 28th went like this...

1) Bob Dylan; Blowing in the Wind; The Basement Tapes (Bootleg Series Vol. 11...previously unreleased version) 

2) Grace Potter & the Nocturnals; Ain't No Time; This is Somewhere
3) Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell; La Danse de la Joie; The Traveling Kind
4) Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell; I Just Wanted to See You So Bad; The Traveling Kind

Three for This One's for Him:  A Tribute to Guy Clark
 **The link is intended...I'll leave it to you to figure out the connection, which may well exist only in my mind

5) James McMurtry; Cold Dog Soup
6) Dublin Blues; Joe Ely
7) Patty Griffin; The Cape

8) Richard Thompson; She Never Could Resist a Winding Road; Still
9) Richard Thompson; The Guitar Song; Still

10) Bruce Springsteen; Wrecking Ball; Wrecking Ball
11) Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson; Don't Think Twice It's Alright; Django and Jimmie

June 21st, 2015

Hi All,

All new shows lately...not always updated here, but summer is off to a good start.

Today's show went like this...

1) William Elliot Whitmore; Come Hell or High Water; Animals in the Dark

2) Fred Eaglesmith; Bailin Again; Bailin

**Fred makes me think of Mike--he's great too.

3) Bruce Springsteen; The River; The River
4) Warren Zevon; Knockin' on Heaven's Door; The Wind

5) John Fullbright; Happy; Songs
6) Townes Van Zandt; Colorado Bound; In the Beginning
7) Sturgill Simpson; Turtles all the Way Down; Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

8) Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard; Django and Jimmie; Django and Jimmie
9) Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard; It's All Going to Pot; Django and Jimmie
10) Rodney Crowell & Emmylou Harris; The Traveling King; The Traveling Kind
11) Rodney Crowell &; Emmyhou Harris; No Memories Hanging Around; The Traveling Kind

12) James McMurtry; Copper Canteen; Complicated Game
13) Jason Isbell; Flying Over Water; South Eastern
14) Guy Clark; LA Freeway;

15) Bob Dylan; I Shall be Released; The Basement Tapes (Bootleg Series vol. 11)

June 7th, 2015

Hi All,

Here comes summer...

Playlist for June 7th went like this...

1) John Hiatt; We're Alright Now; Mystic Pinball

2) Steve Earle; Brand New Companion; Townes
3) Townes Van Zandt; Brand New Companion; Live at the Old Quarter
4)Billy Joe Shaver; White Freightliner Blues; Poet--A Tribute to TVZ

This book is really something...I mean really something.  It'll change the way you think about stuff.

Three from John Fullbright's newest...the release is called Songs

5) Happy
6) When You're Here
7) Keeping Hope Alive

8) Richard Thompson; From Galway to Graceland; Watching the Dark
9) Tom Waits; Hold On; Mule Variations
10) Hayes Carll; Beyond the Blues; A Case for Case 

Three from some re-mastered Bruce releases  

11) Does this Bus Stop at 82nd Street; Greetings from Asbury Park
12) The E Street Shuffle; Bruce Springsteen:  The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle
13) Darkness on the Edge of Town; Darkness on the Edge of Town

May 24th and May 31st, 2014

Hi All,

The 24th was all Bob Dylan...in honor of his 74th birthday.  For the 31st we turned to Johnny Cash--spent the morning with just one release--something we seldom do on the show but that seemed appropriate. 

Talked a bit today about David Letterman--I really enjoyed this article from that fancy magazine I read every so often.  

May 17th, 2015

Hi All,

Today's show featured John Prine's Record Store Day release.  We played the whole thing from start to finish...and it was great. 

Played a couple other songs just because the record didn't take up the entire show, including this one to start things off.  

Had a little time left and played a few from this, which is also something special. 

May 10th, 2015

Hi All,

The playlist on Mother's day featured surprisingly little music related to mothers and went like this...

1) Billy Bragg & Wilco; California Stars; Mermaid Avenue

2) Zoe Muth; Little Piece of History; World of Strangers
3) Sturgill Simpson; Voices; Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
4) Old Crow Medicine Show; Highway Halo; Tennessee Pusher

5) Holly Williams; The Highway; The Highway
6) Hurray for the Riff Raff; End of the Line; Small Town Heroes
7) Amanda Shires; Look Like a Bird; Down Fell the Doves

8)  Bob Dylan; Most of the Time; Oh Mercy
9) Bruce Springsteen; Growing Up; Greetings from Asbury Park
10) Jason Isbell; Flying Over Water; Southeastern
11) Bob Dylan; Where Teardrops Fall; Oh Mercy

11) Jamestown Revival; Paradise; The California ep
12) Drive By Truckers; Daddy's Little Pumpkin; Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows--The Songs of John Prine
13) Josh Ritter; Mexican Home; Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows

May 3rd, 2015

Hi All,

Had another new show this weekend.  But the playlist moved through the wash.

Played good stuff from this guy and played this really cool new artist  and followed her song with this one from this not so new artist.  In between played some new stuff from James McMurtry's real nice new record, complicated game and some stuff from Max Gomez, guy who warmed up for Mr. McMurtry the other night at the Fine Line Music Cafe. 

Thanks for listening...and for the help with the recent Spring Pledge Drive.

Dave

April 12th, 2015

Hi All,

Playlist for the 12th went like this...

1) Jason Isbell; Tour of Duty; Live in Alabama

2) Bob Dylan; Brownsville Girl; Knocked Out Loaded
3) Son Volt; Hearts and Minds; Honky Tonk

4) Alejandro Escovedo; Five Hearts Breaking Breaking; Gravity
5) Robert Earl Keen; Feelin' Good Again; Best of Robert Earl Keen
6) The Wallin' Jenny's Glory Bound; Firecracker

7) Steve Earle; Waitin' on the Sky; I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
8) Steve Earle; Little Emperor; I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
9) Shovels and Rope; O' Be Joyful; O' Be Joyful

10) Lyle Lovett; This Old Porch; Anthology Number One
11) John Hiatt; Train to Birmingham; Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns
12) James McMurtry; Ain't Got No Place; Complicated Game
 
13) John Prine; Illegal Smile; John Prine

April 5th, 2015

Hi All,

Happy Easter!  Still riding high after this guy visited town this past Monday and Tuesday.  Man, what a wonderful couple of days.  Thanks to everyone who came out to see him on Tuesday night.  We had about 500 people there--just a perfect night.

The playlist today wasn't half bad either...and it went like this.

1) James McMurtry; You Got to Me; Complicated Game

2) Iris Dement; I've Got That Old-Time Religion in My Heart; Lifeline
3) Iris Dement; Blessed Assurance; Lifeline
4) Bob Dylan; It's All Good; Together Through Life

5) Kevin Kling; Tickled Pink; State Fair
6) Guy Clark; The Cape; Dublin Blues
7) Townes Van Zandt; To Live is To Fly; Live at the Old Quarter

8) Rodney Crowell; The Long Journey Home; Tarpaper Sky
9) Richard Thompson; Wall of Death; Acoustic Classics
10) Patty Griffin; Go Wherever You Want to Go; American Kid

11) Sarah Jarosz; Simple Twist of Fate; Build Me up From Bones
12) John Prine; That's the Way the World Goes Round; Bruised Orange

13) Lucinda Williams; Compassion; Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone

March 29th, 2015

Hi All,

New shows have been on every week here, but I've been terrible with the blog.  Sorry about that.  The playlist today went like this...

1) Bob Dylan; Love Minus Zero/No Limit; Bringing it All Back Home

2) Bob Dylan; She Belongs to Me; Bringing it All Back Home
3) Guy Clark; Hanging Your Life on the Wall; Dublin Blues
4) Steve Earle; Poncho and Lefty; Townes

5) John Prine (with Iris Dement); We're Not the Jet Set;  In Spite of Ourselves
6) John Prine (with Connie Smith); So Sad (To Watch a Good Love Go Bad); In Spite of Ourselves
7) John Prine (with Lucinda Willaims); Wedding Bells/Let's Turn Back the Years; In Spite of Ourselves

8) Bruce Springsteen; Racing in the Streets; The Promise
9) Bruce Springsteen; Gotta Get That Feeling; The Promise
10) Jeffery Foucault; Northbound 35; Thunder Road--Tracks Inspired by the Boss

11) John Hiatt; Through Your Hands; Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan
12) John Hiatt; Like Your Dad Did; Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan

13) Rodney Crowell; Closer to Heaven; Sex & Gasoline

March 1st, 2015

The playlist for the 1st went like this...

1) Todd Snider; Laying My Life On the Line; Time as We Know It:  The Songs of Jerry Jeff Walker

2) Bob Dylan; Restless Farewell; The Times They Are a Changin'
3) Jeffery Foucault; Billy the Bum; Shoot the Moon
4) John Prine; That's the Way the World Goes Round; Bruised Orange

5) Hurray for the Riff Raff; End of the Line; Small Town Heroes
6) Lucinda Williams; Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
7) Sarah Jarosz; Over the Edge; Build Me Up From the Bones

Songs 8-11--Played the first four songs from James McMurtry's brilliant new record, Complicated Game.  Man, is he good.  He's in Minneapolis on April 25th. 

12) Billy Bragg; Nobody Knows Nothing Anymore; Tooth & Nail
13) Richard Thompson; Down Where the Drunkards Roll; Acoustic Classics

February 22nd, 2015

Hi All,

The playlist for the 22nd went like this...

1) Bob Dylan; Most of the Time; Oh Mercy

2) Bruce Springsteen; Stolen Car; The River
3) Poke LaFarge; Day After Day; Pokey LaFare
4) Lyle Lovett; Straighten Up and Fly Right; Smile

5) John Hiatt; Long Time Comin'; Terms of My Surrender
6) Shovels and Rope; Birmingham;
7) Doug Seegers; Going Down to the River; Going Down to the River

8) James McMurtry; No More Buffalo; Life in Aught Three
9) Jason Isbell; Alabama Pines; Live From Alabama
10) Old Crow Medicine Show; Highway Halo; Tennessee Pusher

11) Robert Earl Keen; This World is Not My Home; Happy Prisoner
12) John Prine; Iron Ore Betty; Bruised Orange
13) Bob Dylan; Autumn Leaves; Shadows in the Night

February 15th, 2015

Hi All,

New shows almost every week here, but I've been doing a bad job with the blog in 2015. 

Lost the playlist for the 15th, but here's some of the stuff we did.

Talked about Bob's delightfully complex speech , listened to the Mellencamp song he quotes, said I was pretty excited that James McMurtry has a new record coming out (man is he somethin' special...watch the video on the link), talked about this guy and his upcoming visit to MSU, Mankato (man, is he something special...), and we played lots of stuff from Robert Earl Keen's new bluegrass record.  A fun morning.  Thanks for listening.

February 8th, 2015

Ok, I admit it.  I've been terrible with the blog here in 2015.  I shall improve.  We've had new shows nearly every weekend, but I lose the playlist, I forget to post, etc.  In short, I'm getting old.

But today's show went like this...

1) Bob Dylan; Stay With Me; Shadows in the Night

2) Lucinda Williams; Cold, Cold, Heart; Timeless
3) Keb Mo; I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry; Timeless
4) Tom Petty; You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave); Timeless

5) Greg Brown; 1952 Vincent Black Lightening; The Live One
6) Tom Russell; U.S. Steel; The Long Way Around
7) Ryan Bingham; The Weary Kind; The Weary Kind (theme from Crazy Heart)

8) Bob Dylan; The Night We Called it a Day; Shadows in the Night
9) Bob Dylan; That Lucky Old Sun; Shadows in the Night
10) Bob Dylan; Where are You? Shadows in the Night

11) Zoe Muth; Little Piece of History; World of Strangers
12) Billy Bragg; Handyman Blues; Tooth & Nail

13) Steve Earle; 21st Century Blues; The Low Highway

January 18th, 2015

Hi All,

There was a new show last week as well, but where the setlist went is anybody's guess.  But today went like this.

1) Sarah Jarosz; Simple Twist of Fate; Build Me Up From the Bones

2) Lyle Lovett; Step Inside This House; Step Inside This House
3) James McMurtry; Off and Running; Where'd You Hide the Body
4) Zoe Muth; Little Piece of History; World of Strangers

5) John Hiatt; Crossing Muddy Waters; Crossing Muddy Waters
6) John Hiatt; Lift Up Every Stone; Crossing Muddy Waters
7) Robert Earl Keen; I Still Miss Someone; Live in Austin
8) Robert Earl Keen; Dreadful Selfish Crime; Live in Austin

9) Guy Clark; Analog Girl; Workbench Songs
10) Lucinda Williams; Big Red Sun Blues; Lucinda Williams
11) Fred Eaglesmith; Carmelita; Ralph's Last Show
12) Uncle Tupelo; We've Been Had; 89/93 Anthology

13)  Zoe Muth; Annabelle; World of Strangers

January 3rd, 2015

Hi All,

Everything today came from this little Christmas gift. 

1) Growing Up; Greetings From Asbury Park

2) Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street; Greetings...
3) The E-Street Shuffle; The Wild, The Innocent, and The E-Street Shuffle
4) Incident on 57th Street; The Wild...

5) Thunder Road; Born to Run
6) Night; Born to Run
7) The Factory; Darkness on the Edge of Town
8) Darkness on the Edge of Town; Darkness

9) I'm a Rocker; The River
10) Wreck on the Highway; The River
11) Atlantic City; Nebraska
12) Reason to Believe; Born to Run

13) No Surrender; Born in the USA