Rare experience: North Mississippi All Stars at Holman's Restaurant

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My friend Brad from Chicago does a Friday night blues show on the small Portland, Oregon radio station KMHD "Jazz, Blues, and NPR News."

Brad, a former Chicago guy with a thick accent and a lot of enthusiasm, broadcasts his show from an ancient greasy spoon connected to a bar called Holman's Restaurant. It's always a fun night, and Brad usually has some blues musician, either local or from afar, come in and play a few numbers in the primitive surroundings and talk a bit while the crowd sits in booths and eats greasy burgers and drinks whatever's left on tap (tonight it was only Widmer Hefeweizen, which was fine).

Tonight, the North Mississippi Allstars swung by before their show at the Wonder Ballroom, for which I have tickets. And Brad had spread the word that Fat Possum records had told him the band was coming. Holman's was packed with NMAS fans and friends, and these three guys just sat in the middle of the restaurant and played the most beautiful funked-up country blues songs as the diners clapped and hooted along.

Yeah, I guess I'm gloating to have been there, but it was one of those very rare (for me, anyway) experiences, like seeing Pulnoc ("Plastic People of the Universe") on their first tour of the US while sitting on the floor right in front of the stage, or hearing Leroy Vinegar at one of his last performances at Atwater's, seeing Sonic Youth double bill with Fugazi at the roller rink, or hearing Chamber Music Northwest perform the complete Brandenburgs at Catlin Gabel.

It was fuckin' great.



Okay, I'm done. Maybe I'll get a nap now before we head off to the Wonder Ballroom.

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1. "Excuse bad writing." - James Joyce.

[mark414]

2. you saw fugazi with sonic youth at a roller rink....

bastard

the all-stars are pretty damn fantastic though...wish i could've been there

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3. Yeah, I saw Sonic Youth with Fugazi at the Citadel in DC in 198something

And I wish you could have been here too.

Maybe next time.

I'm sure you'll catch up with them in your travels.

[bridgit]

4. that i can get behind...

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5. Luther and Cody Dickinson's dad is kind of a legendary blues

producer from those parts, and his sons are naturally hooked into the whole RL Burnside, Junior Kimbrough axis. Aitch, always one to make new friends (unlike me), went up to Luther after the broadcast and mentioned a mutual acquaintance with whom the brothers had recently recorded. It looks like those guys will soon be touring with an old drinking buddy of Aitch and me from DC days. Very nice.

Consider heading north, or at least heading out, for that tour.

[bridgit]

6. after these republicans are forced from power...

there will be yet another cultural renaissance here in america; that is my little prophecy

[ComerPerro]

7. They are a very, very solid band

I've been following them with some interest since about 2001

[swag]

8. Great show tonight. Jesus, they put it all out there.

Played and played and played.

[jonnyblitz]

9. there are good. I saw them play in the late 90's with Galactic

at the Paradise in Boston. My Deadhead friend drug (or drugged) me to see them. They were good as was Galactic. :thumbsup:

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11. Yeah, there's a weird element. I was unprepared for the teeming Deadheads

Had expected more of a Blues Explosion type crowd, and was surprised by all the wiggly hand-dancers.

It's a sad and beautiful world.

[wildhorses]

10. I live vicariously through you and its a good life

we're having:toast:

[swag]

12. Let's toast with real suds some day.

I try to keep most of this shit on my myspace "blog" so nobody will ever read it, but sometimes I just get a little too pleased with what's happening and I spill it out here.

I get excited because things were pretty boring there for a while and it seemed all I did was go to work and go shopping. So it's exciting to me to have friends and go places and do shit.