hackerguitar

It's almost the annual day of ritual sacrifice with pie. For a variety of reasons, this is often the time of year when I empty my computer bag fully and clean it out. Last night, while doing so, I realized that the bag contained three things which have become talismans, two of which are music gear and definitely don't belong, but which are oddly comforting to have around.

The first is a pen - a nice piece of Brazilian rosewood - which B gave as a gift some twenty-two years ago. It's been in every briefcase/bag I've carried since. It's worn a bit with age, and it's required repair once or twice, but it's got a wonderful patina caused by handling, and the surface is worn smoother than any polish. When we got married, I signed the various paperwork with this pen, and used it for the mortgage papers as well. it's comforting to have close, as if B is with me, when I'm traveling.

The next is a bag of picks, guitar picks. These really aren't contextual - I've played since I was a child, and those people who know me know that most of my playing is done with fingernails, not picks. Even so, there's a bag of pick which are sporadically used. Some have come from friends - for example, a hundred-year-old tortiseshell pick which serves as a reminder of the giver, now deceased - and a few roma-jazz picks which came from playing in places where the risk/reward ratio was high, but paid off in knowledge and friendship. As much as I like having these in the bag, they don't belong, and went back into the gig-bag where they'll be accessible on the off chance I actually need them. I don't remember throwing these into my daily bag, so they've been in there since probably about last Christmas or so, when I was last travelling with an instrument.

The third is a capo, made by Rick Shubb in the darkest wilds of Mendocino somewhere. It's brass, with worn and loose rivets, and it had found its way into the daily bag because I'd been indolent and hadn't done a few things to fix it up. I've had it for a quarter of a century now, having purchased it in Newport, RI, during a folk festival after R & I broke up in the late eighties (I think that R, despite not playing music, still has an older capo of mine, which is just as well, I suppose). It's been my go-to capo for playing out until about a year ago, when the rivets holding it together finally wore to the point where it couldn't clamp onto the neck reliably. During the Healdsburg gtr festival, a Shubb rep rather generously offered to fix it (indeed the card for the gent to whom to send it is also in my bag), and so I put it in the daily bag with every intention of shipping it off for refurbishing.

Alas, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and there are very few FedEx shipping locations on it, so it's languished in the green interior of the bag since at least July of this year. During the unpacking process, I pulled it out, regarded it for a moment, and considered shipping it to Shubb, but I'm really loath to let it go; it's an old friend. So a bit of close examination revealed that the rivets were a bit worn, but that a few gentle taps with a hammer and anvil would tighten the worn rivets enough to make the capo workable, so into the shop we went. A few careful hammer-taps later, it's working again, and it's making a noticeable difference in the sound.

So, keepsakes, talismans, tools. I don't even think about them until I notice them in passing, at which point they become odd-shaped keys unlocking complex memories. The worn curve of a surface shaped by handling is a trigger, something that fans out to encompass the emotional memories of years, links in the chain of events which anchor a life.

We thought about having leftovers from yesterday's excellent dinner, but realized we had fresh leeks and potatoes, so soup it is. Comfort food for days.

Played with friends last night, from about 7:30 to midnight; my finger is still a bit sore but it was worth it. It was a good way to spend the evening - we brought in new players and new music.

....and the cat has settled on my left leg on the ottoman, and is asleep and purring. The cat and I have an agreement: he sleeps on me and sheds on the furniture, purrs, and is generally an agreeable example of felinity; I, in return for services rendered, feed, pet, and praise him until he gets bored and either leaves or starts viewing hands and feet as playtoys. This is, of course, a perfectly satisfactory arrangement; he knows he's got the big monkeys wrapped around his finger.

This weekend, the new town plaza opened downtown.  It's been fun - the first day was full of fine speeches and good music, organized by local singer-songwriter Michael McNevin.   Saturday's music started at 10am and continued through the day, with some excellent local singer-songwriters.   The day ended with a set from Bay Area old-time and bluegrass musicians Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum, with the T Sisters singing backup.  Pictures will be forthcoming, but here's a pic of the T Sisters from their promo page - they are wonderfully talented and deserve much wider recognition.



It being a very nearly perfect day - bright, clear, sunny - we slathered on sunscreen and wore wide-brimmed hats, which helped with the sunburn, except where it didn't....which was above my beard, which I figured didn't need it, because it was shaded by a big hat.  So much for that theory.  My nose is bright red, and the sun never directly hit it - it was all reflected light. 

Fortunately, there was water provided by the city all day, which prevented dehydration, which would have been a bit hard to take on top of the sunburn. And the local businesses offered some pretty amazing lunches. My good friend Tom from SF came by just as the T Sisters were starting, and found them - and keynote act Laurie Lewis - fun and enjoyable.

Sunday is shaping up to be pretty amazing as well, with another group of outstanding musicians.

Noon -12:40 The Placebos
1:00 - 1:40 Writers In-The-Round w/ Stevie Coyle, Lila Nelson,
Michael McNevin
2:00 - 2:40 Calaveras
3:00 - 4:00 Kerbside + Special Guests

The new stage at the plaza is quite good for an outdoor venue, and is only hampered by the relatively diminutive size of the PA Michael was able to put together for the show.  The sound is good and the seating and such quite comfy - sitting on a blanket on the grass is not the worst way to spend a weekend afternoon, projects at home notwithstanding.

If you get the chance and are in the Bay Area, it's worth the visit - today's music should be great, with the restaurants offering good food (and free cake from the Railroad Museum), and general good cheer.

Has anyone been on any walking tours with companies such as Backroads? I'd be most interested in your experiences if you have...trying to determine if the support is worth the cost (it looks quite expensive) or whether it's better to backpack light.