Jeezum Crow 3

This past weekend, BA, myself and the Kids spent the weekend under the perfect Vermont sun listening to great music and sipping various cool drinks. It was a great weekend ; one to remember for sure.

This was the 10th Annual "Jeezum Crow Music Festival" in Jay, Vermont. It was my 3rd time and now I am looking forward to my 4th in a year.

The 3 festivals could not be more different from each other. My recollection of my first festival is hazy, but seems it was a bluegrass, blues, folksie event well attended by the aging hippie set sprinkled liberally with up and comer new age hippies holding onto a new brood all wearing noise limiting headphones. Charlie Parr was there and I became a fan of Sicard Hollow more because of a misunderstood name on my part. But I remember an overall Country Bluegrass Blues feel.

Last year, my 2nd visit was a definitely Blues and Bluegrass and of course my man, Charlie Parr was there and better than ever. They had stepped up with a much better sound system.

This year we were able to catch all 9 acts, not just most of the ones on Saturday like we did previous years. This year was different  seeming to spotlight a more cover band list of acts. 

The highlights for me were:

Friday night -Mihali  -Reggaeish, Ska; They had a horn or two. Upbeat music. Loved it.

On Saturday  - Taj Farrant, a 16 year old blues player who is very, very good. The kid plays way above what his age should have let him. There is a maturity in his play that some Blues players never attain. Awesome set once the excellent Stevie Ray covers were over. He also writes music that points to his older soul.

And then of course Charlie Parr. No one picks or sings quite like Charlie. I cannot think of a musician less interested in being famous than Charlie. I am pretty sure the clothes he had on this past weekend are the same ones he had on last year and the year before that. He drives to his shows by himself in a beater car; sleeps in it, plays his set and leaves. In between he knocks my socks off with his songs and the occasional funny story. "Cheap Wine" still makes me puddle up.

This was our first time staying the weekend. It was the best decision of all. No pressure to leave early for home and we could catch Friday night's acts. I won't miss them next year.

 This year we went whole hog. Rented a Vrbo lodge that was perfect. Not fancy and well worn. But it was clean, had plenty of towels, plenty of room and a great kitchen sink. Fell in love with the sink. And we were able to take the pooches. Maggie had a chance to romp and find the good smells.

All in all, a great weekend of music with my favorite people in the World. 

Keep it 'tween the ditches ................................................

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It's gonna be a three fer today.

First up is Mahali - and his song, "Free Ride". I test drove many of his songs. Not a one of them was bad. Enjoy!

Next up is 16 year old Taj Farrant and an awesome cover of "Parisienne Walkways". 

And finally "Cheap Wine" by Charlie Parr. 

A Perfect 1000 Word Picture

This image grabbed my attention. A perfect 1000 word picture. It says so much without so much as a single word describing it other than two words, "The Future". 

These are the kind of meme's and online art being created today. This particular image is very telling as it tips its hat to the movie, "Schindler's List" and the little Jewish girl who was in and out of many scenes to finally end up as a victim represented by a scene showing her coat on a pile of clothing after a gas session in the concentration camp.

It is a blatant comparison of a past horror the meme maker sees coming in our future. No one can say this is our future. No one can really say it is not our future. Given the activities of the current administration, this future is more plausible than ever. 

A spittle drooling supporter of Trump created a meme on a political Facebook group page I am a member of:

That is how I feel. I am not fearful of what might attack us from outside our borders. We seem to, at the moment, have decent deterrence in place to protect us from foreign invasion. What we don't have in my opinion, is any real effort to stop the threats from within our our borders and from my fellow citizens who support the current despot, wannabe dictator, pretend Hitler, legend in his own mind tyrant.

The USA seems to be tooling up to take our hatred of ourselves to that next level. That is what I am afraid of; afraid of what a neighbor, an out of control cop, a rabid judge,.... In other words I am afraid of my own countrymen and now , my government also. 

I never in a million years even considered I would feel this way. 

It has been a somber 4th here in southern Maine. Any fanfare and celebration has definitely been understated and not as publicized as usual. My neighbor behind me did not even fire off any fireworks last night, as has been his tradition since he moved in. The only people celebrating seem to be celebrating things like the grand opening of our newest concentration camp down in Florida or celebrating the Big Bucket Of Blubber Bill that punishes those who have little and have no defense from a government that has been exploiting them forever, only now not just exploiting them , they want to punish them for offering resistance by using the rights they still have.

All of America should all hang our heads in shame for what we have allowed to happen. 

Keep it 'Tween the Ditches ....... Especially now.

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I hate our National Anthem. I hate that its lyrics embrace the notion of nobility in War. I really fuckin hate that. War creates a lot of things. It creates heroes that shouldn't have had to be heroes. It creates false feelings of superiority through defeating an enemy. But most of all, it creates dead people. Where's the Nobility in that.

My favorite America tune has always been "America the Beautiful"; a song that celebrates the good and special of what America should be. No one sings or sang it better than Ray Charles.

Here, in all its glory, the best version ever of  "America the Beautiful", by Ray Charles. It always makes me tear up......Always. Even when I was a kid.

Wave of the Future?

Well, it is July 3rd, 2025. What is there to say about July 3rd, 2025?

There must be plenty of positives about July 3rd. The problem I am having is trying to remove it from the shadow of it's bigger brother, July 4th.

Independence Day looms large over America at this time of the year. At no time in my lifetime has it seemed larger and more looming than it does this year of the New America, the Corporatist State.

Excepting the Civil War, at no time in our history has this country drifted this far from its roots. The fear of many is that this is just the beginning. I share that fear.

The accumulation of too many self inflicted negatives over the last 50-60 years have come together to form a perfect storm that will alter this country for the foreseeable future and beyond. And while History has shown us that this was a possibility anywhere, anytime and involving anyone, it matters little now. It appears that drastic, life altering changes are on our mutual horizons. 

I would love to point to positive changes on our doorstep, but the few that are there will surely be overtaken by the overwhelming ugliness that has seeped into every facet of our lives. Ambivalence has now created Malevolence. Complacency has replaced Protest. Ignorance has replaced Common Sense. Combine all these together under the leadership of an evil sociopath and what you end up with is Donald J. Trump.

So go ahead America and fool yourselves tomorrow that we are still the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave". We did this to ourselves and we deserve the result. 

Later Gators .............................

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This song "Red", is by my new favorite political songwriter, name of Jesse Welles. His delivery and lyrics remind me of the acoustic Bob Dylan before Bob went electric. Anyway, here's a two-fer today. "Red" is very current about Trump and the shit storm he's created.

When the war gets here

We're all gonna hold hands

We're gonna get on the level

Everyone looks a little bit nicer

When you finally meet the Devil

 

The 2nd song is about, "The Poor"

"If you worked a little harder

You'd have a lot more

The blame and the shame

Is on you for being so damn poor..."