Showing posts with label Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Show all posts

Aug 19, 2022

Mixed Music Action, Vol. 1 No. 5



By Kevin Broughton and Jeremy Pinnell

 

The Ultimate Fighting Championship takes its pay-per-view show on the road – to Salt Lake City, not a city typically associated with legalized violence – this weekend, so your humble correspondents are back to talk fightin’, singin’, and maybe other stuff. Let’s go…

 

KB:  So, we’ve got UFC 278 this weekend, and I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s not an electrifying card. I think Leon Edwards has earned his shot at the belt, but it’s not a compelling main event. You don’t like doing predictions, but I will squeeze you for one pick: In which round do Luke Rockhold and his glass jaw go to sleep?

 

JPThe card isn’t super exciting, but Edwards and Usman are elite fighters. I guarantee it’ll be a good fight. And I’ll take Costa over Rockhold.  

 

KB: Hmm. I don’t think Luke makes it to Round 2. 

 

There are a couple of non-UFC 278 stories brewing below the surface, though. The Nigerian Nightmare – with Leon Edwards on his calendar this weekend – is already talking about a move up two weight classes, to 205. (He says he has no interest in fighting his buddy Adesanya at middleweight; understandable.) Here’s a hypothetical for you: It’s been obvious for a while now that the 205 division isn’t exactly loaded. If Usman were to jump to 205 and win that belt, isn’t he in the all-time GOAT conversation, if not the one himself? Thoughts?

 

JP:  Kamaru Usman would be a monster at 205. He’s already a spectacle in the octagon, but he lacks charisma. He’s not really likeable, which in unfortunate. Edwards, however, has the story: Overcoming a tough upbringing to find mixed martial arts, and rising to become an elite UFC star. If you’re boring, no one cares. 

 

KB: I’m not saying he’s the reason Usman might move up to light heavyweight, but there’s this a beast working his way up the 170 ladder right now, Khazmat Chimaev. He’s kind of scary, and by kind of, I mean terrifying. 


  

I think his only fight that’s been out of the first round was a unanimous decision over Gilbert Burns, himself a monster. 

 

So what does Dana White do? Matches him with Nate Diaz at UCF 279 next month…on the last fight of Nate’s current UFC contract. I hope Nate gets paid; why do you think Dana White wants him dead?

 

JP: Chimaev’s first real fight was Burns, and it was a brawl; probably his first real challenging fight in the UFC. Nate was the money fight. As an entertainment aspect, it was a solid choice. Nate has the tank and Chimaev has energy, but how long can he last? Gonna be entertaining. 

 

KB: Back in the Spring, you sang the National Anthem before a Reds game. My choir does it every summer at (whatever the Braves' park is currently called.) 


Jeremy sings the National Anthem (TikTok)

 

We have a dude on the front row who turns around and blows a pitch pipe, so we start off on-key.

 

(a) Were you nervous?

 

(b) You were on-pitch the entire time; had you practiced, and was there a key you were doing it in?

 

(c) Was that your first time doing the Anthem in a big setting? And,

 

(d) For Kentucky musicians, I’d guess “the Anthem at a Reds game” would fall just below “the Anthem at Rupp,” which has to trail only “My Old Kentucky Home at The Derby.” Do I have that right? 

 

JP: I was very nervous. I get nervous whenever I’m playing -- because I care -- but that nervousness is different. My throat went dry (ha ha.) I was shaking.  It wasn’t pleasant, but it made my family really happy and that’s why I did it. And I don’t know if I’d want to do it again unless it was Rupp or the derby.

 

KB: As we close things out…I’ve been begging you to listen to some new music for a while now. I was delighted when you sent me a Spotify link to a band I’d never heard of, Goose Creek Symphony. 


  

Which is odd, because they were formed in 1968. It’s like a different version of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The album you sent (“Welcome To Goose Creek”) debuted just a quarter-century ago. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, “There is nothing new under the sun.” What drew you to this “new” old band? Do you know any of these dudes? I know there’s a Kentucky contingent. Have you played with them?

 

JP: So, my buddy Arlo sent me that record a few months back and it reminded me of The Band a little. I dig it, and no, I don’t know these motherfuckers but I dig their sound. And Kevin, I didn’t want to tell you, but I’ve been diving back in the music. So maybe next card we can talk a little about it? 

 

KB: Sounds like a plan.

 

 ---


Jun 30, 2022

What Your Favorite Summer Country Song Says About You



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Dan + Shay “19 + You and Me”
You don’t like country music except Dan + Shay, who are not country. You own 15 personalized tumblers that all smell vaguely of vodka or White Zinfandel. You only have Facebook to post pictures of your 8 yearly vacations.


Alan Jackson “Chattahoochee”

You actually did lose your virginity on a river bank. You like that the mullet came back in fashion. You probably need to start learning about LDL and HDL.


Garth Brooks “That Summer”
You are a horny old widow.


Kid Rock “All Summer Long”

You don’t wash your legs or feet in the shower because “the soap just runs down anyway.” You have some poorly spelled political thoughts you’d like everyone on Facebook to know about. You have a dog named FJB.


Nitty Gritty Dirt Band “Fishin’ in the Dark”

You either think the song is about fishing, or think this is NGDB’s worst song but it’s still the best summer song… there is no in between.


Thomas Rhett “Vacation”

You are theoretical. There is no such person. This song is bad even to people with shitty tastes.


Shooter Jennings “4th of July”

You don’t use the internet. Your work truck smells like Marlboro Reds and pretzels. You hate Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians equally. 


Deana Carter “Strawberry Wine”

You also lost your virginity on a river bank. You hate that the mullet came back in fashion because it reminds you of your junior year boyfriend who left you for Amanda Sykes. You have kids with a 10 year age gap. You can drink your husband’s friends under the fire pit. 


Clint Black “Summer’s Comin’”

You are a Clint Black stan. You almost drove off the road when they played a Rascal Flatts song on the classic country station. You know what LDL and HDL are. 


FGL “Cruise”

You still have the same truck and the same truck nutz from when this song came out, but there’s a baby seat in the back seat now. You drink exclusively Michelob Ultra. You recently traded in your straight legs for loose fit jeans. 


Sep 1, 2020

Hidden Gems: Joshua James, K'Naan, John Popper, Hanna-McEuen



I have a Spotify playlist called Hidden Gems and it’s one of my favorites to return to a couple times a year. There’s no genre distinction, no particular theme; these are just great songs that are generally unknown. There are killer songs from well known artists who weren’t as popular at the time of release, amazing tunes from artists who flamed out before they ever got over, forgotten gold, little heard gems from stalwarts, and just damn good songs not many people have heard. I’m going to pick a few of these from time to time to spotlight. 



Joshua James “Coal War”

“Coal War,” from Joshua James’ 2009 album Build Me This, starts out as almost a call and response blues song like you’d hear on Alan Lomax field prison recordings. Later on, it takes flight as a gospel rocker with a huge crescendo, before returning to the “I’ve been working on the railroad” bit. It’s very effective and pretty unique. The rest of James’ discography has not grabbed me as hard, but this is a hell of a song. “Coal War” was used on the show Sons of Anarchy and appeared on its second soundtrack. Take note, pop country. (Not that this is in any way related to pop country) This is how you do clap beats. 


Hanna-McEuen “Ocean”
Simple and gorgeous, “Ocean” is a plaintive folk-pop song about settling down, mentally and literally. Hanna-McEuen’s gentle harmonies carry the song, but it’s all about the vibe. This is a “close your eyes and meditate on kicking back in a beach chair and letting the waves lap at your feet” kind of song without any of the Buffett and Zac Brown Band cheesiness. A true hidden gem, “Ocean” was released as a single to country radio in 2005 but did not chart. The duo peaked at 38 and 56 respectively with their other singles “Something Like a Broken Heart” and “Tell Me.” They disbanded in 2007. McEuen now records as a solo act, while Hanna plays with both Gary Allan and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band as guitarist. (Both Hanna and McEuen are sons of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founders)

K’NAAN “Fatima”
K’NAAN is a Somalian-born singer, songwriter, and rapper who has had moderate success in the US and UK. His song “Wavin’ Flag” was the official song of the 2010 World Cup. “Fatima” from the same 2009 album was never released as a single, but it has had the most lasting effect on me. It’s a sorrowful but musically uplifting true story. K’NAAN was born in Mogadishu and became close friends with a girl next door. Not long before he was granted a VISA to the United States, she gave him a letter written in English to wish him well and encourage him to learn the language. Mere days after arriving in the US, he heard that she’d been shot and killed. This is a beautiful tribute to her. It’s jaunty, catchy, thought-provoking, and most of all, full of heart. 

John Popper & The Duskray Troubadours “Champipple”
Just good ol’ dumb fun. Popper, lead singer of Blues Traveler, lets himself get loose with this side project band and “Champipple” is the best of the bunch. If you’re not in the know like the rest of us Fred G. Sanford fans, champipple is a sweet concoction made of champagne and ripple. This is John Popper’s ode to this delightful beverage that’s “almost free.” The song is silly, easy going, and danceable. It reminds me of something Shinyribs might put out. Kick back and enjoy! 


Jul 15, 2015

Why the 80s Were Better Than the 2010s

Gilbert


Bill Cosby


Country boobs


 Person famous for being famous


Country song about doing it

 Pop country star


 Wild-eyed person with bad hair

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