What's Up This Weekend?

I went on the road with the Cowboy Hillbilly Hippie Folk to the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania (Rolling Rock, anyone?) where you find the oddly-familiar-sounding Ohiopyle State Park and the touristy little rafting/biking destination of Falls City on the seemingly-impossible-to-pronounce Youghioheny River which a local assured me is pronounced "yockaganey". I discovered that even if I ride a bike on an absolutely level ex-train track by a beautiful river for 18 miles, I will still feel like I'm going to die. The only thing that kept me going was the desire not to be passed by the lovely young bass player who hadn't ridden a bike for many years. At the gig, the band let me sit in so I sat on a picnic bench just outside the open air stage and picked up a large accordion, an instrument that I really don't play but that I knew enough to play along with songs that consisted of about 3 chords which most of theirs did. I did so with some difficulty, getting an inordinate amount of aerobic exercise squeezing the bellows and awkwardly using my left hand to make the chords. It occurred to me the next day that I had been playing it upside down. Wish I could blame it on the Yuenglings.

Friends of Mark, don't forget to volunteer at comfest.com. We need people to work Safety (fka Security) Friday 4-8, 8-12 and anytime Sunday. We need people to work Clean Up & Recycling Friday night and Saturday morning. It's your festival. Do your part.

This following is an all-Comfest performers list.

Thursday, today, I'm headed for my first visit to the new Huntington ballpark to see the Clippers (who are not playing at Comfest) or just to drink some beer depending on the weather. Tonight, Vegas 66 is at Circus and Couch Forts is at Treehouse.

Friday, The Receiver and Ghost Shirt are at Ravari, Megan Palmer & the Hopefuls do the happy hour at Rumba followed by Two Cow Garage. Josh Fitzwater & the Shambles and Lost Revival are at Treehouse.

Saturday, The Spikedrivers are at Dick's, The Lost Revival and Old Worlds are joined by controversially-missing-from-Comfest Big Back 40 at Rumba in what should be steel guitarist Barry Hensley's last Columbus performance before moving to the Left Coast. Bookmobile, You're So Bossy and Derek DiCenzo are at Treehouse.

Tuesday, see Comfest's lone import this year, David Ornette Cherry at Dick's Den. Couch Forts and last minute-Comfest-addition, Matt Monta are at the Treehouse.

Roll out the barrel. We'll have a barrel of fun. mark

What's Up This Weekend?

Up until last Thursday, it was only my girlfriend who hadn't come home. Now Buster's gone. Maybe it was the same old 8 flavors of canned food week after week. Or the fact that I never bought him any new toys and he got tired of Dolly and Ducky. I know you aren't supposed to have one, but he was my favorite of the five cats. Something about that burly little body with the bobtail and the strong broad nose just melted my heart. And he loved to be loved. He especially liked his chin and chest scratched. You only found out he'd had enough when he suddenly bared his teeth and hissed or nipped you. He definitely had a wild streak in him. He made this satanic growl when he'd gnaw on his own back leg as if he'd just taken down an antelope. He loved being outside and finding adventure every day while I was at work. Maybe he just wanted to be free. By now, I realize that whatever happened to him, he's taken a path of no return, but I wonder how long it will be before I stop looking for him at the back porch.

Thursday, tonight, Terribly Empty Pockets is one of the bands at Rumba, MeltyMelty and Moon High are at Treehouse and The Summit has Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, Times New Viking and El Jesus de Magico. Amazingly enough, none of the aforementioned great bands are performing at Comfest. On the other hand, at the Break-a-Leg Bob Sauls Benefit #2, '09 Comfest performers including Rj Cowdrey, Donna Mogavero, Jim Volk and Victoria Parks will be helping Bob out at Victorian's.

Friday, The Twang Alliance does the happy hour at Rumba with Cur Dogs and Cowboy Hillbilly Hippy Folk followed by Comfest acts The Josh Kracjik Band and Mt. Carmel. The Floorwalkers ar at Thirsty Ear.

Saturday, Jonathan Richman is at The Summit. He is a great performer and you are guaranteed to smile.

Tuesday, Comfest performers Couch Forts and Lydia Loveless are at Treehouse.

Wednesday, Woody Pines returns to us from North Carolina to perform at Dick's. I saw him recently in Athens and he is better than ever.

Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling. mark

What's Up This Weekend?

The most excitement in my life the past week, other than the excellent Decemberists show, was getting delivery of the the portable luminescent sign that I designed and had someone build to help me recruit for Comfest. The table covering I had before just wasn't attracting any attention in the crowded dark clubs. I knew I needed something more at eye level and this sign is about 2 feet tall and lights up like a lighthouse. Its a big white wooden box with a cute little rope handle and inside there are two battery-powered LED lamps that light up the white translucent face with the Comfest logo and "Volunteer 4 Comfest" in black. Hopefully, it will draw the volunteer moths to the Community Festival flame.

Thursday, tonight, Comfest Sunday Main Stage headliners, The Spikedrivers, do the happy hour at Rumba followed by Todd Tedesco & the Long Haul, with Comfest '09 performers Fort Shame and Micah from Two Cow.

Friday, last minute Comfest winners, Jesse Henry & the Royal Tycoons will be at Dick's Den and first time Comfest performers, Cellar Hounds, will be at Oldfield's.

Saturday Grassahol is at Rumba. I might head down the country to the Appalachian Uprising where Sam Bush will be performing.

Sunday is the Annual Comfest Entertainment Committee Letter Stuffing Barbeque at my place. This year, no partying until we get the job done.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. mark

What's Up This Weekend?

Yes, I did wear my Audrey-Hepburn-inspired funeral-for-Little-Brothers Doodah dress and black veiled hat to the Mary Adam 12 show at Rumba. Yes, I did buy just the black patent leather purse I was looking for to accessorize the outfit at Volunteers of America for $3.00. Yes, I did bring two lovely young ladies who provided my masculinity with much-needed cover. Yes, I did accept 3 free beers for us from manager Todd Dugan by promising to give him a little booty later. Yes, I did pound Miller Lites to compensate for the queasy silliness I was feeling and, yes, I did get too wasted to recruit any volunteers later that night but yes, I did have a good time dancing.

Thursday, tonight, among the many interesting national acts this weekend, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are at The LC and The Felice Brothers and Taylor Hollingsworth are at Rumba. Locals Chris McCoy and Time & Temperature are at the Treehouse.

Friday, if you haven't already started the weekend, you should head for the happy hour at Rumba with The Randys followed later by Miss Molly and The Wet Darlings. If I'm sufficiently sober after The Randys, I may go recruit at Skully's where The SoHud (south of Hudson) Supershow includes The Floorwalkers, the Andy Shaw Band and the Max Power Trio. More ghosts from the past haunt the Columbus music scene as Bob City and Geraldine join Grafton at The Summit. Wussy, the Kyle Sowashes and Ghost Shirt are at the Treehouse.

Saturday, from what I hear, Hempfest is going to happen despite the efforts of OSU to shut them down. I'll be there from 4 PM trying to recruit. There should be a lot of music but all I know for sure is The Floorwalkers, Red Sun, Lo-Pan and Stretch Lefty will be there. If it is a nice day, Hempfest is nice place to be especially if you find the Magic Cookie guy. Joey Hebdo is at Rumba and Bookmobile is at the Treehouse.

Sunday, I didn't get a whole lot of volunteers last Sunday because I got there late (watching the Cavs) and the place was packed but I might try again because The Floorwalkers and Hoodoo are back to back again at Rumba.

Monday, The Decemberists are at the LC and Megan Palmer and Jason Quicksall are at Rumba.

Wednesday, The Meat Puppets are at The Summit.

I enjoy being a girl. mark

What's Up This Weekend?

I'm either in the early stages of Alzheimer's or drugs and alcohol have taken their toll. On the other hand, I've always had the tendency to live for the moment so maybe its just a lack of mnemonic exercise. A bad memory has been great for allowing me to forget about the pain of daily slings and arrows, most of which are self-inflicted. But not being able to knock things off the tip of my tongue is frustrating and a little scary. When your cerebral electrons just can't make that jump between synapses, its like standing on a cliff at the edge of a deep, dark chasm. So close and yet so far.

Thursday, tonight, Tin Armor and Couch Forts are at Circus,

Friday, the ghost of Mary Adam 12 appears from out of the past at the Rumba's happy hour and I understand that a cocktail dress will get you in for free. I'm sure I have something from a past Doodah parade I could wear. The Thirsty Ear hosts the Lost Weekend Records Show with Kyle Siegrist's usual strong line-up of great local acts including Bush League All-Stars.

Saturday, The Bygones are at Treehouse and Pirates of the Scioto, a great new young band doing their own updated version of the blues, are at Victorian's.

Sunday afternoon I will be attending my office assistant, Kim's graduation from Capital University Law School but you should consider the 2 PM screening of "Crazy, Sexy Cancer" at Studio 35 which is a benefit for friend Zoe Buyalos or go to Zoebuyalosfund.org to help out,

Since Monday is a holiday, think about Sunday night at Don B's birthday bash with Lydia Loveless and Day Creeper. How does Don do it? Or the Rumba has Hoodoo and The Floorwalkers. Sounds like a good opportunity for me to recruit Comfest volunteers.

Don't you forget about me. mark

What's Up This Weekend?

Ah, the creative process. This week I had two cards to make; one for Mom's Day and one for a close friend's birthday. Once you've gone down the path of making cards for people, you can never go back. And it's a tough road requiring a new idea for each trip. The four cards every year for the parents usually get thought up and created Sunday morning before we get together for brunch, which is always a bit of a miracle that requires some faith to believe I can actually plan to do that, especially considering how my Saturday nights go. Uncovering the idea is a bit of a seductive enterprise. I can't just jump it's bones. I have to be a little coy and engage in a little foreplay like " I really don't know what to write or draw but just let me fondle the notebook and pencil a little while and see what happens." Then I relax and leave myself a little vulnerable to being approached and, pretty much without exception, something slips in...my consciousness, that is. Once the seed is planted, it seems to grow in a genetically pre-determined form. It is the miracle of the birth of an idea that gives my cards their value, not so much the amateurish art and poetry.

Thursday, tonight, Couch Forts opens at Bourbon Street for Small Pox & the New Vaccine and Tavo Carbone.

Friday, the first appearance of the weekend for The Spikedrivers and the release of their new CD at the Rumba happy hour before they head off to the Willie Nelsonville Music Festival. But you would do well to just to stick around at Rumba for Matthew Hoover and the Supersaints CD release also featuring the best new act I saw this year, Hayseed, and the lovely and talented Ericka Carey and The Calamaties.

Saturday, The Spikes return to Rumba for an evening show. Jared Mahone, The Floorwalkers and Matt Munhall are at Skully's.

It's the thought that counts. mark

What's Up This Weekend?

I must the be the only person who digs the dandelions out of his lawn. It appears that all my neighbors must have been using chemicals because mine was about the only one with the uncivilized yellow pox. So there I was, scooting my butt up and down the hill of my front lawn surgically removing the little devils with my hand hoe weed popper occasionally taking the gloves off to give some love to my cat Riblet while lying in the grass. When my tool finally broke at the handle from so much abuse, I just couldn't stop and continued my murderous rampage with the remaining bare silver shard. There is something intoxicating about spending hours on a sunny afternoon that close to the ground. Radon?

Thursday, tonight, Trains Across the Sea and Our Cat Phillip are at Oldfield's, RTFO Bandwagon is at Rumba, and a great pianist/singer who is new to me, Dane Terry, is at The Treehouse.

Friday, Dan Dougan, Megan Palmer and Derek DiCenzo team up to support the CD release of Colin Gawel at Rumba, The Receiver does their CD release at Skully's, Couch Forts is at The Treehouse and one of my lawyer buddies is branching out with his mandolin in a band called Gassanine at Vicotorian's..

Saturday, I going to try to get up and join the Spring Planting Day at Goodale Park, a great place to be at 9 A.M. on a Saturday. We’ll be planting some annuals and vegetables, edging beds, cleaning out the pond, picking up trash around the park and mulching where needed. Bring a shovel, trowel, and/or gardening gloves if you have them. Later on, Ruby's hosts the Black Box Benefit for Epilepsy with, among others, Happy Chichester (of course) Derek DiCenzo and Jimmy Casote, The Lindsay is at Rumba, The Main Street Gospel and TV Eye are at Skully's, Megan Palmer is at The Treehouse and Erika Carey and the Calamaties, Whoa Nellie and Todd May are at Victorian's.

Sunday, I'm going to check out The Sadies with John Doe at Rumba at 8 PM I believe.

Dig you now, plant you later. mark