In Search Of

"This series presents information based in part on theory and conjecture. The producer's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations, but not necessarily the only ones, to the mysteries we will examine."

And so began one of my favorite television shows from my childhood. Who could resist Leonard Nimoy's call to examine the unexplained? Who better to lead the way for us?

Life is a mystery, and we're all "In Search Of" virtually all the time. There's always a quest, an unanswered question, a perplexing conundrum. If there isn't, chances are we all know someone who will spoil our reverie by raising some sort of mystery out of the dead of nowhere. And before long, we're engulfed with an inextinguishable hunger to know why, why, why, WHY?

Now there's a lifestyle that's a choice. I can see having maybe one or two great mysteries in a lifetime to worry about. For me it's, well, where is that Holy Grail anyway (besides in all of us, I mean), and, gosh darn it, where is my next live music fix going to come from?

There are a heap of good shows coming up. I haven't been to a live show since my birthday, although that was one heck of a show and really, how do you top Tim O'Brien and Mountain Heart on your birthday? So it's a good thing it was near the end of the year. But now I'm getting antsy and playing tunes isn't enough. I need live music on a drip directly into my wilting veins.

There are of course a few options. One of the best is next Thursday night at the House of Blues, a venue I'm not crazy about except that Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, Patti Griffin and Shawn Colvin are all going to be there for the "Three Girls and Their Buddy" tour. Tempting. Then, two days later, Sam Bush joins Bill Evan and a whole bunch of other top shelf players for a bit of jazz-infused acoustic madness at The Kent Stage. Also tempting, and I am highly unlikely to miss Sam Bush crossing the street let alone playing a gig if he's in a 50 mile radius. Richard Thompson's 1000 Years of Music comes to the Stage soon, as does Richie Havens, and a host of smaller bands hits The Beachland Ballroom. In between there are all kinds of new little places to explore.

All of this, of course, leads up to festival season. And I have to get me some live outdoor music complete with picking and gathering and jamming this year, because there ain't gonna be a whole lot else to do this summer.

I am soooooo envious of dear Blueberry. Soon, South By Southwest will descend on her home town of Austin, TX. Something like, a bazillion bands in a week. I might have to put it on my list for a future year, when I can finally get up the nerve to go to Texas. It's big, and they have big flying bugs. And, per Blueberry, spiders, lots of big spiders.

But in the meantime, I better keep an eye out here so that I can get out and get my acoustic fix sooner than later. If I don't take my shadow out on a date pretty soon, she's gonna get mighty restless. And we wouldn't want that now, would we?

Wide River to Cross

Buddy Miller, from Universal United House of Prayer