Man, it's been so busy around here lately that I have had nary a chance to get psyched about the Bill Mallonee show that's going to be here on Friday! Between Janna's parents moving to town, my sister having a baby, working on a video for a local church, moving into a new house, and Sam's birthday being last Friday, I haven't had time to think, much less plan for the concert. I have everything in place - the hotel room is booked and the PA is in place. Now I just have to get my mind ready. My all-time favorite musician is coming to my freaking house to play!

Did I mention that Bill has a new record out? It's called Permafrost - go here to buy it. It took a few listens to grow on me, but now that it has, it's really grown on me. Jangly guitars, check. Gut-wrenching lyrics, check. Sweet harmonies, check. It's really excellent. My favorite track is called "Threadbare," and it is anything but. From the heart-breaking guitar intro, to the intensely personal lyrical content, it's vintage Mallonee.

The "single" (whatever that means anymore) is probably Poor Kid (or Pour, Kid, depending on where you look). It contains the most head-on, tough as nails, diss that I've heard since the Counting Crows "St. Robinson."

Listen to "Pour, Kid" and love it:

Pour, Kid

We ate here last night. Let me tell you about it.

I had shrimp, stuffed with a blend of cheeses and jalepenos, then wrapped in bacon and grilled. Let's say that, last night, my tastebuds truly were my buds. It was quite simply the most wonderful thing I've ever placed between my teeth.

To drink, Dos Equis, served over ice with extra lime and salt around the rim of the glass. If you've never had a beer this way, I highly recommend it.

Once upon a time (well, really, about four years ago), I was a leader for the youth group at church. Our youth group, which consisted of about 10 kids, was pretty rad. We had some unique teenagers. The hip thing among the hip kids was emo. They've long since stopped being emo, of course. The last thing I knew, they were "hardcore." I'm not exactly sure what that means, but there was a lot of screaming. A lot. I'm an open minded guy, but there was a lot of screaming. Really. A whole lot.

Anyway, one day, at church, a couple of them gave me a burned CD with no writing on it. I was told to go and listen. That CD held an album by a band that has since become very famous and, coincidentally, much maligned by the snobby music-types out there (of which I usually am one). So, here am I to admit something that may not win any brownie points with you guys.

I am a Dashboard Confessional fan. I like the stuff. Carabba can flat-out write a tune. Hands Down is a fantastic song. The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most is a great album. I know, I know, emo has come and gone (not that I was ever hip enough to latch on to the term - I'm an old fart, plain and simple). In fact, Borders puts Dashboard in the Adult Contemporary section! And the kids that turned me on to DC, well, they aren't kids any more. They're in college, and I'm still old.

So they have a new record, Dusk and Summer, that's excellent. Here's the star track, for me (it doesn't hurt that it features Adam Duritz, my one true man-crush - take that Jack Johnson, Mr. I Don't Return Phone Calls...):
So Long, So Long

(bonus points if you know who the picture is of - "Just call me Mr. Butterfingers..")