Friday, November 28, 2008

DBT Week in Review - 11/28/08

So slammed with money paying gigs and the holidays that the Fillmore pics and reviews are coming along slowly... but surely. Mid to end of next week they'll be ready to go.

A couple of more shots from the show:

Most awesome and hottest bass player e.v.e.r.





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Some great pictures here:

On the Scene: Drive-By Truckers and the Hold Steady in L.A. | PopWatch Blog | EW.com:

"The Rock n' Roll Means Well tour pulled in to L.A. last night, marking the final evening of an earth-shaking, booze-guzzling road match between the Hold Steady and the Drive-By Truckers, two bands born of disparate geographical landscapes yet inextricably linked by their commitment to the art of the amp attack."
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Amen, Jack. Amen.

NineBullets.org - Message Board • View topic - An open letter to the members of DBT and THS.

On this eve of Thanksgiving, allow me the honor of saying thank you from the fans. Thank you so much for the Rock and Roll Means Well Tour. It was a gift. We don’t see enough bands today show such unbridled joy, respect and camaraderie. This tour was a gift to your fans, so we say thank you. The shows were phenomenal.

On a personal note, 2008 was a really tough year for my family and me. To have the opportunity to see my two favorite bands play three shows in California right before Thanksgiving was one of the finest rock and roll experiences of my life (after seeing shows for over 25 years.) I could list all of the highlights (and there were many, thanks guys) but suffice to say, during Let There Be Rock and Killer Parties last night there might have been some tears.

I believe in the power of Rock and Roll again.

Jack Epsteen
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... and I feel fine.: One down, One to go

... and I feel fine.: ...trying to hold steady on the righteous path:

"Some pics of the evenings' spectacle. I'm not sure I could add anything. What an incredible two nights. Every time I see the Truckers it's amazing. The question now is 'When are they coming back?'"
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Dexateens

Myspace.com Blogs - what are the dexateens doing these days?? - Dexateens MySpace Blog

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Music News

Swampland: The Jimmy Herring Interview

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I suffered through the first minute or so of each track on MySpace.

May we never here of another Axl Rose project again. Amen.

Music - How Axl Rose Spent All That Time - NYTimes.com:

"Chinese Democracy” (Geffen) is the Titanic of rock albums: the ship, not the movie, although like the film it’s a monumental studio production. It’s outsize, lavish, obsessive, technologically advanced and, all too clearly, the end of an era. It’s also a shipwreck, capsized by pretensions and top-heavy production. In its 14 songs there are glimpses of heartfelt ferocity and despair, along with bursts of remarkable musicianship. But they are overwhelmed by countless layers of studio diddling and a tone of curdled self-pity. The album concludes with five bombastic power ballads in a row."
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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Shadow of 4

Tons of work to get done in the next few days which includes editing pictures and writing the posts for the Fillmore shows. (Best. Shows. Ever.)

Here's some foreshadowing...



And a bonus post is in the works about a very special beer. There is no beer on this planet like the liquid you see in the glasses below. Seriously. This is the most unique beer in the world.

It is a good tale. Stay tuned.



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So, here's some folly to pass the time.

This really IS the best November ever.

And the world got a little less douchey:

Ann Coulter's Jaw Wired Shut: Report:

"WE HEAR...THAT although we didn't think it would be possible to silence Ann Coulter, the leggy reaction- ary broke her jaw and the mouth that roared has been wired shut..."
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Alien-like Squid Filmed at Ultra-Deep Oil-Drilling Site:

"In a few seconds of jerky camerawork, the squid appears with its huge fins waving like elephant ears and its remarkable arms and tentacles trailing from elbow-like appendages.

Despite the squid's apparent unflappability on camera, Magnapinna, or 'big fin,' squid remain largely a mystery to science."
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No body likes him:



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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

It means well

Travel day today.

A couple of pictures from last night.

Possibly my favorite picture I've ever taken:





So, entertain yourselves today.

This may help:

Lightning Rod Records: Music Player

Lightning Rod Records: Artists

MySpace.com - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals, AL – Lightning Rod Records will release Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit’s eponymous album on February 17, 2009. Isbell is a former member of the Drive-By Truckers and this is his second solo release (his first release with his band The 400 Unit). The 400 Unit is Derry deBorja (keyboards), Jimbo Hart (bass) and Browan Lollar (guitar). Matt Pence (Centro-matic/South San Gabriel) lends his talents as co-producer, drummer and engineer.

The album was co-produced by Isbell and The 400 Unit with Matt Pence. “I want it to be known that it’s a band record,” says Isbell. “I want it to be known that it’s something we all did together. Even though I wrote the songs, it was a very inclusive project.” Isbell has posted the new track, "Seven-Mile Island," on the band's MySpace site.
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Monday, November 24, 2008

Drinkin' Gin from a Jam Jar

Fillmore. Night 1.

It was kinda like this.....



...except way better.

I shan't be gathering all of my faculties for a few days, so expect some hungover blogging this week.

Tons of pics to edit, but here's a few:










Friday, November 21, 2008

DBT Week in Review - 11/21/08

Down and dirty today 'cause I'm goin' on a little road trip.

Perfect Timing


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Hold Steady, Truckers rock together:

"The love fest went both ways. Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn talked about moving to New York from Minneapolis and not wanting to start a new band until he saw the Truckers one night.

'I sincerely believe they're the only band I know that enjoy rock 'n' roll as much as we do,' Finn said"
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CityNews: Hold Steady, Drive-By Truckers Play Rock's Good Guys As Joint Tour Rolls Through T.O.:

"There's an argument to be had about whether rock and roll does in fact mean well, but there's no question The Hold Steady and Drive By-Truckers do."
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Music Review - The Hold Steady - Drive-By Truckers - At Terminal 5, Two Bands Offer Two Ways to Go - NYTimes.com:

"Everyone’s bruised in the songs of the Hold Steady and Drive-By Truckers. Their jobs pay poorly. They spend no small amount of time in bars, drinking away history. Their relationships are fragile. Their expectations have been dashed."
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Drive-By Truckers share the wheel:

"Many of the characters come from real life, though some are composites. And, of course, some are Hood himself. 'The guy who's trying to stay on 'The Righteous Path,' that's me,' he says.

One way he does it is by playing more than 200 nights a year in the band. And by keeping humble. 'I could do a solo record, and I have, but I prefer being in a band,' he says. 'I love being the guitar player and letting someone else sing their songs, too. There's just something great about being part of a group effort. That's what being in a band is all about.'"
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The Popcorn Trick: What's Next for the Drive-By Truckers?

� 11-05-2008 Drive-By Truckers at MoemoePhoto - Concert Photography

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Via CH.

Ex-Trucker and current Fiddleworms member, Rob Malone's daughter is getting in on the act these days.

Means of moving a bear | TimesDaily.com| Florence, AL

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Dexateens

Crimson White - Local favorites play first Tuscaloosa show of semester:

"The Dexateens are fresh off finishing up a new album, “Singlewide,” which will be released in April. The album was recorded at Mark Never’s Beech House Recordings studio in Nashville, Tenn. Long-time Dexateens fans may be surprised by the album’s more-rootsy sound, but McPherson said it is still The Dexateens, just with a little different side of the band.

“We approached it in the studio like CCR would approach something,” he said. “The core of everything was an acoustic guitar on every si"
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Music

McCartney hopes to release funky Beatles track:

LONDON – Paul McCartney says it's time an experimental Beatles track saw the light of day.

McCartney says he wants to release 'Carnival of Light,' a 14-minute experimental track the Fab Four recorded in 1967 but never released.

The band played the recording for an audience just once, at an electronic music festival in London. It reportedly includes distorted guitar, organ sounds, gargling and shouts of 'Barcelona!' and 'Are you all right?' from McCartney and John Lennon."
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Aretha Franklin News on Yahoo! Music:

"She's already the Queen of Soul, but now Aretha Franklin has been named the greatest singer of the rock era in a poll conducted by Rolling Stone magazine.

Franklin, 66, came in ahead of Ray Charles at No. 2, Elvis Presley at No. 3, Sam Cooke at No. 4 and John Lennon at No. 5, according to the magazine's survey of 179 musicians, producers, Rolling Stone editors, and other music-industry insiders."
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A little too experienced.

Drummer for Jimi Hendrix found dead :

"PORTLAND, Ore. – Mitch Mitchell, drummer for the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience of the 1960s and the group's last surviving member, was found dead in his hotel room early Wednesday. He was 61.

Mitchell was a powerful force on 'Are You Experienced?' the 1967 debut album of the Hendrix band. He had an explosive drumming style that can be heard in hard-charging songs such as 'Fire' and 'Manic Depression.'"
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The Harvard Crimson :: News :: Nesson, Harvard Law Professor, Sues RIAA:
"A Harvard Law School professor filed a counterclaim last Friday against the Recording Industry Association of America that challenges the constitutionality of the RIAA’s efforts against those caught downloading music from file-sharing services.
....

“This is an unconstitutional delegation by Congress of executive prosecutorial powers to private hands,” Nesson wrote in his brief.

“That a private organization is allowed to take a huge chunk of government power and impose its will upon millions of people is, frankly, disconcerting,” he said in an interview."
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Via Brcliftoo424 on the Ninebullet's board

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die:

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Early S.F. Doors show breaks on through to CD

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Thursday, November 20, 2008

Bottle Rockets and Gorillas

Jet airplane travel today..... er, tomorrow.... er, this is a 'future' post. It posted itself while I was/am 30k feet in the air. Very confusing.

Thanks, Blogger!

Shit better work.



How the Drive-By Truckers Met The Hold Steady - Music - Seattle Weeklypage 1:

"SW: Tell me what it was like on the road leading up to the election? After?

Hood: Well, you know me, I've just been obsessed. We kicked this tour off right at the very, very last moment before the election. We were off the day of the election, and we just parked our buses in the parking lot at State College in Pennsylvania and set off bottle rockets every time we won another blue state. I think we had someone walking around in a gorilla suit...or maybe it was a real gorilla, I'm not sure...

Kubler: Some of the events that day were a little hazy."
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Love this doc. I remember seeing it when it first came out... on VHS.

'Hoop Dreams' film players remain friends; lives have diverged -- chicagotribune.com

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heh-heh.

Jean-Claude Van Damme Hits On Reporter Mid-Interview

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Cool.

globeandmail.com: Scientists rediscover pocket-sized primate:

"It looks like a tangerine-sized cross between a furry Furby and a gremlin, and hadn't been seen alive since the 1920s. But the pygmy tarsier has made an unlikely comeback."
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Airight, den. Countdown to the Fillmore shows starts..... now.

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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Mind over Matter....

Mind over Matter. I don't mind and you don't matter.

Seems to be the Senate Dems take on things.

So, yeah, I'm pretty pissed about the Lieberman deal. I spent a good bit yesterday calling Reid's and other Senate Dem offices voicing my displeasure. Obama even got a fairly hot email from me, too.

If you thought I was tough on the Repubs during the election, wait until you see what's in store for the load of shitty Democrats that treat Congress like some goddamn country club instead of the body of government which represents WE THE EFFING PEOPLE.

And, it's only partially about retribution. Lieberman in his committee roles has been awful, awful, awful.

We we vote for 'change' we expect 'change'. Not back-stabber Lieberman continuing to perpetuate the governing fraud that he is.

As always, others say it better:

Firedoglake � Lieberman: Suck On That, Liberals!:

"I hope this puts to rest the notion that this is all some master stroke of kumbayah, of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.

This is about telling you that you mean nothing. That democracy is a nice word, but it should never threaten the entitlement of the most exclusive club in the world.

No matter what Joe Lieberman does, the people who are protecting him hate you much more than they hate him."
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Daily Kos: Why It Matters:

"People voted for change. Again -- just like in 2006. If they don't get it, the mood in the country is going to turn south in a hurry. There's still a war, a recession, an economic crisis, a whole bunch of government incompetence and, oh yeah, a second war out there. Things are grim, and the Democrats are in charge of all of it, now -- the whole thing. The implication here, that they still consider their precious collegiality and seniority games to outstrip all of it, and are willing to keep sabotaging a very, very important legislative committee in order to maintain a steady, peaceful ship of state... it smacks of an enforced weakness, and of self-indulgence that nears the point of corruption."
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Yay, outsourced medical care!

Many doctors plan to quit or cut back:

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Why? I'm not really sure. Kinda like a car wreck I guess. I couldn't look away.

MS saying the word 'posse'... Again, car wreck.

Snoop Dogg And Martha Stewart Laugh, Cook, Compare Posses (VIDEO)

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If the Matrix ran on Windows:



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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Holy Downsize

Special treat:



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DBT/THS 1st Ave Show. Rockin' in the Free World.

Watch how much the crowd is into it. Good damn fun.

Countdown to Sunday and Monday in San Francisco......



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Funny stuff. Read 'em all:

Daily Kos: When I am king (Part II):

"When I am king, I will order much treasure invested in our space program, with the goal of colonizing the moon. As happened here in America year ago, we will send the religious fundamentalists there as early colonists. When the last one arrives, I will remove all funding and announce an end to the program."
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And they'll be many a fundie willing to go 'cause they ain't got no jobs.

Breaks my heart. Poor, poor, bigoted, twisted effers.

God is downsizing.... finally.

Maybe this will give them more time to focus on their own damn families and leave mine alone.

Focus on the Family forced to make layoffs after spending $600,000 to defeat marriage equality.

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How do I feel about this? Meh.

'Meh': new word for indifference enters English dictionary:

"'Meh', a word which indicates a lack of interest or enthusiasm, became the latest addition to the Collins English Dictionary on Monday."
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One final thought:

Dear Sarah Palin, Please Shut Up Already Petition

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Monday, November 17, 2008

SPAM Futures

ExclaimTV interviews Patterson:



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Nice to know that some parts of our economy are doing well. Forget plastics.... put it all in canned 'meat', baby!

Edible Economic Indicators: Spam, Beer Sales Rise - CNBC.com:

"USTIN, Minn. — The economy is in tatters and, for millions of people, the future is uncertain. But for some employees at the Hormel Foods Corporation [HRL 26.76 -1.08 (-3.88%) ] plant here, times have never been better. They are working at a furious pace and piling up all the overtime they want.

Fork and knife, place setting on money, cutlery on napkin with plate, expensive food
CNBC.com

The workers make Spam, perhaps the emblematic hard-times food in the American pantry."
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Chicken or egg. Could they be unhappy due to the fact that they watch too much TV?

Unhappy People Watch Lots More TV

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Very cool.

First fuzzy photos of planets outside solar system:

"Earth seems to have its first fuzzy photos of alien planets outside our solar system, images captured by two teams of astronomers. The pictures show four likely planets that appear as specks of white, nearly indecipherable except to the most eagle-eyed experts. All are trillions of miles away — three of them orbiting the same star, and the fourth circling a different star.

None of the four giant gaseous planets are remotely habitable or remotely like Earth. But they raise the possibility of others more hospitable.

It's only a matter of time before 'we get a dot that's blue and Earthlike,' said astronomer Bruce Macintosh of the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. He led one of the two teams of photographers."
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Friday, November 14, 2008

Wescar Wacing in the Desert

Did y'all know that racecar spelled backwards is 'racecar'.

Before I could walk, I had a wrench in my hand....

Don't wake me up, when November ends. One of the best month 11s ever, so far.

Hope has been resuscitated by a man named Obama. A certain sports team is doing very well and whom I dare not speak too much of for fear of the jinx (though I will discuss them more here in a bit as it is part of the tale). Two shows at the Fillmore later this month with DBT and THS....

But the biggest thrill of 11/08 came last weekend when I had the pleasure of hosting a certain artist that you all may be familiar with. Said artist gave me a gift of some of his great work:



I had the honor of hosting Wes Freed in the desert of Arizona last weekend.



Last Spring Wes was commissioned by the folks at Phoenix International Raceway to create a limited edition print commemorating the 11/9/08 NASCAR race at PIR.

PIR Teams with Rock and Roll Artist Wes Freed to Promote NASCAR's Semi-Final Showdown - Phoenix Raceway:

"Richmond-based artist/musician Wes Freed – best known for his album cover art for alt-country rockers The Drive-By Truckers (including 2008's Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, which peaked in the Billboard Top 40) – was commissioned by PIR President Bryan R. Sperber and has produced a limited edition promotional poster for Phoenix’s upcoming race in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.

'Many NASCAR fans have come to enjoy the artwork of Wes Freed after being exposed to his work through the Drive-by Truckers,' Sperber said. “We reached out to Wes and also discovered he was a huge NASCAR fan - becoming thoroughly excited when he agreed to develop a special project with us that presents his unique perspective on the excitement of NASCAR racing at Phoenix. Wes’s work of art will commemorate the Checker Auto Parts 500 in a special way and make this November’s race even more memorable.”"
The beautiful piece of art Wes created:




Here's a quote from Wes from the article above.... 'Take a deep breath and give it everything you got':
"Racin', rock and roll, and art makin' are alike in that in each field, to make it work on any level you just gotta throw yourself into it 100 percent and pray you don't hit the wall,” said Freed. “All three endeavors are driven by blind passion.
Wisdom, indeed.

Now you may be asking, JPW what are you doing in the desert of AZ? I'm everywhere all at once, baby. Don't believe me? Then just turn around... I'll wait.... Ah, too slow. I was right behind you but I'm a man on the move. Gotta be quick if I gotta be everywhere. Oh, and your shirt tag is sticking up, you may want to fix that. Nice thong, too. And how in the hell did you get that Cheeto stuck there?

At the moment, I'm doing a little house sitting in AZ, but y'all know where I left my heart. It's in San Francisco with the rest of my shit. Now if I could only figure out where I left my wallet. Probably in El Segundo.

But, I digress.

Wes called me the night before he boarded a flight to Phoenix and we coordinated the airport pick-up. I asked Wes if he had a cell phone and he proceeds to tell me that he had one, but that he didn't think that it worked, but it did previously and.... then Wes says 'hold on' and I hear his lovely wife Jyl in the background say something. Wes returns to the phone and says 'Jyl says to tell you 'no' I don't have a cell phone'. Wes and Jyl are comedy gold, I tell ya.

Now, I ask you dear reader, in this modern day and age, have you attempted to pick someone up at the airport sans cell phone communication? Its kinda like when the electricity goes off during your favorite TV program. You scratch your head for a minute then decide, well hell, I'll watch a DVD instead. Yes, you see.

I've only seen pictures of Wes and he ain't never seen me. I tracked the flight online. One minute it says the flight is 15 minutes from landing and the very next minute it says the plane has been on the ground for 15 minutes. I 'oh shit' and hop into the car.

The airport arrival lanes are ass packed full of folks. As I creep through the line, Wes pops right out the terminal and steps directly into the car. With that kind of timing, you just know its gonna be a great weekend.

We head back to the house, have a few several beers and shoot the shit, then Wes plays me a couple of tunes he's been working on and they sound great. One has a possum in it and I took a great shine to that song. Seizing the opportunity to play the guitar in front of someone who knows what they are doing (I'm a self-taught newbie with about a 1 and 1/2 years under my belt). I played for Wes my very short version of Drivin and Cryin's 'Straight to Hell'.

The next day, Saturday, is Alabama vs LSU. Having Wes witness my pre-game rituals and silly superstition (and trust me, since the Tide has had such an awesome year so far, I've developed several weird little superstitions, down to the clothing I wear, the beer I drink, a matchbox that's stayed in the same position on the floor since late August... you catch my drift) was a bit worrisome. Didn't want him to think I was some kind of weirdo. But, as the quote above confirms, Wes understands passion very well and he ended up being the good luck charm needed to pull the Tide to a victory over LSU in overtime. Wes is a NASCAR man and couldn't really give a hoot about football, but he was hollerin' right along with me in the 4th quarter and OT and I'll be forever greatful for his assistance in that 'W'.

Saturday evening, after the game, Wes and I drove out to PIR to meet up with Paul Corliss, old friend of Wes's and Communications Director for PIR. It was a pretty neat experience to hang out in the infield after all of Saturday's racing had been completed.

We found some beers and good folk at the Racing Roundup Radio show RV and proceed to plant ourselves in some chairs and have a nice chit-chat.




All of the guys involved are serious about racing and sports in general. I listened, in awe, to Paul and Wes debate the merits of different racing teams, even though I had no clue as to what they were talking about. It was pretty impressive, though.

Here's how serious Paul is about his sports. An infield racing Wookie stumbled upon our small band of merry makers and asked if there was an extra beer in our cooler. Paul told the Wookie he must answer one questions, and answer it correctly in order to receive a beer from the cooler. The question was "Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers". I can't remember the Wookie's answers, but it was incorrect and Paul forbade him from having a beer. Usually, in these situations, one will relent after a bit and hand the Wook a beer after some serious razzing, but Paul is strict with his riddles and no amount of Wookie pleading could pry a beer away from the cooler. That's committment, folks. I have much respect. Wookie was sent away to pilfer other coolers.

Another artist friend of Paul's was at the race and was doing live paintings during the action. Frenchy does some fine work and if you are ever in New Orleans, go check out his studio.

We left for the race track early Sunday morning. Had to stop and get some gas at the Circular K. Wes and I weren't able to get the gas pump to work no matter how many times we stuck our card in nor how many times we punched the buttons. Some of our Mexican-American brethren pulled up to the other side of the pump and proceeded to stick and push too.

Wes looked at me and said "Sounds like they're having the same problem we are.... except in Spanish". Classic. It was like that all weekend.

It was a beautiful day in the desert of Arizona. A few clouds in the sky providing relief from the ever present sun. Thank jeebus for the genius of Wes Freed who remembered the sun screen, though. It wouldn't have crossed my mind until it was too late. We were SPF 70 protected all day long. That saved about a weeks worth of misery. Thank you Wes.





This hill side on the west end of the track is filled with camping grounds. Wes said this is where hs stood in March and got some partial inspiration for the print.



Here we are in the pits. My first time, and seeing the machines up close was a sight to behold.



But he never lost his touch when he got underneath the hood
He knew how to make them run and he knew one day he would.....



I asked Wes who we were rooting for today and the answer was 'Smoke'.... #20..... Tony Stewart:



This was a Veterans Day race and many of our uniformed finest were in attendance.



See his name in victory lane and engraved on that cup
Just like all them other crazy fools with racing in their blood











Wes and I found us a seat and some cold beers, hotdogs and hamburgers and proceeded to people watch and shot more shit until noon-thirty when Wes had a signing for the print he'd done.

Here's the big tent where the signing occurred.



This signing was a big ol' batch of fun for me. I got to write the intro for Wes that was read from the stage alerting folks to the signing. When I asked Wes what he wanted the intro to say, he says to me "I don't know, you're the writer'. Obviously, Wes have never read my blog or he would have known better to call me a writer. But, still, pretty effing cool.

I stood behind Wes during the signing, dusted off my salesman/trade-show skills, and hit up the people that were walking in and out of the door with info on the print and a card placed in their hand with Wes's web info.

One youngish couple walked in the door and the fella of the couple started to squint his eyes looking at the print, then started to point. By the time he got to where I and the print where he says 'That looks like the Drive-by Truckers'. I told him that he was spot-on and that Wes was signing the prints just behind me. He asked if he could go shake his hand and get an autograph. Very cool.

Here's a picture of the 10 winners of the PIR race. Several of these folks are dead now.



Here are the last 9 years worth of winners.



Wes meetin' and greetin'.











The girls who were working the signing for the track were awesome. Gail made sure Wes and I stayed flush in full beers and even gave us a 6 pack to go once the race got underway.



We sat in the 'Bobby Allison' section, one of the patriarchs of the 'Alabama Gang'. We were right on turn 1.

Check out the guy in the white Alabama Crimson Tide hat. I poked him and we high-fived the LSU game.



Here's our man 'Smoke' pulling out of the pit.







Being in the desert, you would expect a rain delay, but we sure enough had one for about 30 minutes.





I wanted to pull for this car, but Wes told me it wasn't in the race.



That's the only bigoted thing I heard or saw at PIR. Just because it don't look like the other cars, I bet it still has heart. I mean, all they need to do was spray paint a number on it. And I don't think they'd have to change his tires at all during the race. Them suckers look pretty sturdy. Only 'stock cars' can be in the race.

But, whatever. It would've only been fair to give Big Blue a shot.



The first time that I raced my qualifying was a shame
I started out way in the back and came back about the same

What's wrong with this picture?



If you have to use 'reverse' in a NASCAR race, then chances are you ain't going to do too well.







Smoke ran anywhere from 25th to 9th at one point. It was fun to watch him try to move up each lap.

And, from an organizational management stand point, NASCAR should be a case study in how to do things right. I've never been so impressed with an organization's ability to run the smoothest, well-oiled, tons of fun event ever. Those men and women have it down.

The race ended with Jimmy Johnson (who we hates) taking the checkered flag and in all probablity the Cup for the year.

It ain't about the money or even being #1
You gotta know when it's all over you did the best you could've done
Knowing that it's in you and you never let it out
Is worse than blowing any engine or any wreck you'll ever have

Here's the finish line wrecked that occurred at the end of the race. I thought this was how they finished all NASCAR races, but Wes told me different.





Here's 'Smoke #20' after being wrecked at the finish walking over to have a little chat with the feller who drove the McDonalds car. My best guess is that Smoke told him to quit clowning around.

*chirp* * chirp*

Tough crowd.





I lost more than I won but I ain't gonna give up
Till they put me in the ground or Daddy's name's on that cup

Well, here we are at the finish line. I can't thank Wes and Jyl enough for allowing me the pleasure to hang out with Wes at the race and to host him for the weekend. Wes is as fine a fella as you'd ever want to meet. In him I found a like mind on many an issue (we had good fun razzing V-PILF the entire weekend). Once again, I had the honor of meeting one of the greater talents in the DBT family and I could go on and on about how great I think Wes is, but I'll sum it up thusly:

Lore has it that Patterson once stated "Any man that isn't a little queer for Wes Freed ain't a real man at all".

Then color me a little queer.

Finally, since it is the holiday season, I can't think of a better gift to give your loved one than a print created by Mr. Freed.

Go to Wes's Website and shoot Jyl an email with your holiday order. You'll be bringing cheer and smiles to many by doing so:




One last thought: Did y'all know that the "M" in Barry M. Goldwater stands for Hussein. It does.

It was like that all weekend.
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