Whitewater Horn

Man, I hate to hear that. Sorry for your loss, brother.

In the oversaturated and kinda played out medium of YouTube reactors, this dude stands out from most others I’ve seen. I can’t remember what I saw first, but it led me down a rabbit hole and I subscribed. It’s obvious that his enthusiasm to discover music that he wasn’t exposed to growing up is genuine. Always something positive to say and it’s fun to listen to these songs and see someone truly enjoy them for the first time. Feel good viewing for heavy times.

“Force will be used against you?” Like restraint, cuffs, maybe even a taser if there is resistance? How in the fuck is deadly force from multiple officers warranted in this situation? Another straight up murder and ridiculously disproportionate response by the police. That is sickening and I can’t comprehend how much more of this we have to see.

That was an incredibly crafted and delivered performance. He’s so adept at making cleverly prepared material seem off the cuff. The great comedians, singers, spoken word artists, and other speakers know how create tension, then release. Sometimes Dave allowed us release with a laugh, but he also hit us with gut punches of of hard to hear truth. It was funny where it needed to be, and unapologetically honest and angry where needed, as well. It was long enough to speak his mind humbly, and he knew when to wrap it up. So much respect and admiration for this man.

Of course I present the rational and statistical side of it, too. I don’t want him walking around feeling resigned to an untimely and unjust death at the hands of police or “concerned homeowners who think he fits the description of a suspected burglar who will chase him down in their pickup truck.” Having adopted my children out of a horrific environment when they were 3 and 5 years old, gaining and keeping their trust has always been paramount. I’ve always tried to be as straight up as possible about life and the world we live in, up to their level of maturity and comprehension. I don’t sugar coat things. When they ask me direct questions, I give them direct answers. Anytime I tell them something is going to happen, no matter how minor, I make sure it happens. If there is a change, I explain why. I’m sure this is important with bio children, but consistency is everything for kids coming out of the foster system who are used to getting bullshitted and fucked over by adults. I try to handle this by preparing them for the worst, but that I also don’t want them to go through life with irrational fears. I make sure they understand that fair or unfair, there is a perception of “you are who you roll with,” so be mindful and discerning of the company you keep and how you may appear to others, especially white adults. My son has always been a car nut and gearhead. He wants to customize a car with dark tint and build a sound system. He’s afraid that when people see cars like that they think “gangsta” or drug dealer. He just loves cars and music. Anyway, the point I’m trying to find is that it’s a balancing act. I want to tell them that it’s unlikely that harm will come to them as long as they obey the law and be aware of their company and surroundings. At the same time, I feel I would be failing them if I didn’t make sure that they see and understand what is happening to people who look like them. The thing that keeps me optimistic is that my kids communicate with me for real. They talk to me about things that are real and even embarrassing, especially for a 13 year old boy and a girl turning 16 next week. The conversation is ongoing, and I consider myself fortunate that they trust me and come to me to talk about their feelings, their dreams, their fears, their questions, etc. I suppose I just try to make them understand that everything I do is out of unconditional love with the intention of providing the best preparation for adult life.

I guess I’m in whatever percent of people on this board who DO have to have this kind of talk with my 13 year old son. It sucks that we’ve already been having similar conversations for years about dealing with law enforcement and authority figures. Now we’re discussing strategies of how to survive these interactions when, not if, they occur. If my heart wasn’t already completely broken, full of exasperation and outrage with all of the recent murders of unarmed black American citizens, the following recent exchange with my son surely did me in. I noticed my son seemed unusually quiet and not as engaged as usual, so I asked if he was feeling okay, and said yeah. Then after a pause he said, in a defeated tone I’ve never heard from him before, “it just sucks to know that when I’m a little older I’ll probably get killed by the police. I wish I could have a fun and cool life like you and Pappy (my dad).” It’s infuriating and terrifying to have to accept that my fatherly love and preparation can only do so much for my son, who for his whole life up to this point has been a sweet and funny kid with personality and charisma for days. But as he ages, many in his native state and country only see a young black male, and because of that he feels like an endangered species. That feeling should be laughed off as as hyperbole, but there’s truth to it. I’m tired, too. And I’m sorry for anyone who is having to have these kinds of conversations with their children or other loved ones. We, and I’m taking about all human beings, have to be better than this.

Whew. That reminds me of the day I adopted my two kids, siblings in danger of being split up. We had a full courtroom of family and friends, and I was not prepared for the emotional impact of the moment. One of my aunts started with the unchecked emotion, and it spread like wildfire. I remember the judge saying that she always starts the day with adoptions because the rest of the day is a bummer.

Yep. There always has to be a critical mass reached, a tipping point, straw that broke the camel’s back etc. It’s embarrassing that we needed so many other factors in combination with the rampant and disproportionate police brutality and straight up murder of our black citizens to agitate us to sustained action and hopefully real changes in attitude and treatment.

That is some of the best advice I was given when I decided to get serious about guitar in my mid 20s. My dad plays guitar and I played drums in bands growing up, so I was able to play cowboy chords and had learned some basic theory, CAGED, Nashville numbering, a few basic scales. A friend and former bandmate who was, and still is, a great rhythm and lead player was helping me one day when I complimented him on how great of a player he was, and he told me me this: “Learning to play guitar well is learning how to dance with your right hand, that’s where the magic happens. You already know the chords and scales. Spend most of your time practicing your strumming and picking patterns and you’ll see faster progression.” It was true. I realized that much of what was happening with my left hand (fret hand) was largely muscle memory and when I put more focus on what my right hand was doing, my playing became much more musical and didn’t sound stiff or forced. It’s a great way to get your playing smooth and fluent. So much great advice on this thread that I wish I had when I started.

This thread is harmful to my health. The revulsion always makes me laugh so hard that the back of my head hurts.

RIP Shady Grove. I spent many evenings there outside enjoying great live music, drinks, and one of the only places in town to get a decent green chile cheeseburger.

Hear, hear! And hopefully many more! One of the musical constants of my life since the mid-70s 🤘

Dennehy was creepily convincing as John Wayne Gacy (and Pogo the Clown) in the TV movie “To Catch a Killer.” I remember feeling my skin crawl during a scene in which he’s shooting pool with a teenage boy, trying to seduce him with a drink and says, “You know Billy, there’s more than one way to get your rocks off.” The way he delivered that line made me fear for that young actor.

I’ve been watching these since they started. It’s I called I So Lounging on Amanda’s YouTube channel. You can watch them live or the recorded episodes. They take requests and have covered people you would expect like John Prine and Leonard Cohen, but also things maybe you wouldn’t expect like Radiohead and Genesis. Of course they also do a lot of Amanda’s songs along with some of Jason’s and DBT stuff. It’s very causal and includes hilarious storytelling. If you’re a fan of Jason and Amanda and not already watching, it’s one of the best quarantine-specific streams going.

No words for this one. RIP Uncle John.

Gladly paid for and watched it. No spoilers. I found it to be well worth the money. For someone very familiar with all of his stand up and television work, it seems that his observations, writing, and performance are as sharp and irreverent as ever. He may have actually doubled down on some of the truly absurd irreverent bits and has done so fearlessly and hilariously.

That is terrible news. Such a great man and legendary songwriter. I hope he had the constitution and will to fight through this.

There’s so much to be disturbed by here. Chief among them is the repeated wearing of Longhorn gear by this white trash shit show of a two-tone mullet wearin’, bad tat havin’, heterosexual convertin’, wheelin’, dealin’, helicopter flyin’, ATV ridin’, animal exploitin’, country sangin’, justified murder plottin’ son of a gun. Woo! I hope this series ends with Joe and the husband-murdering empress of all Crazy Cat Ladies savagely dismembered and devoured together by one or more of the animals they’re “saving.”

Agreed. I downloaded this on Amazon unlimited this morning and it’s okay, nothing too deep on the surface. I’m guessing the full album will be more interesting. Maybe I’m wrong, but Isbell doesn’t seem the type to coast and put out uninspired mediocrity on the likelihood of it being well received.

Madder than a centipede on a hot rock. Happier than a puppy with two peters. Uglier than homemade sin. Sweatin’ like a whore in church.

When I was 10 years old I was sure I wanted to be Ace Frehley. My dad was already teaching me guitar and I was all about it. One day my buddy came over with a couple of records he had “borrowed” from his older brother’s GF. The records were 2112 and Hemispheres. I was skeptical that this band would be as good as KISS, but he kept saying, “just wait til you hear this drummer.” I was floored and asked my buddy to let me keep those records for a couple of days. Like so many other kids in the 70s and 80s, Neil’s playing inspired me to want to learn how to play drums. Two weeks after my first listen and pleading for drum lessons, my dad took me to a good pawn shop and got my first (of many) drumkits for $60 and found a local teacher. I fell in love with drumming and played in a number of bands in high school and in my 20s while living in the UK. I never pursued music as a career because I felt like had ability, but not talent. It was always about the fun of playing. The list of drummers that awe me are numerous and varied - I don’t give a shit about who is considered “the best,” whatever that even means to art, but Neil always held a special place in my life for being the inspiration to explore more challenging music and amplify my already fanatical passion for music and those who make it. I’m not sure how many times I saw him perform, but it was somewhere in the 30s before I lost count. RIP Neil, and thanks for the great words and rhythmic artistry. 🤘

So glad they never fucked this movie up with attempting a sequel.

No way she’s not down with the clown.

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