News for July 2008

Rodeo/Road Update

Well so much for daily updates on the Rodeo.We (Kjel, Nate, Bethel Lutheran Roseville, CA) wrapped things up Sunday morning and we drove back to Kjel’s place in Phoenix.   The second we refers to Kjel and I – the congregation didn’t feel like making a 12 hour drive with us.  So after two Del Tacos and one Starbucks we pulled into Phoenix around 1 am (about 8 hours ago as I write)  We were definitely ready to be off the road.  My big dilemma now is whether or not to grind coffee beans while Kjel’s still asleep.  Will he appreciate that I’m making coffee and easing him into the day at a reasonable hour?  Or would he rather I sit here with a caffeine headache and the mental clarity of a moose?Grind on.While that’s percolating  allow me to give you the briefest of updates on the last week.welcome, creative, 4 instruments, great kids, great adults, power tools, sharp knives, home depot, great food, strong coffee, morning runs, pool, song writing, art art art, beautiful weather, snack on, snack to it, metaphor, liturgy, learning, growing, experiment, positive.Now I’m going to drink this coffee (with Kjel who coincidentally is awake now) put on my least dirty shirt (10 days, one carry on, one load of wash you do the math) get on a plane, go to MN and hug my three favorite girls until they tell me to go take a shower and put on a clean shirt.   

Posted: July 28th, 2008
Categories: rodeo, travel
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Word for the Day

Flexidox

Posted: July 26th, 2008
Categories: edumacation
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rodeo day one

Welcome to Day One of the Rodeo – Gathering

The below instrument is a large shaker that requires a community to play. The idea/design for this came from a conversation with Jim Orvis. Thanks Jim!

bethel onebethel twobethel three

shakeshaker cover

Posted: July 22nd, 2008
Categories: rodeo
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hot and cold

Friday – walk to bus, bus to airport tram – airport tram to escalator – escalator to concourse – concourse to gate – gate to plane – plane to air – air to ArizonaSaturday – Morning run.  97 degrees.  6am.  Hottest run of summer.  AZ – CASunday –  After a 5 hour nap in motel 6, arrive at Bethel Lutheran Church in Sacramento at 8 am.Monday – 5:15 am run with Matt (of the Herlocker’s who Kjel and I are staying with).  If I would’ve brought long sleeves and gloves I would’ve worn them.  It was like 50 something out.  Not what you’d expect in sunny CA.  Coldest run of summer.Today Kjel and I will embark with the congregation of Bethel Lutheran Church on the Jesus Rodeo.  I estimate in about 3 more cups of coffee we’ll start our shopping at Large Home Improvement store.  Perhaps by tomorrow there’ll be some visual evidence on this here site.   

Posted: July 21st, 2008
Categories: rodeo, travel
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saturday was music day

scarveslydia

Here are a few shots taken by Mercy Ward from the Saturday show at Gingko in St. Paul.  The kids were great, and sometime during the second song my daughter decided that the kids should be on stage too, so for the next 40 minutes I shared the stage with the kids and in fact ended with all the kids on the stage and me looking up at them from the little chair section.  As is not uncommon when my eldest is present she asked to do a song too.  And shed did.  And it was great. That’s the beauty of a smaller show.  Thanks all who came.

Later that day I went with my friend Steve down to the Triple Rock for Aviette’s CD release.  We got there just as the Glad Version took the stage.  I’ve seen their name around a bit so I was thrilled to hear them live and even more thrilled to find out they are amazing!  The Alarmists followed and did a great job – another band that I’ve been wanting to see, and then Aviette took the stage and were at the top of their game.  I’ve known the band since inception – in fact in an earlier line up they played as Maelee Whitman and I played guitar for one of their Fine Line shows and got to play mandolin on one of their releases.  Having seen a band work so hard and do so much time in little bars and coffee shops over the years I was thrilled to watch them play to a packed house in a cool club on a saturday night in mpls.  Good job!  I told my wife the next day it reminded me of the Lucinda Williams line in passionate kisses ‘is it too much to demand? I want a full house and a rock and roll band’  What local band hasn’t felt that way?  It feels great to be part of a scene where your friends get to play that show.

Go see some music.

Posted: July 2nd, 2008
Categories: family, music
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I've got boots like Matt Marohl

So the other weekend we were in the Quad Cities visiting our friends the Marohls.  Highlights included, but are not limited too, touring a fire station, watching our daughters play, and of course talking rock and roll with Matt.

The fire station was great.  We went under the guise of our daughters wanting to see the fire truck, but really it was a Dad tour.  I got to shoot the fire hose.  Sweet.  Lydia was holding on to it too, but obviously I was providing all the man power.  At least that’s what I thought until I turned around and saw that our firefighting friend was actually doing all the supporting and stabilizing of the hose as Lydia and I unloaded water at a rate of 300 gallons a minute.  Matt was pretty bummed that he didn’t get to shoot the hose, but he cheered up once he got to put on the total fire fighter outfit complete with oxygen tank and face mask.  It looked pretty tough, and with the mask on he sounded like darth vader.  We were all in awe of his manliness.  That is until he started singing, ‘wake me up before you go go!’ 

fire station

Matt’s a good friend and a smarty pants theologian and on top of all that a huge music fan.  We listened to alot of music and at one point put on the Hoodoo Gurus ‘Mars Needs Guitars’ I hadn’t heard this album from 1985 and got a kick out of reading this in the liner notes: If you enjoyed this album, please help the band: get your friends to buy a copy and not tape yours.   So I guess that discussion is older than I thought. 

When I put out my CD Folkstar in 2001 I wrote something in the liner notes along the lines of ‘Make copies for your friends’ The idea being to get the music out and grow the fan base.  I don’t feel that way anymore.  I wouldn’t photocopy a fine art print so why should I burn music?  I’m amazed at how cheapened music has become.  As I prepare to release my next CD I can’t help but wonder how sales will go.  Everybody wants to get something for nothing but you get what you pay for.  If you really want to promote art, pay for it. 

Cameron Townsend of Wycliffe Bible Translators fame first went to South America in 1917 to share the Gospel.  He gave away bibles.  Nobody cared.  Then he started selling Bibles.  What he found was that people valued the Bible’s exponentially more when they had payed for it.  Then he learned the importance of translating the Bible into people’s mother tongue.

My music isn’t exactly the Bible but I think we can all learn a thing or too from Mr. Townsend.  If you don’t care enough about my music to pay for it then I don’t really need you as a fan. 

Now to figure out the mother tongue of my listeners…

Now go buy some local music!

Posted: July 1st, 2008
Categories: family, friendship, music, travel
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john, deere

john houge

Here’s a shot of my daughter driving me around Moline IL two weekends ago.  She’s a pretty good driver all things considered.

Posted: July 1st, 2008
Categories: family, transportation, travel
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