Nate Houge

15June2007

rachel kurtz, red raven

Posted by nate under: Uncategorized.

so wednesday i’m talking with Rachel and she says, “I’m in Moorhead doing stuff at Concordia all week and tomorrow I’m booked at the red raven, ya’ wanna play?”  I say, “yes, please.” (manners are very important)

I’ve had many opportunities to play in the Rachel Kurtz band (the ever evolving never quite named rag tag of ace musicians) but it’s been awhile since I’ve been the Rachel Kurtz band and let me tell you, it was fun!

I had very low expectations for the show because it was a thursday night coffee house show and because I haven’t played much lately but I was excited for three reasons,

1) Escape the family that I love so dearly.  Since Elsa’s birth I’ve had a total of 8 hours of alone time.  Last night I almost doubled that – a highlight being that I could listen to loud music the whole way including The Silo’s Cuba. (thanks JR!!!!)

2) Use my new acoustic amp in a live setting.  Jodi gave me a sweet acoustic amp for my 30th birthday and last night I had a chance to really test it out with mandolin and guitar and it’s awesome.  I’ve used it a few times at church but I never really get to turn it up.  Last night I did.  Yippee!!!

3) The music.  I love playing with Rachel and I love playing my own songs and last night I got to do both.  =happy nate.

We had a total blast.  Rachel would sing a few songs and then I’d do a couple and we went back and forth for about 2 1/2 hours.  The young adults from Concordia came over and were about half into it and half enjoying each other – but that was just fine.  One of the funny very rachel kurtz moments was when she started playing the hokey pokey and the chicken dance. 

And here’s the unbelievable part – at the last minute i had grabbed some cd’s (normally i sell zip at a coffee shop, especially if i’m playing with rachel, ’cause everyone goes for the voice over the boyish good looks) and i sold a butt load!  And on top of that, Rachel paid me, which was totally not expected but totally welcome.  In fact, after paying for gas and groceries (all rock and roll endings end with a trip to the supermarket when you’re in the big city) I still had leftover payola.  So here are 3 pics, rachel singing, me showing off my funding of my dentists trip to the bahamas, and the kids doing the hokey pokey.

13June2007

thank you brother floyd.

Posted by nate under: Uncategorized.

this is copied from an e-mail sent by one of those friends who does a lot of thinking for me.  his comments follow the quote. amen.

“since 1979, the share of pretax income going to the top 1 percent of American households has risen by 7 percentage points, to 16 percent. Over the same span, the share of income going to the bottom 80 percent has fallen by 7 percentage points. It€™s as if every household in that bottom 80 percent is writing a check for $7,000 every year and sending
it to the top 1 percent.”

Why aren’t people pissed about this stuff?  Why do we allow this?  We are just ignoring it.  I read somewhere that for the first time ever men in their30’s are making less then their fathers did in their 30’s.  How bad do things have to get before people get upset?  I think we need a class war.

13June2007

links like sausage

Posted by nate under: Uncategorized.

yum. sausage. snausage?

check out the blog links added, eric ambel and no impact man.  two blogs i find myself enjoying on uh raygoolar baysis.

also fall in love with dave alvin all over again.  the part about the corn flakes is about as cool as rock and roll gets.