Fans of ABC's country prime time soap, Nashville, had a real treat last night -- highlights from a concert the cast and songwriters did at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, where artists of many genres dream of performing. They did the full songs, which rarely run more than a minute on the show. The most satisfying aspect of this dynamic series is the authenticity of the music. Remember how lame and artificial fictional bands on TV and in the movies sounded, especially in the 60's and 70's? Fortunately, this is no longer the case, as proved by the beautiful ballad Falling Slowly from Once (2006) and the bouncy pop title track from That Thing You Do (1996). I was very interested to see how Hayden Panettierre would fare singing live. She acquitted herself well, staying within her range. The others were terrific. Man, there are a lot of talented people in this world. Fortunately, America is a country that allows anyone with drive and perseverance to pursue a dream. The most curious aspect of the concert was the absence of Connie Britton, the series' star, who also is one of its producers. I wonder if there is a storyline similar to what occurs in the program behind it. The soundtrack is available for download. No clip from the show has yet been posted at youtube. Here is a version of one of the songs, the haunting This Town, performed by Chip Esten, who portrays the alcoholic Deacon Claybourne, and Clare Bowen, who portrays his niece, Scarlett O'Connor. During interviews last night, Bowen, who is Australian, and Sam Palladio, British, spoke in their normal accents, not southern drawl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZXsZ7YvXHk
Great news: despite an administration fundamentally opposed to traditional forms of energy (Keystone Pipeline again delayed), U.S. stockpiles of crude oil are at their highest since 1937, enjoying the most production in 26 years.
Today I had a visit from Political Man, who bemoaned that his co-op, on which he sits on the board, paid $600,000 in real estate taxes and another $100,000 in water taxes. I said he couldn't both support the expensive liberal programs he loves and oppose higher taxes. "I know," he said, hanging his head, suffering a momentary loss of faith. He quickly recovered, laying his usual spiel on Big Mike, a disappointed Democrat who called the President an anti-semite. That got PM's dander up and the two went at it verbally for a moment. To review: PM spends $500 a month on pot, more on his massive CD collection, and receives Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps, despite the fact that his partner "has money," as he puts it. Maybe he should ask for one of those exemptions unions get from Obamacare. After all, he is on the side of the angels.
The sun shined brilliantly today. Unfortunately, the breeze was still stiff. As I stood at the floating book shop waiting for buyers, a Bob Dylan song popped into my head: "...Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth/Blowing down the back roads headin' south..." Certain weather conditions heighten the sense of futility of the endeavor. It looked like it would be a rare session of zilch, then Alan showed and bought Exchanges, my only sale of the day. He' d thrown me a curve, as he'd been eying A Hitch in Twilight for months. I hope he doesn't regret it. Thank you, sir, and to Simon, my next door neighbor, who donated two more boxes of classics in Russian.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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