I didn’t write this morning – was out too late last night. I’m not sure what all I want to tackle… I’ve been spending so much time making edits at B’s request, and contemplating the subject that I spend most of my time contemplating, that I haven’t really talked much about what I’ve been up to here in Memphis. I think I mentioned that I saw an amazing band the other week – Marcus King Band – if I didn’t…. they were amazing. Last night I went to a work function – it was a holiday get together for people in the music business here in Memphis. It was pretty cool, I got the chance to talk to the band Southern Avenue – they just got nominated for a Grammy and seem to be a big deal around here. I also hung out with a couple of guys from some local bands. A group of us then went to a different bar where a really drunk guy started asking this woman (a friend of his) “who the fuck is this guy?” – pointing to me. She said I was the guy she’s fucking – which did not go over well with him. Mind you, I had never met either of these people… He got really upset. Said “fuck you” about eight or nine times to her, mistakenly tried to grab my coat and leave. Not sure where he ended up, home I guess, but then he texted her about 40 times “fuck you” over and over. It made me think of Willie (also the bartender from the Willie incident was at this bar).
This past Friday, I had to work. Was probably the first time I’ve worked the day after Thanksgiving in forever. The office didn’t need to be open – and being new, I’m not sure I have any days off yet. That night, Stacy and I went out to see North Mississippi Allstars. They put on a great show – they covered at least three or four Junior Kimbrough songs – which made me happy. They also had some local singers who were great, and they had Gary Burnside as a special guest….A lot of the songs were North Mississippi blues meets jam band. The opening act was the lead singer of NM Allstars doing some solo stuff. Then they had a comedian come out and do his skit. He was funny, and raw, and did not avoid race. He loved poking fun at the all white crowd at a blues show… This comes up a lot in my work – how white the blues industry is. At one point he was talking about being back in Memphis. He said he went to the Civil Rights Museum earlier in the day. Its across the street from my office – every day, I see the balcony where Dr. King was killed. He said he was having a deep moment, and then in true Memphis fashion, clack clack clack – gunshots ring out… I looked it up, it was true. At 5:30pm on Friday, two people were shot, one killed across the street from where I work.
Saturday I wrote and went to Cafe Keough to read a bit. This is me trying to look as pensive as I felt and me kinda smiling for the camera. That night I went to Earnestine & Hazel’s but was home pretty early.
pensive 
less pensive
Sunday I was a slug most of the day and stayed in the apartment until late afternoon when I met up with Stacy to support a local art project she had done. She was collecting neighborhood stories – by posting story boards with questions and markers on telephone poles. This is all of us hanging outside her co-worker’s house (the neighborhood where she did the installation). I don’t think she’ll get a lot of participants, but it’s cool that she even thinks of these types of things.
I still can’t find my groove when it comes to sleep, exercise, or much of anything else. I obviously still miss B. I wish we were doing the holidays together – last Christmas was really special. It makes me sad to think she’s gonna have one just as special (perhaps more so) with someone else. On that note, I’m gonna post some music videos. I moved here telling myself if I can’t have love, I’m going to have music.
Love this cover of Kimbrough’s Meet Me in the City. Good footage of Memphis, including Earnestine & Hazel’s