November 27, 2006

November: Freezing cold and blowing snow... brrrr


Times-Colonist photo

We're having a Snow Day... it started yesterday (with a mercifully brief power outage :: my poor friends on Hornby Island have been in the dark for days...) and piled up quite a bit, and lots of places shut down because of the icy roads making it impossible to get anywhere on time.

We're being swarmed with hungry hummingbirds and one is just perched on a branch going into hibernation I think - or perhaps a coma - anyway, it's totally ignoring us as we put out more feeders. Poor babies... shouldn't they be in Mexico right about now??

Del McCoury was totally terrific, as was the opening act, Victoria's very own Four Chords of Wood. Many strings were shredded at lightning speed and much bluegrass rang the old rafters at the Alix Goolden Hall on Friday night.

I hung out with our friend Jeb, who is always the sharp-dressed man whenever he steps out. We went and spoke with Del after the show and he signed Jeb's copy of his very first (1968) album for Arhoolie Records.

Del was wonderful, even as tired as he was after a 4:am airport call in Nashville that day. He is such a gentleman, the real deal. He even recorded a voice track for a station ID I put together for Jeb's radio show. OK, I officially love Del McCoury and his amazing band.

I forgot to mention the other great show I saw in the last few weeks :: Pink Martini from Portland, Oregon are truly incredible. A touring 12-piece ensemble that plays everything under the sun, including fabulously obscure soundtrack songs from Japanese TV shows.

Do not miss the opportunity to see them, you won't be disappointed. (Check out their tour diary, it's really cute and will make you giggle.)

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