I had planned to write a little essay about the flea-market, but I don't have the time or focus (teaching high-school for the first time is proving more demanding than I anticipated). In any case, the highlight of the flea-market for me may have came yesterday, when I bought a mule face jug (not technically a face jug, I suppose, since it's a mule) that reminded me of Warren Oates and the Will Oldham song "No More Workhorse Blues." I passed by the jug once without buying it, but the odd mixture of pathos and silliness in the mule's eyes pulled me back.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share a live Bonnie "Prince" Billy performance with my good friends Josh and Kristen. We attended 2 shows at the Gravity Lounge in Charlottesville. The show was billed as Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Will Oldham) with special guests the Anomoanon (led by Will’s brothers Ned and Paul Oldham), but in many ways it was more of an Oldham Brothers show. Will played a keyboard, tambourine, and provided backup vocals for the Anomoanon songs, and the Anomoanon served as the backing band for the Bonnie "Prince" Billy portion of the show. During a break between Anomoanon/Bonnie "Prince" Billy sets, Will, Ned, and Paul came onstage with acoustic guitars and played a couple of songs that are going to appear later in the fall as an Oldham Brothers release. Although I came mainly to hear Will Oldham, Paul's voice and quiet demeanor really impressed me, which adds to my anticipation of the Oldham Brothers release.
Speaking of concerts, if you happen to be near Sparta, NC on September 6, you should drop whatever you're doing and head over to the Sparta high-school gym to see one of the greats of country music, Charlie Louvin. Louvin is best known for the material he recorded with his brother, Ira. The Louvin Brothers started releasing albums in the late 1940's and released many gems until 1963, when they split. Shortly after the split, Ira Louvin died in a car wreck. Through the years, Louvin Brothers songs have been covered by Johnny Cash, Alison Krauss, Gram Parsons, Uncle Tupelo, Beck, and many others. Last year, Charlie released his first solo album (devoted to Ira), a collection of duets with younger admirers like Will Oldham and Jeff Tweedy. Seeing a musician of Charlie Louvin's stature in a small high-school gym in the mountains of North Carolina (bordering Grayson County, VA, where I grew up) will undoubtedly be a memorable event.
Here's Charlie singing a song he wrote for his brother, "Ira"
I haven't posted lately because I started a new job in a new town (Hillsville, VA), and I've been busy with everything that goes along with that. I've taken a few opportunities to go out and shoot photos (one of the few outlets that helps keep me sane), but I haven't had much expendable time or access to computers. I took the job on very short notice, so--as of right now--my furniture is in storage and I'm staying in the upstairs of a friend's house. Fortunately for me, the folks I'm staying with are super kind and generous, and their place is beautiful--a meadow behind the house, a pond underneath the hill, etc. The photo above is of their neighbor's pond. I stopped and took it on my way to work a couple of days ago. The Hillsville Labor Day Gun Show and Flea Market is coming up next week, and I plan on taking a break from work and photographing it for a second year. I wasn't overly happy with the shots I got last year, but I'm enthusiastic about shooting it again. I'll try to post some of those photos next weekend.
Once I get moved into my own place, semi-regular posting will presume.
