April 19, 2002

Looks like I've been shamed into updating my blog again.

And not in small part due to Backup Brain's little survey on Sonoma County blogs. Oh, ok, I admit it. I'm one of them. Or at least I can admit that I live here - dunno if I can really call my feeble attempt at blogging just that.

Surprising all the stuff that kinda accumulates in the brain though, just waiting to be spilled onto my little keyboard.

First of all I need to take a minute to do a digital bow in front of a couple of people: First and foremost - Luke. I'm in deep gratitude for your free hosting, selfless tech support at all hours of the day and night, plus the occasional swift kick in the arse to get me motivated in keeping the blog alive. :-)

Another bow goes to my friend Cam - thanks for the awesome Camworld T-shirt, and although belated - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Remember, "29" can have a pretty long shelf-life ...

And to give this blog at least the appearance of being somewhat more than just a place for me to bitch, here are a couple of beautiful Haikus from the talented Suzanne Axtell:

Such a chilly night
Dog and cat stretch between us
Purring trough of fur

Winter's pulled over
Spring blooms in a roadside rut
Summer waves nearby

[Hold that thought for just a minute ...]

Ok, now to spilling the brain: Ever heard of The Young Dubliners? No? Well, they're an Irish Rock Band. Or at least they were - before they "changed their style".

A year ago, a friend and I saw them at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma, CA. They rocked our world. I don't think I've ever had so much unbridled fun dancing a silly Irish jig ... So I was psyched to find out the Young Dubs would return to the Mystic on March 29th.

This time though we could hardly tap a toe to their tunes. All that was Irish had apparently "left" the Dubliners. They were just Rock now - and boring one at that. The packed theater visibly emptied after half an hour or so, and people just stood around on the dance floor, awkwardly wiggling their bodies. We hit the road not too long after that.

So two weeks later, my friend decides to write an email to the band to air her disappointment. I honestly didn't think those guys would put down the whiskey bottle long enough to actually read their email, but they did, and here's their reply:

"Dear X,

the only reason I am replying to your email is that it is only the 3rd such email we have received in ten years. It saddens me to find out that a so called fan have pidgeon holed us in a box of their design that we are not allowed to grow from. Every band grows. Sometimes that style does not suit all its current fans, sometimes they love it and lots more arrive. If a band stands still in time then they usually decay and cease to exist. We make no apologies for trying new sounds and new styles. We have recorded five albums and if you had indeed purchased any of them you would know that we have always been a rock band with an Irish influence and not the other way around.

I am from Dublin and I write the songs therefore they are Irish songs. The name of a band does not restrict the type of music they play. If U2 play a country song should they give up their name? Young Dubliners music is whatever we play.

If you had stayed until the end of the show you would have heard "Leaving of Liverpool", "Foggy Dew", "Follow me up to Carlow"," Rocky Road to Dublin", "Ashley Falls", "Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore" and "Bodhran". All Irish songs.

I don't mean to insult you but I was quite insulted by your email. All bands showcase new material at the top of a show and then return to familiar songs from past albums as the set progresses.. This is called "progress". We don't expect you to like every song but don't put us in a box and tell us we can't try other things without "deceiving" people. That is simply preposterous.

I hope you can listen to our entire catalog of albums and thus get the point of all this. If not then have a nice life. We will continue to play new and exciting songs for those thousands who have come to expect no less from us."

Sincerely,
Keith Roberts
Young Dubliners

The Moral Of The Story: When is it ok to let a band, whose music you love and whose concerts and CDs you pay for, know when their "new direction" sucks? When they play in front of an empty house?

On The Bright Side: Morford is back! Thank gawd. I thought I was gonna have to go down to the Chronicle myself and stand in line with the rest of the mental patients, begging for the return of SF's best columnist. Turns out though, he's just recovering from a bowling incident that rendered his typing fingers useless. I'm relieved. Death to all bowling alleys though.