Ramsay Midwood @ Riverbend in Chattanooga 06-08-2003

Uncle Vernon has a tapeworm or he is just completely obsessed by his Nutro Complete Care Kitten Food (dry formula). Recently, he’s become over-affectionate at ridiculous hours of the morning (5am.), causing my girlfriend and I much consternation. Our attempts to remedy this behavior, including feeding them later in the evening, are not taking. Is it possible he has some sort of parasite that is feasting on his internal organs? Or, as many of my “friends” have already suggested, is he, simply, a “goddamn cat”?

Also, why do cat turds become cat toys after they’re rolled in litter? And would it be inappropriate, as a Halloween Prank, for me to take a poo in the litter box and let my girlfriend find it and, hopefully, be worried about the cats? No?


Today, we have a concert I recorded back in 2003 at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga. Ramsay Midwood, the eclectic Americana singer/songwriter, was touring in support of his excellent album “Shoot Out At the O.K. Chinese Restaurant.” I’m not sure Ramsay or his band expected the huge crowd that came to see them. Chattanooga’s local public radio affiliate, WUTC-FM, had been spinning the album for weeks and people seemed to really take to it.

This is a direct soundboard recording to DAT tape. The band is on point and Ramsay is in great spirits. Highlights include the “Shoot Out” stuff like “Monster Truck” and “Mohawk River.” The song “Monster Truck” is played twice because they ran out of material and us Chattanoogans just can’t enough of anything pertaining to big, over-sized, stupid trucks. My favorite songs, however, are “Jesus is #1” and “Prozac.” Ramsay is definitely an underrated songwriter/performer. Whatever happened to this guy anyway?



Ramsay Midwood
Riverbend Festival – Chattanooga, TN
06-08-2003


1. Chicago
2. Mohawk River
3. Rattlesnake
4. Monster Truck
5. I Feed My Monkey
6. I Saw the Light/Spinning’ on a Rock
7. Esther
8. Fisherman’s Friend
9. Reelin’ and a Rockin’
10. Jesus is #1
11. Prozac
12. Monster Truck (requested again)


Download Ramsay Midwood @ Riverbend

Norman & Nancy Blake @ the Barking Legs 2004

Chattanoogans are lucky in a few ways. The first is that we’re nestled in the heart of Bluegrass music. I can’t tell you how many Bluegrass festivals, concerts and pickin’ parties I’ve been to during my seven year stay here. One of the legends of ‘pickin is Norman Blake. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Rising Fawn Ga., just a 20-minute drive from here over the state line. This means that, on occasion, the couple will leave the farm and perform a concert, most of the time at the Barking Legs Theater…the other reason Chattanoogans are lucky.

The Barking Legs is an intimate, 120 capacity venue in a less-than favorable area of the city. I’ve volunteered (…speaking as myself, not the cat this time) there for years. I encourage seeing a show there if you’re ever in the area. The show posted below still stands out in my mind, as it was the first time I’d heard Norman perform live.

This concert from 2004 is loaded with highlights: Notable performances include the hilarious “The Bragging Song,” a beautiful rendition of “All the Good Times Are Over,” and, of course, “Big Rock Candy Mountain” and “You Are My Sunshine” from the Grammy winning “O Brother Where Art Thou” movie soundtrack.

Good stuff. A true legend.


Norman & Nancy Blake
Barking Legs Theatre, Chattanooga TN
01-09-2004

Part 1

1. Katy Kline
2. All the Good Times Are Over
3. The Battleship of Maine
4. Precious Moments
5. The Old Grey Mare Come Tearing Out the Wilderness
6. Sweet Freedom
7. The Bragging Song
8. I Loved You Better Than You Knew
9. Ms. Forbes Farewell
10. Flower From the Fields of Alabama



Part 2

1. stage banter
2. The Fate of Talmadge Osborne
3. Dixie Cowboy
4. Big Rock Candy Mountain
5. You Are My Sunshine
6. Meet Me In the Shadow of the Pines
7. Camp Meeting On the Fourth of July
8. The Fiddler’s Dram -→ Whiskey Before Breakfast
9. Coleman’s March
10. Little Log Hut in the Lane
11. We’re Climbing Jacob’s Ladder
12. The Sunny Side of Life
13. The Hobo’s Last Ride
14. E: Cannonball


Download Part 1
Download Part 2


Comments and Feedback are/is always welcome.

Chris Smither: Chattanooga, TN 06-08-2002

Vernon’s Brother, Cheswick, won’t eat and has some sort of stomach bug that produces foul, green-colored diarrhea. He also likes to pee in my piles of dirty clothes. Oh, and vomit. He likes to vomit too. Otherwise, he’s a beautiful, healthy, growing, lovely little cat.

I have for you today a wonderful concert from 2002 recorded at Chattanooga’s “fun” Riverbend Festival. This is an annual event that takes place on the banks of the Tennessee River. Overall, there are five different stages hosting acts as varied as ZZTop, New Order, The Ohio Players, Vince Gill etc. My favorite stage happens to be “Tennessee Valley Credit Union” stage, formerly the “Amsouth” stage, under the Walnut St. Bridge. I’ve seen some wonderful acoustic acts there, but my favorite will always be this solo-acoustic blues set from Chris Smither.

Chris Smither is a blinding blues guitarist. He’s got some songwriting chops to boot. Highlights of this excellent sounding show include a cover of Robert Johnson’s “Dust My Broom,” Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row” & “Statesboro Blues” by Blind Willie McTell. However, the whole set really shines.

I was a sophomore in college in 2002. I think this was the first time I REALLY enjoyed the blues.



Chris Smither (Solo)
Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga TN.
06-08-2002


1. Hold On
2. Dust My Broom
3. No Love Today
4. Confirmation
5. Love You Like a Man
6. Can’t Shake the Blues
7. Get a Better One
8. Rock n’ Roll Doctor (Little Feat)
9. Drive You Home Again
10. Crash on the Levee, down in the flood (Dylan)
11. Lola
12. Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell
13. Live As I’ll Ever Be
14. Hey Hey Hey
15. Desolation Row (Dylan)
16. Link of Chain
17. Magnolia (J.J. Cale)


Download Chris Smither in Chattanooga

Tim Easton @ the Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga.

Today, we have a short, acoustic set from Tim Easton. It was recorded in 2003 at Chattanooga’s historic Tivoli Theatre. Tim was opening up for John Hiatt. The crowd was hooked on Tim from the first note. His gruff voice meshed with the guitar perfectly, and he ain’t too shabby on the harp either. The standout track for me is “just to be next to you, “ a song my girlfriend at the time particularly enjoyed. I got to see Tim about a year later at a benefit for the Lula Lake Land Trust, but this concert completely blows that one out of the water…ha…lake…water…puns.

The quality is superb. I don’t know if I’ve got a better sounding bootleg. This is highly recommended. I think you’ll like what you hear.


Sorry the tracklist is a bit of a mess. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure it out though. You guys are computer savvy intellectuals and what not...



Tim Easton @ Tivoli Theatre 8/9/03
Chattanooga, TN


1. Intro/I’m Lonely, Please Come Home
2. Poor Poor LA
3. “Harmonica Song”
4. Lexington Jail
5. Just to Be Next To You
6. Carry Me
7. Baltimore
8. I Was Taken By You
9. Don’t Walk Alone
10. Don’t Walk Alone (unplugged)


Download Tim Easton @ the Tivoli

Andrew Bird & Nora O' Connor in Chattanooga

Today, Uncle Vernon dipped into his vault of bootleg concerts from right here in beautiful, Eco-friendly Chattanooga, TN. His vault is a pretty good size considering he’s only 8-months old.

Andrew Bird has frequented Chattanooga on several occasions. Most often you’ll hear him at the Barking Legs Theater, an 85-seat intimate venue in town. This concert, however, was recorded in Coolidge Park, near the Tennessee River in North Chattanooga. The Park has a small stage and a huge field for concert-goers. They should have more live shows here, but they don’t for some reason.

Mr. Bird is joined by the lovely Nora O’ Conner in this set, which features some older Andrew Bird tunes and a wonderful cover of “Drunk by Noon” by the Handsome Family. I think (Think) this was a soundboard recording. The quality is too good. Unfortunately, it sounds as if there might be 50 people there. I have a bunch of wonderful sounding shows to share with you in the future. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Comment love is always appreciated. Well, any love really. Butt love? I’m interested in anything recorded in Chattanooga if anyone can help.

Enjoy.




Andrew Bird & Nora O’ Connor
Coolidge Park, Chattanooga, TN 5-19-2003


1. Why?
2. Opposite Day
3. 11:11
4. Banking on a Myth
5. Waiting to Talk
6. Drunk By Noon (Handsome Family)
7. First Song
8. Sweetbreads
9. Imitosis
10. Richmond Woman
11. Spanish For Monsters
12. Headsoak
13. A Glass of Cool Water


Download Andrew Bird & Nora O’ Connor

Two Man Gentlemen Band on Chattanooga's Times Free Press MUSICcast

Occasionally, I'll post a live interview or so from my work with the Times Free Press newspaper. This is an interview we did with the Two Man Gentleman Band before their performance at a local venue called JJ's Bohemia. Also playing in town that evening was a little band called ZZ Top. I went to see the Two Man Gentleman band along with about 10 other people. Don't regret it at all.

You'll hear a brief interview with the band and a few tunes performed live in the confines of Studio '99. The songs are "When Your Lips Are Playing My Kazoo" and "William Henry Taft."

The Two Man Gentleman band are a trip to the past, filled with high-pitched vocals and kazoos...gasp. This is music to be enjoyed. Straight up fun from the 1920's . Oh, and if you go to a show you get a free kazoo. ZZ Top doesn't give you anything and their shirts are $45.00. Seriously.

Listen to the Two Man Gentleman Band in Chattanooga

Helen Adam -- Live Ballads

According to Wikipedia, Helen Adam was, among other things, an American Poet. Her ballads are witty and her Scottish accent make for a wonderful listening experience. Here is a youtube video of her performance of "Cheerless Junkie song."

Link

...and here is a concert recorded somewhere (help?) featuring several of her ballads, including the aforementioned "cheerless junkie song."

Helen Adam Live

1. In and Out of the Hornbeam Maze
2. A Swordsman from France
3. Sailing Down the River
4. Pounding Bone Blues
5. Cheerless Junkie song

Download Helen Adam Live

Hello Readers. The everybodyfields live in Studio '99.

Hey Folks,

I'm transferring over to a Blogspot account because Myspace sucks and I'm only realizing it right now, two years after everybody else. The title of the blog is "Uncle Vernon's World of Fun." Uncle Vernon is my cat. This should show you how uncreative I've become these days.

A blogspot account will allow me more freedom to post whatever I feel the need to post. Expect mix-tapes and random other posts involving music. I'll try to avoid porn, but many of the posts will be borderline offensive. What else would you expect?

Thanks for visiting and drop me a line.


My first bit of goodness for you is a few tracks recorded live at the Times Free Press in August of 2006 (or maybe it was April?). Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews of the everybodyfields stopped by before noon after a wonderful show at Rhythm & Brews downtown. They were obviously tired, but managed to play a few songs for us. You'll hear "So Good to be Home," about growing up in Johnson City, Tn. You'll also hear "Let it be me." This song was made popular by the Everly Brothers.

Download and enjoy. And let me know if you stumbled on the site. I'm brand-spanking new at this.

The everybodyfields in Studio '99