While France was baking in the summer heat (that'll show those Frenchies to cross the US, right Dubya?), The Good US of A, at least as Virginia was concerned, was drenched in rain most of the summer. Then Hurricane Isabel paid a visit just as fall was approaching. Power was knocked out from the Carolinas to Northern VA. It took a week to restore power and remove debris in some locations. Sugar Hollow had some branches thrown around, but no big fuss. Now we're getting cool nights. I checked the temp before leaving for work this evening and the high was sixty degrees! Geez, looks like we're in for a crisp fall. We may get beautiful colors in the trees but we may end up freezing most nights. Not exactly looking forward to winter. Heard that's supposed to be worse!
School school school! Now that my fun is done for this year, its time to get down to real work. I managed to make it through the summer pretty well with a 4.0 GPA, but I'm finding it hard to concentrate this fall semester. I really should be doing home work right now, but I find this is much more interesting at the moment. Still got teacher observations to do and another session at Staunton next weekend. *Sigh*
While there are no trips planned for the fall, music-wise, there is plenty of music for me to listen to. Wilco will be performing for the first time at Bridge School later in October, but I can't afford to travel to CA. Here's hoping someone will record the shows. Still organizing my bootlegs at the moment and hope to have that website reorganized soon. Latest discoveries and must-listens: Neko Case, Todd Snider, The Jayhawks Live At The Women's Club. I've also had a hankering to pull out those Uncle Tupelo reissues. However, I still have The Byrds Sweethearts Legacy Edition to listen to. There should be some essential Dylan listening in there as well.
Speaking of Dylan, many essential Dylan cds have been rereleased in SACD form. The SACD format is intended to replicate the sound of vinyl. While the format has been disputed by purists if not outrightly dismissed, perhaps it will serve Dylan's best albums well. The albums are even repackaged as they were in vinyl format. Not every album has been reissued but the obvious favorites are there so you can avoid the piddling that Dylan did on substandard albums. Supposedly the acoustic show that Dylan did in 1964, commonly known as the "All Hollow's Eve" show in bootleg rings, will get the official bootleg treatment in the ongoing Bootleg Series. What other Dylan bootlegs would you like to see officially released?
Now to the features: the ever-growing bootleg lists with setlists and artwork this time-hopefully; a biased fan's view (mine) of a Wilco weekend in Chicago and the social gatherings of a certain group of fans (Via Chicago message board members). Plus, some pictures along the way. Here's hoping this zine finally starts going somewhere.
