I'm baaaaaack

Returned from Chicago yesterday evening. That was two, count them two airplane rides with no problems at all. (though i did have to pay $15 each way to check a bag) I can't remember the last time I went somewhere without getting stuck in an airport at least once. Clearly the recession, if that's what it is, is good for something.

The trip was okay...a family thing. My family is a bit aesthetically tone-deaf, so they are always discovering things that are half, a third or 90% cheaper but "just as good." Our hotel was a cinderblock just outside O'Hare. We ate at IHOP twice. That kind of thing.

But it was good to see everyone, and with my parents now well past their mid-70s, we should enjoy what we have.

Anyway, just before leaving, I had a fairly amazing musical experience that I will write about in detail later. It was two guitarists and a banjo player from the Imaginational Anthem series, which is an ongoing compendium of current and historical Fahey-style American primitive guitar picking (with the occasional banjo player, I guess). The show was at the Montague Bookmill, a somewhat remote (and probably in daylight quite lovely) converted mill where occasional freak-folk-ish performances are held. I had never been there before, but I may go again on Sunday for Michael Chapman and Jack Rose.

On the 9th, which was when I went, they had Cian Nugent (really obsessive readers may recall that I wrote his bio for a Dusted "Listed" feature a couple of months ago), Ben Reynolds and George Stavis. They're all three on Imaginational Anthem 3...more information and a full-album stream can be found here.