Fayetteville, Arkansas--Wednesday, 9/27--George's

[John A Arkansawyer]

I have such mixed feelings about going to Fayetteville for shows. You can't go home again, y'know? And I had other plans for the week. But I might be taking a bus up to bring back a U-Haul. I could at least get a ROCK SHOW for my troubles, right?

[ledward2]

I've got an extra ticket for this show if anybody is looking for one. My buddy ordered his own without knowing I ordered for the both of us. Face value would be nice, but at this point I'd be more than happy to let it go for less. Yes, I know, I'd make a lowsy salesman.

And I've never been to George's. Anybody got any tips?

[John A Arkansawyer]

I've got an extra ticket for this show if anybody is looking for one. My buddy ordered his own without knowing I ordered for the both of us. Face value would be nice, but at this point I'd be more than happy to let it go for less. Yes, I know, I'd make a lowsy salesman.

And I've never been to George's. Anybody got any tips?

It is not my favorite venue, but then, I knew it before it was big, so I'm probably just old and bitter. It's a very low stage--there's no rail, unless things have changed recently. There is a deck on either side of the beer bunker--um, beer garden--and if you want a good view without jostling and maybe without standing, up on those decks right near the stage is pretty good. I don't know when the doors will open, but I wouldn't be surprised if they open them really fucking early, let people drink, and then chase out non-ticket-holders. And if I'm not there and you see my friends Lori and Cliff--they'll be right up front and Lori's in a chair--tell them I said hi!

My favorite places to eat there are the Pesto Cafe, out on Old College Avenue..wait. That's a Harry Chapin song about Berkeley--connected to the Chief Motel. I'd hit it for lunch. For dinner, about a mile from George's, I like Hugo's, at 21 N. Block. Huge chicken breasts with a yummy weird salad is my favorite there. Stop upstairs at Block Street Records and tell Wade I said hello. Across the street is Stacy's wonderful Dark Star Visuals--tell her I said hi, too. Just down from there is Maybelle Music--she's got interesting old funky instruments out the wazoo--and World Treasures, a very funky hippie type of place. Once again, tell Lucia or Jerry Gene or whoever is there I said hi. For coffee nearby, Arsaga's is good.

If you're record buying, you might also bop by the Fayetteville Funky Yard Sale and hit my friends' booth. If you are a very serious collector, let me know and I'll hook you up with them. Don't miss Dickson Street Books, right down the street from George's. It is a world-class used bookstore. It's the single best thing about the city.

If you have time to kill during the day, there are some interesting graves in Evergreen Cemetery, just up the hill from George's. If you want a road trip and like interesting graveyards, I will try to get you to where the cenotaphs Donald Harrington wrote about are. No promises, though: Sulfur City itself is hard enough to fine.

If you are in Bentonville for Crystal Bridges, also go see the Eisenhower watercolors at Fred's Hickory Inn, right by where I worked for The Man. Try the sirloin scraps burger. If Eureka Springs or Harrison, DeVito's, for trout and more. The Harrison restaurant was the original, and it's where the grow the trout. Mister DeVito is gone now and his kids except James run that one. James opened his own place in Eureka Springs. If you are an art buyer, give his wife's paintings a good hard look. The kid's mom has one on the wall and we're thinking about getting her another for Christmas.

Oh, and go by Donald Roller Wilson's house. It's on Mountain between School and Locust, I think. People love it or hate it. I hated it till I loved it. You'll see. Get close enough to read the lettering on the front door, if you can.

It's a nicer place than I like to let on, Fayetteville, but I sure miss what it used to be.

ETA: And for breakfast, there is only one place to go, namely Susan's, on Sunset, in Springdale. Basic breakfast well-prepared, large portions, cheap prices, great service. Four slices of bacon, people. Four slices. If I don't get the basic egg-bacon-hash browns-grilled English muffin breakfast, I get the California omelet, which is tasty and humongous.

[John A Arkansawyer]

Writing all that got me wanting to go! But I think it's not to be. So definitely do the Tiny Montgomery thing for me:

[pearlbeer]

Can someone live stream Cooley's Roy Moore rant at tonight's show? Should be epic.

[Zip Up to Michigan]

Setlist anybody?

[John A Arkansawyer]

Here's a Facebook post with a little bit of "Kinky Hypocrite" and "The Guns of Umpqua" and some photos.

ETA: And a very nice three minutes of "Lookout Mountain". I think I know that guy in the hat.

[ledward2]

Surrender Under Protest
Darkened Flags
Ramon Casiano
Ronnie and Neil
Kinky Hypocrite
KKK Took My Baby Away
Sink Hole
A Ghost to Most
Guns of Umpqua
Sounds Better In a Song
Ever South
Gravity's Gone
The Perilous Night
Three Dimes Down
Lookout Mountain
English Oceans
Two Daughters and a Beatiful Wife
Birthday Boy
Girls Who Smoke
Women Without Whiskey
Mercy Buckets
Marry Me
Company I Keep
Filthy and Fried
What It Means
Once They Banned Imagine
Let There Be Rock
Shit Shots
Hell No I Ain't Happy (sans Sign 'o' the Times)

I am already a big fan of The Perilous Night, and based on the body language of the crowd, I was not alone. They didn't play the other new song, Heroin Again, but I did end up with a copy of the lyrics anyway. Let me know of that's something that's not already being circulated. I'd be glad to post them. I was thrilled to catch Company I Keep. And while I love Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife, the content of the song is almost unbearable for me. Patterson did that one and Umpqua; both dealing with heavy stuff. I do better with those two alone. When explaining song meanings to friends I have a hard time even explaining those two.

Had never been to George's. I liked it. Low stage, but I was on the front two, so I prefered a low stage. Also hit The Lyric Oxford last night, and it too is a great venue. Higher stage, thus my front row spot was a little diminished. But don't misunderstand, no complaints here.

[beantownbubba]

Nice long set and they seem to be mixing it up as much or more than ever. I think it's been a long while since "Mercy Buckets" and it's always a charge to hear the "Birthday Boy" - "Girls Who Smoke" double. It feels like Cooley's playing "Sounds Better in the Song" a little more lately (i.e. I don't really know lol) but in my mind it's still a great rarity.