My favorite picture of Me and Brent Best (lead singer, The Drams), not my favorite over-all picture, mind you….
There are tons of concerts this weekend… good ones, ones that you should know about and go to. For info on those, go here, here and here and here too. I got a baby, and something much more needy, a baby momma. That means that I will likely not hit any of these great shows (Sorry guy in the picture at the top of the post) this weekend since I have hit a couple decent gigs in the fairly recent past (that’s fine, I’m not gripin’…sort of).
Since I will not be using this post to provide an in-depth preview for any of the great shows throughout the state, I want to discuss something with you. After reading this you can talk amongst yourselves, Linda Richman style: How many times do you use the term, “favorite“?? I, for one, use it a ton. I use that word like Kenny Chesney needs to use rogaine - a whole freakin’ bunch. As I began to think about it, I assumed that I was devaluing the term and it’s meaning, therefore making certain things that I have called my “favorite” not that special anymore. No subject receives my abuse of the “F” word (please tell me you knew I meant favorite there…please??) more than music and the various bands and tunes that I listen to and cherish. I enjoy a wide array of styles and bands. Is it so odd for me to have an equally wide array of favorites? Case in point: I have long considered The Dave Matthews Band my “favorite” band and left it at that (don’t judge, we’re all different people). By calling DMB my favorite, I by no means am implying that they are more vital or influential than say, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons or Hank Sr. (three of my favorites), because they are clearly not. My favorite live band is Reckless Kelly, yet my all-time favorite concert is probably Steve Earle @ Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas (Feb. 2005), with the Wilco show in Ft. Worth (Oct. 2006) a close second. My favorite act to see at Love & War in Texas (Plano) is Chris Knight, yet my favorite show there was a double bill of Jesse Dayton and Dale Watson (2004). Mo Robson Band is my favorite group to see at Adair’s, yet the time I caught Brandon Rhyder there (2004) was my all-time favorite concert at the provider of my second favorite burger in Dallas (Twisted Root across the street from there is numero uno). My favorite female solo-artist is Kathleen Edwards, yet I recognize Lucinda Williams as the greatest female solo-artist on the planet. While Williams’ work is so personal and aches with feeling and rawness, Edwards 2 albums resonate with me in a stronger fashion than that of anything Williams’ has recorded, outside of “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road,” which I am pretty sure is my favorite CD of all-time, even though my favorite CD to pop in on the way to work is Ray Lamontagne’s “Trouble.” The diversity and ambiguity of what is a “favorite” is the most fascinating aspect of this train of thought, as far as I can tell. We are all told the greatest band of all-time is The Beatles. If they truly are , why aren’t they everybodys fave? Chances are, they are many, many folks’ favorite band, or perhaps their favorite band-that-isn’t-together-anymore, or favorite band from the 60′s, but not the band that they eagerly answer with when asked who their favorite band is.
Obviously, there is a greater than zero chance that I am splitting hairs to an unreal degree or being very neurotic, and most likely both. Ultimately, we have many favorites that represent the many ways we love music and the craftsmen who create this art. Below are some more of my favorites. Leave a comment and give me some of your favorites…
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