What is an E-mail dilemma?
It arises slowly but surely over time as one becomes inundated with email messages from a constantly growing body of impersonal directives based on some sort of finding out about one’s own email address because you once showed support for organic tomatoes grown within 100 miles of your domicile or perhaps briefly flirted with supporting some type of “save the solar system” movement. Whether they find you through mundane connections (surfing or directed by a friend of a friend of a friend) or the new dominate creature “ALGORITHM” (not friend of a not friend of a not friend) it serves to make you have to wade through a barrage of notices, some of which you need to make sure are not wanted by another user of the computer you used to “conveniently” share, and being constantly distracted by decision making that is less then superfluous, indeed mind-numbingly boring, that you loose all inspiration to just spend an hour, which is hard enough without distractions, trying to inform and entice one’s readership to come and hear a show, and in the process becoming one of those agents of hair pulling time wasters that you have come to loathe.
So I retreat to home improvement projects which however tedious for the unhandy handyman at least afford one a chance to accomplish something of semi-permanent value to one’s existence. In the meantime, real friends and performers (some of whom are real friends) go wanting responses for dates to play at the Carpe or simply are owed the courtesy of a response for some wonderful thing they have done or said that affects you in a positive way. And not being a Catholic I cannot even unburden myself with the confession of all the little sins (the big ones are easier to deal with) that I commit each day in the name of modern life and computer existence. 64 Years of thrashing and they put you on a night shift.
OK let’s keep it short.
The Pines are here tomorrow (August 19) and I think they are a wonderful example of taking that which has gone before and combining it with their own creativity to create a meaningful and understated night of music. We have room and we also have a decent number of folks already signed up so just come on down, you won’t be alone in our small room feeling all too responsible for every gesture you might make.
On Saturday (August 20), me (also known as I and also known as bill camplin) will be joined by percussionist Alpha Stewart and will dive as deep and far into a night of song as we can.
Next week on Friday, August 26, Ernie Hendrickson and M.J. Bishop will, like the PINES the week before, give us the pleasure of seriously composed song and youthful exuberance that provides the link to a viable future, perhaps, of intimate concert performance.
Next Saturday, August 27, Fort Atkinson has its annual Rhythm On The River, which presents a couple of bands to an assembly of thousands, mostly Fort Atkinsonites, at a decibel level somewhere above 100, lasting until about 11:00 p.m. and making it impossible for anyone to find parking for a show at the Carpe and improbable that it could be heard if presented. So come to Fort and hang out on the street, drink some beer and find one of the many friendly locals who will be willing to have a screaming conversation about the weather. Those of you who know sign language will be all the better for it.
When next I write it may be to announce some Jason Klagstad, Bob Mueller, Paul Weherly, Alpha Stewart show on Sept. 3rd for the few folks that can not make it for one final week to the North land for the last bar hopping escapade on the old ATV.
I go now to deal with anxiety.
bc