Review: Jim Lauderdale at Knuckleheads

Everything you've heard is true. Carrie Rodriguez did, in fact, sing a sultry birthday song to me Sunday. And as Tim Finn wrote in his proper review of the show, it "made every guy in the room wish it was his birthday." The subsequent discovery that my date organized the surprise makes the memory even sweeter. (Watch and listen at Ustream. It's at the 51:33 mark.)

Here, however, are the cold, hard facts- I wasn't at Knuckleheads for Rodriguez. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate her talent. She's "just" a Car Wheels On a Gravel Road-type album away from having a huge career.

I was on hand for Jim Lauderdale. Between his Manuel suit, hilarious Opry-style patter and incredible songs, his acoustic solo set didn't disappoint me. "Twang" was the most recent of the many hits he played. It looked and sounded much like this. Note how he's capable of crooning like a combination of George Jones, Del McCoury and Percy Sledge.

Lauderdale is touring behind Patchwork River, a new collaboration with Robert Hunter. It's fine, but I prefer their stunning Headed For the Hills project. Had he been fielding requests, I could have kept Lauderdale on stage all night.

Only after my date made arrangements with Rodriguez did she realize I was such a Lauderdale fan boy. She suggested that she should have worked with him instead. No. Lauderdale embodies a lot of crucial things to me, but sexy isn't one of them.

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I'm not yet prepared to discuss Saturday's Rockfest. Here's my review of the already infamous event.

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Light In the Attic provides an interesting conversation between Charlie Louvin and Kris Kristofferson as part of their promotional campaign for Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends: The Publishing Demos, 1968-72.

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Anyone who's even remotely interested in Kansas City's hip hop scene needs to see the new video for "We Been On". It features Rondoe, Reece Loc, Rivloc and Flip Flip, all artists from the Fifties. (Tip via Credentials Hip Hop.)

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I'm still struggling to get into the new The Hold Steady album. Today's new release from the Black Keys, however, is immediately satisfying.

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Pianist Hank Jones, featured at There Stands the Glass in 2007, has died.

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"Rainbow In the Dark."

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Kansas City Click: The Grisly Hand are at Davey's on Tuesday.

Matt Otto plays Jardine's on Wednesday.

(Original flash-free image by There Stands the Glass.)