MOG

I've got a backlog of craziness to sort through - It has been a hectic few weeks. The days before Thanksgiving were tied up with work on a story for Calexico's upcoming concert. My editors actually decided to put them on the cover of our Calendar section - a rare, forward thinking move. But then Calexico deserves all the attention they can get - they are simply wonderful. Even though they technically aren't from Phoenix - I like to give them some props - they are an Arizona band. The show is next week - this will be my first show in over a year - kind of disappointing considering I saw them four times in Phoenix the previous year. And the last show was a bit of a let-down - they were opening for Iron & Wine, the crowd was loud and rude throughout their set, and they concentrated on stuff from Garden Ruin (six months before the album was released). But the stuff from In the Reins was stunning, and they did a nice extended Not Even Stevie Nicks. I'm hoping that I can appreciate the new material a bit more this time, now that I'm familiar with it. And I'm hoping they bring the mariachis and Salvador Duran along - nothing makes a Calexico show extra special like Mariachi Luz de Luna...

I'll be writing a bit more frequently in the coming week - I've got a kazillion things to share, from my thoughts on the new Tom Waits triple-CD to a surreal, cerebral and thoroughly confusing interview with Phil Alvin of the Blasters...