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May Sip & Spin Review

Of the four weekends in May, only the first was available for everyone to get together. We were short a few people due to circumstances, but it was still a good time. Dwayne, Ryan, Melody and I had a great meetup. We started the night with a circuit of Songs You Can’t Live Without. We each played one in turn, then repeated once. This, I think, is a great way to start the night. With more than four people though, it might need to be cut to one song per person. I’m trying to come up with numbers for things like that. Five participants, five-minute songs, how many fit in an hour? I think from here out though, when it comes to spinning the record or CD, we’re going to limit that to 30 minutes or so per person. That way we can still have a reasonably early night. Anyway, keep reading

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April Sip & Spin Review

Last night was a crazy ride. Dwayne showed up a few hours early to grill his famous Jamaican jerk chicken, so we stood around the grill for a few hours, drinking beer and listening to Spotify on the deck speakers. Starting a day’s drinking – even on just beer – at three o’clock, does not make for a sober night. Everyone was supposed to show up an hour earlier this time, though, to eat and get ready. Dwayne’s chicken was a hit. The cheddar brats and potato salad and chocolate cake and Filipino soup and fruit salad was good too. Holy shit we ate like kings. And then we gathered round to get started, and fulfilled our assignment from last month, which was Songs that Keep us Melancholy. Great list there, and some really good head-nodders were played. I started the night off with Tom Waits, “Swordfishtrombones”. I guess the keep reading

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I Wish I Had Stickier Fingers

I’m pretty good about following my own rules. I make rules for myself so that I don’t so stupid shit. I’m not big on making costly mistakes. I like to learn from it the very first time I make a mistake, and then hopefully apply that knowledge to everything I ever do in the future wherever it’s applicable. One such rule, for instance, comma, is that I do not allow myself to hang anything on the wall above my turntable that’s not absolutely secure. Like my badger-hair record brush. It’s off to the side, so that if it were to fall, it would not land on the turntable. See how smart I am? So let me tell you what happened. And you can decide whether I’m all that smart or not. I was cleaning my listening room. Maybe I was doing a little organizing. A little rearranging. I have this keep reading

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March Sip & Spin Review

Our first Whiskey Night was a great success! Dwayne, Ryan, Lisa, Sarah and Allen attended. The whiskey flowed, the music rocked and the conversation was excellent. Everyone had a great time. Dwayne got us started with some reggae. Buju Banton’s ‘Til Shiloh. Dwayne gave us some lessons about what real reggae should sound like, the different themes and sub-genres within the reggae genre and what qualifies as a hit in his home country of Jamaica. This was my first exposure to real reggae other than the most obvious, he who does not need to be named at the risk of sounding cliche. Many elements on this album. A lot to dissect, and a great way to start the night. Thank you, Dwayne! Next up was Ryan, who spun The White Stripes’s “White Blood Cells” on vinyl. There’s always a lot to discuss when you bring up Jack White and his keep reading

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New Bourbons for March

First time trying these two. I’m really enjoying the Town Branch. Those hints of cherry are really nice. Good whiskey. There’s nothing wrong with the Clyde May’s either, but it’s such a tiny bottle that I poured perhaps a little too little. I like to save my nice whiskeys for get-togethers so I don’t just drink them alone. In other words, they’ll never be my daily-drivers. I look forward to sharing these with friends and Music Lovers! Cheers!

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First Meetup: Trial Run

Next Saturday, March 19th is our trial run. It looks like it’s going to happen. We have enough interest. I don’t mind paying for the Meetup page if it gathers some interest and gets some new people involved. But if it goes a few months without anyone joining, I don’t think it’s worth it. I can just get everyone’s numbers and communicate the old-fashioned way, like we used to in the 70s: by text. Check out the Meetup page to sign up, join the group and RSVP to the first event, to be hosted at my place. No kids at this event. We won’t have babysitting or entertainment for them. Also, be sure to check in with the etiquette so we’re all on the same page.