Most girls who come to Bloomington only come here to find husbands

I was just looking through all the MidPoint pictures in my camera tonight. There are a lot more on there than I remember. Then again, I was not always in possession of the aforementioned camera so I can't possibly be responsible for all if them. Can I?

I'll be frantically cleaning all weekend in preparation for my parents' visit the following weekend so that means lots of procrastination. Procrastination means even more blog entries so watch this space for some of those photos. Let me just tell you now that if you ever get a chance to see a band called Ballroom Dancing or Nathan Asher and the Infantry or Coltrane Motion, you should go see them. All three are awesome in totally different ways but an excellent show is sure to be coming your way.

**********

I guess it's time to hit the long avoided second to last "D" album. I have to admit that I picked up Drag It Up by the Old 97's quite awhile ago, but I hadn't really listened to it until last week. I'd read some disappointing reviews and I was really into lead singer Rhett Miller's solo albums (The Believer and The Instigator) at the time so I didn't feel like I was missing anything.

And, truth is, I don't think I was.

Are the Old 97's past their prime? I'm not sure. Everything just sounded a little rehashed. There were a couple of nice surprises in "Bloomington" and "Coahuila" but it wasn't an album that I adored like so many of their former releases had been. Maybe my expectations are too high these days.

That said, I was really excited to find out that Rhett Miller will be in town next weekend for Tall Stacks. I'll have the parents in town but maybe I can sneak away for a little sad & alt-country rockin'.

**********

Okay, one final random note. Billy Bragg has a new book coming out about Englishness and the national identity, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure it will be interesting but I won't be raring to read it. What I am excited about, though, is that he will be giving a talk and then signing copies of the book at a socialist bookstore in London while we're on the Sad & British Tour of the Motherland. That's right, Billy Bragg in his natural habitat! This is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to catch during our visit. Now, if I can run into Elvis Costello at a pub and see Oasis play an impromptu show everything will be perfect.