Rock and Roll Guru

Exercise: a dirty word that compels you to wash your mouth out with chocolate.

• Hypothetical: the type of questions that you can imagine not imagining…or vice versa. #
• “Many rivers to cross.”-Jimmy Cliff. Ain’t that the truth…http://is.gd/1tDQf #
• Regret: making the final payment on the engagement ring three months after the divorce becomes final. #
• I’m sitting down to count my blessings, so I’ll need a calculator. #
• Naked: how you should show up for work in order to divert attention from the fact that you’re drunk. #
• Happy 62nd birthday to Arlo Guthrie. Think I’ll listen to “Alice’s Restaurant.” #
• Wisdom: the type of teeth you get from biting off more than you can chew. #

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“Many rivers to cross.”-Jimmy Cliff

Each one of us has many rivers to cross on this magical mystery tour, both metaphorically and literally. For our purposes, think metaphorically.

Some of those rivers are tiny little puddles that require minimal effort to cross; some are creeks and streams where we get our shoes and socks wet; and some require total immersion when they are as daunting as the mighty Mississippi.

Some of these rivers we can cross in the blink of an eye and some can take months or even years to negotiate. And sometimes we have to cross the same rivers over and over again.

When we have those gargantuan rivers to cross, the best we can do it to face them with courage and resolve as we prepare to get soaking wet.

Some of the rivers we must cross on our own. As the Grateful Dead said, “I will walk alone by the black muddy river.”

Crossing some rivers will require help. Never hesitate to ask for help when you need it, as that is a true sign of strength. Yes, I said strength. If you think asking for help is a sign of weakness, you have some seriously messed up thinking.

And sometimes we just gotta close our eyes, jump in the river and let it take us where it may.

Naked: how you should show up for work in order to divert attention from the fact that you’re drunk.

Regret: making the final payment on the engagement ring three months after the divorce becomes final.

Hypothetical: the type of questions that you can imagine not imagining…or vice versa.

• Peak Performance: the ability to stop thinking long enough to actually do something. #
• I tried to count my blessings, but I can’t count that high. #

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Peak Performance: the ability to stop thinking long enough to actually do something.

• Belief: an opinion to which you’ve developed inflexible loyalty. #
• Elvis Costello delivered a killer set of frenetic intensity to close Summerfest. http://rockandrollguru.com/?p=2452 #

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Summerfest closed in grand fashion last night as Elvis Costello and The Imposters tore it up at the packed Classic Rock stage.

Of the many incarnations that have marked Costello’s stellar career, my favorite is raise-the-roof rocker, and that is exactly what we experienced during the killer two-hour set.

Elvis is a combination of frenetic intensity and brilliant songwriting, and he dug deep into his enormous catalog to bring us several of the tunes that launched his career in the late 70’s. On stage, Elvis has an energy few artists can match, and on this night he and The Imposters were hitting on all cylinders.

“Stella Hurt” and the raucous “Pump it Up” got the house on it’s feet from the git-go, and an early run of “Every Day I Write the Book,” “Radio, Radio” and “Accidents Will Happen” was absolutely delicious.

A scorching version of “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” turned into a massive singalong, and the run that closed the show was Elvis at his best. “Sulphur to Sugarcane” the only song he played off the new album, led into a fabulous “Watching the Detectives,” and an intriguing “Alison” contained a brief medley of “Tracks of My Tears,” “Tears of a Clown” and “Suspicious Minds.”

A phenomenal (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” was a groovy way to conclude this year’s edition of The Big Gig.

A HUGE thank you is in order to fellow Elvis enthusiast and Summerfest’s Associate Entertainment Director Vic Thomas. Without Vic’s assistance, I never would have been able to attend this fantastic show.