searching for a decent mass experience here in austin.

last week, lina and i attended the 9pm compline at st. david’s here in austin. it was the first time she had ever attended an episcopal church. i, on the other hand, have a story there somewhere with the piskies.

“Every Sunday night, anywhere from three to a dozen singers, drawn from Austin’s finest, prepare and sing the ancient monastic office of compline, a collection of prayers, hymns, readings, and psalms that sanctify the close of the waking day. Every word of the office is sung a cappella, set to chant or to polyphony. English and Latin renaissance masterworks comprise the majority of the choir’s repertory, which is determined according to available voices a couple hours before the office and rehearsed with a short break for greasy hors d’œuvre courtesy of the vestry.”

definitely not your usual episcopal service, however, considering our share of visits to catholic churches in town, not your usual catholic service either. we loved it and it seemed to be the kind of peaceful, tranquil experience we were looking for. i definitely look forward to returning and starting off my weeks there. a throwback to benedictine and basilian exploration times.

i first discovered alejandro via his thirteen years and with these hands albums that i stumbled upon at a used cd shop in minneapolis.

i bought both and was hooked.

when i arrived in houston, i quickly purchased the more miles than money anthology. my grandmother had just passed away and i needed music that sounded as real as possible. written in blood as my good friend nietzsche would say.

although i did miss bruce cockburn at the duck when i first arrived to houston (that chance will never come again again said the owner—one can’t live in regret), i did get to see alejandro live there about five times.

i celebrated my birthday there on the bourbonitis blues tour with my friend sue croak. i had a really cool conversation with the cello player in the dart room after the concert. he wasn’t too crazy about the cold treatment they received in minneapolis from the jayhawks, who seemed to be ignorant of alejandro’s place in music history.

it was always a beautiful acoustic set when they played at the duck.

and now, i’m living in alejandro’s hometown of austin and he’s on his “real animal” tour in where according to some critic he sounds, “…joyously saved, if a little cursed…”

don’t we all.

hope we get there in time.

BBQ

Originally uploaded by una luna

El bukz (short for bukowski)

Originally uploaded by una luna

bukz, lina and i had a great time at the dog park yesterday.

discovered the puggle — a mix breed between a beagle and a pug.

bukz found another boston, oliver and enjoyed his time. he enjoys playing with most, if not all, dogs but he’s taken a particular liking to a few fellow bostons.

La pistolera @ the volcano,Houston

Originally uploaded by una luna

IMG_9649

Originally uploaded by locaburg

my winter pic to close 2007. beautiful work by locaburg.

bukz

Originally uploaded by una luna

my boston terrier, bukz, in our red room, alongside his shelf of dostoyevsky.

Cafeta

Originally uploaded by una luna

once again, cafeta rocked and the warehouse sucked. the music was good but this venue is overrated, to say the least. no opening band but the guys played for a good two hours. a few idiots in the crowd…typical of our raza sometimes. disgracefully sad but true. they’re on to dallas and then new orleans…i’m off to bed.

you don’t have a clue how powerful this shit is…not now, anyway. currently working on a new poem. several, actually. but one that’s more poignant. it’s titled, dingbat ladyman —bueno, here’s the second part of that web experiment…

sol and i took a trip to austin and wrapped up the night at the crawfish fest downtown. the alligator on a stick wasn’t bad and the crawfish was definitely good! this is a clip of the late night jam.

Click To Play