What I Did On My Summer Vacation - Part Tres
(because I'm bilingual, Bee-yatch)
or hold on to your lunch--it's Rhett Miller time :-)

Okay, so I'm not bilingual--as if I have to clarify that, but I just did so...whatev. But this is all about the start of an amazing three-date stint engulfed in the magical musical stylings of Mr. Miller.

such a great dimple

Warning: you are entering the embarrassing gush zone. Please keep your arms and legs in the car at all times as it moves through the spectacle. And please, no flash photography.

look... he's thinking how cool it is Geo and I drove up to see him

So my Geo and I got to spend the bulk of my last week of vacation together on a multi-city tour. I so enjoy these jaunts together. We rarely ever get to spend this much quality time in each other's presence. This trek had the added bonus cocktail comprised of a double shot of Rhett Miller in NYC and Amagansett, followed by a Francis Dunnery chaser in Ewing, NJ.

Aaaaaaaah! The aftertaste is so refreshing...

So as it turns out, the concert Gods arranged to have Rhett and Francis playing shows on the same extended weekend, once again converging our two loves. I adore coincidence. Sometimes life is so spectacularly serendipitous.

Anywho, our little anit-Bermuda Triangle of musical musings went from New York City to Amagansett, LI to Ewing, NJ. Geo and I made great time on the first leg, reaching our SoHo hotel in a mere 6 1/4 hours.

from our hotel window. love the blue water tower
plus you can barely see the dead body on the roof
i kid. he was just dazed.. or tazed. not sure which
again, kidding

We killed a couple of hours strolling around the shops of SoHo amid a warm, gentle mist of rain. It was one of those classic romantic Manhattan afternoons that begs for you to sit under an umbrella at an open cafe, sipping red wine, watching the working class go by...

But alas, we couldn't indulge. We had more pressing plans for the evening. My fantasy husband was going to perform in a few hours!! I mean, come on! Priorities people!

We were invited to a wine tasting prior to the concert. The wines were rich and full-bodied, but paled by comparison to the incredible company at hand. :-)

So the City Winery is this great amalgam of the owner's two loves...wine and live music. They actually make wines in the basement of the venue and they are damn fine!! We tasted a couple of reds that were truly some of the smoothest fermented grapes I've ever had the pleasure of consuming. The stage is in the middle of a sizable space filled with tables resting atop hardwood floors and a corner bar. There's not a bad seat in the house. The lovely blue-eyed one was having a three-week residency at the Winery, this being the first.

As an added bonus, the opening act was The Spring Standards who I had seen open in Pittsburgh for local favorites, The Clarks. They are awesome and so talented. I still marvel at their ability to juggle playing several instruments at once and sing. I was excited for Geo to finally see them live. They're really sweet, too. We caught up with red-haired James coming out of the winery on our walk back to the hotel.

James, on his way to walk dogs
with the red hair, we look related... of course his is real 

Heather was gracious enough to say hi after the show. She has the most incredibly clear voice.

Heather, being lovely

Mr. Miller was buoyant when he hit the stage. There were a lot of familiar faces in the crowd including a table of his close friends. We've been to shows in the past where his friends were in attendance. It's so much fun to watch him sing when he's comfortable and playful. Tonight was no exception. Rhett charmed the crowd with stories and self-deprecating humor while wowing us with his usual passionate, balls-to-the-wall performance breaking a few strings along the way.

He played a couple of new songs from the Old 97's upcoming release The Grand Theatre, Volume One. (available in stores and online October 12!! Order now!) Volume Two will come out next Spring. Yay!! (does embarrassing Elaine Benis-like, white girl happy dance!)

Anywho, he shared an anecdote or two before playing The Magician. You can hear Geo egging him on at the start.

(again, click on the video to link to YouTube for the full HD video)

He played another new one, Whiskey Take The Reins he wrote after his friend, Marcy nagged him to write after he made a flippant comment during a gig about ...  Oh just play it. He tells the story much better than I.

Can't you just see this character all smoky and liquor-drenched hunched over a splintered bar top?



Altogether now... please don't call me cool, just call me ... ASSHOLE!!!

Okay, one more because I'm hooked on his witty banter...

I love that you can hear Geo laughing and enjoying himself. Kind of justifies--in my head anyway--dragging him all over the Eastern seaboard to watch my fantasy husband entertain his adoring public.

If you're interested, you can view the rest of the videos from the evening on my YouTube channel.

One of the things I love about Rhett and the Old 97's is a sense of community among the fans. I've met a number of people, all of whom have been delightful. Through the magic of Twitter... yes, Twitter, I met a sweet, sweet young woman, Josyln.

With Josyln

She ended up sitting literally two seats in front of us. Another in a long line of coincidence. We've already discuss plans to meet up at the December shows--another coincidence for another time. It's so much fun to be with others who aren't afraid to sing along. We also met up with our fellow enthusiasts, George and Maria along with some new friends-- Jules, Marcy, Sara and Jen.

george, maria (with Geo's kick-ass tee), jeff, joslyn, me & geo

with our new friend, Marcy

Our little family keeps growing.

We didn't get to see the man of the evening after the show, but a very good time was had by all. Next stop.. Lawwng Islundt. Watch out Muffy and Biff... The Clampets are heading your way.