16 April 2012

"If you know her name..."


"...postmodern, punk-inflected, Bach-Stravinsky-Coltrane-influenced string band." The New Yorker

Driving the Jersey Turnpike to NYC yesterday. A station wagon loaded with cheap chicken, cheap steaks, a 30 pack of Natty Lite with enough ass wipe and paper towels to last an eternity but will be history in a couple weeks.

Within range of WHYY, a Prairie Home Companion is live from Manhattan's Town Hall. I pray Mr Keillor does not sing. God ignores me but offers up Punch Brothers doing 'New York City' as recompense.

I'm doing 80 but the band is going faster. Crest the hill and look out at a billboard free stretch of trees turning the same mint green as some asshole's polo shirt in Swifty's. "New York City - Will you give her to me - I'll be yours forever."

5 comments:

Brohammas said...

That station is always on when we drive, but that show is off-limits. It is the Lawrence Welk show of radio.

tintin said...

You're obviously not Norwegian.

GSV JR said...

Jesus, that caption. It's like the NYer thinks the only people that read its mag are very white, agoraphobic, comp-lit doctoral candidates with more cats than clean dishes.

And, I half expected this post to devolve into some sort of urine thing. Was hoping actually. I feel the urge to urinate on my radio when Garrison Keillor talks. His voice is like rushing water. A fucking waterfall actually.

ds said...

That show is pure corn. But every once in a while there are some genius musical moments (definitely NOT when Garrison sings). I heard Elvis Costello rambling, then singing not so long ago and thought it was swell.

I confess I have a soft spot for the "News from Lake Wobegon" monologue. When it's good, it does feel like some genuine, unproduced front-porch storytelling -- and that's sort of rare, I think.

ann said...

Tintin, thanks for the video. I had not heard these guys before. The Brandenburg is spectacular. Great stuff. And I'd also like to add that Garrison Keeler was an english major, and that makes him okay in my book. All of us would be suffering in silence without him. And besides, ketchup is a classic.