A Night on the Town - Willie Nelson

The old man's still got it!

At 77 years old, Willie Nelson and the Family came out on stage rather punctually.  

With the familiar opening to "Whiskey River", Nelson was eager to play, beginning even before the rest of the band had a chance to get situated.

They fell right in.

With a set list that comprised the familiar ("Funny How Time Slips Away/Crazy/Night Life" Medley) to the not so familiar ("Ou Es-Tu, Mon Amour?"), Nelson and the Family put on a great show.

Little sister Bobbie even got to fit in "Down Yonder".

If there was a disappointment, it was the lack of an encore.  But, at 77, Nelson can do what he wants and I, for one, was happy to get to see him again.

Thank you Willie!!! And thank you to Bobbie, Mickey, Bee, Billy and Paul!!!

Playlist for March 18th, 2011

This weekend, out on the prairie, we will be graced by the presence of a music legend.

Willie Nelson was born on April 30th, 1933 in Abbott, Texas.  At age thirteen, he began playing music in local taverns, influenced by musicians such as Hank Williams and Django Reinhardt.

During his time in the Abbott area band the Bohemian Fiddlers, Nelson started to get recognized.  It was during this time that the first "Willie Nelson Fan Club" started.

After graduating high school, Nelson joined the Air Force, but was discharged due to chronic back problems.

After that, he became a disc jockey to earn a living, but began pursuing music professionally.

After moving to Nashville in 1960 and encountering struggles as a professional musician, Nelson began selling tunes that would become hits for other artists, including Patsy Cline ("Crazy"), Roy Orbison ("Pretty Paper") and Faron Young ("Hello Walls").

A move to Austin, Texas in 1971 helped move Willie in his own direction, playing a hybrid of country, jazz and western swing that would bring him fans from all across the world.

Willie is well known for not only his great music, but his activism as well, working to help family farmers, advocating for marijuana legalization and lending his voice in support of tolerance and peace.

This week, we pay tribute to the awesome Willie Nelson and wish him many more years "on the road".



Enjoy!!!

TV Night - The Avengers

Patrick Macnee as John Steed and
Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale
during the second season of
"The Avengers"

Before the bowler hats, the Savile Row suits and the campy (yet, still awesome) storylines, there was a very well written spy-fi series.

The first iteration of the series "The Avengers" starred Ian Hendry as Dr. David Keel.  In the first episode, Dr. Keel meets up with a gentleman by the name of John Wickham Gascoyne Berresford Steed (Patrick Macnee) who not only helps him but talks him into working with him on other cases.

Unfortunately, only two of these episodes survive, neither available to the public.

For the second season, John Steed became the star of the show.  An agent with "the Ministry," Steed works with nightclub singer Venus Smith (Julie Stevens), Dr. Martin King (Jon Rollason) and, most importantly, Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman), a widower who is not only an anthropologist but is also an expert in Judo.  Steed and his assistants work to solve cases involving rogue diamond merchants, Irish thieves and computer experts.

Macnee as John Steed and
Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in later seasons of
"The Avengers"

Blackman went on to star in the James Bond classic, "Goldfinger", but the series continued, (famously) with Macnee along with Diana Rigg as Emma Peel.

A little bit of trivia, Patrick Macnee is "an avid nudist" & "once invited Honor Blackman to watch him play tennis in the nude, an invitation she declined."

You should....

Check it out!!! (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)

Playlist for March 11th, 2011

Anti-Irish propaganda from the 19th Century

Our second bastardized holiday this month is St. Patrick's Day.

The day is supposed to be in honor of St. Patrick, commonly seen as the patron saint of Ireland, but has evolved into an alcohol soaked bacchanalia.

Bars and restaurants around the US see a marked increase in activity during the celebration.

Cities around the US pull out all the stops for the holiday, including dyeing the Chicago River green.

Here on the prairie, there will be an early parade followed by inebriation.

Happy Drunkfest!!!!

Our playlist this week includes many older tunes along with selections from many great Irish (or Irish related) bands.

Enjoy!!!

Food - Shrimp Boil and Raw Oysters

In celebration of Mardi Gras, the Lady of the Manor and I wanted to go to the Sazerac, one of the Prairie Capital's fine restaurants, but we were dismayed to find it closed.

This made us sad.

Word on the street is that they are temporarily closed in preparation for a move to a better location.  I hope that is right, 'cause, let me tell you, the food there is wonderful.

Instead, we decided to make our own feast and went to Robert's Seafood.

While there, we got a pound of shrimp and two large oysters, along with seasoning and riesling wine.

First up, the oysters.

We had them raw and I quickly learned that they are an "acquired" taste.

Next, the shrimp.

Begin boiling enough water to cover the shrimp.

Pour in a generous helping of seasoning.  We used Soileau's (Facebook page link here), a local seasoning company's mix, which is very tasty.

Once the water begins boiling, dump the shrimp in and let boil for about five minutes.  The guy at Robert's suggested that we watch for them to curl up a little and then take them off the heat.

Allow them to sit for about 20 minutes in the water/seasoning mix and eat.

Little hint, peel and de-vein before cooking.  It'll make things much easier.

Great Find - 5 Record Set of Louisiana Cajun Music

Here in the Prairie Capital, if you are looking for good obscure vinyl, you go to Recycled Records.

When you first walk in the door, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the artifacts and ephemera contained in the store.

But, if you go to the back and look up, you will see a sign that states....

"Stairway to Heaven"

Don't be scared of the rickety staircase and go on up to find one of the biggest vinyl collections on the prairie.

It was there that, recently, I came across this five record set of historic cajun tunes.

5 record set of "Louisiana Cajun Music"
from Old-Timey Records
purchased at Recycled Records in Springfield, Illinois

With great tunes from legends such as Joe Falcon, Cleoma Breaux, Harry Choates and the Hackberry Ramblers, this definitely qualifies as a great find.

A recipe for Absinthe (the traditional way)

Absinthe....

It has fascinated folks for many years.  

In America, it was illegal (as are so many great things) until sometime in the mid-2000's.

Anyway, enough of that, here's how you do it....

First you have to obtain a bottle of absinthe.  My favorite is Lucid and can be found at many of your friendly neighborhood liquor stores for around $60.

Second, you have to have the correct spoon.  It should be slotted and able to balance on the lip of the glass.

Third, you get some sugar cubes.

Now that your tools are ready, pour a shot of the absinthe into the glass.

Balance the spoon on the lip of the glass and balance your sugar cubes atop the spoon.  

Many mixes call for one sugar cube, but I put in two.  (I like it sweet.)

Begin a slow drip/pour of ice cold water (I mix mine at a ratio of about 3 parts water to 1 part absinthe) over the sugar and into the glass.

You will notice your drink taking on a hazy greenish color.  This is normal.

Once the sugar cubes dissolve, allow your drink to breathe for a moment.  This will help stir up all the good flavors.

Finish pouring your water in and enjoy!

Movie Night - Black Orpheus

Breno Mello as Orpheus and
Marpessa Dawn as Eurydice

This 1959 film, a retelling of the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, is a delight to watch.

Full of vibrant colors, infectious music (by Antonio Carlos Jobim) and enough energy to power a small city, the film tells the tale of Orpheus, a streetcar driver by day and a musician by night.  

On the eve of Carnival, Orpheus, along with Mira, his fiancee, decide to get a marriage license, but, just before they go to get it, Orpheus runs into Eurydice, a beautiful young woman who has run away from her home to escape a mysterious man dressed up as Death.

As the Carnival ramps up and the sambas begin, Orpheus and Eurydice have to run from not only Death, but Mira who now understands that Orpheus has fallen out of love with her and in love with Eurydice.

A winner of the 1959 Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as an Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA winner, Black Orpheus is a wonderful movie with a wide range of emotions.

Check it out!!! (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)

Playlist for March 4th, 2011

Who wants beads?

This March, we are blessed with two bastardized American holidays.

First up, Mardi Gras, (also known as Carnival).

We have taken what is essentially a religious holiday and infused it with an all-out party spirit that everyone can enjoy, regardless of religious affiliation (or lack thereof).

While, here in America, New Orleans and surrounding areas are synonymous with Mardi Gras, celebrations happen all over the country.

Outside of America, the celebration is known as Carnival and, in recognition of that, I have included samba, mambo and calypso music in a list that's heavy on New Orleans and Louisiana tunes by greats such as Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Champion Jack Dupree and Jerry Lee Lewis (among others).



Enjoy with good food, good drink and good company!

Playlist for February 25th, 2011

If you haven't noticed, I like not only music, but movies as well.

Cinema has the ability to tell stories in a completely different way from other mediums.

Not always a better way, but a different way.

Another great thing about film is the music.

I have learned about many artists, present and past, through movies.

Our playlist this week contains music from some of the movies I have enjoyed over the years.

Some of the tunes were created for the movies they are associated with and some are originals made years before being put into a film.

They are not necessarily my favorite movies, mind you (and some of the movies I didn't like), but the music...that's a different story.



Enjoy!