RB Morris and Bark at The Live Oak Listening Room...

It's been my birthday weekend so I'm just kind of drifting and doing what I want. Some think that's what I do all the time but regardless of what your opinion is I can't really argue if you don't post it on the internet and then you need to be a stranger to get a reply from me but it turned out to be a really good weekend for live music around these parts with the Pink Martini show Friday night and then a show at the Live Oak Listening room with RB Morris and Bark.   

I must admit I had never heard of either one of these groups so I did not know what to expect other than an evening with friends and I was pleasantly surprised that at the high quality and variety of the show.   

RB is from Knoxville Tennessee and is a playwright, a singer songwriter, a poet and actor that has served as the Writer in Residence at the University of Tennessee. He can also lead a rocking band. The Live Oak was the perfect place for him to display his songs, poems and storytelling and the Band Bark was strong backup, delicate when called for and rocking pedal to the metal when given the space. 

Lately Cathy and I have both reread the Cormac McCarthy book "Suttree" which is set in Knoxville. I would imagine that RB knows some of those places in the book. 

   Bark is a drum guitar duo with the guitarist playing a 6 string bass. He was a man after my own heat being that I play a similar baritone guitar. Both of these have a rich array of sound to put to use filling up the space in a band setting and it was great to see it used to a powerful effect.  

A song about Lazarus is always a good one. There is lots to ponder in that story and I'll take all the help I can get. 

If you don't know the Live Oak Listening Room it's in Nacogdoches. A bunch of old hippies all cook something, bring it and everyone shares a meal at about 6pm and then the music starts at 7pm. There's a jar on the table you put money in. No one tells you how much but apparently enough gets put in to bring shows like this to town. It's a thing that works like the world should work. 

Drift over there sometime.