Red Rocks Amphitheater

We came to Denver to visit some of Conner's old friends from Durango, Jena and Dustin.  Oh man, they're awesome.  We planned on being here for a couple days but we've been here a week...still in time to make it to Chicago by the 19th.  They took us by Red Rocks--a natural geologic amphitheater--which is totally free and really beautiful.  It should definitely be the first stop while in Denver.  They have a little museum with a wall of all the people who have performed and it's everyone you can ever think of from The Beatles and Ella Fitzgerald.  It was originally used by the Native American Utes as a spiritual arena until publication editor John Walker purchased the land with money from the sale of his magazine Cosmopolitan in 1906.  
Wikipedia

Tonight we're all going to see Primus and Gogol Bordello there!  I haven't gone to see a big concert in forever and I'm excited.

Jena, Conner, Dan, and Dustin Dupont

 Jena and Dustin's daughter, Lily

Their younger daughter Vada; named after Vada Sultenfuss from the 90's movie My Girl.  I did love that movie.

Angela-Red

Conner and I are house-sitting for the Gummersall family while they’re in Santa Fe so that the youngest son, Tyller, can finish up recording his first full-length album with a girl named Tina.  Conner and Dan have done some recording with him earlier this year. 

Mamma Jenny is a photographer and when they visited Austin earlier this year she gave me a little lesson on how to takes photos of musicians in action.  Pappa Greg is an abstract painter and ranks #2 on my “Best Networking Skills” list under David Holmes of Intrepid Artist Management—the guys know everyone.  They have two other sons whom I have never met.  One of them is Devon Gummersall, a star in the now defunct My So-Called Life.  I was a huge fan back in the day and even died my hair Angela-red in 6th grade.  I really like the family and always end up telling them way more than I ever plan and blushing accordingly.

C and D will probably accompany Tina and Tyller when they play their cd release party in Santa Fe in a couple weeks.  Details to follow…

 Photo by Jenny Gummersall

Musical Gypsy Wagon

With the help from many of the musician/carpenters in the Arboles, CO area Denny has made these portable and self-contained musical stages modeled after old Gypsy Wagons.  They're beautifully done in custom woodwork and stained glass.  There are more photos and specs here.

We're aiming to be done with our travels and back in Austin for SXSW next March.  It'd be wonderful to connect with someone who organizes some of the musical showcases during the festival...concerts pop up in the most random places around town (mostly in vacant lots) and instead of rigging up a stage for a couple days, it'd be way easier to just set this guy up.  If anyone has any idea who we should get in touch with, please do pass it along.

For the 2nd Sunday Jam Session that Melody and Denny host on their property each month, they whipped out the gypsy wagon and built a dance floor in front.  It really seems like musician/carpenter is the profession of choice out here in southern Colorado; like Conner, or Denny, or the bassist behind Dan, although I never did catch his name.

Don Weber

Jam Sessions

Getting together to play music is a huge part of the Finn lifestyle.  There are the Wednesday Night Jam Sessions, the Friday Night Jam Sessions, and the 2nd Sunday Jam Sessions...

Conner and Dan's older brother, Josh

 Conner

 Dan

Jesse Horton

Festival Finder

We want to hit up as many music festivals as we can on this trip, but there seem to be so many different festivals that I didn't really know start researching.  I just found Festival Finder that seems to have a pretty comprehensive listing based on genre of music.  Check it out.

Festival Finder

It would be good to go ahead and scope them out now because the only way we're really going to be able to afford a music fest is if we volunteer.  It'll be good to sign up early and get in the back way.

"Our Song"

I've never had an "our song" with anyone I've ever dated--it never came naturally.  I envisioned that it would be necessary to sit down over dinner and say, "Baby, it has come to my attention that we don't have a song.  Do you know how that makes me feel?  Wretched, it makes me feel wretched.  We simply have to choose one this evening before this gets any further."

So, I've never had a couples' song.

It made me think about all the other songs that couples claim and the list doesn't seem that long.  

 1. At Last - Etta James
2. Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
3. When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge
4. Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart
5. We've Just Only Begun - The Carpenters
6. Fields Of Gold - Sting
7. Everything I Do - Bryan Adams
8. Only You - Roy Orbison
9. Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
10. This I Promise You - NSync
11, You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
12. Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Elton John
13. My Boo - Usher and Alisha Keys
14. Crazy In Love - Beyonce
15. Hopelessly Devoted To You - Olivia Newton John
16. I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
17. The Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Middler
18. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
19. I Will Always Love You- Whitney Houston
20. Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney
21. Baby, I Love Your Way - Peter Frampton
22. Our Song- Elton John

Frankly, there's not one on that list of songs that I would claim for myself.  They were all written for someone else and it just feels disingenuous to say that it's ours.  Frankly, I would throw the whole list away and say, "Babe, if we really gotta have song then let's grab 'Fishin' Blues' cuz darlin, that's what I wanna do with you...grow old and go fishin with you although, after we get good bait of course."