Latest News

As I prepared to depart the hotel for the gig at around noon on Saturday, I checked the Terrapin Hill web site and saw the announcement that the rest of the weekend had been called off. A couple of hours after that, I went outside and ran into the DTB folks, trying to figure out what to do. We all got out of there just in time last night; the road to the farm was flooded, and no one is expected to get in or out for several days (or more, if the weather continues to dump more moisture into the region). The bus got out with instruments and people, but there’s a lot of gear back at Terrapin Hill. The major highways that would get DTB home from Lexington are also closed due to flooding.

I’m safe with friends in Lexington. All I left at the farm was my Microtrack, which will be returned to me in due time.

I’m bummed! Neither I nor DTB got to play a note. The Cornmeal folks are stranded at Terrapin Hill, missing at least one gig. At least The Recipe got out after their set Friday night, so presumably they made it to their show in Maryland last night.

Pete, Brenda and Mary, the hosts of Terrapin Hill, are the sweetest people. I hope their financial hit isn’t too deep.

The Lexington Herald-Leader report that eight people died in this storm; Lexington received more than six inches of rain in two day, including four inches in one three-hour period.

The ugly weather has subsided, a day earlier than predicted. The major highways appear to be back to normal. I am probably going to drive to Nashville today and see if I can get out either tonight or tomorrow. I wonder how badly United is going to punish me for changing my flights.

“Bob” – “Weird” Al Yankovic’s brilliant sendup of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” video, all in palindromes.

Peter Ammerall of RatdogLive recorded the Rubber Souldiers show at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater September 17 and burned CDs for the band members (minus the encore, which I’ll get from him later). Click here for the audio.

Alan Hess’s photos

Bob Minkin’s photos

This event was a benefit for Rock the Earth

I didn’t get to play at Terrapin Hill last night.

After Cornmeal finished their excellent, high-energy set, I took the stage and started setting up my stuff as Donna the Buffalo‘s crew moved their gear into place behind me.

We got as far as the soundcheck before the lightning became frequent enough to portend the arrival of a nasty storm cell. The tarps went up and the musicians repaired to the hospitality tent.

And then the storm hit. Hoo-wee. It was stunning to watch – big bolts of lightning slashing horizontally between cloud masses, cracks of thunder in wide-screen stereo all around – until the force of the rain pinned us down in the tents.

Jordy Risk, Donna the Buffalo’s roadie and merch guy, saved my gear. As the storm grew in power, the tarps didn’t hold, so Jordy got my guitar into its case and covered my equipment first with his shirt, then with a towel, and then with a sleeping bag.

There was a moment when we thought the wind might lift that hospitality tent right up out of there. A bottle of very smooth, high-end Kentucky Bourbon kept our nerves settled, sorta.

About 90 minutes after the delay began, we were told that the show was officially cancelled and we’d better get out of there before the roads washed out and stranded the bus and cars. Jordy went onstage with me and helped me get my pedals and other gear out of harm’s way; we dried each cable and stomp box as I put them into the suitcase. Jordy is my hero today!

The Weather Channel reports nasty weather all through the midwest and east, with dozens of tornados touching down and floods everywhere. This area (an hour or so southwest of Lexington KY) is on high alert. It’s not raining right now, and in fact I just saw some sunlight hitting my guitar strings through my hotel room window, but the clouds are thick and menacing and TWC reports a 90% chance of rain with an estimate of half an inch for the day.

I’m due to play in the Pavilion at 1:30. We shall see.