Thanks to Nethaniel, who recently came into a heavily discounted batch of ‘07-’08 Burton decks, I have just scored my first new snowboard since graduating from college. The only other board I have owned, a Limited 159, had to stay behind on my trip to Norway and is now beginning to show signs of age. On top of that, I have been wanting a longer and narrower board with enough versatility for both powder and carving. That is exactly what Nethaniel was kind enough to offer me just in time for my cousin Eric’s visit in ten days. (By the way, Nethaniel still has plenty of boards to sell to anybody looking for a great deal.)
Eric and I had been considering everything from Banff to Whistler, but when it came down to it, the Idaho Rockies offered us the best combination of price, location, and snow conditions. We will be spending the first week of February at Brundage in McCall during their annual Winter Carnival, followed by a weekend at Schweitzer with a church group from Resonate. We will use the last couple days of Eric’s visit to recuperate in Moscow before he heads back to Wisconsin, and then on to begin chiropractic school at Palmer. Eric, I cannot wait to welcome you back to Idaho!
P.S. The title of this post was referring to snowboard decks and being ready to hit the slopes. Tonight’s headlines of sniper shootings near Moscow, however, seem equally relevant. Have we not heard this before?
Sweatshop Union: A group I first heard on my friend Stephanie’s MySpace profile and later played on a daily basis over the loudspeakers at Koia. I am more than stoked to see them perform at John’s Alley tomorrow night.
Since I first posted about the cover band Groovehaus almost a year and a half ago, it has become the third most popular entry on this blog. For their sake and yours, I figure it is about time for a little up-to-date promotion.
Groovehaus, in their current lineup, have been performing together for about two years. The seven-person band is made up of Leslie Wilson on keyboard and vocals; her son, Graeme on vocals; Sean Wilson (no relation) on saxophone, vocals, and percussion; Tony Burt on bass and vocals; Ian Tracy on guitar; Bill Hebert on his “Purple Monster” drum set; and my sister, Heather, on vocals and violin. Honorable member Terry Evans fills the eighth slot behind the soundboard.
As you might guess from such a wide range of talent, versatility is one of the band’s strengths, and they are always expanding their already extensive repertoire of R&B, blues, jazz, classic rock and hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and today. While they could practically air their own radio station, the band’s forte is live performance, and recent gigs have included events at the Eastside Marketplace, Moscow ARTWALK, the Fresh Aire Concert Series in East City Park, and the Latah County Fair.
Groovehaus can also be booked for private events through their website – groovehausband.com – where you will find a profile on each member and the band’s running set list. I recently started a group on Facebook to keep fans informed about public appearances, so sign up if you wish to receive invitations to concerts like their upcoming Valentine’s Day fundraiser for Rendezvous in the Park.
While the band’s official website features a photo gallery, the Facebook group is probably the best place to see the latest photos, as well as videos like this one. Go to the “Links” section of the group to watch more of the past year’s Groovehaus performances.
This weekend, the third time was the charm. I was up before the sun on Saturday dusting off my old gear and awaiting Susanna and Lenora, who pulled up to the Big Haus just after six before adding Bryan on our way out of town. Three hours later, after scoring some cheap tickets (thanks Bryan – I owe you!), the four of us were on our first chair up Lookout Pass, a ski spot off I-90 as it crosses east into Montana. Knowing that it was a small hill and that the weather forecast could go either way, I was a little skeptical about my first visit to a place I had heard a lot about. I was not going to pass up the ride however (thanks, Susanna!), and that turned out to be the right choice.
The "Summit House" at Lookout Pass. Click for more photos.
The sun hid its face all day, but the clouds stayed above our heads and even dropped some fresh snow. The conditions on the ground were remarkable, and apart from a free afternoon ski school, the runs were empty and the lift lines were short. It was a great time with good friends back on the slopes of north Idaho, and as the ladies got in their last turns, Bryan and I capped off the day with a pint of a delicious local brew called “Sunset Red.” While the beer was a treat, it was also an excuse to retire upon realizing that Kvitfjell spoiled me. Waking up early and spending an entire day snowboarding are two things I have not done in a long time, so by the time I crashed Saturday night, I was almost too exhausted to sleep. Is this what getting old feels like? Too bad, because I will probably be going back next weekend.
Since my sister, Heather, was borrowing my camera last week, I did not get any pictures over the new year. I celebrated in Sandpoint with many old and close friends. I realized this is the first new year I have rung in stateside in three years, and it has been four since I was last in Sandpoint for the occasion (with many of the same friends). That was 2006, and since I do not have any new pictures to show, I figured I would dig up some oldies. Michal and Davis Wilson, with his new wife, Manisha, were all at the Big Haus over Christmas but had to leave before New Years. However, both Wilsons were in Sandpoint in 2006, as were the now Zmudas and Scheibes. What is also interesting about these photos is that some of them were my very first on Flickr and were shot with my first digital camera: a Sony CD Mavica, so named because it recorded the photos onto a Mini Disc.
I did have my camera for Christmas, which was the first I have spent with my parents in six years. The last was in 2003 – the year I graduated from college. God is faithful. Unfortunately, I still cannot say that we were “all together” again, since my other sister, Kristen, and her new husband, Josh, decided to suffer the holiday in Mexico. In many good ways, it felt like I had not been gone, and it was wonderful to be back.
You might remember that I had to clean out some of my old gear before returning from Norway. Santa (a.k.a. “mom”) generously replenished part of that supply. Now I am just waiting for the white stuff. While most of the rest of the country has been getting record snowfall, Moscow is delivering its typical rainy winter. I have already planned two unsuccessful snowboard outings since Christmas and will try again this weekend. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm.
Filed under: Music
I am on here today because something beautiful yet tragic has just unfolded in a way that you might say fate brought to bear. Vincent Moon, known for his Take-Away Shows, will occasionally showcase side-projects on his blog, FiumeNights. Since each installment features several videos, I usually save them until I can dedicate an hour to being inspired by his work. His most recent update, posted days before Christmas, has been on my reading list until this afternoon, when I was introduced to the music of Lhasa de Sela through Moon’s films from a couple of intimate live performances in Montreal last April. After only a few songs, I began to understand what he meant when he wrote: “More than anything, those shows, which marked Lhasa’s first shows in a very long time…, blew me [away] by the intensity which she would put in it. No words can really describe what I felt – one of the most amazing performer[s] I have ever seen for sure.”
Before finishing his videos of Lhasa, I was already surfing the web to learn more about her. What I discovered after being enamored by such a beautiful voice was ironically catastrophic. The press release offers few details beyond a nearly two-year battle with breast cancer that arrived at its brutal conclusion on New Years Day. I suspect Moon, who wrote of his close friendship with the late musician, published these videos as a final tribute to Lhasa. To have read about her now – only days after her passing – is both upsetting and profound, yet clearly her work lives on. My sincerest sympathies go out to her family, and also to Vincent Moon with gratitude for sharing her music and a piece of her story.
Filed under: Sports
The University of Idaho Vandals were a come-from-behind football team all season, and they saved the best for last. You don’t have to be a Vandal fan – heck, you hardly have to be a football fan to be impressed by the victory they pulled off against Bowling Green in Boise yesterday at the Humanitarian Bowl. Like the ESPN recap (with video highlights) says, they rallied to a “finish that’ll be hard to match by any other bowl game this postseason.” Go Vandals!
If you can, after hitting play, click the “HQ” button to make this short video show up better. In lieu of a traditional letter or email, I decided to give Windows Live Movie Maker a go. Of course, thirty seconds is too short to capture all that has happened over the past year, but I hope you enjoy the highlights. Merry Christmas, and blessings in the new year!
When I took up residence on the third floor of the Big Haus at the beginning of October, I moved in just down the hall from Ian Tracy. Some readers may recognize Ian as the guitar player in the band Groovehaus. Others know him as the guy who used to have friends. I think of Ian as my neighbor, and just before Thanksgiving, Ian became my “noisy neighbor.”
I consider listening to Christmas music a chore: something to cross off my list as I prepare for the holidays. I am adamantly opposed to it being played before Thanksgiving, but as Ian began practicing for a Christmas concert, I had no choice. I am sure his brother Dylan could tell me that growing up with Ian was like growing up with Heather – while they were still beginners, you had to suffer through their practices. Heather, of course, has become an accomplished violin player, and listening to Ian play Rhonda is now more impressive than oppressive. Unless they are playing Christmas music.
I suppose the reason I went to his concert at all was because he asked me to record it. Like a good neighbor, timmyjimi was there, joining a modest crowd of family and friends at Moscow’s Nuart Theatre to hear Ian play through his Trans-Siberian Orchestra cover songs one last time. My reward for the effort was discovering that the Misfit Toys – as they call themselves – were actually a lot of fun to watch. Things the band has going for them (besides Ian) are having recently signed Santa as their bassist and an awesome drummer who is all of fourteen years old. In case you missed it or just feel like melting your face off, you can watch the entire concert over on Vimeo. Merry Christmas.
When Heather and I went to see Larger Than Life last week, they showed a trailer for a movie which I immediately recognized. That is because, while exploring Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains last May, I stumbled upon the set. It comes out the week after New Years, and I just might have to go see it.
