- The glowing fiber-optic rose that an Elvis personator gave to Casey.
- Attending my first-ever White Sox game, with my uncle Paul.
- The beer vendor who used the condensation from a can to wet his hands and then, with his hands, his hair.
- The verdict of the “are hot dogs sandwiches?” debate, settled by an old-school White Sox concessions employee speaking to my uncle: “Sorry, honey, no hot dog sandwiches here.”
- Casey DJing at the Golden Dagger.
- The chords formed by bugs and frogs vocalizing away in the night, helping to alleviate post-show tinnitus.
- The bassist who restores Saab cars speaking passionately, sweetly about the global Saab maintenance “family.”
- The difference between deferring to others out of respect versus offloading responsibility onto them out of laziness or fear.
- The five-foot-tall duckie illuminated sign left in the alley behind the sign shop.
- Basil posing with the collection of ceramic Star Wars album cats at the Loft.
- The bunched up, dried up spray foam coiled inside a broken glass block like a snake carcass.
- Unearthing my rain-soaked festival production notes.
- Moods are real. Admitting that to myself more easily lately.
- Cutting steel bolts to custom lengths and cleaning them up on the belt sander.
- Playing with Ripley at the Hideout.
- Randy the Raccoon’s Cosmic Country Karaoke at the newly opened Color Club.
- The man wearing a denim thobe (full-length robe) in the grocery store.
- Nat Hentoff’s 1964 New Yorker profile of Bob Dylan [via Austin Kleon].
- “Sometimes I can make myself feel better with music, but other times it’s still hard to go to sleep at night.”
- Every hilarious, badass anecdote involving Tom Wilson. (‘“Man, dim the lights,” [Dylan’s] bearded friend counselled Wilson. “He’ll get more relaxed.” “Atmosphere is not what we need,” Wilson answered, without turning around. “Legibility is what we need.”’)
- Katie Crutchfield on the Listening podcast talking about eliminating the things in her life that didn’t serve songwriting.
- Jon Langford and Sally Timms at Judson & Moore.
- The twinkling of the sailboat bells in the downtown marina at night.
- The slightly claustrophobic, slightly cocoon-like hearing test booth at the audiologist’s office.
- The plastic skeletons for sale at Menards, folded up, hanging on the racks, ready to go.
- This interview with the “last person standing” in the floppy disk business. I used floppy disks when I was in elementary school.
- The concept of a “messianic duo”: not a single savior, but a couple of collaborating saviors.
- The bizarre stories of David Reuveni and Shlomo Molcho, which I found by googling “messianic duo.” It turns out that in the sixteenth century, pretty much all you needed in order to get a meeting with the Pope was a white horse.
- Celebrating Zaid’s (my grandpa) 90th birthday.
- Kooyrigs: a credible organization providing immediate aid to victims of Azerbaijan’s attacks on Armenia.
- “Hot Pink” by Meat Puppets.
- The release of “Bungalow,” Case Oats’ second single!
- Mom inspecting the Case Oats tour van before we headed out for the band’s first run.
- The Dubuque, Iowa chamber of commerce members in matching red smoking jackets, cocktails in hand, who held a ribbon cutting ceremony (complete with novelty scissors) at the Fox Den Motel’s new live music room during the Case Oats soundcheck.
- The bartender who told us she had never tended bar before; she’s usually a farmer.
- Case Oats playing Lincoln Calling festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. Afterward, swimming in the hotel pool. We wanted to get in the hot tub but it was occupied by a party of middle aged folks with a dog and when they got out we discovered it was ultra soupy and dark. So we stayed in the pool.
- A nice Case Oats show at Music Record Store in St. Louis opening for V.V. Lightbody. Wonderful to have Chet (Zenor) joining up with the tour. He’s such a great musician.
- Case Oats playing with Warner Brownfield and Bats (Jess Awh) at Mag Bar in Louisville.
- Warner’s wonderful, free writing and performing style.
- Nick Larimore, an absolute ripper pedal steel player, always a joy to hear.
- The older, drunk, white ponytailed man who harrassed Casey, Jess, Chloe each separately with acts that included showing them pictures of his girlfriend’s boobs. Thankfully he showed himself out.
- Shoe shopping at a Zappos outlet store with the Case Oats band, Warner, Chloe, and Brendan.
- Our one and only Waffle House stop as a band for this run, a rare treat for northerners.
- In South Bend, Indiana, Case Oats with Joe Baughman, who made an incredible music video for Wilco’s “Someone to Lose,” and Bailey Williams, who sang in the Wilco Karaoke set at Solid Sound 2019!
- Friko absolutely killing at Oberlin College, inspiring me (and Finom) to pour more into shows (again)!
- The wine and Pringles party we (Finom and Friko, AKA Friko for Finom) held in our cushy college-gig hotel room.
- The humongous, well-oiled and delicious beans served by Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia. (In addition to their incredible pizza.)
- Playing with Finom at Johnny Brenda’s.
- Playing with Finom at Tubby’s in Kingston, New York.
- The showgoer who told me I’m a “responsible” drummer, which made me feel great.
- Sam (Owens) showing us his singing saw.
- Water is blue because it’s actually blue.