Happy Sunday Sip Day! While it isn’t quite yet a national holiday, there is something about Sunday mornings that makes it perfect for a relaxing morning of coffee and reading. Let the sipping begin!
Giving Thanks
I have a lot to be thankful for. I’m thankful for my amazing wife, Brenda. Without her, I would not only be lost. I wouldn’t have this opportunity right now to write to you and share my thoughts. I’m thankful that I’m healthy, that I’m secure, that I’m loved, and that I’m gifted with fabulous friends and family. I’m also very thankful for music and the people in my life who nurtured and continue to cultivate my love affair with the arrangement of sound.
Memory is funny. I can’t tell you exactly when music became important to me, but I know it was very early. How do I know? I don’t, actually. I feel it, but perhaps it is all just a dream. I only have these ethereal recollections of my mom (Joan) singing to me as a little shaver. She strummed her guitar and sang to me and my sister, “The Animal Fair.” You know, the fun one where the Monkey gets drunk and falls on the elephant's trunk. And she sang a song about either a falling star or a shooting star (or was it a shining star??). I can only dimly recall threads of lyrics such as “My shooting star, that’s what you are” and something about “You must have been sent to me from Heaven.” I’m sure these lyrics aren’t close. What I’m certain of is that I could sense the love in the words, in the notes on the guitar, and in my mother’s voice.
Growing up as a kid in Detroit, I remember music in the house. Not every second of every day, but often. I definitely remember soundtracks as an important ingredient in cleaning the house. We would get our assignments from Mom, and she’d get the music rolling. The flavor was country with a splash of contemporary. We’d listen to Ray Price belting out “Crazy Arms” or Anne Murray’s sweetly singing “Snowbird” or Patsy Cline singing “Walkin’ After Midnight”.
My dad (Chuck) also loved music, but his tastes leaned into what my mom called “hillbilly music.” When their friends, whom we called Uncle Pat and Aunt Betty, stopped over, the music playlist would change. Now we’d hear Tom T. Hall crooning about how much he loves beer. Then Johnny Cash would tell the story of “A Boy Named Sue.” And, of course, George Jones stopped loving her today while Merle Haggard praised the working man. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to prize the powerful stories told by these country legends.
Occasionally, Mom would take us kids to Barringer’s Music House on West Vernor in Detroit. We’d run around the wooden cases filled with sheet music, 45s, and LPs. We didn’t have a clue that we were playing inside a palace of music. We just knew that we were visiting with Mom Barringer. Susie Barringer, Mom Barringe to us, owned the store. In a very real sense, she was a second mother to my mom. There had been a Dad (Harvey) Barringer who passed before I could meet him. I didn’t know it then, but this store and the Barringers were pivotal to my mom and my journey into music. You see, Dad Barringer taught my mom how to play steel guitar.
I didn’t appreciate how great a musician my mom was until I was older. She knew music theory backward, forward, and sideways. Her rhythm guitar was perfectly timed with just the right swing. However, she shined on the steel guitar, specifically pedal steel. If you aren’t familiar, a pedal steel is a 10 string guitar where legs support the neck. You play it using a bar to slide on the strings while picking the strings. There are knee levers and pedals (hence the name pedal steel) that change the pitch. Pretty much all the great country-western music has pedal steel. You know that “Woooo-Eeeee-Wooo” sound.
On the steel, Mom played Hawaiian music, slippery country runs a la Buddy Emmons and absolutely loved playing “Sleepwalk” by Santo and Johnny. Hearing that song today brings to mind my mom’s face, lost in the music as she played. I’d watch her slide the bar from note to note and chord to chord. The movement of the bar was almost hypnotizing - to the point where I’d fail to see her knees and feet moving the levels and pedals to alter the sound.
My mom taught guitar, and I tried to learn from her. At the time, my kid-sized brain just couldn’t grasp the language at my fingertips the way she could. As I continued to plink and pluck, my mom was there to give me praise or say in a stern voice, “What are you doing?” as I mangled a barre chord. After fits and starts, I eventually got to a point where I could actually play a lick and rock on some power chords. It was then that I fully understood the gift of music given to me.
I still haven’t mastered the guitar like Mom. But I have the same love for music, not just the love of the songs you grew up with or are most familiar with, but a love to explore and learn about music. That is the best gift of all. I’m positive that my openness to new music and willingness to listen is because she was the same way. Thanks to Mom, I’m still exploring music—the richness of the notes and chords and the infinite possibilities they provide.
I’d love to hear about what you are most thankful for and what music means to you. Leave a comment, send us a note, or jump on the chat.
Upcoming Events You Won't Want to Miss
Finality at The Sanctuary in Hamtramck on December 1 with Cyadine, Supreme Mystic, Centenary, Convulsis - Metal, metal, metal and more metal! This lineup will destroy you (in a good way). Get there early to see the greatest thrash band in Michigan and get things started right!
Christmas in the Village: Manchester on December 1st and 2nd with the Manchester CoOp Preschool Chili Cook-Off Event on December 2nd at the River Raisin Distillery. Enjoy a holiday parade, shop local, and support the Manchester CoOp Preschool!
The Idiot Kids Chapels Album release at Outer Limits Lounge in Detroit on December 2nd with Cult of Spaceskull and Carmel Liburdi. I just had a great conversation with Jon Mikal of The Idiot Kids, and their new album is fantastic. Enjoy a night of punk rock mayhem.
Electric Huldra at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti on December 2nd with Warhorses and Good Man’s Brother - saddle up for a night of hard rock fury with some of Detroit’s best rock.
Christmas on the Farm at Waterloo Farm on December 2nd and 3rd. Tour the Waterloo Farm museum decked out for the holidays and pick up a wreath, handmade gifts, and baked goods.
Detroit Urban Craft Fair on December 2nd and 3rd. Head over to the Masonic Temple in Detroit for two days of amazing artisans showcasing their unique products. This is the perfect place to explore and find that one-of-a-kind gift.
Dark Horse Brewery Annual 4 Elf Party on December 9, from 11 a.m. to Midnight, is an opportunity to enjoy crazy amounts of Dark Horse beer with elves, Santas, and hundreds of other Michigan Beer Enthusiasts. We’ve been going to the 4 Elf Party for years!
Tiny Expo - Indie Art & Craft Fair on Saturday, December 9, at Ann Arbor’s Downtown Library. Just go; I promise you’ll love it.
Tinseltown in Negaunee on December 9, celebrate the holidays U.P. style while picking up the perfect gift at their Christmas craft show.
Wilson Thicket at Manchester Underground Music at Raisin River Distillery in Manchester on December 9th - Wilson Thicket is the best bluegrass meets Americana band in the country. Having them in Manchester at the Raisin River Distillery will be a night to remember.
Adventures Yet To Print
I feel like a broken record, as we’ve got a boatload of stories in the works to share with you. I’m getting so close to having a couple of big stories over on the Rural Innovation Exchange. One throws a spotlight on the Michigan Military Heritage Museum, and the other Manchester Underground Music and Art. Plus, I’ve got some vinyl and beer articles that I need to get out there for you, as they might be helpful as you prepare for the holidays. Brenda has a recap coming soon on the Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer, and Food Festival (which was super), as well as a story on Merino sheep at Michigan Merinos in Mason.
What Are You Reading?
I just finished Clanlands in New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts, and an Adventure Down Under by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish. It is a behind-the-scenes look at Sam and Graham’s Men in Kilts series filmed in New Zealand. It brought back memories of our trip to this magical landscape of adventure. The book provides some fascinating history of New Zealand along the way. While the cheesy banter between Sam and Graham does get tedious, the stories are charming and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny. You get a glimpse into their friendship despite all the cornball dialogue.
I’m halfway through Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic story “The Road.” The story is grim. Grim with a capital “G.” In a hopeless landscape, a man and his son try to find a way to survive in a devastated and brutal world. This is a story that will make you think. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story ultimately unfolds, no matter how desperate the outcome seems destined to be.
What Are You Spinning?
I journeyed back into the archives recently to listen to Rush's Exit Stage Left and Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother—two completely different types of progressive rock albums. Exit Stage Left takes me back to my very first concert, which was Rush at Joe Louis Arena. They were on tour for Moving Pictures. The power of Rush’s performance floored me. However, I always felt that I missed them at their prime. I would have loved to have seen them tour for Permanent Waves and Hemispheres. I say this because Moving Pictures was the end of my Rush fandom. While I will always love their music, the rest of the 80’s were dark days for me. I couldn’t get into the reggae rhythms and synth love affair of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Give me “Jacob’s Ladder” over “Subdivisions" any day.
I think Atom Heart Mother is an underrated gem in the Pink Floyd catalog. While I’ve read that members of Pink Floyd hate this album, I love it. I love the epic, almost over-the-top grandeur of the title track. The weirdly upbeat and cynically dark “Summer of 68” is Floyd's trademark Floyd. And then there is “Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast,” complete with the pop of Rice Krispies, the mumbled love of marmalade, and the meandering music of a waking dream.
Fans With Bands
Tune into Fans With Bands on Wednesday, November 29, to hear an outstanding chat with Wilson Thicket. It was an honor and pleasure to talk with this band and hear their story.
You can join me on December 6 at 7 p.m. to talk with Soul Responsibility. And be sure to join me as I talk with one of my musical heroes, Brian Thomas, of the legendary Halloween on December 19th at 7 p.m.
That’s A Wrap
I’m hoping this Sunday Sip was good to the last drop. If you have a spare minute or two, let us know how you are doing. Share a comment, email us, or jump on the chat. Have a spectacular week. We look forward to spending more time with you soon. In the meantime, here’s a goofy photo for the hell of it.