In Case You’d Been Keeping Score
Here is the world’s most boring use of a high school marching band for self-indulgent “rock’n'roll” purposes.
Archive for April, 2008
Did You Know? -Booth, Lincoln Edition
Abraham Lincoln’s only surviving son, Robert Todd, fell on the train tracks in Jersey City in 1863.
He was pulled up to safety by John Wilkes Booth’s older brother, Edwin.
Edwin was known as one of the world’s greatest Shakespearean actors, and was the son of Junius Brutus Booth, another famous actor in his day (and an alcoholic). A statue is dedicated to him in Gramercy Park, NYC.
Robert Todd Lincoln was present at two other Presidential assassinations, but was asleep in bed the night his father was shot by John Wilkes Booth. He was present for Garfield’s assassination at the Sixth Street Train Station in Washington, D.C. by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881, at McKinley’s assassination at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York where the President was shot by Leon F. Czolgosz on September 6, 1901.
The night President Lincoln was murdered at Ford’s Theater, he and Mary Todd were accompanied by Henry Rathbone, a military officer, and his new fiancée, Clara Harris. When Booth shot Lincoln, Rathbone made an attempt to stop his fleeing, but failed. He was stabbed several times by Booth before he jumped from the box to the stage and made his escape, despite a broken leg.
For years, Rathbone was haunted by –and in some circles, blamed for– Booth’s escape and resulting two week attempt at hiding. He recovered from his wounds, married Harris, and they had three children. He never mentally recovered, though, and in 1883 murdered his wife, and attempted to murder his three children as well. He was institutionalized and died in 1911.
His son, Henry Riggs Rathbone, went on to become a Republican Congressman from Illinois, Lincoln’s home state.
This information is readily available via Wiki, etc. but I’ve just put it all together after reading Sarah Vowell’s Assassination Vacation.
New Retread Sessions: Akron/Family
You can also view these in HD at our Vimeo page.
No. 7: Akron/Family “They Will Appear, Behold” from Retread Sessions on Vimeo.
No. 7: Akron/Family “I Know You Rider” from Retread Sessions on Vimeo.
Nick Lowe, Party of One
We went to see Nick Lowe on Friday night, happily paying the $22 door fee to gain entrance.
Lowe, in case you aren’t aware, recently re-released his classic Jesus of Cool, and is touring to support it, as well as his most recent release, At My Age. As a friend noted, if you’re out, with grey hair, supporting a record called At My Age, you might not be a sure bet for a Friday night rock-a-thon, but we were pleasantly surprised.
I wasn’t familiar with the new record, but I’ve listened to it since Friday and have to say … I can’t think of many guys Lowe’s age still touring and writing that sound so good. His voice has matured so well, and his occasional dips into soul, country and R&B really showcase his range and tone. His voice is really just a beautiful thing to listen to, and I’m not sure the earlier records ever really intimated that to me as clearly as his performance.
Obviously I’m a big fan of Jesus of Cool, but he reintroduced me to one that I hadn’t heard in a long while - Party of One. I revisited it this weekend and really wanted to share a couple tunes from it with you.
If he comes through your town, I highly recommend you paying the ticket price to go: the crowd will be kind of weird, but you’ll enjoy it. Here’s a sampling of some Lowe songs, from Jesus of Cool and Party of One, enjoy!
Nick Lowe “I Don’t Know Why You Keep My On”
Nick Lowe “Little Hitler”
Nick Lowe “So It Goes”
Nick Lowe “What’s Shakin’ On the Hill”
