I Wish

It’s New Year’s Eve as I write this (in Australia).

I am not making any resolutions for 2016.

Rather, I’m thinking of some modest improvements, rather than character renovations.  You is what you is, so they say.

Some aspirations might be in order (maybe improve me grammar, if the last sentence is any indication), but it would best be prudent to keep them to myself at least – one does not want to disappoint oneself, now does one?

Character flaws aside, when it comes to music dear avid reader, well, that’s another matter.  I am going to outline my music wishes for 2016,

for all to see…

for daws to peck at…

without fear…almost…

Here they are, in no order:

Rob’s 2016 Music Wishes

1. see Peter Gabriel on stage (highly unlikely, as I live in Australia, he never tours here, I don’t intend to go to the UK or Europe…)
2. avoid tribute shows to particular bands and albums, long past (time to move on, everyone!..)
3. Australian songstress Sal Kimber’s new album will be as good or even better than her last gem (I’m confident…)
4. the Australian dollar improves, so my next tour to the US is less expensive (unlikely…)
5. see Alison Krauss and Union Station on stage (it’s possible…)
6. Australian singer songwriter Suzannah Espie will have her recent album Mother’s Not Feeling Herself Today released worldwide and receive unprecedented critical attention (it deserves it…)
7. I can work out a way to afford to travel to the US twice and fly business class (dreaming…)
8. my Christmas present, the six CD box set Anthology of American Folk Music is as good as I think it’s going to be (I reckon yes…)
9. important people ask me to do writing for them (working on it…)
10. my US visit in 2016 will include a music heritage trip as good as my 2014 journey along The Crooked Road – Virginia’s heritage music trail (I can find it…)
11. catch The Jayhawks live (probably not going to happen…)
12. see Chris Stapleton perform live (please!…)
13. make the most of my run of Bluesfest sideshows in March – seven shows, with four in as many days (easy this one…)
14. discover some new wonderful festival and tell you all about it (leave it to me…)
15. avoid talkers at live shows – I quote the catch-cry of the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville – shhhhh!
16. go to The Ryman, The Station Inn, Robert’s Western World, Grimey’s Record Store, East Nashville and the Americana Music Festival in Nashville (try and stop me!…)
17. see Guy Clark on stage (hoping…)
18. see a concert at Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado (you never know…)
19. go to Rhythms and Roots Reunion in Bristol Virginia/Tennessee (it should happen…)
20. be accepted for the Cayamo music cruise in early 2017 (we’ll find a way…)
21. work out an elegant and cheap solution for storing the next year’s CDs (bursting point…)
22. there’s an irresistible move away from digital music as we all recognise the criticality of better audio quality, lyric reproduction, artwork and liner notes (dreaming too, but try doing an album review of twelve data files, it’s hard work…)
23. watch the following music documentaries – Nothing Can Hurt Me (Big Star), Color Me Obsessed (The Replacements), Bayou Maharajah (James Booker), Ain’t In It For My Health (Levon Helm), Faithless Love (Linda Ronstadt), AKA Doc Pomus, I Draw Slow (IBMA), The Tao Of Bluegrass (Peter Rowan), Lonely Hearts (Jim Lauderdale), Amy (Amy Winehouse) and The Ties That Bind (Bruce Springsteen) (ambitious…)
24. the new Luncinda Williams album The Ghosts of Highway 20 is as good as we expect (believe it…)
25. friends find a way to join me on my travels to the States in 2016 (here’s to you…)
26. not adding one too many points to a list (oops…)

Happy New Music Year!

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