Walk it off behind the shed

I broke my collarbone the FIRST time at the age of 4, playing at my grandparent's farm.  I remember my brother picking me up, wiping the grass and dirt from my shirt saying, " WALK IT OFF! WALK OFF!"   That was and is our Miller-farmboy-credo.  We  could walk off whatever injury or pain we had just so we wouldn't have to tell our dad because if you wanted pain,THAT'S when pain would get real.  Let the old man know you hurt yourself messing around ( other and WORK) and he'd introduce you to real pain. So other than exposed bone through skin you were on your own and expected to heal thyself.

Now rock n roll ain't really about playing through broken bones, ( although I have done it and have seen it done. I watched Mic Harrison tour with gout in one foot, and while I have never had 'the gout' I'm told it'll bring a grown man to tears.) I've played sick as well. Sick from too much the night after or too much from the month before and colds are  just part of the road when you tour. You might as well be kissing every other band on the mouth when you sing into a microphone. ( I try not to picture that, and would advise you to do the same.) 

So this past weekend when I started getting a little sick and hoarse, I did what you always do. WALK IT OFF and play through. Except this time my voice just quit on me. I dunno. Maybe I'm old. Maybe I wasn't showing 'professional courtesy' to my audience ( a rather large one, thankyouverymuch) by not canceling the show. What? Cancel a show? Because you're sick? (Shut up, Glenn Frey, you guys never did make up THAT date in Knoxville.)  Well, maybe I was selfish and for that I apologize. But never let it be said a Miller boy didn't give it everything he had. For that I won't apologize. But I will try to make it up to you folks somehow.

thescottmiller

Birm-lanta-ville-Shed

About to head out the door for this week's run. The solo show in B'ham ( a city that used to love me...) is gonna be tight. Wilco is in town tonight as well, but maybe some people will drift down to the Nick. 

Atlanta  on Thursday will be full of the wife's family ( they'll be the drunk loud ones...) and the Grey Eagle in Asheville on Saturday has displaced chefs from New Orleans, so we always starve ourselves all day for that food and really love that room. I don't know how that turn out will be with Merlefest going on this weekend, but hell, nobody from Asheville is really FROM Asheville so let 'em take their 'Son Trust' money to Wilkesboro, I don't need it!. (Well, yes I do. I'm sorry I said that. Please come to that show Friday.)

AND SATURDAY'S SHOW in Maryville, TN is going to be one for the books!!!! The weather looks like it will be grand, and the band is in shape and I understand they are bringing in extra sound for the expected large crowd. May the Lord Bless and keep East Tennessee, as I doubt the rest of you want it.

OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK:  My wife has a horse and I won't say anything else about it besides that some horse people scare me.  I do not judge them, after all, I still keep things around the house that aren't entirely useful such as my turntable.  ANYWAY, she was off at a horse dinner with the horse people so I had the afternoon to do one of my favorite relaxing activities:  watching golf.  Nothing is as relaxing and can put me to sleep faster than watching the landscape painter Bob Ross ( R.I.P.) who used to be on PBS, and a nice morning fishing show would be next but in a pinch, I will watch some golf. But here is what I concluded before I drifted off to whispering commentators and polite applause:  

The symbol that Tiger Woods has on the front of his hat, the "T" and "W" intertwined? I GUARANTEE he designed that thing in fifth grade on some graph paper and has had it on his bulletin board above his tiny desk just waiting to unleash it. You gotta know that when Nike came to call, with their multi-million dollar designers they offered up a modern, good looking logo. "No thanks, guys!" I hear Tiger say " I've got my OWN!"

Don't let 'em get ya, Tiger.

Miller