Birthday

This Sunday I hit the big 39. It's my last full year as a thirtysomething, and with luck it will be the year I become a father. I'm hoping fatherhood will take some of the sting out of hitting 40, but I kinda doubt it. The upside is that due to a concerted effort on my part, I'm in better shape physically than I was in my 20's.

It's a cliche to whine about getting older, so let's move on. In the 80's and early 90's, I was a solid devotee of what was then referred to as "independent" music: Replacements, R.E.M., Husker Du, etc. In fact, the Huskers played Houston on the night of my senior prom, but I didn't go. I had already rented a date and a tux, so it was too late for me to back out of the big dance. However a classmate of mine named Karen Adkins went to the show and I've been jealous ever since. The Huskers were touring behind Candy Apple Grey, an album that I still listen to regularly, and by all accounts the show was fucking awesome. Considering that they broke up less than a year later, let's just say that I didn't make the smart choice that night.

I finally saw Bob Mould this year at SXSW, and I'm no longer jealous of Karen Adkins.

I should note that Bob Mould alone with an acoustic guitar was still louder than some of the full-band punk shows I've been to. Jumping Jesus, that cat can play.