Drunkard Likes Lucero

The boys in Lucero have a new fan. The always-stuffed-with-MP3-goodies blog, An Aquarium Drunkard, gives props to the Memphis-based band in a new post. (Scroll down a bit -- you'll find it.)

Lucero, fronted by Little Rock native Ben Nichols, is a big-time local favorite in Batesville, selling out every time they play. They are slowly building a national following, and praise from prominent bloggers such as AAD can only help.

Speaking of Lucero, Nichols and bandmate Brian Venable will play an acoustic set on March 25 at Vino's Brewpub in Little Rock. It's part of Rock 4 the Kids 2006 -- a benefit concert sponsored by the Lyon College Kappa Sigma and Phi Mu chapters. All proceeds will go toward the Arkansas Children's Hospital. Batesville's Kingsdown, the great Cory Branan, Slow Runner and others will also be part of the show. For more info, e-mail Blake Phillips at bp6437@lyon.edu.

Rolling Stones Gather No Moss.

Here's my cellphone pic of Mick at Alltel Arena last week. My wife and I were sitting on the floor, and during the middle of the show, the stage rolled out to the center of the arena floor. We were literally five feet from the boys, and after being so close, I'm convinced Keith Richards is the Grim Reaper.

I've been to eight or nine Stones concerts in the past 15 years, and this was one of the best.

And, A Bigger Bang is the best Rolling Stones album since Tattoo You.

If you don't have a copy -- shame on ya!

Ned Perme, Jr.?

Here's part of next week's "All Over the Map" in Arkansas Weekly.

When I was 8, my television diet consisted of re-runs of The Andy Griffith Show, The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island and Get Smart. Plus The Bozo Show had Looney Tunes, Popeye and Casper cartoons. For me, after-school tube viewing circa 1974, was sublime.

Skip to 2006, and the world of digital cable/satellite – five hundred channels through which to zoom and from which to pick. And for the kids, there’s Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney, Toon Disney, Boomerang, Nicktoons, Discovery Kids, Noggin, Nickelodeon Games & Sports, etc., etc.

For an 8-year-old today, it’s a never-ending selection of fantastical stuff. Except for our son – who has suddenly dropped all things SpongeBob and The Grim Adventures Billy & Mandy for Jim Cantore, Heather Tesch and the rest of the gang at The Weather Channel.

Yes…our son is a Weather Channel addict.

For breakfast, he’ll shuffle downstairs, still sleepy-eyed and bed-headed, drag his socked-feet to the television, and without even a “Good morning” to me, punch on The Weather Channel. He has to get his “Local on the 8s” forecast before he gets to school.

At night, he has to see what the weather is going to do while he’s asleep. And, if he’s lucky, he’ll catch a suspense-stuffed edition of Storm Stories with the aforementioned Mr. Cantore.

“Dad,” he’ll tell me while watching an episode, “that lady on the t.v., um, her house was lifted – lifted – 15 feet in the air when an F2 tornado hit it.”

And, throughout the day, particularly a weekend day, I will get Weather Channel updates and Weather Channel-related questions.

“Um, Dad. We’re under a lake wind advisory until, um, six.”

Or…

“Um, Dad. We’re under a thunderstorm watch until ten tonight.”

Or…

“Um, Dad. What do they mean when they say ‘fair skies’?”

A few nights ago, when a band of storms surged through the area, he was about five inches from the television set, sucking in every little detail.

“It’s going through Floral at 7:15, Dad!”

“Dad, where’s Magness? The storm’s going to hit Magness at 7:35!”

I’m beginning to think we have another Ned Perme on our hands – only without the tan and piano skills.

But I should not speak so soon. Both our kids are taking piano lessons. If our son starts requesting visits to the tanning salon and begins wearing pastel-colored suits, I might begin to wonder if my wife was ever in Little Rock, and secretly seeing Ned about nine years back.