'Folk Music Teaches You How To Live'

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So said Bob Dylan in Martin Scorsese's excellent documentary _No Direction Home_ concerning one Robert Allen Zimmerman, a scruffy kid from Minnesota who hitchhiked to NYC when barely more than a boy then in short order changed the world of music forever. These days all kinds of music teach us how to live, thanks largely to Mr. Dylan.

It's only fitting that Little Steven's brilliant _Born Again Savage_ track, from his album of the same name, opens this particular show: he spent years specifically learning how this world works and condensed it into one album, more than adequately summarized in his title song.

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In 1993 I first telneted around the internet, recognizing that the world would never be the same. This was before web pages existed, if you can comprehend that... I still remember the first web page I visited and how long it took to load. Thanks Dan Farmer, wherever you are.

That same year I stumbled onto Bruce Cockburn's (co-burn) _Live_ CD in a Walmart bargain bin, found the listserv for Humans (Bruce fans), signed up and to this day I participate in the same mailing list, in its current permutation as a google group.

I've been fortunate to meet many Humans IRL at concerts across the country and my life has been much richer because of it, so thanks to every Human and of course thanks to Bruce, who second only to Thoreau, changed my life positively with his words and deeds.

Bruce will feature prominently in this thread - here's Pacing The Cage recorded on my point and shoot camera in May 2022 in Colorado Springs - not the best audio but Bruce up close is always special.

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Early this century I visited Human Ramcey R. in his then adopted hometown of Nashville where he was very active in the music scene.

He turned me onto several singer/songwriters and the one that had the most impact on me is the inestimable Todd Snider, who I now introduce to others as 'what Dylan would have been if Dylan had Dylan for an influence'.

Todd's an incredible talent on the guitar and one of the very few lyricists I'd put in Dylan's league.

Here he is with some friends including the late great Jeff Austin playing The Devil You know: all you need to know about 'race' relations in The Land Of The Free And The Home Of The Slaves...

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More from Little Steven: Camouflage Of Righteousness

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I was recently asked what my proudest moment in life is... I took a moment to consider and then it came to me:

in 2003 I walked away from a secure job paying north of $100k annually and have never regretted my decision, even for a moment, noting I have a lot less money now than then.

But since then I've done what I wanted to do, pursuing a number of different paths that interested me and expanded my horizons in ways most will never experience.

'A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.'


Steve Earle's lament for the USofA:

You take a look in the mirror
now tell me what you see
another satisfied customer
in the front of the line for the American dream

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If you must be afraid be afraid of yourself
For being afraid of the fear you have felt

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Male female slave or free
Peaceful or disorderly

Maybe you and he will not agree
But you need him to show you new ways to see

Don't let the system fool you
All it wants to do is rule you

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Everybody's asking why he couldn't adjust

adjust to what, a dream that bust ?