Links: Freaks Ball edition

Welcome to the official birthday of OTW!

The Freaks Ball is coming... the Ocho, if you can believe it. As always, very excited about the lineup:

• Bustle In Your Hedgerow = like best band ever.
• Mocean Worker -- very psyched about these up-and-comers, check 'em out at Sullivan Hall late Saturday.
• American Babies -- some countrified rockin' to get it rolling. these guys are awesome! (Metzger.... Russo... need I say more?)

Saturday, February 9th, Southpaw, Brooklyn, USA. The important link is this one. I hope to see you there. This message will repeat.

On the subject of Freaks Ball, it was five years ago today when I turned 29 @ the IIIrd annual. That year the shit was kind of big -- it was at the Bowery Ballroom, and I still shudder to think I had any part in throwing that party. Of course, my involvement was much less than in the other years before and after. But it came together nicely and I was able to get both the Duo (1st time playing @ Bowery) and Rana to support Robert Randolph who was just a smidge past his launching point. That's a great lineup, if I do say so myself. If I were to bring a band together for one night, it would probably be Rana... a band that is continually popping up on the iPod these days.

Here's the opener from their set that night: Tonight I'll be Staying here With You (Dylan). I do not have the complete show, sorry, wish I did.

I do have the Randolph set, here it is in 1 2 3 4 pieces. Weird crazy kind of show. Sloppy fun that highlights the best of what Robert was at that point and the worst that was to come. The Word show a couple weeks back renews my confidence that he can play this kind of show again. Lots of guests and plenty of drawn out pedal steel jam-o-ramas. Worth your while...

Gonna be a lot more shows to download here in the coming weeks, months, year... so enjoy and spread the word.