#1:

First on my birthday my brother arranged through a mutual friend to ask Robert Earl Keen to call and wish me Happy Birthday. 

It was the day after I posted grades and I expected grade complaints.  I was talking to a friend and saw an unfamiliar  Texas phone number and assumed it was a student calling about a grade.  So after I finished talking to the friend I called the number back . . . listening to the actual complaint on the message is often the opposite of helpful . . . and said,

Me: “This is Dr. Fox.  Did you need to discuss your class? “ 

REK: The answer was “NO!  This is Robert Earl Keen and our mutual friend XYZ asked that I leave a message wishing you a happy birthday.”

Me: “So this isn’t the Keen in Adanced Writing?”

REK: “NO! This is ROBERT EARL KEEN.  Happy Birthday.”

Me:  “Oh my.  I remember.  We were on your tour bus last year.  Cool. Thank you!

REK: “Tell XYZ I want to talk to him.”

A few hours later my brother emailed to say REK wanted an A grade on his paper. 

Keen on Tour Bus

Robert Earl Keen singing Feeling Good Again

#2  The Radiators

A friend won the equivalent of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets and procured VIP tickets to the last three performances of the Radiators at Tipitina’s in New Orleans.   We were in New Orleans all last week. 

Dave MALONE opened the third night with The Last Getaway at Tipitina’s  on 6/11

The Radiators closed the second night with What Dreamers Do.  We had seen this performance of the song  in Fort Lauderdale in April.

That song was preceded at Tipitina’s by I Don’t Speak Love  which is my favorite song.

On the second night we walked back through the Garden District at 3 a.m. in the moonlight to take the St. Charles trolley line back to the hotel . . . after singing this song at the top of our lungs.