You don't know me, but I'm Famous

praise be

2008-03-14T22:06:18Z

I passed my oral exams!!! Everyone say hello to...Katy E., PhD Candidate (aka Katy E., ABD)

WOOHOO!!!

Correction: I'm actually still a "graduate student." I will be ABD / a PhD Candidate when my dissertation proposal is accepted. Almost there!

Scooter P. Jennings - new love o my life

2007-12-05T03:16:33Z

Me on the phone with my mother: "I'm so glad I brought Scooter (my cat) to come live with me. He's so much better than a real boy. Just right now he is laying on my lap staring at me with adoration. I love this cat."

Scooter randomly takes a fierce bite out of my hand

"Never mind. He is like a real boy"

I like him anyway.

Kapali Giridhar Swamy

2007-11-21T13:33:52Z

Kapali G. Swamy, 27, of Decatur died Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007. He was born in Natchez, Miss., and grew up in Decatur. He graduated from Austin High School and Birmingham-Southern College, then completed a master of business administration from The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Kapali was a loving and devoted son, brother and friend who was adored by all who knew him. He was an exceptional and unique person, "the light of our lives," and he will be truly missed.
He is survived by his parents, Dr. Sivappa S. Swamy and Dr. Manjula S. Swamy; sister, Dr. Pooja M. Swamy Dorward; brother-in-law, Dr. Ian G.A. Dorward; many aunts, uncles and cousins; and countless others whose lives he has touched.
Spry Funeral Home of Huntsville is assisting the family.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home Chapel.

Boards on the window, mail by the door, why would anybody leave so quickly for?

2007-07-23T22:05:34Z

I do all kinds of neat things, but I'm too busy / lazy to write them all down. One day I'm going to be sorry. Here's the quick summary...

1. Levon Helm concert at the Ryman last Wednesday. Oh Sweet Lord it was amazing. I'm pretty sure I actually traveled up out of my body a couple of times. He's had health issues (throat cancer in 2000, lost his voice until 2004), so he hasn't been able to travel outside New York. This was his first concert at the Ryman and he said it was the best night of his life (actually he said it was the best night of life, but I filled in the blanks as I saw fit). As Tricia said, it was like music church. He sang Ophelia, Rag Mama Rag, The Weight, The Shape I'm In...Emmylou came out and sang Evangeline and Rough & Rocky, Sam Bush came out and sang Sittin on Top of the World and played along for some other songs (in case I haven't said it enough, Sam Bush is great.) Little Sammy Davis came out and played the mouth harp on a few, and at the end those folks I have already mentioned plus John Hiatt, Sheryl Crow (she was in the audience), Ricky Skaggs, Buddy Miller, and probably some others I'm leaving out came on to sing I Shall Be Released. Pretty freakin awesome.

Levon singing Ophelia

Levon and Emmylou singing Evangeline

All the folks singing I Shall Be Released

2. Roller Derby. I'm happy to report that we have Roller Derby down here in Nashville / Alabama, so I won't have any withdrawal from watching some seriously tough ladies race around a rink. I was pretty ecstatic when, during the breaks, these guys came out and did choreographed dancing on skates. (This was in Huntsville, are any of my Hville friends aware that this roller dancing thing existed there?) Also someone in a kangaroo suit came out and danced, and I'm pretty sure at that point I was embarrassingly overjoyed. I mean, a kangaroo on roller skates! Dancing! It's just too much.

3. My job. Still awesome, still lots of hours. My apartment. The chemical smell has faded and now it just smells like stale cigarettes. Which is truly a bummer considering I don't smoke and I hate that smell. But it's starting to feel like a home. Just a smelly one.

4. Birmingham. I visited Biggie this weekend and got to hang out with Sarah G and Mikel some as well. Yay! We went to Twist and Shout, which is a dueling piano bar where Dugan's used to be in Five Points. I always liked Dugan's, so I'm happy they put something there. I loved the whole sing along piano bar thingy, but it was super crowded and there was just way too much touching for my preference. My advice is to go early and leave before all the drunken guys arrive.

5. Ryan Adams. I held out long enough. I like him now, okay? I like that new song Two alot, and well, I'm pretty much sold on the rest of the material thanks to NPR's friday afternoon concert series.

Earl Scruggs

2007-06-11T23:51:15Z

Not a bad Monday. I went to the Cherryholmes CD release party at ASCAP this afternoon, and (!) Earl Scruggs was there. After the performance, I finally got up the nerve to ask if I could take my picture with him. What a nice man! And what a great day!

in case of a rusty nail

2007-05-08T15:21:48Z

I just turned in my last paper for a grade ever! (I hope) And I'm celebrating by...getting a tetanus shot. Party! I realized I'm about to lose my good insurance, so I'm getting everything I might possibly need.

All I have to finish is my documentary film and I'll be done with coursework forever! Don't be jealous. When I finish that, I have to read a zillion books for my oral exams, take an Irish language exam, and fight the machine that is Brown to get my traveling scholar fee waived.

Twofold Awesomeness

2007-05-01T03:12:06Z

The awesomeness of this weekend is twofold:

1. I found out on Friday morning that I am the new administrative assistant for the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association). I start June 4 officially, but probably May 29.

2. Merlefest. Guess who showed up to jam with everyone under the sun...John Paul freaking Jones! Of the concerts I saw, he played with Uncle Earl, Donna the Buffalo, and the Duhks (whose new fill in singer is great). Sam Bush is my new hero, I'd pretty much show up to watch him recite the phone book (as long as he had his mando with him). He played "Whole Lotta Love" which was pretty much the peak of the festival for me, following "White Bird." Seriously, sign me up for the Sam Bush fan club, he rocks. The Duhks also did credit to "Whole Lotta Love," while having JPJ out on stage playing mando with them. Mom still inexplicibly loves Donna the Buffalo. I like them too, but they are very very jammy, and Mom usually hates that. I also got to see Earl Scruggs, (and got an autographed poster, to be hung up in my new apartment next to my autographed Ralph Stanley poster.) The new (to me) group I liked the best was the Carolina Chocolate Drops. They are great performers. I got to see 4 members of the Newgrass Revival onstage, which was pretty cool as well (Sam Bush, John Cowan, Pat Flynn, Bela Fleck). I saw Allison Krauss, Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Dirk Powell, Martha Scanlon, Crooked Still (they rocked too), Jim Lauderdale, Steep Canyon Rangers, Infamous Stringdusters, Jerry Douglas, Cherryholmes, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Elvis Costello...uhm, and probably some others.
It was tons of fun.

Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson

John Paul Jones with Uncle Earl

Sam Bush

Elvis Costello

Tell me something good.

2007-04-17T19:11:10Z

This is an interactive journal entry...Will you please (yes you, all of you, and I do mean YOU too) comment on my journal with something good? Perhaps something nice that's happened to you lately, an interesting discovery, or just something that makes you grin.
Here's mine...
I'm planning a trip to somewhere I've never been before. France, Italy, Bali, Egypt, Greece, The Grand Canyon... If I don't get my dream job (thus moving directly to Nashville and starting work immediately), I might actually go this summer. If not, I still really enjoy thinking about it.

And if you like, I've ljcut some pictures of the places I want to visit.

Chambord                                                    Venice

Bali                                                             Giza

Greek Isles                                Grand Canyon

Thanks in advance. :)

Kurt Vonnegut dies at 84

2007-04-12T12:35:19Z

My favorite writer died yesterday. :(
Rest in Peace, Mr. Vonnegut. Thanks for the books.

Why I read TWOP to procrastinate...

2007-04-08T19:06:40Z

From a Lost recap...(no spoilers!)

Corvette yells, "Razzle dazzle!" and kicks the gun out of his hand. "Razzle dazzle"? Is that like when Jem and the Holograms would yell "Synergy!"?

Jem and the Holograms? When I was 5, I had this awesome Jem doll with pink hair that came out when you twisted her arm repeatedly. I applaud random references.

In the "what's going on in my real life" category, I'm 2 pages and LOTS of editing away from finishing my paper. I had forgotten how absolutely luxurious it is to have a whole weekend to spend on ONE paper, rather than say, 3 papers, 10 books, 20 articles, and 3 meetings. I'm actually thinking my dissertation might not be so bad. I'm presenting it (the paper, not the dissertation) at a conference next weekend, which I'm oh-so-nervous about. I'm hoping my super keen powerpoint will distract from the fact that the paper is a bit shallow. I should have proposed a paper based on my MA thesis, but nooo, I had to go and pick an entirely unrelated and controversial topic. (bluegrass and politics) I'll be happy for it to be over. The weekend after that is Spring Weekend (undergrads party, I work), then the next weekend is Merlefest (woo hoo!).

getting an ivy league phd but can't boil an egg

2007-04-03T16:33:21Z

You know you're too busy when you put a couple eggs on the stove to boil and 45 minutes later you think, hmm, "what should I have for lunch?" Oops. So much for boiled eggs.

Grump Butt

2007-03-20T04:31:14Z

I hate the smell of onion breath.
It is my least favorite smell.
Somehow onion eaters always sit near me.
In enclosed spaces

I don't like whistling either.
It assaults my ears.
My school has a whistling choir.

sail away with me, what will be will be

2007-03-16T05:25:30Z

Did you know Bob Marley had 13 kids?

I'm worn out all around. I am just trying to push through until the end of May. My oral exams are in about a month and I have about 80-100 books to read. No joke. I was doing really well working 2 jobs and finishing my PhD coursework, but I've had a lot of medical junk lately that interrupted my groove. According to all the tests I had, there is absolutely nothing wrong with me, which really doesn't explain the stomach problems I've had for 3 years. I had 2 moles off this afternoon (ah the joys of being fair skinned), one on the front and one on the back, and I can't find a comfortable way to sit/lay down. My reading lists are due tomorrow, as is my 8-10 page paper summarizing them (including the ones I haven't read yet), and guess what...I'm not done. They were actually due last week, but I was endoscopying it up.

All I want to do is go to the beach and sit on the balcony.

PhDs are hard.

New gig

2007-03-12T15:39:00Z

I'm still learning how to write non-academically, but for anyone interested in Americana, Bluegrass, etc reviews, I'm one of the contributors to a new blog. Yes, I am aware my reviews are boring, and yes, I'm working on it.

Lonesome Road Review

Just as I suspected...

2007-02-27T00:27:04Z

Borefest - ISTJ

26% Extraversion, 40% Intuition, 80% Thinking, 60% Judging

One word. Boring. Sums you up to a tee. You're responsible, trustworthy, serious and down to earth. Boring. Boring. Boring.

You play by the rules. You follow tradition. You encourage structure.

You insist that EVERYBODY do EVERYTHING by the book. Seriously, is there even an ounce of imagination in that little brain of yours? I mean, what's the point of imagination, right? It has no practical value...

As far as you're concerned, abstract theories can go screw themselves. You just want the facts, all the facts and nothing but the facts.

Oh. And you're a perfectionist. About everything. You know that the previous sentence was gramattically incorrect and that "gramattically" was spelt wrong. Your financial records are correct to 25 decimal places and your bedroom is in pristine condition. In fact, you even don't sleep on your bed anymore for fear that you might crease the sheets.

Thankfully, you don't have anyone else to share the bed with, because you're uncomfortable expressing affection and emotion to others. Too bad.

*****************

If you want to learn more about your personality type in a slightly less negative way, check out this.

*****************

The other personality types are as follows...

Loner - Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving

Pushover - Introverted Sensing Feeling Judging

Criminal - Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving

Almost Perfect - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving

Freak - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging

Loser - Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving

Crackpot - Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging

Clown - Extraverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving

Sap - Extraverted Sensing Feeling Judging

Commander - Extraverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving

Do Gooder - Extraverted Sensing Thinking Judging

Scumbag - Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving

Busybody - Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging

Prick - Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving

Dictator - Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on Extraversion
You scored higher than 99% on Intuition
You scored higher than 99% on Thinking
You scored higher than 99% on Judging

Link: The Brutally Honest Personality Test written by UltimateMaster on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Because I had to watch it alone and didn't get to bless anyone with my commentary...

2007-02-05T20:04:00Z

Superbowl thoughts...

GM ad with the robot - so sad. I felt bad for the robot AND it's way not cool to joke about auto workers (robot or not) getting laid off and bridge jumping. No.

Black History Month / White owned companies trying to sell products by being all yay black history! - It's great to be all about some black history, but it's pretty lame when you are using it to sell doritos. or tostidos. or whatever it was.

Emerald Nuts - um, hello, Robert Goulet was funny about 5 years ago. Catch up with us here.

Tony Dungy - I like him. He seemed nice and also happy. So I'm glad he won.

Prince - I'm sorry, I like him. I think he's awesome. He's my favorite Jehovah's Witness. (Seventh day adventist? I think it's JW) He sounded kind of like crap, but hell, he was out there in the rain, being a good sport with some excellent waterproof makeup and a kerchief. I also like Purple Rain alot. And his dancers and backup singer lady. Aside from my personal like of Prince, why was he chosen for the superbowl? I wasn't aware that football fans really were into the Prince. I was thinking more John Mellencamp or Kenny Chesney or maybe someone less..high pitched in the vocal region.

I love to have football on in the background on mute. It makes me feel comfortable.

I am so so grumpy - I'm tired, I got no sleep, I can't freakin eat, and for some reason students and workers have designated the loud echoey hallway outside my room to be the "cell phone conversation" and "loud 2am shouting" area. It'd be a pointless battle to ask them to be quiet. I feel like the equivalent of the old lady telling kids to get off her lawn.

Hi Katy,

2007-02-04T17:25:07Z

I'm pleased to let you know, officially, that you have passed your PhD preliminary written examination in ethnomusicology. Congratulations on this achievement and good wishes for your ethnomusicological future.

Hee.

Letters to Heaven

2007-01-18T15:39:37Z

Dear Friends,
Thank you for your well wishes yesterday. I'm sure it helped! The test wasn't so bad.

Dear Michael Vick,
Um, you were flying back to Atlanta. I'm quite sure you could get some pot there. Why did you need to bring it on the plane with you? You're an idiot.

Dear Liquor Store in Seekonk,
What time do you open?

Dear Written Exam Day One,
Thank you for being interesting, and not near as scary as I expected. I'm sorry my answers were so short. I'll step it up for day two, okay?

Dear Far Side Calendar Comic For Today,
Why are you not funny? I do not get you.

Dear Stomach,
What is wrong with you? Why do you feel funny? Is it something I've done? I need you to be more specific in your needs.

Dear Written Exam Day Two,
Please don't be hard. Please, please ask questions I know the answers to. Please? Pretty please?

Dear To Do List,
Why are you so long? Do I really have to mop the floor? Yes, I know I leave footprints in the floor in dust/dirt when I walk, but is that really so bad? Yes? Fine.

Dear "Queer Public History" Class,
Why are you sending me an email? More power to you, I'm sure you are a great class, but you don't really have anything to do with my course of study. Why am I on your list?

Dear Friggity Freezing Weather,
Go away! I'm cold! I don't care if it's January.

Think Happy thoughts for me!!

2007-01-17T13:56:25Z

Ok, so if you wouldn't mind...I'd appreciate it if any of you reading this would think some happy thoughts for me today. Say a prayer, light a candle, whistle a happy tune, whatever. I'm taking my first day of written exams and I'm pretty nervous. I have from 9 to 5 to answer two questions, which means typing non-stop. Hopefully the questions will be something I know about and I won't have to turn on the bs creator. I'm trying to let my inner genius take over, but I"m having trouble finding it. If I pass the exams (yay!) I get to be a "PhD candidate" and move on to the next level of exams (what a reward! woo hoo!). If I don't pass, I have to retake them. I think I'm going to pass, I'm just nervous.

I also had a dream I was hanging out with Christopher Paolini (the guy who wrote Eragon. Yep.), except that instead of looking like he actually looks (no offense to him), he was a hottie. We were at the mall. (Keep in mind I hate shopping, but I like Eragon.)

Off to take the test!!!

It's your melancholy dread of Sunday evenings

2006-12-10T19:24:28Z

Have you ever noticed that whenever you are studying, you have to pee every 5 seconds? It's very bothersome.

I keep saying I'm "studying" or "doing homework." Those all mean I'm either writing a paper or reading a Music Education book. All the same thing to me these days.

My butt actually HURT yesterday from sitting in this chair so long. Today I'm sitting on a pillow. You'd think all the junk I've got in my trunk would provide a cushion, but apparently it's only there for show.

My written exams (as in the Phd Prelim kind) are now at the end of January. My professor gave me no grief about taking them then instead of next week. My life has improved immensely now. I'm a big fan of spreading things out. Takin it easy. Zen and the Art of Obtaining an Ethnomusicology PhD.

I'm all out of interesting things to say. Which is unfortunate, because I need 30 more pages of interesting things to say.

I wish I had a river I could skate away on

2006-12-03T17:19:46Z

I haven't posted because I truly have nothing interesting to say. I'm pretty much doing what every student does at this time of year...studying, showing up at stuff I'm supposed to show up to, and flipping out. Oh and eating alot of junk. I'm actually trying to put off my preliminary exams to February and September (Instead of December and April).

For my study break for the month, I went to the BioMed Ball. I dug the music selection, but did not dig the warm beer.

CD Girls...Alma, Me, Anna, Kirsten

Me, Anna...I look so tired!

I got 4 new Christmas CDs...
Elton John's Christmas Party - only 2 actual Elton John songs, the rest are his "favorites." It's surprisingly good. The Band, Rufus Wainwright, Jimmy Buffett.
Sarah McLaughlin - Wintersong - I don't like Sarah McLaughlin usually, but I like this CD. It has the obligatory cover of Joni Mitchell's "River," which is actually pretty good.
Emmylou Harris - Light in the Stable
Christmas on the Mountain (Bluegrass Christmas - Del McCoury, Mac Wiseman, Tim O'Brien)

I haven't listened to the last 2 yet, because well, I can't study to music with words. But I grew up with the Emmylou record (it's the same, just a rerelease on CD), so I'm sure I'll dig it.

Alright, off to the library to write/read about Nationalism and Liszt.

Yay for boredom

2006-11-17T05:17:41Z

1. Initials:
KEL

2. Name someone with the same birthday as you:
Pete Townsend

3. Last thing you ate?
Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips

4. For or against same sex marriage:
Not among the things I worry about. I vote for.

5. I say Shotgun! You say?
Are we twelve?

6. Last person you hugged?
Alma. She grabbed my butt. It was hot.

7. Do you believe in God?
Sure. Yay deism.

8. How many U.S states have you been to?
26 I think

9. How many of the U.S states have you lived in:
4 (Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Rhode Island) soon to be Tennessee

10. Ever lived outside of the US:
Yep, Ireland.

11. Name something you like physically about yourself:
I have purty green eyes. And a sweet ass.

12. Something non-physical you like about yourself:
I can have a conversation with anyone about anything

13. Why is there no ..13? (i just added it)
wank

14. Why are you still up?
my bedtime is in 6 minutes

15. Who made you angry today?
myself

16. Favorite type of food?:
potatoes.

17. Favorite holiday:
Christmas

18. Do you download music:
Yes. Legally.

19. What illegal things have you done?
er, I'm not much into breaking the law

21. Would you date the person that posted this?
are we like 15 here? why is everything about dating?

22. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally?
yes, and I was not a fan. I'm not mushy at all. and it wasn't good. James and Nat sang me happy birthday once at their recital, I actually really liked that.

23. Do you love anyone?
Barking up the wrong tree on that one. I love my family.

24. Do you like Bush:
I don't hate him. I am neutral. I'm not so much waving the fan flag though.

25. Have you ever bungee jumped:
No, my middle name is "cautious"

26. Have you ever gone white-water rafting:
No, but I would I think.

28. How much money ya got?
negative. seriously, I have got to pay off my credit card.

29. Have you met a real redneck?
hahahahaha. yeah.

30. How is the weather right now:
misty and rainy. ick

31. What are you listening to right now:
The Archies - Sugar, Sugar

32. What is your current fav song?:
hmm. one song huh? how about Fleetwood Mac Oh Well

33. What was the last movie you watched?
Just Like Heaven. Again.

34. Do you wear contacts?
yep, but glasses more often

35. Where was the last place you went besides your house?
Grad Center Bar

36. What are you afraid of?:
aliens. and Pee Wee's Big Adventure

37. How many piercings and tattoos do you have?:
one per ear

38. How many pets do you have:
I have a cat that my mom is taking care of for me. Though she stole my original cat (Scooter Jennings) and wants to keep him and give me Kitty Scarlett (who mom calls Ginger, but is actually Kitty Scarlett)

39. Have you ever loved someone:
ugh. love. vomit.

40. What turns you on?
eyeliner, funnyness, ability to work with cars and to fix things around the house

41. What do you usually order from Starbucks?

whatever my sister orders

42. Have you ever fired a gun:
nope

43.Whats your fav. t.v show?
Friends. Currently Heroes

45. Do you have an ipod?:
I have a Creative Zen Touch

46. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb?
Laura Linney and Meryl Streep. I was flattered.

47. When are you 47?
2028

48. Who would you like to see right now?
No one really, I want to go to sleep

49. Favorite movie of all time?
Disney's Robin Hood

50. Do you find yourself loved?:
Sure.

51. Have you ever regretted something you didn't do?
Oh all the friggin time. I have some serious Protestant Guilt

52. Favorite flower?
hmm. I like blue things. And Katy Road Pink, for obvious reasons.

53. Butter, plain, or salted popcorn?
Butter or White Cheddar. mmm.

54. What Magazines are you reading:

Self, Glamour, Bluegrass Unlimited, Bluegrass Now, Time

55. Have you ever ridden in a limo:
Yep. When I was someone else's guest.

56. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?:
Relatives. And basically relatives.

58. What's something that really bugs you
there are so many things. Let's go with 4 way stops in RI.

60. Do you like Michael Jackson?
His music. Particularly Thriller.

61. Whats your favorite smell?
Cinnamon and non-fake lavender (not together)

62. Favorite basketball team?
basketball? I really don't have one.

63. Favorite cereal:
Lucky Charms

64. Do you drive?
Yep.

65. What do you drive?
The best Corolla Ever. I love it.

67. Last time you went bowling?
Oh gosh. Sophomore year of college with SN's and my sister.

67. Where is the weirdest place you have slept?
Lord knows. Felecia's parents love seat, but I'm sure there are weirder places.

68. Who was your last phone call with?:
Anna

69. Last time you were at work:
I'm always at work. I live at my job.

70. Whats your favorite state to be in?
Alabama.

but God almighty have you seen what's happened since

2006-11-11T16:16:19Z

Mom came to visit last weekend, and we went to Mystic, CT (eh), Boston/Cambridge (where I met the Boston Bluegrass Union folks at Hillbilly at Harvard, toured the Freedom trail, and went to a local BBU concert / potluck dinner), then went to NYC to see Les Miserables. I'm pretty sure that Mom and I were the only ones who didn't absolutely hate Daphne Rubin-Vega as Fantine. Not the best, I agree, but I've seen the show a zillion times so it didn't hurt me to hear the Betty Boop version of Fantine. Well, it only hurt a little.
Mom actually thought New York was neat, I was pleasantly surprised.
Now I'm back to crazy homework lady. I had a paper due on Friday and 3 papers and my written exams in a month. Yay. Plus I pretty much have to do all my readings for my reading class, because I've put it off.

I finished Lost season two last night. Season one was much better, I thought. By the end of season two, I pretty much was annoyed with every single character and so bored that I had to make myself finish it. I'm really glad I'm not stranded on an island with any of them.

You guys don't even know my joy.

2006-11-07T17:04:45Z

Genesis regroups for tour after 15-year break

LONDON, England (AP) -- Members of the rock group Genesis are reuniting for their first tour in 15 years.

Phil Collins, 55, Mike Rutherford, 56, and Tony Banks, 56, said they planned to kick off a 20-date stadium tour of Europe next June.

The "Turn it on Again" tour -- named for one of their hits -- begins in Helsinki, Finland, on June 11 and ends with a free concert in front of the Colosseum in Rome on July 14.

A series of U.S. dates will follow, the band said.

Genesis was founded in the mid-1960s by Rutherford, Banks, Anthony Phillips and singer Peter Gabriel, who left the group in 1975 and was replaced on vocals by drummer Collins.

They became one of the biggest bands of the 1970s and 80s, with hits such as "Follow You, Follow Me," "That's All" and "Invisible Touch."

The band last toured in 1991, and Collins quit the band to go solo in 1996.

Announcing the tour Tuesday, Collins -- whose solo career has netted him a fortune -- said the reunion was not motivated by money.

"I think we are all loaded enough not to worry about where the next million or two is coming from," he said.

"I just felt now was the right time to have a go at it."

Banks said the tour would give fans the chance to hear a side of the band that went beyond their hits.

"Genesis has another side to it, a more complex area of music," he said.

"One side gets slightly more attention than the other. We are trying to reacquaint people. Genesis is not particularly a group mentioned very much these days and we want to remind people we did do a lot of things."

I cant help about the shape Im in, I cant sing, I aint pretty and my legs are thin

2006-10-13T17:08:25Z

So things are going pretty well. I had 2 papers due on Tuesday, my worst and 2nd worst papers I've ever written in grad school. And that's not me being pitiful. They were awful. Which means I really have to step it up the rest of the semester.

I forgot to mention the Tom Petty concert and Nickel Creek concert in my post about my trek to Nashville and Atlanta. Tom Petty was amazing. Without a doubt worth the drive to sit 5th row. Stevie Nicks did about half the concert with him, and they sang a bunch of good stuff. Mom and I made fools of ourselves, as usual.
Nickel Creek was also great, though they played the same exact set they did at Merlefest. It was a good set, no complaints. Especially Short People and The Weight. Plus I was 4th row at the Ryman. Can't get better than that. Except 1st through 3rd rows, I suppose.
Kerri and Brooxie were great hosts, I'm sorry I didn't get to visit with everyone more.

So the life update...I met with the CS professor at Brown who is also on the Board of Directors at the IBMA and one of the founders of the Boston Bluegrass Union. He's going to enlist me to help out with the Bluegrass in the Schools program in Boston. I had about a 20 hour period where I thought I might stay here another year to work on that, but then decided I really do want to move to Nashville. I'll just do that this year, collect all the research I can, and move on. Directly following the Boston scare, I had a perfect job opening in January in Nashville scare (with the IBMA), but again, I'm back where I started, staying here till the end of May and moving to Nashville sometime between June and August (depending on if I get a summer teaching position at Brown, Duke, or elsewhere).

Biggie visited last weekend, and we had a great time. We went to Boston, Salem, Newport, and Waterfire.

Salem

We heart random inflatable ghosts in downtown Salem.

Newport - Rosecliff

Tonight is the Grad Social, dinner with Angela, Perkins / Main Campus Capture the Flag Tournament and hopefully a bit of Lost Season 2 if it's in my mailbox when I check this afternoon. Tomorrow I'm going Apple Picking with my Perkins kids, for one of my staff member's (awesome) programs. Saturday night is Kirsten's "Very Rhode Island" birthday. I'm not sure what that means, but we are supposed to dress "Rhode Islandy." I'm thinking a dress over pants? Or tight pants with boots over them? Sunday, Geoffrey and I are going to the Bowen's Wharf Seafood Festival in Newport. Oh so excited. Love me some Seafood.
It's kind of a packed weekend. I'm trying to get my homework done today, so I don't freak out on Monday.