Soul on fire

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

I’m not the social butterfly that some folks believe me to be. Truth be told, I very rarely have one or two beers with dinner. If I’m going to drink, I’m in it for the long haul, and I’m going to see the dawn. Some of you, no doubt, remember when that was me four or five nights a week—but that guy passed out and faded away some eight or nine years ago. Now, I only get out on the weekends every few months.

Anyway, I just tell you that so you won’t be surprised when I tell you I made my first show, Emmylou Harris and Buddy Miller, at the Bartley Ranch Hawkins Amphitheater on Saturday night. Yeah, it was chilly, but that left, right, left punch of the beautiful county facility, impeccable sound and great artists was something else. I’ve seen some great shows in my 21 years in this town, but for simple good vibes and enjoyable circumstance, that was one of the best. I see Doc Watson is coming Oct. 3—might be a good idea to bundle up extra warmly. Can’t wait to see what Jeff and Sheila Cotton and 1moe.com have online for next year.

Speaking of great shows, on Sunday, Kathleen, Hunter, Alice the dog, and I went out to the Black Rock Desert, kind of a last hurrah before it gets too cold to just hang out and enjoy the beauty. The landscape made me think of something: Did anyone else notice we made it through the last fire season virtually unscathed? Well, I should mention that there’s a lot of fuel up in them thar hills, and those lightning strikes won’t be able to distinguish last year’s fuel from next spring’s growth come summer next year.

I guess I mention this to remind people that even though there were no tragic fires to put the issue at the top of their minds, the rules of fire safety in the desert shouldn’t be forgotten—so clean up that brush.

Along other lines, the voting is over for our Best of Northern Nevada readers’ poll. Let the counting begin.