Lola and I live in Madison, despite the intellectually misguided leadership, because major University towns are stopping points for individuals from all the backgrounds of the planet. Tonight we attend a show at Cafe Montmartre because authentic country music comes from the people living downwind from the chemical plants. Besides, real life is better than recording.
Truckstop Honeymoon: Katie Euliss learned guitar, piano and bucket bass in the streets of New Orleans. She scammed enough money from tourists to buy Lucky Strikes and smoked oysters for six years. Then she met Mike West. Part entertainer, part snake oils salesman, Mike lived by pickin’ banjo and selling cds that he claimed were a curative for hangovers and small mindedness. Together they began a perpetual tour of North America, Europe and Australia. They spent their wedding night in the Tiger Truck Stop, somewhere between Lafayette and the Atchafalya Swamp, Truckstop Honeymoon was born.
Katrina destroyed the 9th Ward of New Orleans where the law never really cared much about how people lived. All nine of their chickens drowned and the strawberries were dispersed in all directions. In the purest of tradition of country music, Katie and Mike sing about the reality and dreams of the children of asphalt pavers raising children of their own, while aspiring for a love just like June and Johnny Cash.
