Good day to you on this sunny but chilly Monday (at least in my part of the world). I’m just dropping by for the usual round up, still nothing new to post in the way of any sketches or artwork, at least not yet. I am preparing for the three upcoming blog driven community projects, and just finished my entry for the Animalia project. If you haven’t created anything for it yet, or if you have a youngster that would like to take part, there’s still time, submissions aren’t due until Thursday, and hopefully you will find time to add a little something to this fun project designed by my daughter. She’s anxious to see what everyone comes up with, as am I. Details can be found in the link above. The group post will be made this coming Friday.

Next I need to finish up for the Images from Earth project, and the deadline for that is this Sunday, with the group post/exhibition to appear on this blog on Monday, November 15th. I’ve received some beautiful entries for this and I cannot wait to share them with you!

We’ve also got Mondo Instante #2 around the corner, please join in on that!

So that’s what’s happening in the art world on this blog, sorry for a rehash of project deadlines, but as they draw near I want to be sure everyone who is planning on participating is notified!

In the music world (always turning), I attended another live show this weekend, last night in fact, The Autumn Defense, the side project (but every bit of a full production as any band) of two members of Wilco, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone. They played at the snug little Beachland Tavern in my neck of the woods, so no cross country trip necessary this time. The show started off with a short but lovely and enjoyable set by Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion. Silly me didn’t hear Sarah Lee’s last name last night and only after looking further into it today did I discover and realize that, yes, she is that kind of Guthrie, Woody Guthrie’s granddaughter, and the daughter of Arlo. She’s got an incredible voice and while harmonizing with Johnny it was hard to pick out where one voice ended and the other began.

As for The Autumn Defense, the last time they came around I had plans to see them in Philadelphia, but ended up with the flu so it never happened, but last night’s performance made up for it all. From the start the audience was in very capable hands indeed, and it was nice to see John and Pat step out from Wilco and really be able to focus on their musicianship. Material from their first album, The Green Hour, their second (and my favorite) release Circles, all the way through their just released Once Around (possibly rivaling Circles) was played. And speaking of harmonies, it was a night of vocal perfection as Stirratt and Sansone possess a lock and key aspect to their vocals, their voices complimenting one another so thoroughly and beautifully. The set started off with the smooth, mellow accoustic sounds that define The Autumn Defense, but by the end of the set and during the encore the energy level rose to the same fever pitch that I have experienced at so many a Wilco show. I was also pleased to see a familiar face on the drums, G Wiz, who I last saw drumming with Joseph Arthur and The Lonely Astronauts in Akron on Halloween in 2008, though I didn’t recognize him until he was introduced as last time he was dressed in a get up that looked something straight out of Hilarious House of Frightenstein, including zombie makup and hooded cape! T’was a fantastic evening. The Autumn Defense will be touring around the east coast for the next month so if you have an inkling to catch them, do!

That’s all for ze moment, but never fear, I shall return again with more.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izg3KGJDiXE