Nathan's Small Delights: SD_018

Ayup, what’s good?

A mid-month rain’s reprieve from the heat was short-lived, and the oppressive air of August has settled in, leaving me with a familiar dread at the thought of leaving the artificial climate of my house to venture about the city. Impending dread aside, I am flying high from last month’s adventures. I am perfectly whelmed, so let’s dive right in!

The Delights

The monthly round up of gigs wrapped up at Neon Grotto with a boisterous group on the dance floor waving about an alarmingly lifelike plush cat and began on the Third Coast indulging in Snacky’s masterfully crafted treats while playing records alongside Rick Lara at OK Hi-Fi. I spent the post-gig weekend solidifying my belief that an afternoon on the beach is just about the worst way you can spend your day. The sun was relentless in its efforts to burn my pale skin; the sand had no regard for my personal space, and throngs of beach-goers were unashamed of their terrible taste in music. It was awful, and I will never forgive society for this fraudulent belief that it is an enjoyable experience.

On the other hand, salty waves splashing about you while the moon bashfully peeks from behind the clouds, occasionally bathing you in the soft reflection of a far-away sun, is quite magical. The beach at night is superior in every way. More of this, please!

Occasionally there are mornings where I rise from a fitful slumber feeling aged and world-worn. Looking into the tired eyes of my mirrored reflection, I speak in a hoarse voice, “You’re getting too old for this nonsense. You should be sitting in a parking lot in Round Rock watching birds.” For once, I listened to that exhausted soul in the mirror, and I made my way to Round Rock for a Travis Audubon Purple Martin party.

The Purple Martin is an aerial-foraging North American swallow with either a vibrantly iridescent or dull plumage (depending on the sex). Like many birds, the martin follows a south-bound migratory pattern to bask in a warmer climate during the winter. This avian species prefers to make a pit stop in Round Rock to see what is popping, and let me tell you, it is a sight to behold. Imagine, if you will, a nearly empty sky that is gradually darkened by thousands of graceful birds diving and swirling about like synchronized swimmers of the air, only ending the dance when nautical twilight fully sets in. Honestly, it is a bit mesmerizing and an experience that I highly recommend. The final event of the season is August 7th-8th, so make your way out to that parking lot and take part in some good old-fashioned birding!

I saw a parakeet in my yard coming home from work. The parakeet wasn’t coming home from work; I was. Actually, the parakeet could have been coming home from work; who am I to dictate the comings and goings of a parakeet? Anyway, the unexpected rainfall had my nerves on edge, as I was concerned the grass would grow to an unruly state before I could dust off the old push mower to chop it back into submission. So I waited. I waited for those proud blades of grass to be free of the lingering raindrops so the unstoppable blades of my trusty push mower could lay waste to those noble Poaceae. I waited until flowers burst forth from the Earth… wait a second. Flowers!?!?!

I most certainly did not sow flower seeds at any point in my time here, so i am not entirely sure how my front yard turned into an explosion of Hill Country Rain-Lily. My two competing theories are:

1. The answer is in the flower’s name. I have heard that Austin is within a sort of Hill Country, and it most assuredly rained. Perhaps when it rains in the hill country, these flowers just grow? Doubtful.

2. The parakeet from my yard planted the seeds.

The second theory seems more plausible to me. Thanks for the flowers, little parakeet!

What a delight!

Vinyl Jockey on the web

It only took one year for the first installment of my Origin Stories series to come to a close with the final version of Wait For It turning out not too different from the original idea. I was hoping for a more drastic transformation, but best-laid plans and all that jazz. I started chopping up this Polish folk-rock record in the Digitakt II and squeezed out an idea that seems like a great contender for an Origin Story, so here’s the first version of the second installment; The working title is Drowsy Marek.

The official release date for my upcoming EP on Whiskey Pickle, Return To Reverie, is right around the corner, and the lead-up to the digi release is looking like a steady flow of track premieres. Planet-wide street date is August 7th, with Another Orbit feat Claude 9 premiering first on the legendary Deeper Shades of House. Pretty excited about this one!

Vinyl Jockey in the wild

August 22nd & 23rd, Rick Lara and I are back on the road for the summer Vibe Artisan Market at Sawyer Yards. The last VAM was pretty stellar, and I have been anxiously awaiting this return to Houston. Rick has a video from the May market posted to his YouTube channel - check it out!

That’s a wrap for now!

-Nathan Stewart