Country music, take me home

I think I needed a little bit of home this weekend. And if you know me at all, one of my favorite ways to connect with pretty much anything or anyone, including home, is through food. Ok, not that Chipotle is remotely Texan at all, but it felt good to say "carnitas" and "guacamole" and go home with a massive burrito. Brisket comes a little closer to qualifying as genuine Texas food, and fortunately I'm here with friends who believe in smoking it and serving it with the appropriate sauce - none of pepper-vinegar Carolina business. Oh, and if you follow up this tasty brisket with a Pat Green concert, you pretty much feel like you're right back in Texas.

I'll definitely be back for more shows at the 9:30 Club - it's a smaller venue, kinda like the Palladium back in Dallas, and just a fun place to see a concert. Opening act was an unmemorable band from Brooklyn (has any great country act ever come out of Brooklyn?? It just didn't seem right...), except that the lead singer did make an impression with her choice of (and corresponding lack thereof) wardrobe. She was too spastic for me to get a clear shot, even with our great spot right by the stage.

Next up was Randy Houser, and the fact that I had to check iTunes to get the spelling of his name right lets you know that I hadn't really heard of the guy before, but he put on a decent show with much better music than the Brooklynites.

I may have somewhat renounced my country roots and turned to the Shins and Death Cab for Cutie and Ben Folds and...oh, plenty others...but I'm always up for a Pat Green show because he's pretty much guaranteed to amuse and entertain. As a side bonus, he also happens to sing. Here he is belting it out into some guy's cell phone that was tossed on stage:

And professing his joy that the club is smoke-free (I cheered remarkably loudly) while going on a rant about all the second-hand smoke he's inhaled at concerts over the years:

He also lost a $1,000 bet to a band member who managed to land a guitar pick in his shot of tequila. And threw $50 at a guy in the audience who booed him, shouting "there's your refund, get the hell outta here!" in the middle of a song. And was rather supportive of his sponsor for the evening, Jagermeister. Good show, and just enough cowboy boots and country to make it feel like home.