Big Ol’ Bobby Long Wrap Up!!

It never fails. First we can’t find much at all about Bobby, then BOOM! It’s a flurry of all kinds of cool stuff!! Rather than a bunch of separate posts, I got one big ol’ wrap up with as much as I could find over the last few days!

First on the list, Bobby blogged! And not just a little bit, I mean a massive blog that is so full of win it’s kind of hard to believe. Here is just a little taste…

I have some really good shows in front of me. I have a big run in Texas which should be a lot of fun and to see Texas from the perspective of a car should be really interesting. Not that im

Source: K. Thruston

gonna start to don myself in cowboy gear but I really liked Dallas when I was there and its rare when im on tour to actually see the make up of the city or state. Im hoping to walk or drive away from Texas educated and ready to hit Detroit, Chicago and New York with enough southern vigour to brand a bull! Im also heading to Portland which was one of my favourite places last time I visited. I didn’t get to a try a doughnut from voodoo doughnut so that’s the first thing im gonna do followed by another Elliott smith memory lane trip. I recently did a cover of his song Between The Bars in Kansas, which was another great crowd.Im always too scared to touch his stuff because I love it so much but a friend of mine and me were singing it in the car on the long trip from beautiful Minneapolis so I played it and it went down really well. Im not sure if ill do it again however some things should be looked at and not touched or as my Nan defines it “you look with your eyes not your hands” so not to disappoint an old lady ill stick to her philosophy. Im gonna dip my hands in the Mississippi river when im in New Orleans and grab a flask and send it home to my great uncle Charlie as he is now wheelchair bound and cannot go. He first played me some of the jazz I love and on my christening wet my head with water from the Thames as he could not get any from the Mississippi. It’s surprising my head did not dissolve but he loves and still sings those songs with the famous river in the title. He also gave me a puff on a cigar when I was eight as he thought it may of helped the cough I had. A year later when my Mam smelt smoke on me he was banned from all of my birthday parties until I was sixteen!

Go and read the whole thing on Bobby’s MySpace page! You will not regret it!

Also out there… a really great review of Bobby’s show at the Hotel Cafe!

Playing selections that included tracks from his self-released Dirty Pond Songs album, hair strewn across his face, Long offered some wry yet also self-effacing intros (including commenting on his problem with a “bulging disc” bringing severe discomfort if he sat, so he stood for the night). He came across as quite personable in a nice, boyish way — a contrast to the often heart-on-the-sleeve, dramatic nature of the material, such as “Left to Lie” and “The Bounty of Mary Jane.”

Other key numbers included the kiss-off of “Dead and Done” (“For the dusk falls to dawn, I’ll have you banished from my mind/I just need a moment’s rest to make it mine”) and the waltz tempo carried “Penance Fire Blues.” He also featured songs that will likely appear on his next release, planned for 2010, “Only You,” among them.

The influences were obvious at times, but they’re good ones, like Dylan and Neil Young. Can’t go wrong there. His way with wordplay and imagery also recalled Conor Oberst a few years back. But unlike Oberst’s early work, Long has already found a fine singing voice to match that imagery. Plus, he’s also an impressive guitarist as a picker and more; it would be interesting to hear him with a little band at some point.

Oh, I like the idea of Bobby with a band! I think that could be really cool!! Anyway, read the rest of this review at the Buzzine and be sure to get to see Bobby tonight at The Mint if you are in the area!

And I have more Bobby, right after the jump…

Even my hometown has caught the Bobby Long bug!! I was hoping they wouldn’t miss him. Unfortunately, for now, I can only link you to the story. The damn thing won’t let me copy any text to post here. So read it here! I will, however, be updating this post later today with a scan of the article. I will tweet once I have it!!

Bobby Long on OKGazette.com

Update!! Here is the scan from the paper! You still need to click the link to read the text, but I’m sure you all will dig the picture!

Click to see full size!! Please source SoS if you post!!

And I know we got mad representation in the big OKC, and I (Amber) will be at the Conservatory on 12/7 for the Bobby show, so be sure and come say hello to me! LiLi will be at the Dallas show on 12/8 at Poor David’s Pub. Go and ask her for her autograph!!

There can’t possibly be more, can there… oh yes there can!!

My good Twitter friend Krista (@AccentOnLife) who works for The Times of Arcadiana had the opportunity to conduct a Q&A with Bobby:

ToA: Talk a little bit about the differences between recording and playing live. Do you prefer one or the other?

Long: Being in the studio is hugely refreshing. It’s great to play with other people, especially when they’re very different. Recording is the epitome because you’re putting something down. But you have to be able to perform live. There’s a lot more freedom performing live. I change songs all the time live but try to find the mean in the studio. They both have their differences.

ToA: What is your favorite song to perform?

Long: It changes all the time. There’s a song I wrote with my sister, Only You, but other than that, it changes.

ToA: Take us through the process of recording your EP, Dirty Pond Songs.

Long: There wasn’t one. I walked into my bedroom, put a microphone on my pillows and played into it for an hour. One take. It was just sitting down and doing it. I do try to bring aspects of my live performance into recording. There is some security in recording because you have enough takes.

ToA: What do you hope audiences take from both your live performances and your EP?

Long: I want people to know what I’m about and sit on it for a couple of days. I want them to think about it. First, I want to put on good show. I want people to be respectful of what I’m trying to do. And they are. People come up and say, “Yeah, that’s really cool.” That’s the most anyone can ask for.

Read the entire interview right here! Krista did a fantastic job, as always, spreading the love in New Orleans!!

Phew!! That was a lot of good stuff, right? Are you all hyped up to see Bobby now? Be sure to check his tour dates on our tour date page and get your butt to a show!

  1. Amber– you complete me. This post was awesome…I have been jonesin’ for some Bobby like a fat kid dreams of cake.

    Your Non-Sexual Lesbian Partner in Crime,
    Li Li
    (In the future that will be YNSLPIC. Just sayin…)

  2. Yay for all the Bobby news! I love him. Saw him live for the first time back in October and it was AWESOME! I even converted my sister to his music. :)

    • ali
    • December 4th, 2009

    OMG, we found this last night in the Gazette while out to dinner and I may or may not have cause a distraction in the restaurant with my squeel! ;) Love seein that boys face in our home town!!!!! Monday can’t get here quick enough!

    • HeatherLin
    • December 4th, 2009

    It’s so great to see his music career take off this way. I hope he’s in it to win it, cause I can’t get enough of his music. Looking forward to Monday night.

    • “in it to win it”– ::fistbump::

      kinda like, “you gotta risk it for the biscuit.” No? Anyone? Anyone know that movie? Bueller?