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best stuff was out of the Kreature Comforts Lowlife Guide to Memphis which you must get if you go there. But the best part was when we were on the way home and Jeff said, "oh, let's go see one more thing." He wouldn't tell me where we were going, he just gave me directions. We ended up in a vacant lot in a bad part of town and, just as I was beginning to have second thoughts about the character of my "friend", Jeff looked around and whispered reverently, "This was Stax. "

Round two of the Dixie Friend Backalley Brawl: First were the Cowslingers. I liked them more than I thought I would. Fucked-up-truck-stop-country-rock-d-roll. The the Woggles and the Royal Pendletons, I'm not sure of the order. Somehow, any time the Woggles take the stage, I miss them. I've heard I'm not missing much, but I don't know. I also withhold judgement on the Royal Pendletons who definitely have some good songs and, as we discovered Monday morning at breakfast, are some of the funniest guys on the planet.

Anyway, Guitar Wolf was next and I watched most of their set, although it was the exact same show I'd seen in Austin a week earlier. Sure, it was a good set, but I was in Memphis and hangin' out in the alley, drinkin' a beer and shootin' the shit with some local folk was just way more appealing to me at the time. I don't regret the decision at all since I ended up having the closest thing to a conversation I've ever had with Grifters drummer/van pilot extraordinaire, Stan (and his super-cool wife).

The moment I had been waiting for arrived: Man...or Astroman? were up next. If you know me well enough (heh, heh) you know that I have a sick, misguided, obsessive drive to own every single M...oA? release. I think I may be finally coming to my senses regarding this disease, but there's just something awfully appealing to me about a band that repeatedly goes through entire interviews without admitting to being from this planet (it's that damned geek thing again). The set was a bit disappointing to me musically and they were playing one person short, but they were energetic and fearless even when the sampling apparatus went on the fritz and the bassist started reciting all the samples to compensate for the loss. The multimedia aspects were pleasing. IF the music wasn't holding your attention (or,more accurately, if you were trying to drown out the rambunctious asshole next to you who was trying to get the bassist to check out his silly hand made, "Look at my fucking shirt! It says