8889 "It Takes All Kinds" (18.4 MB) from My Music Plan High Noon Saloon Madison, WI May 10, 2008

(I got an e-mail yesterday from 8889's singer, Ross Benbow, and he says downloads for the new record are coming soon. Also, I just met Kris Hanson from National Beekeepers Society at the AAPOR conference in New Orleans, which is weird.)

About three and a half years ago, I went to the release show for 8889's EP and recorded video footage for the first time -- the song, "An Introduction," is up on YouTube. It's kind of fitting, then, that the 400th episode of this podcast should be a rearranged acoustic version of another tune from their debut record.

Also, it brings me full-circle and gets me to thinking about scaling this whole thing back. I've been realizing lately that I've been going to shows that I don't especially enjoy, even when I like the bands. The night before this show we went to see Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, whom I like a lot, but Emily got a bad headache and wanted to go home. For some reason, even though she wanted me to, I had no interest in going back. I've seen them twice fairly recently, and I don't know the new material they're playing; it just seemed like I'd enjoy myself more being at home doing something else. So I'll probably be getting more casual about all this pretty soon and probably posting more infrequently (and it doesn't help that there is literally nobody I've ever heard of playing in New Orleans while we're here). Hopefully what does go up will be more interesting stuff overall.