bright lights...big city...

"that's very urban of you," this was my sister's response when i told her what i was doing on friday night. i think my exact words were..."we're going to Forest Grove to see this random band that we saw on a flyer at McMenamins." i guess it is very urban, to drive 50 minutes to see a band that may or may not be any good. but, we're always making an effor to try new things and to take advantage of all that this area has to offer.

the location was great. first of all, Forest Grove is out in the middle of nowhere. it's true country right outside the city, complete with big ol' pickup trucks. the concert was in the garden cafe of one of the McMenamin hotels, call The Grand Lodge.

this place was built in 1922 as a masonic & eastern star home and has now been turned into a hotel. it was fun to sit and listen to music, eat good food, and people watch.

and, as it turns out, the band, Bombadil, was good. the flyer described the four guys from north carolina like this..."Bombadil incorporates international instruments and styles with its background in Piedmont blues and psychedelic rock, generating everything from straightforward rock to Bolivian waltzes; from heartbreaking, piano-drive laments on loss of life to swashbuckling, raucus marches." now, with a description like that how can you not be intrigued?

they had some great songs and played several different instruments. at one point two of the guys were laying on the ground playing guitar, while the keyboardist sat under the keyboard and played backwards. very impressive and entertaining. overall, the experience was totally worth the drive. although, it was pretty chilly out there...somebody should tell the weather that it's summer...bring out the sun!