I've joined a club, the Apple iBook Club. Now I can write anywhere. The days of rushing to Indy Hostel in a panic to write and transmit are over. The Apple Club has it's own lingo, and is full of cool folks. Anywhere there is free wireless Internet we tend to gather. I've discussed cases with Russell Johnson (Mudkids) in The Northside News Café, and iTunes with Anne-Marie Dezelan (Annie-O's Event Planning) in The Broad Ripple Brewpub. I'm brand new to the Apple computer world; so feel free to give me tips on how to use it more efficiently. And I'm still figuring out the case thing. . . Matt Elliott stopped my from carrying it outside in the rain. He's supplied me with a very fashionable plastic bag!

As always, I appreciate the intimate setting of the of living room concerts. You get to meet the musicians; everyone in the audience is there to listen and is interested in the music. You often get some bonuses, hidden tracks. This show was a perfect example of that. John Grant shared the story behind the songs, and many private things about his life. Even he was surprised how much he shared. He has an amazing voice and is a terrific piano player. He covered some wonderful songs, Patsy Cline's I Fall To Pieces and Connie Francis' I'm Sorry I Made You Cry. His original songs are what moved me to tears. They were all very personal, about dealing with his addictions and love live. He tested a new, not yet recorded song on us. You Don't Have To. The song is about the good times we remember in a relationship, in this case warm memories of things that never really happened. John sang of missing the walks in the park with their dog. John doesn't even have a dog, and never walks in the park. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that does that. I always miss the Sundays spent drinking coffee and pouring over the NYTimes. I don't drink coffee and have worked almost every Sunday of my adult life. I do read the Sunday Times; I'm lucky if I finish it by Thursday.

As terrific as John was, Dave Devine was equally as amazing. Dave has studied classical guitar at Butler and IU, and it shows. He has a wide range, and an impressive traveling guitar collection. Dave's dad joined them on stage for a couple of songs. Dave senior is from the band The Sound of Innocence. They took the CYO dance circuit by storm in 1968.

Mike Reeb is one of those musicians you look at in amazement. He's young, polite, has a lovely wife, new house and is amazingly talented. His songs are wise beyond his years. The arrangements are sparse, yet perfect. His pop tunes have a Wilco feel to them, and I love that! As a late addition he brought fellow Lafayette musician Benjamin Ezra to open for him. Benjamin was terrific, and was up for a last minute gig. . . he always has his harmonicas with him.

When I asked our favorite editor, Alan, how far from Broad Ripple proper I could stray for music reviews, he told me that a five-minute drive was reasonable. In my "the rules are just a suggestion way", I decided to amend it to where more than five Broad Ripple people have gathered. I was really interested to see how our beloved icon, Otis Gibbs would translate in a Country Western bar. There was a great crowd at Stables; everyone was friendly, and ready to party. The patrons were also ready to dance; to music that they knew. Of course Otis and his wonderful band won them over, but the crowd looked forward to the DJ spinning the more familiar tunes. I was happy to hear a Steve Earle tune at the one-hour band break, I think that was to help the transition from Otis to Big & Rich. For the last few songs of the set, we decided to stand in front of the stage, "Patio style". I enjoyed seeing the band that close, and looking over my shoulder to see the dancers behind me.

Luna Music is opening their third Indianapolis store. Brothers Todd and Marc Robinson founded Luna in 1994. In that time the Luna empire has grown to include the record label, Recordhead. Jason Pierce will manage the midtown store. Jason has been a huge part of Luna since 1995, and is a terrific artist. His work most recently hung at Taste Café and Marketplace. In Luna's fine tradition of in-store appearances, Vess Ruhtenberg (Zero Boys, United States Three, Pieces, Mystery's of Life) will perform at 6:00.

Russel Settle will be celebrating the 55th anniversary of owning the Red Key that same evening. Stop in and say hello. I'll be the harried-looking waitress.

I love indianapolismusic.net. It is chock full of information; music calendars, show reviews, and a message board. IMN is celebrating their fifth anniversary with a great showcase. The line-up includes Jessica Benge and her band (with special guest, Sweaty B), Creepin' Charley, 19Clark25, Black Soil Project, State, and The Shivers. This promises to be a memorable evening.