I have been obsessed with Rhett Miller's latest album The Believer. I even learned how to copy it on to my computer, and then made myself another CD so I could have it in my car and at work. The Believer is pop music at its best.

I was not sure what to expect of the Music Mill show - I didn't know if it would be Rhett, solo, wearing a beret and sitting on a bar stool, playing with his eyes closed, or if he'd be with a band. He chose the band, and it was an amazing rock show. The Believers are the terrific guitarist Tommy Borscheid (formerly of the Honeydogs), bassist Greg Beshers, and drummer Angela Webster. Yep, a woman drummer - his guitar tech is also a woman. Love it! And so does Rhett. "I love playing with these guys" he proclaimed near the end of the show. Rhett played both acoustic and electric guitar, but he left the solos and fancy stuff to Borscheid, which freed Rhett to take care of the business of rocking. Rhett has the best hair in rock and roll, which he used to great effect. I'm usually turned off by musicians flinging their hair and sweat around on stage, but this seemed like the perfect response to the music.

Rhett is the front man of the alt-country band Old 97's, who are currently on hitias.

I must admit, when Tim Cohn told me he was going to open the evening with a spoken word show, I was nervous - stomachache nervous. When he said his portion of the evening might consist of a "tribute to Rick Springfield, think William Shatner", I was eye-twitching nervous. My anxiety was unfounded. Tim was great. He read a new piece about his neighbors, and some older writing from his "younger and angrier" days. I think we'll hear more of Tim and his writing soon.

Matthew Grimm is still in his young, angry stage. He wears it well, singing of the injustices in this world. His music is not for the faint of heart. I bought his latest CD, Dawn's Early Apocalypse, and quickly discovered that it's not work-safe, at least not for my work in a not-for-profit agency. From the song titles (Kill the Poor, St. Booze, Slut, and one that I can't even bring myself to type) you can guess the content. He's traveling with guitar player Jason Berge. All of his songs are catchy; it's a little odd to be bopping your head to Armies of the Lost. Matthew wears his politics on his sleeve, and it makes for a lively show with good discussions afterward. I saved my eye twitching for a dinner conversation with him.

I mentioned in a previous issue that I love in-store appearances - it's a nice chance to meet the musicians before the concert. In this case, it was nice to meet the comedians. Comedians of Comedy is a traveling troupe of comedians playing music venues. They didn't want to play the traditional comedy clubs, and wanted to reach out to a different audience. Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn entertained us with some stories and played songs from their iPods. Brian (Just Shoot Me, Seinfeld, Friends) is a big heavy metal fan. His website has a section devoted to what he's listening to and photos with him and everyone from Anthrax to Rob Zombie. I was not surprised that the first song he played was pit bull death metal (don't ask, I can't describe it); the second song he played did give me a jolt-Loretta Lynn. Patton has a new CD, No Reason to Complain, that he was happily signing. It was a great way to meet these guys.

Robin Coleman has "adopted" a lot of the musicians who were displaced when CATH, Inc closed. And I sure appreciate that as much as the musicians do. She's put together a wonderful birthday show. South Carolina's Leslie Berry is trained as a concert pianist; it wasn't until after college that her love of pop music convinced her to change direction and start writing her own songs. Her music is an incredible combination of classical piano, pop and country.

Georgia's (via Canada) Lauren Lapointe did not speak until she was in kindergarten, and didn't start her singing career until she had earned a business degree and started a career. She decided one day to quit her job and follow her dream. She's found her voice now. In a short time she was recording music and playing full-time.

Indianapolis' own Arminta also made a dramatic career change. She was well on her way to becoming the 1992 Women's Power Lifting Champion. An accident while auditioning for American Gladiators lead to a career-ending injury; she therefore focused her considerable energy on singing, and the rest is history. She'll be performing with her guitar-player husband, Mikel.

I'm guessing "Happy Birthday dear Robin" will sound especially harmonious this evening!

Joel Weir will be celebrating the release of his full length CD 77 Rue de Lourmel. Joel is another CATH alumni who has found a home at Locals Only. Joel is a great singer/songwriter, and I'm looking forward to hearing his new record.

Bill Mallonee was one of the best known musicians to play at CATH. He's just finished touring with Edwin McCain. Bill is the former front man of Vigilantes of Love. This show will be a real treat.