Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Why Kids Love The Possum Posse

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Today's blog entry is written by none other than Nolan, a recently-turned two-year-old. In June, the Posse was hired for Nolan's birthday party and was so impressed by his maturity, candor, wit and sagaciousness, that we asked him to guest-author our next blog post. The following is his account of the party, and The Posse's performance. Thanks to Mike Wolfe for the Photos and to Marjorie Matthew for the video.

Hello. I'm Nolan. Upon hearing the news from my Mother that I would be turning two in a matter of days, my immediate reaction was one of anxiety and disbelief. I must admit that I'm a bit under-informed when it comes to human life expectancy, but the idea of doubling one's age in a matter of days is a heavy concept. I consoled myself by recounting the words of the French actor, Maurice Chevalier; "A comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth." Perhaps I do deserve a bit of bacchanalia for all the genteel and benevolent behavior I've displayed since turning 1, but in any case, I couldn't help but feel that it was all a bit grandiloquent. I resolved myself to live in the moment and accept some deserved kudos.

In any case, I conceded that a modest, tasteful event would be a great way for my friends and family to enjoy each others' company and blow off some steam, assuming the appropriate guests were invited and that my favorite band, The Possum Posse, could perform.

I've been a huge fan of The Possum Posse for most of my life. At the age of 1 and a quarter, I attended my first Posse show. While some have argued that The Posse's original music is a bit droll, sophomoric and perhaps even boorish, I found it to be intelligent and profound, with subversive allegorical motifs. I became an instant fan when I heard their recent E.P. "What's Goin' On With Grandpa?" and read this post regarding the band's Miley Cyrus cover. Also, The Posse is dirt cheap and almost always available.

The arrangements were made and the party was scheduled at Buster's BBQ in Lakeway. I arrived via car-seat at approximately 5:00pm. My older brother, Weston, had filled me in on basic birthday party etiquette on the way over.

But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when we arrived at Buster's. This was no ordinary party. It was a TOY STORY THEMED PARTY!!! I can still recall those first few moments of jubilation. The birthday cake decorated with Buzz and Woody, the cowboy hats and bandannas handed out as favors, and the custom invitation featuring what I now understand to be a photoshopped image of Woody and myself together! Ah, the elation!

The band began playing soon afterwards. Of course, the music was top shelf, as always. Always a huge proponent of keen observation, I quickly determined that there were four major denominations within the listening audience:

1) The Confused, but Pleasantly Surprised. These folks came out to the birthday party thinking they might hear some nice soothing tunes and eat a little cake. Upon hearing The Possum Posse's original tune about a wife's infidelity with "the Pepsi Man," set in a West Texas convenience store, this group of people spit out their collective mouthful of cake and thought, "what sort of parent booked this band at a two-year-old's birthday party?" But then, after listening for a while, they realized that the songs exhibited certain high-minded undertones, and actually served as a sort of moral compass. This group of people left the party feeling refreshed. They felt invigorated by the notion that great music is still being made in America, for Americans. And in all honesty, most of them also woke up the next day and revisited the thought "what sort of parent booked that band at a two-year-old's birthday party?"

2) The Unimpressed. These folks showed up to the party with other things on their mind. Obviously, any person with time to kill and an opportunity to hear The Possum Posse would not be able to resist the appeal of the transcendental tones of the greatest band in the universe, possibly ever. But some who attended the party were preoccupied. Sure, some people may say "but Nolan, don't you think it's possible that some folks just don't like the Posse's music?" The answer is no.

Some of the offending distractions included books, iPods, friendly conversation, food and beverage, video games, toys, cloud shapes, leashed dogs, and passing cars. I must admit, even my attention was momentarily stolen by a boisterous squirrel in the large oak tree above the dance floor (as you can see by following my gaze in the picture below).

In any case, this demographic represents a minute birthday party counter-culture that was in no way representative of the overall mood of the party and/or band performance.

3) The Rednecks. This party market segment was the band's "bread and butter." While generally considered to be musically obtuse, these Coors Connoisseurs, which incidentally included my Father (far left), seemed to pick up on the most subtle of social commentary in The Posse's lyrics. In fact, heated debates broke out after several of the band's politically and emotionally charged numbers. Lincoln and Douglass would have been proud. Lincoln and Douglass are two of my stuffed animals, and they tend to enjoy a good debate, but unfortunately, they were unable to attend the shindig.

4) The Kids. Perhaps the most enthusiastic portion of the audience was the children (of which I was, and still am, a member). Most of my friends, including my older brother, Weston, found the music to be infectious. Had there not been a dance floor, I suspect we would have, with no less vigor, shuffled and boot-scooted on top of our chairs!

Yes, it was one of the most memorable birthday parties I've had yet, and has no doubt set the bar high for future affairs.

And perhaps growing older isn't such a worrisome thing after all. At least I don't feel any older. I'm beginning to think this whole "age" thing is a bit overblown. It's probably best captured by English author, Aldous Huxley; "The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm."

But also, birthday parties are awesome! Here's a video of the dance floor...