Friday, December 19, 2008

Electric Hula-Hoop

So, how cool is this? Meet "Electric Hula-Hoop."

I have long been a fan of Paul Metsa from Minneapolis, and had the pleasure of finally meeting him in person after 20 some-odd years of listening to his excellent album "Paper Tigers." I totally wore out my copy of the record, that was how much I liked it. So, I happened to think of him again last Spring and found him on Rhapsody. I had a lot of catching up to do, too!
So, at the present time, I am preparing for another long weekend in the Twin Cities and thought I would send Paul an e-mail asking about gigs he might be doing when I am in town. Alas, he no longer works at the place where I last saw him, and may not be playing at all over New Year's weekend. I am bummed, but hope all you who like music will check out his fledgling digital folk music website, Maximum Folk. He hasn't got a lot available for sale at the moment, but what's there is QUALITY stuff, at the moment tending towards blues. And "Paper Tigers" is there as well, so you can easily purchase the album I've been raving about, and the other others on the site while you're at it. Terrific stuff!
In a flurry of e-mails this week, I happened to mention to Paul that I had built a lovely pair of socks from some yarn purchased at Bella Lana in Minneapolis. Bella Lana is owned and operated by a friend of Paul's and carries lovely yarns, and has a welcoming committee that can't be beat, namely, the sweetest, most adorable Italian Greyhound you will ever lay eyes on. Anyhow, the mention of knitted socks in my e-mail to Paul inspired a request. The best kind of request. The kind of request that sends me running for my handy-dandy box of dyes and a sock bank.These socks will be a gift for Paul's girlfriend, who is in the process of moving to the VERY COLD Twin Cities, and since I love having opportunities to give something back to musicians for all the music they give to ME...well, I am going that extra mile and making it something totally unique that can never be duplicated. The dyed blank looks cool as is, but the finished socks won't look a thing like it. This is, after all, similar to how "Grateful Undead" looked before I wound it into skeins and knitted it.I was having a hard time thinking of a name for the colorway, because although it approximates "Grateful Undead," it is NOT "Grateful Undead." That colorway, like this new one, can never be recreated exactly. So, considering the person who made the request, and his sense of humor, I came up with "Electric Hula-Hoop."
Paul has a very funny song called "Electric High Heels," and the narrator of the song gets put through some amusing antics by a wild girlfriend. It has one of my favorite, makes-me-laugh-every-time-I hear-it-lines at the end, and I quote:

"Aw, c'mon, baby, I've been on my best behavior! Not the cuffs, sweetie...oh, no, not the hula-hoop...not again!"

So..."Electric Hula-Hoop." A tip of my hat to a helluva nice fella who makes great music and makes me laugh. 'Cause I like to give back if I can and there's no better way to say how hearing "Virginia" live blew me away.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I think this dyed blank is going to make wonderful socks.
Now how are you? I have not heard for you in a ages.

Joansie said...

What a great gesture. The recipient will absoolutely love the socks.

Thanks for leaving that comment on my blog. Glad we were able to meet at Alison's signing. She's had me pretty worried lately.

Take care!....It's Joansie from frigid Vermont.