I’ve got the warehouse blues, and you can too

I visited my old home in Durham Friday to watch a free blues concert at the West Village, which occupies the former Liggett & Myers campus. About 50 people plopped down on blankets and chairs between two renovated tobacco warehouses to hear Tad Walters and Book Hanks perform for the Warehouse Blues Series.

I used to live in a loft overlooking that courtyard. On Friday nights, I would hoist open my warehouse-sized windows and listen to the live music drift in while I cooked dinner. Then I would head downstairs with a glass of wine and mingle with neighbors, friends and city officials (the concerts are sponsored by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation).

But that was three years ago. I thought for sure that the concert series would have either been trimmed out of the city budget or that so many people would have caught on that it would have lost its intimate vibe.

I was surprised Friday to see that wasn’t the case.

The only thing that changed was the positioning of band. Everything else was still the same. Still a good mix of West Village residents, city staff and families. Still wonderful live music. And still free.

The series runs until mid-August. Check out the line-up here.

Don’t Stop Believin’ in Duke Students

If you’ve ever questioned the taste of Duke University students, then you may be heartened to hear about their pick for the school’s annual Last Day of Classes festival.

Apparently, some students begged organizers to hire Journey to perform, according to today’s Duke Chronicle:

The committee could not deliver Journey, another popular student selection, because the band was too expensive, Ling said. He noted, however, that Frontiers has developed a reputation for its accurate imitation of the 80’s rock band.

Of course, this assumes that you love Journey as much as I do. And even if you don’t, you know there’s a special place in your heart for the band’s hit “Don’t Stop Believin.’” My friend once aptly told me: “There are two kinds of people in this world, those who love ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ and liars.”

And while Frontiers — the Journey cover band — will still deliver the power ballads some Dukies crave, alternative rock band Third Eye Blind and rapper Lupe Fiasco were tapped to headline the festival. The Chronicle 609 students joined a Facebook group dedicated to bringing Third Eye Blind (remember that Semi-Charmed Life song from 1997) to the school. So maybe there are some students whose taste you should stop believing in.

Meanwhile, I hope this video succeeds in getting this song stuck in your head for the rest of the day:

So which are you, a fan of “Don’t Stop Believin’” or a liar? :o)