At 2 pm it was 96 degrees and I was rambling down the Palisades Parkway in Jeep with no top with my oldest of kin riding shotgun. We were off to see the David Bowie exhibit at Brooklyn Museum (website)that runs trough July 15. Hopefully I get there. We didn’t today.


Our plan for the day was to hit the exhibit then head to Manhattan to see Hal Ketchum (website) at Hill Country with a bunch of old friends.


I’ve never seen Ketchum, but respect all I have heard and jumped at the chance to see a real troubadour (a dying breed). I did, and it was great!

Unfortunately, after getting us to Brooklyn, the frickin exhibit was sold out for the day! Crazy, right? There where legions of Bowie shirt wearing fans lingering in the lobby regrouping. I even saw a man wearing faux purple fur covered sandals.


Fortunately, Jules and I mobilized quickly upon the bad news and headed next doors to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. My daughter took some wonderful photos which she will(should) post soon (click here). The place is a gem and should be on every New Yorker’s bucket list.

We listened to lots of Bowie in the car and talked about his songs as we walked through the gardens and gift shop… so in many respects we had a successful Bowie day. Passing on musical knowledge to a new generation is fun for me, and most critical activity for the next generation.


After the gardens, we hopped on the 2 subwa  and got ourselves to 26th and 6th in a jiffy to see Hal Ketchum. Hal was hanging with that audience just before the show and was a real character. As I told my daughter, Hal is the real deal. He talked of hanging with Jerry Jeff Walker (an old Buffet and Prine crony) and having a little too much fun with fans at the bar. His song with the chorus “Your money is on the dresser, adios” reminded me fondly of Bobby Bare (thanks to Younger for that intro).


In the line of Dylan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, John Prine, etc… Hal has earned a “seat the the bar” with these chaps. I’d love to be the bartender and controlling the tunes that evening.

Just by chance, and a final ramble on this topic, I flipped on a Bowie documentary while typing this away. Bowie was certainly unique and a masterful musical artist.