We're Number Three! We're Number Three!

Woo-Woo!

Yes, The Flaw entered into that local crucible of cut-throat bluegrass competition, Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest, and it's now official:

We are once again a third-rate bluegrass band.

But you knew that, right?

Given Sunday's heat we're amazed that the festival wasn't moved to an estuary off Oxnard, but tradition must be served, along with lots of water, snow-cones and kettle corn.

Also in keeping with tradition, we were "taken downtown" by the impossibly gifted teenagers (and one pre-teen) of the Muddy Buddies (First) and Murphy Family Band (no relation, Second)

Additionally, we're ashamed to report that Guitarist George Biner won Second Place in solo Flatpicking.

So what do you get with a second-rate flatpicker inside a third-rate bluegrass band? Ego problems, that's what.

But we'll get through this; we've had to cope with outbursts of talent before.

Nonetheless, through gritted teeth, we congratulate George.

At the other end of the bell curve, John Bryan (banjo) and Edie Murphy (fiddle) turned in such Flawed performances that they didn't even place. That's the kind of band solidarity we could use more of in these troubled times.

You can check out the Flaw, and other eventual Topanga highlights, here on the Flaw Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8T0lr0UJQ0

Yours for institutional inadequacy,

The Flaw

Come for the Kettle Corn, Stay for the Sunburn

Dear Patrons of the Arts,

It's Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest time again, and that means we practice in the back seat of the car -- in a cold sweat -- all the way to Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, because we're afraid we're about to make jackasses of ourselves before several hundred people.

No, wait -- that was our wedding.

This is different. There was no kettle corn at our wedding.

At any rate, The Flaw has been rehearsing constantly -- for 2.5 hours every week -- in anticipation of the keen competition that takes place starting about 9:30 a.m. Sunday on the sun-drenched meadow of Paramount Ranch.

That's a total of 650 person-hours of the Relentless Pursuit of First Place, Bluegrass Band Competition.

Well, actually, Edie went on vacation, and George went up to Cambria and Jarrett went on a business trip and Paul just plain forgot one time and John wasted nearly the whole practice trying to figure out his new fancy recorder, and everybody got the flu or allergies or mange or something. So maybe it's closer to 275 person-hours, but trust us, when we were all there together we were relentlessly pursuing first pla.....okay, there WAS a lot of tuning and downloading of lyrics, and then retuning and discussions of the need for retuning, and the importance of a rock-solid rhythm foundation and the Relentless Pursuit of First Place.

Make that 25 person-hours. (Sigh.)

Nonetheless, the stakes are huge.

Last year, we were barely nudged out of the winner's circle by Scott Gates and Pacific Bluegrass, which is a bunch of insanely talented kids -- KIDS! What do they know of life? Of The Relentless Pursuit?®

Bah.

This year we're up against eight or nine other bands and we don't know what will happen -- THEY might have practiced or something.

Thank goodness, at least, for the kettle corn.

See you all Sunday,

The Flaw (contestant #29)

Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest