Fabulous Female Folksingers
Horse, Casa Amado Taqueria, Jimmy Buffett, Colorado Buffaloes, Pooped Peacock
Welcome to my weekly newsletter. This week’s issue features female folksingers at our house concerts, an equine tale, the best tacos in Berkley, the mayor of Margaritaville, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, and a photo bomb. I hope you enjoy the picks and pics.
Fave Five 49: Fabulous Female Folksingers. Legend of Lexington (Horse), Exquisite Elote and Terrific Tacos (Casa Amado Taqueria), Son of a Son of a Sailor (Jimmy Buffett), Sanders and Sons (Colorado Buffaloes), and a Pooped Peacock.
Fave Five Lists: Fabulous Female Folksingers
The last five performers at Garfield House Concerts were:
Jill Andrews - 2020
Liz Longley - 2021
May Erlewine - 2022
Rachael Davis - June 2023
Iona Fyfe - August 2023
And Katie Pederson will be our next performer on June 28, 2024.
Book Best Bet
A new annual tradition continued this summer, the Up North Book Club with Barb and my sisters, Joan and Ann. This year Ann was unable to be with us in Glen Arbor, but she participated with Barb and Joan by FaceTime from Columbus. The book they discussed was Horse, and they recommended it to me. It was also chosen for Barb’s monthly book club that she will host here in Northville next week.
I recently finished it. I liked the story and the characters, but I was disappointed in the quality of the writing. For an author who won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel March, I had greater expectations. I am currently reading Ann Patchett’s latest book, Tom Lake, and her style, structure, word choices, and avoidance of the obvious are much more to my liking. Nonetheless, Horse is entertaining and informative.
From Amazon: Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
Brooks’s chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling.” —The New York Times Book Review
Horse isn’t just an animal story—it’s a moving narrative about race and art. —TIME
A thrilling story about humanity in all its ugliness and beauty . . . the evocative voices create a story so powerful, reading it feels like watching a neck-and-neck horse race, galloping to its conclusion—you just can’t look away. —Oprah Daily
A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history.
Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack.
New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance.
Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse—one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success.
Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.
Restaurant Recommendation
Casa Amado Taqueria 2705 Coolidge Highway, Berkley, MI 48072
After reading Melody Baetens’s review in The Detroit News (Berkley's Casa Amado has some of the best tacos in town), Barb and I drove to Berkley on Saturday for dinner. Melody’s recommendations were spot on, and we really liked this place. Our order:
Chips + Guacamole
Elote | Street Corn: Corn on the Cob, Chipotle Mayo, Cilantro, Queso Blanco, Tajin Dust
Bistec Quesadilla
Three Tacos
Pollo | Chicken: Griddled Chipotle Chicken, Creamy Roasted Green Chile Rajas (creamy roasted poblanos + onions)
Chilorio | Pork: Sinaloan-style Braised Red-Chile Pork, Pickled Onion, Cilantro
Mexican Bistec: Tomato-Onion-Jalapeno Braised Beef, Roasted Nopale & Bell Pepper Slaw
From the restaurant: Berkley’s favorite taqueria, featuring flavorful, authentic tacos made with the freshest ingredients. Chef Amado Lopez began his culinary career in the world-famous Chef Charlie Trotter’s kitchen in Chicago. Chef Trotter recognized his talent and sent him to the Culinary Institute of America on a full scholarship from the Charlie Trotter Foundation. After culinary school in New York, Chef Lopez headed back to Chicago to work for Chef Shawn McClain at his restaurants Spring, Green Zebra, and Custom House. Soon Chef Lopez realized his true epicurean passion was closer to home; Mexican cuisine was his calling.
This eventually drew him to Chef Rick Bayless, where he began working at Topolobampo. In the five years Chef Lopez traveled to Mexico with Chef Bayless on many culinary tours, managed the kitchens, developed recipes and opened Xoco. While at Xoco, Chef Lopez was approached by an investor and together they opened Habanero, a taqueria in the financial district of downtown Chicago. In 2015, he moved his family to their home in Rochester where he worked as the Executive Catering Chef at Plum Market. Now, Chef Lopez is pursuing his dream of owning his own Taqueria in Berkley, Michigan. In January 2023 Chef Amado was named as a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation in the Emerging Chef category.
Marvelous Musician
Jimmy died on Friday. The outpouring of tributes to the man and his music from his many friends, fans, and a wide variety of other musicians is impressive.
I was not a Parrothead, but I do like “Come Monday,” “Margaritaville,” and “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.” I also like the fact that Jimmy recorded many songs he cowrote with Steve Goodman (“Door Number Three,” “Frank and Lola,” “It's Midnight and I'm Not Famous Yet,” “Where's The Party,” and “Woman Going Crazy on Caroline Street”), that Steve wrote (“California Promises” and “This Hotel Room”), or that Steve cowrote with others (“Banana Republics” and “Elvis Imitators”).
I heard Jimmy live on April 1, 2012 in New Orleans. He was the featured performer at the finale of the Big Dance Concert Series, headlining the Capital One JamFest at the NCAA Final Four.
From Wikipedia: James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi; died September 1, 2023 in Sag Harbor, New York) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He was best known for his tropical rock music, which often portrays a lifestyle described as "island escapism". Buffett recorded hit songs known as "The Big 8": "Margaritaville" (1977), which is ranked 234th on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of "Songs of the Century"; "Come Monday" (1974); "Fins" (1979); "Volcano" (1979); "A Pirate Looks at Forty" (1974); "Cheeseburger in Paradise" (1978); "Why Don't We Get Drunk" (1973); and "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" (1977). His other popular songs include "Son of a Son of a Sailor" (1978), "One Particular Harbour" (1983), and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" (2003). He formed the Coral Reefer Band in 1975.
Of the over 30 albums released by Buffett, eight are certified gold and nine are certified platinum or multiplatinum. In total, Buffett sold over 20 million albums.
Buffett also parlayed the "island escapism" lifestyle of his music into several business ventures including Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant chain, the now defunct Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chain, and ventures in hotels, casinos, liquor, and retirement communities. Buffett was one of the world's richest musicians, with a net worth of $1 billion. He was also a bestselling author. His devoted fanbase, composed mostly of baby boomers, are known as "Parrotheads".
Buffett died on September 1, 2023, age 76, in his home in Sag Harbor, New York, due to complications from Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, with which he had been diagnosed four years earlier.
Come Monday
Margaritaville
Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude
My Playlist
Sports Stars
Colorado Buffaloes
My brother-in-law, Buzz Hayes, is a proud alumnus of the University of Colorado Boulder. He and his late brother Bill were at Michigan Stadium for the Hail Mary game on September 24, 1994, when Colorado beat Michigan on Kordell Stewart's 64-yard Hail Mary pass to Michael Westbrook. Despite also having an MBA from the University of Michigan, Buzz was thrilled to see his undergraduate alma mater defeat his graduate one.
Three years later, Buzz and Bill returned to Ann Arbor, along with Bill’s son Zach. Roger (a lifelong U of M fan) and I joined them for the rematch at the Big House, won by Michigan, 27-3. Michigan went on to win the 1997 national championship.
Colorado last won the national championship in 1990, although it was tainted by the Fifth Down Game against Missouri. Had the referees not erred, Georgia Tech would have been the sole national champion instead of sharing the title with Colorado.
Interestingly, Michigan’s 1997 championship was also a shared one (with Nebraska). The Cornhuskers benefited from another referee’s error, this one allowing a pass completion from a kicked ball in the Flea Kicker game, also against Missouri.
In recent years, Colorado has been one of the worst football teams in the nation. When Deion Sanders was hired as the new coach, there was a lot of excitement, but also skepticism about his total overhaul of the roster. The Buffaloes were not expected to beat Number 17 TCU, the team that was fresh off an appearance in last season's title game and playing at home. But Colorado prevailed in a thrilling, back-and-forth track meet, 45-42.
It was a most impressive debut for Coach Prime and featured the exploits of two of his sons and an exceptional two-way star, Travis Hunter, who played 129 snaps. Travis had 11 catches for 119 yards as a receiver and an interception as a defensive back.
Shedeur Sanders completed 38 of 47 pass attempts for a school-record 510 yards and four touchdowns. Shilo Sanders had ten tackles, nine solo. It got to the point where I thought that Trey Sanders, who rushed for three touchdowns for TCU, might be yet another son, but he is not.
After the game, I texted Buzz, “The Buffs looked mighty good.” His reply was, “Prime Time has arrived in Colorado!” I’m happy that his long wait for the Buffaloes to return to competitiveness may be over. Is it also possible that the Detroit Lions could win their division this year? That could be too much to expect.
Deion Sanders
From Wikipedia: Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr. (born August 9, 1967 in Fort Myers, Florida) is an American football coach and former professional player who is the current head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder. Nicknamed "Prime Time", he played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens. Sanders was also a baseball outfielder for nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. He won two Super Bowl titles and made a World Series appearance in 1992, making him the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
Sanders played college football at Florida State University, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior. He was selected by the Falcons fifth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft and played football primarily at cornerback, while also making appearances as kickoff returner, punt returner, and wide receiver. During his career, he was named to eight Pro Bowls, received six first-team All-Pros, and made consecutive Super Bowl appearances in Super Bowl XXIX with the 49ers and Super Bowl XXX with the Cowboys, winning both. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
After retiring as a player, Sanders pursued a sports analyst and coaching career. He served as the head football coach at the Jackson State University from 2020 to 2022, leading the team to two consecutive Celebration Bowl appearances and the first undefeated regular season in school history. Near the end of the 2022 season, Sanders was named the head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Shedeur Sanders - Quarterback
From Wikipedia: Shedeur Sanders (born February 7, 2002 in Tyler, Texas) is an American football quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes. He previously played at Jackson State. Sanders is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback and University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.
Shedeur joined his father and transferred to Colorado. He was immediately named the Buffaloes' starting quarterback. In his first game for the Buffaloes, Sanders completed 38 of 47 pass attempts for a school-record 510 yards and four touchdowns in the team's 45-42 win over 17th-ranked TCU.
How Shedeur Sanders excelled in Week 1
Shilo Sanders - Safety
From PlayersBio: Saturday’s thrilling victory over No. 17 TCU provided ample cause for celebration in the Sanders family following headline-grabbing days for Coach Deion Sanders and his son, Colorado quarterback Shedeur. Amid the excitement, however, the standout efforts of another player closely connected to both men deserve recognition.
Shilo Sanders, Deion’s second-oldest son and a safety for the Buffaloes, delivered an outstanding performance in their wild 45–42 season-opening triumph. A graduate transfer from Jackson State (who previously played at South Carolina), significantly impacted the game as a safety. The 23-year-old logged an impressive ten tackles, nine of which were solo efforts.
Shilo Sanders, Deion’s Elder Son, Had His Own Big Game in Colorado Debut
Travis Hunter - Cornerback/Wide Receiver
From Wikipedia: Travis Hunter Jr. (born May 18, 2003 in West Palm Beach, Florida) is an American football cornerback and wide receiver for the Colorado Buffaloes. He previously played for the Jackson State Tigers. A consensus five-star recruit in high school, he made headlines in December 2021 when he committed to Jackson State, becoming the highest-ranked prospect to ever commit to an HBCU or FCS program.
The Pulse from The Athletic
Hunter flashed superstar potential at both corner and wideout Saturday, living up to the promised hype. But he played 129 snaps. That feels wholly unsustainable against a Power 5 schedule. Injury? Fatigue? Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders seems unfazed, and for now plans to rest Hunter some each week. Count me skeptical, but I was the one casting doubt on Colorado’s entire season just hours before kickoff. Whoops.
Hunter feels like a new superstar prototype. Both on the field and off. He plays both ways, just like Shohei Ohtani. And just like Ohtani, we haven’t seen guys star as truly two-way full-timers in decades (Heisman finalist Jabrill Peppers had 170 yards on offense and one interception on defense in 2016 — Hunter had 119 yards and a pick Saturday). Off the field, he’s hitched his career to Sanders, a former fellow ridiculously versatile athlete. He’s also making enough NIL money to buy a house near his old high school, to help his brother attend. The kid is 20.
Why Colorado 2-way star Travis Hunter would follow Deion Sanders anywhere
Picture Pun
Peacock’s coverage of Big Ten football got dumped on by viewers, but it was not solely Mike Turdico’s fault.
