Comments on: Louvin: The night the lights went out at Spaceland http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/ Kevin Bronson on the music scene in Los Angeles and beyond Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:07:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: MrShovel http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-8131 MrShovel Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:04:16 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-8131 Hey Doug, Great job! I think Buzzbands might have a new correspondent. Hey Doug,
Great job! I think Buzzbands might have a new correspondent.

]]> By: The Look Back » Friday Mix 71 http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-1208 The Look Back » Friday Mix 71 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:14:07 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-1208 [...] to end the show which was the best song of the night.  Somehow a fitting way to end things.  And for the last time he didn’t tell a racist joke.  An anti-Obama joke is not inherently racist [...] [...] to end the show which was the best song of the night.  Somehow a fitting way to end things.  And for the last time he didn’t tell a racist joke.  An anti-Obama joke is not inherently racist [...]

]]> By: krissie http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-1192 krissie Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:50:20 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-1192 ^ ^ frank, about the sexist comments, i was that girl and i have to say i honestly wasn't offended at charlie louvin calling me sexy. :) in fact i think i now have a permanent smile. ^ ^ frank, about the sexist comments, i was that girl and i have to say i honestly wasn’t offended at charlie louvin calling me sexy. :) in fact i think i now have a permanent smile.

]]> By: Frank http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-1191 Frank Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:36:53 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-1191 His joke wasn't racist but it was definitely anti obama combined with his faith in Rush Limbaugh made me realize that he's an old style hardcore conservative. I can't fault him for that, that's his beliefs. Lucinda Williams commented on how he made jokes against Hilary Clinton in Arkansas. He is from a different era, he made several comments about the girl that he brought on stage to sing that were blantantly sexist and he called Lucinda Williams, "the blonde witch". I'm not sure we can really blame him for any of it because he is 81 and grew up in the South and is probably so republican that he it will never leave him. He grew up in a time when things like this were accepted. We can't expect every country artist to be as awesome as Willie Nelson. His joke wasn’t racist but it was definitely anti obama combined with his faith in Rush Limbaugh made me realize that he’s an old style hardcore conservative. I can’t fault him for that, that’s his beliefs. Lucinda Williams commented on how he made jokes against Hilary Clinton in Arkansas. He is from a different era, he made several comments about the girl that he brought on stage to sing that were blantantly sexist and he called Lucinda Williams, “the blonde witch”. I’m not sure we can really blame him for any of it because he is 81 and grew up in the South and is probably so republican that he it will never leave him. He grew up in a time when things like this were accepted. We can’t expect every country artist to be as awesome as Willie Nelson.

]]> By: Justin http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-1190 Justin Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:44:10 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-1190 There was nothing said about a "knocked up black girl". He did make reference to the teacher in the joke being black but it was simply stated as, "a black teacher". Again, nothing at all racist about the joke, simply anti-Obama. There was nothing said about a “knocked up black girl”. He did make reference to the teacher in the joke being black but it was simply stated as, “a black teacher”. Again, nothing at all racist about the joke, simply anti-Obama.

]]> By: When You Awake http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-1186 When You Awake Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:27:09 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-1186 Hey there. I was at the show and just wrote up my own version of the night over here: http://whenyouawake.com/2009/02/10/in-living-color-charlie-louvin-lucinda-williams-and-benji-hughes/ In regards to the joke, I think it was more anti-Obama than racist (though I did half miss a line at the beginning that may or may not have mentioned a "knocked up" black girl---did i hear that right anybody?). Anyways- the rest of the "joke" went something like this (i am paraphrasing here so please correct anything that's wrong--it was pretty hard to hear in there): Obama went into a classroom where the kids were doing an exercise where you give them a word and then they have to put that word into a sentence. Obama gave them the word "tragedy." A little girl stood up and said: "a mother and her family are driving in a car and they get into a horrible car accident and all die. That's a tragedy." Obama shook his head and said : "No, that's not a tragedy. That's an accident." Another little girl stood up and said: "a bus full of children looses control and kills everyone onboard. That's a tragedy." Obama shook his head and said : "No, that's not a tragedy. That's a catastrophe" Finally, a little boy stands up and says: "Obama and his entire family (wife, kids) are flying a plane and a nuclear missile goes off and hits the plane and kills everyone." Obama said: " Yes! You got it. Now that's a tradegy." To which the kid responded: "No. That's neither a tragedy or a catastrophe..." Hey there. I was at the show and just wrote up my own version of the night over here:

http://whenyouawake.com/2009/02/10/in-living-color-charlie-louvin-lucinda-williams-and-benji-hughes/

In regards to the joke, I think it was more anti-Obama than racist (though I did half miss a line at the beginning that may or may not have mentioned a “knocked up” black girl—did i hear that right anybody?).

Anyways- the rest of the “joke” went something like this (i am paraphrasing here so please correct anything that’s wrong–it was pretty hard to hear in there):

Obama went into a classroom where the kids were doing an exercise where you give them a word and then they have to put that word into a sentence. Obama gave them the word “tragedy.”

A little girl stood up and said: “a mother and her family are driving in a car and they get into a horrible car accident and all die. That’s a tragedy.”

Obama shook his head and said : “No, that’s not a tragedy. That’s an accident.”

Another little girl stood up and said: “a bus full of children looses control and kills everyone onboard. That’s a tragedy.”

Obama shook his head and said : “No, that’s not a tragedy. That’s a catastrophe”

Finally, a little boy stands up and says: “Obama and his entire family (wife, kids) are flying a plane and a nuclear missile goes off and hits the plane and kills everyone.”

Obama said: ” Yes! You got it. Now that’s a tradegy.”

To which the kid responded: “No. That’s neither a tragedy or a catastrophe…”

]]> By: Justin http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-1185 Justin Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:25:22 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-1185 I was there for the whole show and had a great time. The “joke” in question went something like this: <i>A classroom is learning about the definition of “tragedy”. President Obama is passing by the school and the teacher asks him to come in and talk about the subject. He asks the class if they can give an example. The first kid talks about a family getting into a car crash. Obama says no, that is an “accident”. The second kid talks about a school bus full of children going over the side of a mountain. Obama says no, that is a “great loss”. Finally a third kid says it would be if a plane carrying Obama, his wife and children was struck and crashed. Obama says that is correct, that would be a tragedy and then asked the little kid how he knew it would be such. The little kid says it would be a tragedy because it certainly wouldn’t be a great loss and certainly wouldn’t be an accident.</i> It really wasn’t funny but it certainly wasn’t racist. As Kevin said, if he had told this same joke a year ago and replaced “Obama” with “Bush” it would have been applauded instead of jeered. Even as such the audience handled it fairly well and he moved on. A good example of why you should know the audience you’re playing for. I saw him play in 2007 at the Mint and he told a lot more “grandpa” jokes at that show and stayed away from the politics. That show seemed to flow a lot better as well since he had a touring backup band with him to play all the gigs. Mike Stinson and his group did as good a job as you could ask them to with only what was likely a day to practice the songs. I was there for the whole show and had a great time. The “joke” in question went something like this:

A classroom is learning about the definition of “tragedy”. President Obama is passing by the school and the teacher asks him to come in and talk about the subject. He asks the class if they can give an example. The first kid talks about a family getting into a car crash. Obama says no, that is an “accident”. The second kid talks about a school bus full of children going over the side of a mountain. Obama says no, that is a “great loss”. Finally a third kid says it would be if a plane carrying Obama, his wife and children was struck and crashed. Obama says that is correct, that would be a tragedy and then asked the little kid how he knew it would be such. The little kid says it would be a tragedy because it certainly wouldn’t be a great loss and certainly wouldn’t be an accident.

It really wasn’t funny but it certainly wasn’t racist. As Kevin said, if he had told this same joke a year ago and replaced “Obama” with “Bush” it would have been applauded instead of jeered. Even as such the audience handled it fairly well and he moved on. A good example of why you should know the audience you’re playing for.

I saw him play in 2007 at the Mint and he told a lot more “grandpa” jokes at that show and stayed away from the politics. That show seemed to flow a lot better as well since he had a touring backup band with him to play all the gigs. Mike Stinson and his group did as good a job as you could ask them to with only what was likely a day to practice the songs.

]]> By: kevin http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-1179 kevin Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:04:45 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-1179 Just to elaborate: I heard tonight from two different sources, both of whom I consider reliable, that it was not a racial joke Louvin told, merely an anti-presidential one (like the ones we used to make about Bush). Neither party remembered the exact wording, but it was something about Obama going down in plane crash. He got jeered. Louvin also remarked that he was counting on Rush Limbaugh to get us out of this mess. If anybody was taping, please chime in. Just to elaborate: I heard tonight from two different sources, both of whom I consider reliable, that it was not a racial joke Louvin told, merely an anti-presidential one (like the ones we used to make about Bush). Neither party remembered the exact wording, but it was something about Obama going down in plane crash. He got jeered. Louvin also remarked that he was counting on Rush Limbaugh to get us out of this mess. If anybody was taping, please chime in.

]]> By: Paul http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-1175 Paul Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:50:08 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-1175 I was there and Charlie did crack a racist joke about President Obama. It killed the buzz. I was there and Charlie did crack a racist joke about President Obama. It killed the buzz.

]]> By: kevin http://buzzbands.la/2009/02/08/louvin-the-night-the-lights-went-out-at-spaceland/comment-page-1/#comment-1171 kevin Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:32:36 +0000 http://buzzbands.la/?p=2867#comment-1171 My correspondent did not hear the joke, but he admitted that he was standing among some chatty people and didn't catch all the stage banter. If that's indeed the case, it's too bad. My correspondent did not hear the joke, but he admitted that he was standing among some chatty people and didn’t catch all the stage banter. If that’s indeed the case, it’s too bad.

]]>