Madison originals

Just back from Atwood Summerfest and the noon set by Lou and Peter Berryman, my favorite Madison songwriters--and my favorite Madison accordion act. I love their music so much, and Lou was most gracious when, a while back, I phoned her out of the blue to get tips for buying an accordion.

The set was short (a ton of bands are playing today), and part of me didn't want to make the five-minute bike trip down the bike path that leads, virtually, from my front door to, virtually, the stage the Berrymans played on. After all, it's a pretty ride, and the weather is gorgeous--why would I want to be out in that, when all it would get me is free music?

But I went, and I'm glad I did. The Berrymans' appearance today was not quite as satisfying as their Folk At One show earlier this summer, in part because the set was so short, and in part because it was a little hard to hear their quietly amusing tunes over the din of the food vendors' generators and the rock stage down the block. But their smiling presence was winning, as always.

They closed with my favorite Berryman song, "Odd Man Out." I find this ditty weirdly moving; I'm pasting the lyrics below. You really ought to see Lou and Peter Berryman, any chance you get. A+++++

Odd Man Out

If your lover won't come over
And when you call they're 'bout as warm as an ice cube
And your deck of cards is lost and it's raining
And there's nothing good on the boob tube
Here's a game you play alone
And you never have to leave the warmth of your armchair
It's your job to try and figure out
Which word in each grouping doesn't belong there:

Harpo, Ringo, Zorro, Julio,
Zeppo, Chico, STUCCO, Mario, Groucho
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Neptune, PET WORLD, Uranus, Pluto
One pair, two pair, MAYONNAISE, three of a kind,
Straight, flush, full house, 4 of a kind, straight flush
Car theft, robbery, mugging, burglary,
ROMANCE, hijack, arson, larceny, HAIRBRUSH

Alpha, beta, gamma, epsilon,
Delta, zeta, theta, DRACULA, sigma
Aries, Virgo, Leo, Gemini,
Cancer, Taurus, NISSAN, Capricorn, Libra
Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Salvador
Dali, SNEEZEY, Cezanne, Delacroix, Renoir
Earthquake, typhoon, mudslide, hurricane,
ROMANCE, blizzard, firestorm, tidal wave, NUT BAR

Sister, brother, father, son-in-law,
Uncle, cousin, nephew, DOUBLE-U, daughter
Whisky, vodka, champagne, creme de menthe,
Brandy, ouzo, Pernod, muscatel, WATER
Southeast, northwest, northeast, north by northwest,
Due north, due east, DREW BARRYMORE, due south
Headache, earache, heartburn, stomach flu,
ROMANCE, toothache, sore throat, muscle ache, BIG MOUTH

Freon, Neon, Xenon, OREGON, Cotton, Rayon, Orlon, ALANON
Phone-ring earring gold-ring SLOBBERING, Hardee's Wendy's RABIES Burger-King

Toaster, freezer, washer, opener,
Blender, mixer, ANGER, vegetable steamer
Hipbone, heel bone, tailbone, fibula,
Cheekbone, jawbone,TROMBONE, scapula, femur
Desk lamp, flashlight, lantern, photoflood,
Headlight, dome light, night light, CELLULITE, sun lamp
Puzzler, baffler, cypher, cryptogram,
ROMANCE, riddle, mystery, question mark, OFF RAMP

Puzzler, baffler, cypher, cryptogram,
ROMANCE, riddle, mystery, question mark, OFF RAMP