Levi's Jeans
The denim monster has me by the throat and refuses to let go. For years I resisted his deep blue wrath. Perhaps I have grown weak in my old age.

When I first threw my hat in the rockabilly ring I absolutely swore off Levis. Considering that I had worn original seventies bell bottoms I figured I was going to over correct. It would be nothing but suits and drapes for me. If it didn't have pleats I would not wrap it around my loins. In a pinch I might resort to gas station blue Dickies but nothing less formal.

Since I have spent most of my Chicago work days in a warehouse, that was a tough sartorial commitment to make. I managed to stick with it thanks to several pairs of drip dry janitor pants that I found. Unfortunately those trousers became thinner and thinner with each washing. Before long most anyone could tell what religion I was. It was time for a change.

Thanks to Chicago's voluminous thrift stores, faded 505's are not hard to locate. And that was my first toe-in-the-water of denim. Still it's an awful long way from $3 dungarees to $200 repop Levi bucklebacks.

Even when I wasn't wearing them nearly full time, a properly cut pair of Levis on a rockabilly cat just made me green with envy. Seeing the Big Barn Combo on a flatbed truck in matching prison jeans made me feel completely under-dressed. One day at work I took stock of my faded jeans and ragged Chuck Taylors and decided it was time to wise up. Hallelujah for the fine folks at Sears. Specifically, hallelujah for the fine folks at the Irving and Cicero Sears. They were the only location that seemed to stock the Levi 501xx jeans. It's a button fly, dark blue, hard finished, salvage seamed jean that usually costs less than $40. They're not the full metal historical reproductions but they are more than satisfactory for the rockabilly guy with a mortgage. However, a smart fellah ain't gonna wear jeans this nice while unloading trucks. Thank heavens for Wranglers, cowboy cut with the hard finish. Truth to tell, they are stiffer and shinier than the Levis. And they ring up around $25.

The continueed care and feeding of said trousers has become quite the fiasco though. Of course they soften up after several washes(so far, serious starching has only served to change the shape of the waist, making them rather uncomfortable until they are re-washed). Keeping them indigo is a whole 'nother story. They certainly get the gentle treatment in my laundry room. Ice cold water in a five-gallon bucket. Hand washed inside out. And still my wash water looks like Paul Newman's eyes.

And I know that Levis are called "Shrink To Fit" but do they have to shrink that goddamn much!?! After adjusting myself from a two inch cuff to the big boy four inch cuff, one washing put me back to the skimpy turn-ups. Now each wash is followed by a twenty minute wrestling match as I attempt to stretch my trousers back to their original length.

Next time I'll have to buy a size that covers my entire foot to get the proper results. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Rockabilly is obsessive-compulsive behavior elevated to an artform. Every aspect of my life is a reason to exaggerate minor details. My uncle used to iron his underpants...and he became a vice president at Exxon. So there is hope for me.

Century of Country
Not that it was a great surprise, TNN's "Century of Country Music" segment on rockabilly was a disappointment. In the one-hour segment all the usual suspects were profiled with the usual stories--Carl Perkins writes a song on a grocery bag, Jerry Lee marries his cousin and Elvis sings with the soul of a black man. They even trotted out the standard 1970's interview clips of Marian Keisker (Sam Phillips' secretary). Obviously there was no mention of Charley Feathers, Joe Clay, Dale Hawkins or Billy Lee Riley.

Coronado Theatre, Rockford IL
Rockford, Illinois has unveiled its newest gem. Built in 1927, the downtown Coronado Theatre has played host to the greatest entertainers in Vaudeville and jazz. Thanks to a recent rennovation, the fabulously ornate venue is back in action and played host to hometown heroes Cheap Trick March 9. Of particular note are the artifacts from the theatre on display including an ancient lighting panel and a gigantic carbon arc movie projector.