I took a mini-roadtrip to Bakersfield yesterday for the Reckless Kelly show at the Crystal Palace. Before the show, I had the opportunity to visit the legendary KUZZ radio station, owned by Buck Owens before his passing. The station is HUGE, has several production and news studios, an in-house research team, its own print department, AND a full gym, complete with co-ed sauna. Buck's office remains exactly the way he left it, a shrine to the legend.

The crowd at the Palace didn't exactly seem to know what to make of the boys from Austin (the show was promoted as a KUZZ free listener-appreciation show, so much of the audience was unfamiliar with RK), but after three or four songs, they went CRAZY about the band - couples dancing, fathers dancing with their small daughters, and one little girl who was having a terrible time dragging her little boy friend out onto the dance floor. Just one more night to remind me why I love this music.