Michael Hurley “Light Green Fellow”

Night came creeping round the hills too soon for this scribe Monday night. As I flipped the headlights on the old blue pickup, the engine shut off. Luckily I was able to stand on the brakes enough to coast into a rare open parking spot on Echo Park’s Portia Street, right next to a garbage can and a discarded lamp. It sort of accented the backyard performance of long-time rambling guitar singer Michael Hurley. Bounding into the backyard of the lovely Laurel Stearns, who threw the shindig and held it all together with fun and ease, I joined Frosty from Dublab in setting up the sound system while the “helmet stage” was prepared. Michael was in socks in the kitchen telling stories and by the time he had his shoes on, the backyard had filled up with spinning records and folks eager to see the man called “Snock” ply his trade near the crackling pinewood fire. From recollection, he played three hefty sets of music, accompanied full-time by his ‘lectric guitar and, for the second set, by Bingo on a capella backup vocals. Hurley’s voice was in fine sipping/story form and, quite often, the guitar runs were so spellbinding that you could see the curtains next door move ever so slightly to let the neighbors peek. Song topics included (but were not limited to) sailing, oysters, wagons, campfires, old pickups, discarded lamps, garbage, biology, tea brewing, old black crows, gals, ragg mopps, fire breathing dragons, cranky fellas, werewolves and other sundries. The night faded to a pleasant ember and all went away satisfied, and the old pickup was coaxed home crankily. Next time he comes around I hope Michael Hurley sings about alternators.

— Chad Brown