by Hilary Stohs-Krause
Poets, musicians, artists, an economist and a bellhop enjoyed a little BBQ, a little beer and a little folk music Monday evening at Hear Nebraska headquarters in Lincoln. "Goo grass" musician George Burl was the guest of honor at the twilight garden party, and he charmed those in attendance with his earnest, bittersweet ballads and comical, improvised ditties (like the one about the cat who almost got run over by a semi truck).
Burl, from Imperial, Neb., said he likes living in a small town "with nothing going on" because it frees him from the complications of a music scene like that in Omaha or Lincoln — there's no politics. No expectations. He can just make music, plain and simple.
See pictures from the evening, and stream Burl's new album, Rabbpt, below.
