“I think people should all go outside tonight and look at the stars, its the perfect weather for it…this could be a holiday, star-day.” Thus spoke a violin student of mine one June 1st a number of years ago. At the time, Lauren, was 10 years old, bright eyed, full of humor, and very talented at music. You won’t find “Star Day” on any mass produced calendar for the first night of June. But sometime tonight, you’ll find me gazing at the heavens. I’ve kept Lauren’s tradition even if she doesn’t remember having the idea.

One time, the Texarkana Two and I made a little tour to Nashville and back. We spent one afternoon as tourists on Broadway. I went into Earnest Tubbs’ Record Shop (which I don’t think is there anymore, sad.) And having very little pocket money, I bought a few titles from the clearance rack. I noticed the record label name on many of the sleeves in this section, from the 60s: STARDAY.

I bought a CD called “Lulu Belle and Scotty the Golden Years” a true bridge btw 40s Film Western Swing and 50s Blue Grass. It became a staple of road trips for many years, and always trips to the south.

After Elizabeth’s Grandpa passed away, we were able to get some things from the basement of the house. I got a fistfull of 50s and 60s records, mostly Gospel and Country and Western. One was a StarDay compilation of Trucker Songs. It included this song

Give me 40 acres and I’ll Turn this Rig Around. When my sons Sam and Zeke were younger boys, they thought it was a real hoot. A guy gets a semi-tractor trailer stuck in a city and ends up asking for dynamite. We’d play it loud on the record player and laugh. I hope it made Grandpa Houtsma happy. They never really got to know him. But this song gives a introduction to his quiet sense of humor. And he worked for a trucking company.

In summer ’99, my sister and I met up with me and Elizabeth to see R.E.M. at the World Theater in Tinley Park (So. Chicago.) “I drove loads of fill dirt to build the hill for that ampitheater,” Grandpa Houtsma told us, chewing on a cigar, in his armchair as we waited for Betsy to arrive in Chicagoland. He helped build the hill on which I first saw two of my favorite bands (Wilco – opening, although I didnt like them yet and could wait for them to finish! silly me.) R.E.M. I had grown up with and was floating on cloud nine. They played a great show into the early summer evening.

A few stars came out through the suburban haze with a moon in the high dome. I had my head tilted back as I sang as loud as I could “If you believe! They put a Man on the Moon!”

Tomorrow I’m playing a gig in Marion, IN with Brannon and John (The Faculty!) and John and I share a love of the song Starman by David Bowie. He heard Mates of State do it in the early 2000s on the East Coast when he was in grad school. As such when I sing like Bowie (While strumming like Seu Jorge) and he drums like Mates, it’s a cool combo. Happy Star Day Everyone. Turn your phone or device off and go star into the heavens!