I need to get to Seattle...like now

One of the Google News Alerts I added after the affiliation switch to the Brewers was Nashville Sounds. Mainly because I was hoping to get the latest news articles on the Triple-A affiliate of the Brewers.

A side effect of adding that phrase to my alerts is that there are a lot of stories about those other Nashville Sounds, namely country music and music articles with the words Nashville and Sounds.

So, why do I need to get to Seattle...like now?

Here is why.

He's the songwriter's songwriter.

Bonnie Raitt had a hit with his "Thing Called Love," and Eric Clapton and B.B. King made a memorable cover of his "Riding with the King" (about Elvis Presley). Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt and Buddy Guy are among the many others who've recorded his songs.

He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame last month and was presented with a lifetime-achievement award at the Americana Music Association conference in Nashville in September, recognizing his 35-year song-writing and recording career.

He's John Hiatt, 56, one of the finest singer-songwriters in folk/blues/Americana. He plays the Moore Sunday night, when he'll feature songs from his new album, "Same Old Man."

I've never seen Hiatt in concert. He has played Oshkosh and Wausau since I've been in the area, but the timing never worked out for me to go. Now, it looks like I'll have to wait a bit longer.

The Moore show will be one of Hiatt's last for a while. He says he plans to take 2009 off and sign up for lessons to improve his guitar-playing.

That's a joke, right? I sure hope that he isn't taking his own advice from Missing Pieces.

a false move here, a stumble there

a box of letters and a lock of hair

that's all that's left when i turn out the light

i count the missing pieces every night

this Travelin' life, well it ain't no good

i'd quit it honey, oh if i could

a puzzle to me why i even care

the missing pieces are everywhere