So, I have this thing for Okkervil River.

You knew that already? Yeah, I guess I’ve mentioned them once or twice here.

Seriously, Okkervil River is so good in concert. Their set at the Nor’Easter last month was by far one of the best concerts I have ever seen. One and a half hours of musical heaven.

After a bit of a sound issue with the first song (I didn’t notice but, man, Sheff seemed annoyed) they performed another sound check. This is the tail end of that.

It was a surprisingly small crowd so my son and I got to stand in the front row right in front of Will Sheff’s Mic. (Our shadows are visible at the end of the soundcheck video above).

I wanted so badly to ask Sheff what he liked to eat, but I didn’t want him to think I was a complete nutter.

I did get to ask a member of the stage crew about what the band liked. He said Sheff likes avocados. And also tapenade. Cully, the drummer is gluten intolerant.

So there. Okkervil Information.

I have no idea if they like stromboli, but I do. I guess Mr. Symington will have to settle for just salad as I didn’t have time to make my own dough.

You can use any type of sausage you like if you cannot find the Al Fresco brand. These stromboli are really yummy….like….

(You thought I was going to say Okkervil River, right?)

yes.

Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage Stromboli

Ingredients:

1 (12-ounce) package fully cooked sun-dried tomato chicken sausage, sliced, (Al Fresco brand)
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons whole milk
1/3 cup marinara sauce
3 cups torn fresh spinach
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Heat a medium skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove pan from heat.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14×9-inch rectangle. Place dough on prepared pan.

4. In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese and milk, stirring until smooth.

5. Gently spread ricotta mixture down center of dough, leaving about a 21/2-inch border on each side. Drizzle marinara sauce over ricotta mixture. Top with spinach, sausage, and cheeses. Make 2-inch-long diagonal cuts, about 1 inch apart, along both long sides of dough. Fold dough strips over filling; press ends to seal.

6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices.

Recipe from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Magazine

Mixed Greens And Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch escarole
Mixed greens
3 ripe Haas avocados, peeled and seeded

Directions:

1. Whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make a vinaigrette.

2. Chop escarole and place in salad bowl with mixed greens.

3. Cut the avocados into large dice or wedges. Toss the avocados and greens with the vinaigrette. Season, to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Recipe very slightly adapted from Ina Garten

Okkervil River Waiting To Start.

The fabulous Justin Sherburn during the sound check.

Cully Symington on drums. Fantastic.

My Main Man Sheff.

Patrick rocking that guitar.

Such an amazing voice. I was so close.

Lauren plays some amazing back up.

No Caption. love.

Sheff in his brilliance.

That man. That Button Down Shirt. That White T Shirt.

More Sheff Love

Shake it. Shake it off.

Best Concert Ever

What breaks this heart the most is the ghost of some rock and roll fan

For Real is one of my favorite songs by Okkervil River. It’s unbelievable in concert. I searched for a recent video that could capture the excitement of the song, but the best I could do was this older clip.

“If you’re really finally mine
I need to know that you’re not lying
So I want to see you tried
And I don’t want to hear you say
It shouldn’t really be this way
‘Cause I like this way just fine”

And now a Really, Really, Really, Really different version.

Cheers!