Check out the Santa Fe Opera's cool new blog (and its special guest)

On Wednesday, the Santa Fe Opera passed a few members of SFR's staff a note about The Back Deck, a new blog it recently started.

There's a healthy amount of skepticism that comes with the possibility of plugging a business' blog, but The Back Deck was sold to us as "not [being] another marketing outlet" but rather something to "give readers a behind-the-scenes–or just off-the-beaten-path–look at what makes this Company special." Of course, there's always the chance that that kind of pitch itself could be another form of covert marketing, but the most recent post on the blog thankfully indicates something unusual and special.

Rennie Sparks, who handles lyrics, vocals, bass, banjo and autoharp in Albuquerque-based Americana/folk act the Handsome Family, contributed an entry about her experiences on the opening night of Wozzeck (who we non-coincidentally also discussed just recently). If you have any familiarity with Sparks' nuanced, gorgeous lyrical style or her ability to rapidly dispense the kind of quizzical, idiosyncratic quotes music journalists dream of (which was something I learned firsthand for a story I wrote before coming to Santa Fe and SFR; in our 15-minute-long convo, she somehow brought up the homunculus in the Blake's Lotaburger sign), her high-quality essay should come as no surprise.

Sparks elaborates on her experiences in and outside the theater in scintillating fashion, using her third sentence to mention lizards and bolo ties. By the time she gets to Wozzeck itself, she's painted quite the picture. Rather than spoil the entry here, head over to the Back Deck and devote a minute to reading "Listen to the Toadstools" yourself.