by on

Last night’s show in Seaside turned out to be a beautiful love-fest… knowing this will be the last time I will see the ocean for a LONG time, we decided this morning to sneak away to the Monterey Bay Aquarium before driving on…

I think I was here once when I was 8 years old… my first time ever to see the ocean… my parents were definitely not sea-lovers, the few times we ever made it all the way to the ocean became giant life-memories, burned into my young heart… I remember being intoxicated by the strange, unstoppable salt air…. it felt like light being poured into me… there was so much sun and electricity of bustling tourists and busloads of swarming kids… my parents bought me a pre-packaged sea-shell, filled with smaller shells… I worshipped it like a secret, golden, buried treasure…

I could see the same starry-eyed wonder in Beth and Rob’s faces today… myself, I was hypnotized and in awe of the sea horses and jellyfish… so happy… so very happy…

by on

Santa Barbara…. last night’s show? divine… Beth and Rob insisted on staying at a crappy, dingy hotel… I went to my dear friend, Bruce’s vineyard chateau… amazing… wine and stories into the middle of the night… this morning I woke up to a panoramic ocean view, looking out over orchards and orchards of trees and the deep, blue sea… I tried to get my act together… to get on the road and to the next town… but I had to keep getting one last look…

Tonight we played a web-broadcast concert in Atascadero… before the show, we ate at this place where they boast and rave about their world-famous bbq ribs…. it was supposed to be the most amazing and authentically long-cooked, smoked tri-tip and rib experience ever… my mouth now tastes like kerosene…

by on

I went to the farmer’s market today… one last strawberry binge for old time’s sake before we leave town to continue on the tour…. kicked up my feet and sat and watched the boats coming in and out of the harbor all morning… and ate strawberries… then went on up to Hermosa Beach… played a solo set and Bethy totally won tonight with her band…. I gave her some strawberries for her prize…

by on

Hollywood…. last night… the last show at home for awhile… and another barn burner… Tracy sang and played violin with me and Dan, and Eric, and Butch… a perfect sendoff for this tour… I am sadly leaving them behind… like an astronaut leaving his family and planet… an ambassador for peace and love, taking the good news to the people.

When things are so good, it’s hard to leave…. like a newly discovered perfect puzzle piece that was once thought lost…. or a flower about to bloom… or a once-in-a-lifetime sunset that will never appear the same… Hollywood, don’t go anywhere…. I’ll be back soon for you, I swear….

by on

A beautiful day in this neighborhood… perfectly quiet and still… the way it is supposed to be…. except for the distant waves cracking and smacking down on the beach… I’ve got all my doors and windows open, and I have been painting posters for the tour… so there are lots of paint spills and clothesline and clothespins hanging all over the place…

My neighbor came walking by, peeking inside (like Gladys Kravitz)… he was super curious, asking all kinds of questions about the tour and my little art project…. asked if he could have a poster for his wall… and if he could check out the album… I was actually very touched by his sweet interest and enthusiasm and sincere curiosity. We’ve been neighbors for almost 15 years, and I am not sure if we have talked much about music ever…

Off he went, energized and excited to delve deep into my songs…. and within a few minutes, I could hear my voice blaring and ringing through the neighborhood. (my neighbor loves to crank his music through his vintage, vacuum tubed system, loud and proud, so he can feel it)…

After about 30 seconds, I could hear him skip to the next song… another 30 seconds, skipped ahead again… all at supersonic decibels… I think he listened to one or two more… then it stopped completely and the neighborhood was silent again. Soon after, he came back over to return the album. “Hey, this is really GREAT! But your songs are so serious and you sound like John Lennon!”
He meant it as a compliment… had a few other constructive criticisms about how we should have recorded it and how my songs needed to be happier, then went on to say how he was drinking beers and needed something “a little more” on his day off. (!)

After some concentrated nostalgic talk about the neighborhood, what the beach was like 35 years ago, how girls were 35 years ago, the secret of life and other mysteries revealed, he went back home… BB King and Bo Diddly replaced the air…. and I went back to my painting…

by on

SPRING 2010

2.21 – San Diego, CA @ Lestat’s ***
2.24 – Hollywood, CA @ Cranes ***
2.25 – Ventura, CA @ Zoeys ***
2.27 – Santa Ana, CA @ Gypsy Den ***
2.28 – Hermosa Beach, CA @ Sainte Rock ***
3.02 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Soho ***
3.03 – Atascadero, CA @ Last Stage West ***
3.04 – Seaside, CA @ The Alternative Cafe ***
3.05 – Mountain View, CA @ Red Rock ***
3.06 – TWIRL RADIO – (interview)***
3.07 – Sacramento, CA @ Luna’s ***
            w/Beth Thornley supporting***

3.11 – Boise, ID @ The Bouquet
3.12 – Logan, UT @ Why Sound
3.13 – Fort Collins, CO @ Everyday Joe’s
3.14 – Boulder, CO @ Laughing Goat
3.15 – Denver, CO @ The Walnut Room
3.17 – Norman, OK @ House Concert
3.18 – Austin, TX @ SxSW
            w/Steve Poltz, Robert Deeble, Roman Candle, Seth Glier
3.20 – Dallas, TX @ Allgood Cafe
3.24 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
3.26 – Dubuque, IA @ Monks Kaffee
3.28 – Belleville, WI @ House Concert
3.30 – Madison, WI @ Brink Lounge
            “Mad Toast Live” – WORT 89.9
3.31 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency
4.01 – Chicago, IL @ Elbo Room
4.02 – Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlies
4.03 – Circleville, OH @ Tootle’s
4.04 – Columbus, OH @ Wild Goose Creative
4.05 – Cleveland, OH @ Wilbert’s
4.06 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe
4.07 – Saint James, NY @ Acoustic Long Island
4.08 – Somerville, MA @ The Armory Cafe
4.09 – Keene, NH @ Keene State College (6pm)
4.09 – Keene, NH @ The Starving Artist (9pm)
4.10 – Doylestown, PA @ Puck
4.11 – New York, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall
4.14 – WVYA 89.7FM – (Interview) The Billtown Bus Stop Radio Hour
4.15 – Newtown, PA @ Burlap and Bean
4.16 – Danville, PA @ Brews N Bytes w/Johnny Blair
4.17 – Thomas, WV @ Purple Fiddle
4.18 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern
4.20 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement
4.22 – Dallas, TX @ Opening Bell
4.28 – Hollywood, CA @ Cranes
4.30 – Santa Ana, CA Gypsy Den

by on

Someone just told me there was a tornado that touched down in Sunset Beach this week…. a TORNADO… in Southern California…. just down the coast from me… and turned over a parked SUV!! First of all, it is so freakishly absurd that we could ever get a tornado here, but more importantly, I NEVER KNEW ABOUT IT! Never heard a warning about it beforehand. It just never would have occurred to me that it was possible. What I mean is, I don’t have a tv and never hear the local news, so this entire week of pounding, merciless storms has only been experienced from inside my house. I’ve heard the wind, seen a little rain out my door, but for the most part, decided to stay inside the whole time… let it pass through… wait for our holy sun to return….

7 or so years ago, i gave up my tv. Gave it to my aunt to have as her second, bedroom tv. I still vividly remember her first response when i carried it in to her house. “Oh, honey…. what will you DO?? What will you do without a tv??” I think she meant, what if an emergency happened and I didn’t have a tv to hear any news, like I was cutting myself off from all of humanity. I laughed and said, “Ha! If there’s ever an emergency SO important, you can call me and tell me about it!”

Maybe i was wrong… maybe there IS a good use for tv after all…. maybe I shouldn’t be living so cut off from the world… perhaps ignorance is NOT bliss, and being oblivious to the unseen whizzing bullets is not the best and only way to live….

by on

Last night in my dream, a girl was chasing me around, following me everywhere. Anytime she would appear, she would sing the same song. It was (in the dream) a wonderful melody, and each time she started singing, I would sing along with tears in my eyes.

Throughout the dream, I was flying a small white kite… the kind I had seen little children in India flying off their rooftops, high into the sky. Nothing more than a flimsy, small-sized, diamond piece of paper, no tail. Anytime the girl sang, she would try to crash down the kite I was flying.

When I awoke from the dream, I could remember the melody, and could even sing it as I lay in bed, but it soon faded out of my head (no, I forgot to record it)…. but I loved that little kite in the dream… loved flying it…. loved playing with it… loved letting it get whipped around in the wind… and I was so curious and puzzled why the girl would want to crash it…

by on

It’s 4am… tonight will be Christmas eve… I am sitting up writing this in the middle of the living room, surrounded by aunts and nephews and family, four generations, all sleeping and snoring and rustling and billowing…. my sister’s place has become the safe house or landing spot, pit stop for everyone coming into town. It is sort of like The Buckets in Charlie’s Chocolate Factory now, with everyone crammed into the same room, decked out all over the floor (but not in the same bed). My mom’s two sisters just pulled in from their long, all night drive, and before they could get to sleep, everyone gabbed and caught up and laughed and laughed… such beautiful music to hear…

We’ve tallied up quite a few health issues in the family this year. It’s the time of the life season, I guess. Despite how broken and physically crumbling we seem to be, it is still the best Christmas ever… I keep getting interrupted in my thoughts, right now, by the snorting or tearful moaning of pain or someone’s scary dream… then a brief moment of still silence… then back to the farm animal noises… so precious and sweet.

Each year is another lucky gift. We’re living it. Right now. Every day. I keep thinking this might be the last Christmas with the entire family intact… and just how super lucky we are. Merry Christmas.

by on

I’ve been holed up and laying low these last couple weeks. My shoulder surgery (the second one) went well and there is less and less pain each day. The real pain is having to go to the physical therapy sessions and watch the time tick by… sometimes it’s agonizing…. the time taunting me and mocking me as I have to sit still for such long periods… having to devote so many useful hours to these sessions that otherwise could be spent more constructively… on… useful things…. I’ve had to re-assemble my priorities and life schedule (again) and just sit… and slow way down…. maybe that is nature having her laugh and slapping me in the face to remind me i have no control… yet one more lesson kicking me in the life groin… again…

thank you life….