2009

April 4, 2009

April 4th, 2009.

It’s been something of a long day. And it hasn’t let up yet. We got up, practiced for about an hour with Jeff Wheeler to get him warmed up to ilyAIMY speeds, went out and had a big Mongolian for lunch and then drove out to Rocheport where we set up a ton of gear,…
April 4, 2009

April 4th, 2009.

Sweet sweet Stuart and sweet sweet Max. Sunset’s coming down hard in Belleville, IL and I’m thinking about eyes. The human race had nothing but dark brown eyes until a couple of millenia ago at which point a mutation introduced a recessive (but attractive) trait of pigmentless blue in the eyeball. The humans did what…
April 2, 2009

April 2nd, 2009.

It’s always frustrating when something you were looking forward to doesn’t quite fly as planned. Especially since we’ve had a series of really great nights, the performance last night on Columbia Access Television was something of a disappointment. Even more frustrating to know that that puppy was being broadcast Live, so every little clumsy mistake…
March 31, 2009

March 31st, 2009.

We’re wending our way home from the Venice Cafe, curving from interstate to interstate on a route we know by heart by now. Saint Louis is almost one of the cities I could navigate sans instruction – I could get in and out and through it easier than Washington, DC, certainly – though that has…
March 31, 2009

March 31st, 2009.

We’re counting down exits on our way to Columbia, Missouri after playing the open mic at the Saint Charles Coffeehouse in Saint Peters where we received one of our best introductions EVER. As we were entering the room, attempting to be quiet and unobtrusive at the back of an open mic obviously well in-progress, the…
March 31, 2009

March 31st, 2009.

Yup. Fred’s dead right. And so my home city, Baltimore City – Charm City – appears to be somewhat under attack. Apparently spurred by a couple of disgruntled denizens of a neighbourhood in Baltimore who’ve decided they don’t like having Live music at their local bar, the Baltimore City Council has decided to float a…
March 30, 2009

March 30th, 2009.

The Shanti – far from being the difficult show I was expecting, was absolutely fantastic. More fun than Columbus, actually. There’s nothing like coming into a bar you know and having it filled with people you didn’t expect to see. Susan (ilyARCHangel of the Midwest) and Jeff Wheeler (of KOPN) and Firedancer all the way…
March 29, 2009

March 29th, 2009.

As we drive through Western Indiana, passing cows who are no doubt scientifically pointing in the wrong direction, we are optimistic in the gentle snow. Last night’s show at the Columbus Bar was everything I’d hoped it would be – a lot of fun, lucrative, exhausting and satisfying. The people there are great, fans and…
March 28, 2009

March 28th, 2009.

PLOJ XL – March 7th? Not entirely sure when this occurred – alas, though photographs were in the original Journal, somehow the exact date is never given… and the photos are spread out on a couple of dates… but my GUESS is that PJOJ XL (40?) was happening at Brennan and Tori’s house (where I…
March 26, 2009

March 26th, 2009.

Baltimore’s already nothing but a brief glow behind us, catching the clouds on fire and blending into the taillights of those headed East-bound in the rearview. Heather and I are listening to Gretel in the growing darkness of Western Maryland as we head out on our first leg of highway. Wet pavement whines and 18-wheelers…