April 27th, 2019.

April 25th, 2019 – Acoustic Soul.

Thursday night it was time to come back and hang out with Marc Evans and Chuck the Madd Ox and Kevin Jackson at Marc’s Acoustic Soul series. Running for over 11 years, it may well be the oldest steadily running open mic series in the city, but it IS in a brand new location – so welcome to Next Phaze Cafe in Baltimore, MD!

Good times were had, but after several days of giving what I felt to be the best performances I’ve ever given, in front of Marc Evans, who … cards on the table… I kinda desperately want to be as cool as… my pickup failed and I got the sound sweats as I played the remainder of my set on a borrowed Alvarez.

Le sigh.

Marc Evans hosting the night.
With the stunning Kevin Jackson on guitar.
Aquil Mizan, one of the hardest-working supporters of the Baltimore open mic scene, jamming with the house pick-up band at Acoustic Soul.
Chuck the Madd Ox.

Unfortunately, bad things keep coming. My pickup died a dramatic and horrible death and then I got the message that construction at Takoma Park Middle School is going to cause some chaos with this year’s Takoma Park Folk Festival. I’m shooting phone calls and emails back and forth because I can’t make an 8am site review, scribbling on satellite views of the school and brainstorming possibilities…

Rowan and I have been working up more duo material – we’re playing this weekend up in the Gettysburg, PA area and there hasn’t been a lot of time to polish our man-sets.

Rowan and I practicing… next step, coordinated dance moves!

Oh snap… THAT rain??!? We waited until the weather app said… no… we didn’t pay good attention to what the weather app said. We just sprinted out into the thunderstorm with all our groceries because why Live in fear of The Wettening?

April 27th, 2019 – Rocky Knob Folk Festival.

Okay, I know it’s actually a “folky” festival, but I insist on calling it this because it’s awkward to list all the folk festivals you’ve played and then have to write out “folky fest” next to the Whatchacallit, Thingie, Placename and Shmoo Folk Festivals. It’s wrong of me, but it’s what I’m doing.

Rowan and I got up early Saturday morning and drove on up to Gardners, PA to play Rob Simon’s folk festival and had a bloody wonderful time doing it.