May 3rd, 2009.

And there’s no rest for the wicked! We no sooner get to our first Maryland gig then we’re made to WORK. Or at least Heather is – there she is playing with Rick Millman at Mad City Coffee in Columbia, MD.

Oh man, horrible dreams last night. Bizarre organic ones coming from out of the black and into my head. Mostly just images. Looking in the mirror and realizing that there was a mole on my neck, which swiftly had grown into a conical mound of flesh which I tried to scratch off… catching my reflection in a pane of glass at a supermarket it was practically a tentacle, dangling, which I tried to twist out of my skin… I tried to cover it with my hands and later with scarves, trying to act normal around my Russian friends but their staring eyes noted the squirming braid of flesh… and then late in the shower, sticking my finger in my bellybutton and coming away bloody – blood covering my hands, gushing down my stomach and into the drain, chunks of me under my nails.

*Heather and I performing at Mad City Coffee.*

I frequently have very violent dreams, I’ve always been able to feel pain in them, but these left a nasty taste in my mouth, like a particularly effectively gory image from Fringe while you’re eating Italian food – which leaves you never quite enjoying ground meat the same way.

At Mad City for a Joe Isaacs “Music Matters Showcase” we not only had the pleasure of playing with Rick Millman on our first day back home, but also with the beautiful Greta Ehrig – who introduced a whole new side to her songwriting that night. Erm… ask her about her impotent ex-boyfriend. Or don’t

Ugh. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so glad to get such little sleep.

Perhaps it’s all to make up for how good the show was?

*Our first big gig back from Pennsylvania is at Dogfish Head – where we promptly eat way more than we should and pass out in food comas on the chairs out front before we even set up for the show…*

Chris and Libby of the Weathered Road got into town Thursday afternoon, just in time to help me set up for my open mic. Despite a rather disappointing turnout for the night, we all had a great time and then went back to Heather’s place to hang out and watch Top Gear and just generally get to know one another better. They continue to be some of my favourite people and I’m glad that a little added proximity hasn’t abraded that at all.

*Heather and I are hot. It’s true. It’s part of our curse. It helps us rock. Here we are being hot at the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD.*

Friday we went out and grabbed some breakfast (exposing me to my new favourite hashbrowns) before heading out with Heather’s brother to catch Wolverine. I must admit that I’d been expecting it to be AWFUL and so I must admit to having been pleasantly surprised by my entertaining movie experience. Still, somehow the trailers were worth the price of admission. I should try to find one of the more dazzling photographs of Libby and another of Heather and TRY to explain that even though I was sandwiched between too such spectacular women, what really made my juices gush was the new trailer of Transformers 2.

*Heather and I performing at Cyclops Books in Baltimore, MD as a theoretical part of the North Station Arts Festival.*

You should definitely judge me for that – because it wasn’t Megan Fox, either… it was (I believe)… Devastator.

Friday night we picked up a last-minute unknown of a show through Thynkvocally and hauled our (by now FIVE) asses out to Bel Air, MD. Steve, Chris’ little brother and the lead guitarist for the Weathered Road had finally joined up… I LOVE the feeling of accumulated convoy, of the specialist team assembling. It’s back to the movies – I like watching people “getting the call” and lining up on the road to do their thing – and so Thursday night being the two duos – Friday night adding a bit to it all – and then last night… well… I’m not there yet….

Last Wednesday I went to see Brennan’s new band, Petalblight at Cacao Lane in Ellicott City, MD. They have a very cool sound with a female lead vocalist and a theramin – and of Brennan’s shy guitar-work was an excellent (though far too quiet) addition to their sound.

Friday found us rolling into a venue called the Main Street Tower in Bel Air and playing in a tiny corner of a crowded room. No problem, we know exactly what to do with that – we sold some CDs, made some friends and generally rediscovered a new little patch of Maryland that we haven’t tried to exploit since the Cup shut down a couple of years ago. The Weathered Road was truly amazing – and new just what to do with the room too. It was really great to watch Steve play guitar again – I admire him a lot.

During the intermission of Brennan’s show we wandered the town and the old Jahva House is up for sale again. For some reason, they’ve decided to showcase their hardwood floors with a shiny motorcycle on a rug.

Saturday was exhausting. I didn’t stay too late at the Tower, but I was about an hour away from home and had to get up the next morning to work at the House of Musical Traditions – it was busy, it was crazy, I sold a lot of stuff – but then I had to run over to the Old Bowie Town Grill and set up sound around a rather enthusiastic birthday party. I must admit, one of my pet-peeves is venues that book other events on top of their music so that their musicians (who are generally being paid to play, but are definitely not paid enough for setting up and running their sound AND for dismantling the disaster left there by the PREVIOUS musicians…). All was forgiven over the course of the show though. The Weathered Road was in amazing form and I got their sound nailed a LOT better than I’d heard it in other places. For ourselves, we were truly inspired and we had dancers and frolicsome noise. People threw a table out of the way so they could dance HARDER and we got Ash’s brother up on stage to drum with us and Libby sang with us on In the Water and… and… AND!!!

I’ve long Loved the banjitar. Someday I might grab one. This was my favourite one in the store for quite a while… then one day there was the weekend of the banjitar and someone bought it. And someone picked up my second favourite one. And someone else even grabbed that other one that I didn’t even like very much. Sigh. No more banjitars for me.

And it was a great night. Possibly my favourite show in a long time, definitely my favourite that I can immediately remember.

And then it took forever to fall asleep… and then I had nightmares… and then a long grey day at the shop… I’m going to sleep the HELL out of my bed. (sort of a somno-excorcism).