OPEN MICROPHONES 14 & 15

Out of control. That's how I played last night. I played two songs a piece at Caffe Vivaldi and Kenny's Castaways. I thought I brought a lot of energy to each song without being entirely in command. Perhaps running amuck arises from the very nature of these open mikes. One sits around for hours, listening to other performers, craving those few minutes on stage. And when those minutes arrive, it's easy to become distracted by the excitement. I have no qualms concerning the execution what I did last night. Actually, I thought it was quite good. The dilemma is allowing my enthusiasm to detract from my performance. Perhaps knowing when to let loose comes from knowing how to use restraint. I'll work on it...

COPY, CUT, & PASTE

I've been editing some of the ideas I that created during our time in Prague. This new album is certainly shaping up to be different that the last one. I'm incorporating a lot of sounds I've never used in the past. It will be fun to go into the studio and work everything out...

OPEN MICROPHONE 13

I performed at the open mike at Under St. Mark's Theatre again this past Tuesday. There was a lot of talk this week about the prior week's celebration following the election results. It sounded like a lot of fun and made me wish I could have been there. Also, I couldn't get that Gershwin song from my anniversary out of my head, so I decided to play it plus a new song I finished a couple weeks ago. Brooke was also nice enough to bring our Uncle Nick and Cousin Morgan to watch my performance.

The new website is also up and running, if you hadn't already noticed by reading this. Again, I must thank my friend Jim Rice for putting it all together. There is absolutely no way I could have ever done this without him. He is a wonderfully gracious person. So thanks for everything Jim. Reckon.

AN EVENING OF MELODIC REVELRY

Brooke and I went out last Wednesday evening to celebrate our Third Anniversary. After walking downtown to our favorite $1 dumpling stand in Chinatown, then to our favorite neighborhood speakeasy for a drink, then to dinner, we went to a place we've been meaning to visit since we moved here - Marie's Crisis Cafe. This bar has the wonderful theme of a showtunes sing-a-long. A piano player in the center of the room constantly plays selections from some of the most popular musicals of all time and invites the crowd to join in as much as possible.

Brooke tipped him a dollar and asked for something from The Music Man. Ten minutes later, we had already flown through 4 Meredith Wilson songs. Not bad for a dollar. I was hoping for a little "Trouble in River City" to no avail - maybe next time though. I suppose that's a hard song to pull off unless you're Robert Preston.

Next, we listened to our waitress, Suzanne, sing a heartwarming version of Mama from Minnie's Boys. She also gave us a free round of drinks when we mentioned it was our anniversary. I later asked Jim the piano player if he knew Stairway to Paradise by George Gershwin from An American in Paris. He knew chorus, he said, so we all sang it through a couple times. That is another difficult song to learn. Although the chorus is straightforward, the first two verses have these steadily climbing changes that were just awful to figure out. And the final chorus modulates up a half step, which is always fun to figure out how to chord properly.

As we were leaving a guy sitting in front of the piano with his girlfriend asked me if I was straight too, to which I replied with a strange look, "Uh, yes." He then put out his fist for one of those hip new handshakes and said "Alright!" Weird, I thought. Anyway, it feels good to sit in a bar and sing with other people. It doesn't matter if it's showtunes or Czech folk songs; it's the same level of comraderie. I can't wait to go back.

NEW WEBSITE

We're about to launch a new version of the website in a few days. Although the navigational layout will be similar to the current version, most of the colors and graphics will be new. We're also working on an area where fans can login and communicate through a forum, plus view songs, videos, and photos that won't be available on the regular site.

Many thanks go to Jim Rice for his help in putting all of this together. Behold his technological mastery!

FINALLY...

Today we have taken an unbelievably important step forward.

I hope that we will all work together to make this world a better place.

I hope that the future will be as magnificent as the events that have transpired this evening.

I HOPE.

VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE

Brooke and I went to a show at Sullivan Hall on Wednesday night. We had heard that a friend of a friend (Brian Mathias) was playing his first show with his new band; so we went to be supportive and see a few pals. Fortunately, we found some seats in the "VIP Section" that no one was using for some strange reason. I guess there weren't any actual VIPs there on Wednesday. Except us, obviously.

OPEN MICROPHONE 12

I went to Penny's Open Mike again last night. It was a great show as usual, chock-full of energy and talent. I was able to see some performers that I hadn't seen before, which was good for me. I was also able to meet and talk to some people who I had already seen perform. The sense of community there is really astounding. And it feels good to be part of it, even if only from the fringe.

When my time came, I decided to play "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke. I've wanted to perform it for quite a while. And last night just felt like the right time with the right people. In my opinion, that song is one of the most beautiful things ever created. It not only has wonderful music, but lyrics that give us hope. And I, for one, am hoping for the best. So thank you Sam, wherever you are...

OPEN MICROPHONE 11

I walked over to Caffe Vivaldi again last night for their 7-11 PM open mike. This week, I drew spot #10 and decided to stay and watch my new friend Mike McGaughy play in lieu of going to get dinner. I eventually got up to play around 9:00 or so. I played two new songs that I finished recently. Actually, one was an older song that I've reworked into something different; one was a completely new song. I wasn't sure if the audience enjoyed either of them though. But regardless of how they went over, these events are obviously good for trying out new songs and being able to perform them in front of someone instead of no one.

OPEN MICROPHONES 9 & 10

I took the L train over to Williamsburg last night to play two open mikes. It was my second time at both of them. First, I walked over to Pete's Candy Store. I arrived about 30 minutes late to find out that there was no host for the evening. However, someone had created a makeshift signup sheet, so I grabbed spot number 9. I decided to do a song I finished a few days ago that I'd never played in front of an audience. I wrote most of the words for it after visiting Auschwitz during a trip to Krakow last year. I thought it went well, although I'm still trying to figure out how the melody should go near the end. I think I'll give it a B+.

Afterwards, I walked over to open mike number 2 at Bar Matchless with Clara, another open mike attendee from Pete's. I signed up to play 9th and grabbed a beer. This open mike is hosted by Ivan Sandomire, a kind and accommodating individual who always keeps things running smoothly throughout the night. I went on around 10:15 after my new friend Jim Pannea, who played a song about Sarah Palin that he told me he wrote while sitting at the bar before the show. I played a short blues number about a TV anchorman plus an older song about coalmining in Kentucky. The stage is a pleasant place to perform with both good sound and lighting. Several people complained about how the lights were too bright and that they couldn't see the audience. Personally, I prefer to be onstage when the lights are bright. It's like a protective shell I suppose. But either way has its merits.

I took the L train back to Manhattan around midnight, where I gave into temptation and had a slice of Nonna Maria from Bleecker Street Pizza. Then I went home and gave in further by eating a cupcake. And then I watched the season finale of Mad Men with a friendly glass of red wine. On the whole, it was a pretty good Sunday evening.

PDX @ CMJ

Yesterday I walked downtown to the Knitting Factory to see a few bands as part of the CMJ Music Marathon Festival. The afternoon was devoted to bands from Portland, Oregon and headlined by The Helio Sequence, a band that I have enjoyed listening to for quite some time, but had never seen live. I also listened to sets from Starfucker, Al James the Unfazed, Jared Mees and the Grown Children, the Jake Morris Group, and Rob Walmart. Because the Knitting Factory has three separate spaces for performance, it was advantageous to be able to shift back and forth between each one in order to take in as much as possible. So thank you Portland for such a wonderful day of music. I hope to visit you again soon...

OPEN MICROPHONE 8

Last night, I went to Penny's Open Mike in the East Village at Under St. Mark's Theatre. Every time I walk into this place, I can feel an energy that is distinctly invigorating. First of all, it's a great space for an open mike. There are four or five rows of stadium seating, a good sound and light system, and above all a welcoming and supportive audience. Plus, the host, Penny, governs the event with discipline and artistic encouragement. The scope of the performers here astounds me. It's deeply inspiring to share the stage with all of them. Not only is there a range of true talent, but an overall sense of honesty permeates the room. It's refreshing. As for my performance, I decided to play two new songs, both of which lean lyrically toward the satirical. Although I've written a plethora of introspective songs over the past few years, most of the songs I've concocted recently have been stories about bizarre characters embroiled in mordacious circumstances. I think I'll continue writing in that vein for a while. Regardless, I had a great time last night. The event has a wonderful atmosphere filled with creativity, defiance, compassion, and love. Thanks Penny!

OPEN MICROPHONE 7

On Monday, I walked over to Caffe Vivaldi around 6:30 to pick my number for the evening. Fortunately, I received my best number yet - 17. I knew it would be a while before my time slot, so I went home and made some dinner as usual. I returned around 8:30 to find out that I had missed my performance time due to the lack of low numbers that were picked that night. Thankfully, Kate, the event’s amiable host, said I could play at the end of the night. So waited and watched, talked with my new friend Michael McGaughy for a little while, and was finally called up around 10:15. I played two new songs, both of which are fun to perform and fairly straightforward. Again, this open mike always contains many solid performers. I often notice people walking by who stop and come in off the street to have a drink and watch. I've also heard it mentioned that the location is experiencing financial difficulties; so, to the few of you that actually read this blog, please spread the word to support this event and this establishment. It's an important outlet for songwriters in the area.

OPEN MICROPHONES 5 AND 6

I played two open mikes last night in Brooklyn.

The first was at a club named Pete's Candy Store. Every Sunday the club hosts an open mike from 5-8 pm. The music room itself is very small, about the size of a train car, and located in the back of the club. Here's a sub par picture I took of it...

The tight confines make it a really fun environment in which to perform. I played two fairly new songs and felt good about them (although my guitar went slightly out of tune on the second). I also wasn't feeling top-notch because I had imbibed more than usual the previous evening with my good friends Scott and Raven who were in town from Virginia.

I felt a little better after eating a sandwich. I walked over to the second open mike with a group of performers from the first club. Everyone seemed very nice and supportive of each other. And it was cool to be amongst fellow musicians also trying to get their careers off the ground. I hope they're successful in their endeavors.

Anyway, we walked past McCarren Park to Bar Matchless where the second open mike got started around 9. The stage is bigger here with room for a full drum kit and several guitar amps. Fortunately, I was able to play third because no one had claimed that spot on the signup list for some reason. I decided to play a Brian Eno song and then end with a couple songs I wrote a couple years ago. Again, another enjoyable performance space with a supportive crowd.

I will definitely return to both of these open mikes. Their proximity to one another, plus their general vibe, makes them difficult to resist.

OPEN MICROPHONE 4

I played another open mike at Caffe Vivaldi this past Monday. Unfortunately, I did not pick a better number this time. This week I received #30. Since I knew I wouldn't be playing until close to 11, I went home, cooked dinner, made a few phone calls, returned around 9:45, watched for about an hour, then went on around 10:45. I was only able to play one song due to time. It went okay. The people there are nice.

I'M AN IDIOT.

I locked myself out of my apartment this afternoon. I had rushed outside to watch a parade going by on our street when I realized the door had locked behind me. I knew Brooke wouldn't be home for a few hours, so I decided to follow the parade for a little while. Since it had lured me out of my apartment, I thought I might as well. When I was tired of walking, I perused some new tomes at the Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bookstore around the corner and then walked over to Matt Umanov Guitars to sit and play for a bit. On my way out, I grabbed a Village Voice and read for an hour by the fountain in Father Demo Square, then walked over to James J. Walker Park and read for another half hour. Then I walked home where Brooke thankfully opened the door. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend a few hours. But I'm still an idiot.

DANCE PARTY

Brooke and I went to the annual Fall for Dance Festival at the New York City Center a couple Fridays ago. There were five short acts, comprised of dance styles ranging from modern contemporary to African to classical pas de deux to experimental movement and tap. I always enjoy learning more about dance through events like this, especially because I have someone nice nearby to explain anything I don't understand. And overall, I thought it was a pleasurable experience.

OPEN MICROPHONE 3

Last night I went to an open mike at Under St. Mark's Theatre. It's a small black box theatre with room for 40-50 people, a small bar, and an outside patio in the back. The open mike is led by Penny, an extremely gracious and welcoming host. Like many open mikes in New York City, performers sign up using a lottery system. Everyone gets seven minutes. I really like this open mike because it features a wide array of different performers; there are not only musicians, but comedians, performance artists, dancers, and poets as well. Everyone seems to be very pleasant and supportive. Anyway, I got onstage just before midnight and played two songs. Overall, I thought it was a really fun environment in which to perform. I'll certainly be returning sometime soon...