jfb | (no subject)

Saturday's show was great. Cafe Carpe is an amazing place, a family-run independent bar/restaurant/venue in a small town in Wisconsin. Bill and Kitty and everyone else were generous and kind, and also Bill makes delicious buttermilk pancakes. You know who else are kind and generous? Peter and Goody.

I was comfortable and competent, the audience was listening and large, and I had a really good time. The obvious musical highlight was when Goody joined me for a slow, shimmering electric mandolin complement on "Snowblinded". I wish I had a recording of that. Anyway, it helped me feel like part of the community, in some deeper way than I already did. Plus it sounded really cool.

The final set list: "Losing Streak", "By Your Side", "Snowblinded", "One Flight Down", "Shine". While I was getting ready I noticed that all but the last of these is a "turning point" song, in which the protagonist makes a decision or comes to a realization. I guess I like those.

I didn't hear all of Peter and Goody's two sets--I had to eat, and then I just had a lot of energy to pace off--but "Rise" seemed especially good that night. Also I am in awe of Peter's ability to, you know, just keep talking, and be entertaining throughout.

Also?

artname and

xythian (aka Barry and Ken) FLEW OUT FROM CALIFORNIA FOR THE SHOW. Barry's explanation was that it was the only show on my calendar that fit into his calendar, but I suspect it may secretly be because they are very good friends. With too much money on their hands.

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It is incredibly sweet your friends flew out to support you. Now that is is above and beyond. Also good to hear the show went well, the Midwest is where magic happens, or at least that's what I tell people when I brag about being from there.

Where in the midwest are you from?

Michigan. I live in SF now, and I lived in NYC for a good long tretch, but I was born, raised and went to college in Michigan.

Huh, I thought you lived in LA for some reason. You should come to the SF show I'm playing in November! Maybe.

Michigan is the one upper midwest state that I have mysteriously never been to. But I bet it's cool like the other ones.

it's the coolest! The most inland lakes (more than Minnesota) 60% National Forest, 20% State Park and Detroit. That's it in a nutshell, but if you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend it. Nice people, very cool, very live and let live. (except the Michigan Militia and the ex Grand Wizard of the KKK who embarass us daily.) Why only maybe? Do I seem like I'd be too harsh a critic? I do love the music, and unless you play freeform jazz, I'd probably like your stuff. If you play freeform jazz, I'm really sorry I revealed I don't like it.

Oh, only maybe just because I shy away from urging anybody to come to a show sound unheard. Not everything is for everybody. That said, what I play is mostly low-key folk pop, not free jazz (ANYMORE), so, hey! You should come to the show! 11/9 at the Brain Wash! (http://www.drowning.org/calendar.shtml)

I walked around Lake Calhoun with a friend yesterday, and have generally been enjoying Minneapolis's waterways. So yeah I dig the inland lakes. Michigan's on my list--maybe on the next trip.

Good grief!! Now those are your fans. Sheesh! How surprised were you?

I hope they did some sightseeing too. Of cows and stuff. Is that where ken's latest pics came from? The barn looked un-Californian...

Why can't my stalkers be of the appropriate sex, and hot?

Surprised: Well, my initial reaction--you know me--was something like "... Hi."

My secondary reaction--and this, again to someone who knows me, indicates the real level of surprise--contained a word you can't say on television.

I don't think they had time to see much--it was an overnight trip--but Ken walked around Fort Atkinson. I think his original plan was to photograph something unambiguously from Wisconsin, without comment, just to provoke head-scratching.

Well, I did scratch my head at the farm shot -- but the problem is that CA has farms too, and I just wasn't sure if they looked like that or not. What else is WI -- cows, cheese? CA claims to do that too, although WI folks mock the state for it.

It's tough. Maybe a bratwurst woudl have been the best? Or a beer can?

I was thinking a photo of Ken in front of pretty much any building in downtown Fort Atkinson would say, if not "Wisconsin", then at least "midwest". There's a look to the architecture here that's quite different from anything in California (or Rhode Island).

Farms? In Berkeley?

Wow, they're like Deadheads. Ostheads?

Wow, congrats! I guess I wouldn't mind opening for Peter and having Goody accompany me.. *grins*

It was, um, what's the word, oh yeah, awesome! It came about kind of randomly--I was heading through the area about when they were--and I'm really glad it did.

The last couple of nights also made me realize I really have to focus on writing more songs. You know, instead of sitting around composing long LiveJournal entries. Hum de dum.

I'm crossing you off my list of potential publicists.

TWO GEEKS FLEW OUT FROM CALIFORNIA TO HEAR YOU AND NOBODY RECORDED IT??!?!?

That's what I get for befriending computer geeks instead of audio geeks.

Also: "Two geeks flew out from California" reads like the beginning of a joke. Maybe not a good joke, though.

Hey, we are TOO hot. Look at that photo! Hottties. Ken and me.

Oh, and geeks too, and no, we didn't record it. But you damn well should have Goody back you on something on the next CD, maybe even Snowblinded.

Anyway, yeah, it was fun, yeah it was way too fast. And man, was it ever worth it to see you react.

Oh, and your CDs arrived, if you're running short.

How much space are the CDs taking up?

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