We’re All In This Together

I’ve been doing some recording in my apartment lately.  I have an Mbox and a couple of mics.  Nothing fancy, but it does the trick.  Due to the fact that I am predominately a guitar player, there is a lack of percussion instruments laying around…unless you count bottles of pills and tupperware containers. (Boxes of Quaker Oats also make for great shakers. Who knew?)  It’s been fun.  Some of these songs have been written recently and some I have been kicking around for a couple of years.  Some have words and some don’t.  I am not really worried about what they turn out to be.  I am just making music, and I love that once I am done with a mix I can upload the kitchen-ette orchestra for all of those interested in partaking via your laptops.  Pfriends on Pfilm has not only triggered ideas for a more interactive live performance…it has made me rethink the way I record in the “studio”.  I am looking forward to trying new things sonically. 

I have been getting ready for SXSW this past few weeks.  Some very gracious people are taking care of my flight, so I don’t have to drive this year.  I fly in on the night of March 10 and I will be there until March 16.  I’ve got shows on March 11, 13 and 15 and I have RSVP-ed to every showcase I’ve been invited to.  There’s no chance I’ll get to attend all of them, but its always good to cover your bases.  Some of the parties have free food and drinks.  I’ll probably make those a priority.  I’m looking forward to the festival this year, because I think Shawn and I finally started to get the hang of things last year.  I’ll write about my adventures on here each day.

In the mean time, I’m looking for a place to stay while I’m in Austin.  If you know somebody, please get in touch.  Thanks.

Pfriends on Pfilm is almost over… 

We got back from The Third Floor in Fredericksburg, VA last night and parted ways, until the Apple Store show on Saturday. 

This tour has been incredible.  Pete and Brad have been so gracious with their time and creativity.  We’ve had some good times hanging out too.  Lots of stories for sure…like getting pulled over 3 times in 2 days…once for umm…pulling over to the side of the highway on the border of MO and IA to make a “rest stop”.  [I asked them if it was illegal, and they said "No, but can we see some ID, please?"] 

People have left some pretty cool comments on Myspace and Facebook about the show, which has been really encouraging to all of us. 

If you’ve seen Pfriends on Pfilm, please talk about it with your pfriends. Spread the word.  If you live in the DC area, come out to see the last two shows at the Apple Store in Tysons Corner on Feb. 2 at 7pm and The Black Cat on Feb. 6 at 9pm.

Also…

We’ve been talking. 

This is not the end of Pfriends on Pfilm. 

More on that later.

Brad, Pete and I are four days in to the Pfriends on Pfilm tour.  Friday’s show at SOTA was a great send off.  Lexington on Saturday and Mt. Pleasant last night were amazing as well.  I am so happy to be doing this. 

Response has been very positive.  There are some clips on Youtube of the SOTA show, which is nice…cause I haven’t been able to watch it myself.  Too busy singing, playing, etc. 

After playing with our good pfriends All Get Out, Baumer and Darling, We Made It at The Village Tavern last night, we drove for a couple hours towards Franklin, TN.  I drove, while Pete and Brad watched some Flight of the Conchords on Brad’s Mac Book Pro.  Needless to say, it helped keep us all awake.

More later…on to the next show.

Some of you may recall that in mid-May, after coming home from tour, my Martin guitar was stolen from my doorstep.  I left it for 10 minutes and it was gone.  A stupid thing to do.  I filed a police report, thinking that it wouldn’t really help and I would never see my guitar again.  I actually felt sick to my stomach.  I’ve written a ton of songs on that guitar.  The next few days I searched the local pawn shops, but it didn’t turn up.

Well, a couple weeks later the officer I filed the report with told me they found the guitar hanging in a pawn shop(that I had been to!) near my home.  The idiot who stole it didn’t take my bird logo sticker off of the front, so it was a dead give away.  I couldn’t believe it.  I thought it was all over and I’d get my guitar back then, but the cop told me it was evidence in the case against the thief…so I would have to wait until July 12 to go to court and testify. 

At 11:30 am this morning I went to court.  When my case number was called, the jugdge asked the defendant(tool who stole my guitar) to come forward.  He gave Mr. Tool the choice between 12 months in jail, or a fine.  Obviously, he took the fine.  It only took ten minutes.  I didn’t get to say a word.

After that, the officer and I went to storage and got my guitar. Crazy. 

She still plays great.  Just a little dirty.  Maybe somebody that works the night shift plays in a band.  Whatever…I’m just glad I have her back.