1/28/17

I got a voicemail from Mike Nicolai asking if I could play the 20th anniversary show for the Hole in the Wall's "Unplug This" cd. I almost shit myself when I realized I was on a 20 year old compilation. Then I started doing some math, then I was feeling grateful I wasn't already dead. Sometimes you got to face reality no matter how cold or hard it is.



It was a disc from the weekly songwriter show at the Hole in the Wall. Monday nights were songwriter nights and to me it had always been about trying new, partial or almost songs, seeing what worked and what didn't. You know, songwriter stuff.



I did Mondays a few hundred times during the "Unplug This" run and it felt good to be back on the front stage all alone, staring at friends while I shouted. A little surreal standing on the same spot and looking at older versions of the ones who were left. But I was glad they were still there.



There were a dozen folks on the bill and we all got fifteen minutes. I snuck five tunes in for my set. Three new ones, a "classic" and something from Henry James. I go old when I do a cover. I'm really glad I got the call, it was great seeing folks I see all the time and some I hadn't seen in forever.

And apparently I really miss playing solo!

1/25/13

Late again...

I did a thirty minute set to kick off the Pocket Fisherman's latest event at the Hole in the Wall. Cunto and a few others were also involved. They had both stages going, "acoustic" in the front and bands in the back. Of course I wasn't very acoustic playing my Jazz box through a vibroluxe, but it sounded great!

The night was a lot of fun until the break between the last act up front and the last act in the back (Fishermen). The band upfront, Boomswagglers, kept playing on and on and the Fishermen (the folks who put the show together) were waiting for them to finish. It started to get a little uncomfortable, but it seemed like they were about to finish their set... until they started another song.

So PF's said fuck it and kicked their set off. I'm not exactly sure what happened next but I see the big oaf singer from the Boomswagglers come running at Mike Nicolai with his fist in the air. He looked like a real idiot. He was literally running with his fist over his head, telegraphing his punches ahead of time like a two year old in a preschool fight. Pitiful.

I don't know what the results were, but Mike seemed fine after.

Breakdown

I got paid and a few free beers! I win!!

My new solo rig sounds amazing, I'm loving the hell out of it.

It was a great night other than the idiot from the Boomswagglers.