I’m sitting at my window overlooking the Willamette River on a BEAUTIFUL Portland day (not a typo), and realizing that I owe you all a blog. The past month-and-a-half has been busy, so I’m going to choose broad strokes over details for your sake. I’m beginning to realize that I bounce around more in a month than most people do in a year. Sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps me sane, sometimes it leaves me disoriented. Never a dull moment.
Dad’s Birthday Party – March 26th
By my own admission, I am not a great gift giver. I try, but I just don’t seem to have the talent for it. My sister took all of the skill in that department. This year however, I had a great idea for my dad’s birthday. We would throw a house concert for him, and he would be the main act! He’s been playing guitar for 40+ years now, and it’s rare for anybody to hear it outside of my parents’ living room.
Our family friends were kind enough to loan us their house for the evening, and we set it up with tables, chairs, and enough food and alcohol to keep a small country happy (there are still cases of wine in my parents’ garage). We invited everybody we knew, and the party went off without a hitch. My friend Shannon and I opened up the show with 5 songs, and then it was time for the main act. Who knew that my dad would be such a natural performer? He made it through his set smoothly, and had the natural stage banter of a touring veteran. He invited me up to sing two songs with him: Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer,” and the traditional “Long Black Veil.” By far the highlight of the night for me.
Idaho – 4/6
Let me tell you something, there are few people in this world who enjoy spending time in Moscow, ID (hometown of Josh Ritter, FYI) as much as I do. Thanks to some extremely friendly staff and students, I was lucky enough to perform at the University of Idaho again. Suzanne and I made the six-hour drive early in the day and had just enough time to take a quick nap before our show at 7:00. This performance was especially exciting because I got to share a bill with my old NACA buddy Kevin Steinman. After performing in one of the most beautiful halls I’ve ever seen, we went out and painted the town red…not really. Moscow is little, I’m not sure it would survive that. We did grab a beer though, and got waited on by a woman whose dress looked like a disco ball. It’s the little things in life. Like this awesome poster that UI made me AND let me keep (thanks again!).
Austin: 4/9 – 4/27
In April I officially began splitting time between Austin and Portland. I had several shows set up during the month, most notably at Threadgill’s and Momo’s. I love that I’ve formed a relationship with the people at Threadgill’s now. To any out of towner Threadgill’s probably looks like nothing more than a country diner (get the chicken fried steak), but to those in-the-know it’s one of the most legendary venues in Texas. Every time I play there I have visions of the Townes Van Zandt bootlegs I’ve seen. Same stage, same table setup, same appreciative audience.
The real highlight of the trip was the Momo’s show. I’ve put together a lot of bands in my life, but none that captured the spirit of my songs so quickly and effectively. I’m not going to gush too much about how much I enjoyed this show. Instead I’ll leave you with this video, and encourage you to check out the rest of our YouTube clips from that night:
Los Angeles: 5/1-5/6
I know what you’re thinking: “BUT WHERE WERE YOU FROM THE 28th – 30th?!”
Come on now, I can’t give away all my secrets.
If for some reason I couldn’t have Thanksgiving/Christmas in Austin, Los Angeles would be my next choice. I firmly believe that all of my best friends in this world have made a pact to slowly move out there until I finally give in. This trip was one of my favorite visits to the City of Angels. I have always been inspired by people who are bold enough to follow their path and give societal norms the finger. That perfectly describes my group of friends in Los Angeles. They have no intentions of slowing/settling down until they’ve accomplished their goals, nor should they. On top of this incredible dedication to their journey, they are some of the most supportive people you will ever find. I’m lucky to have them in my life. Not only do I enjoy their company, but they push me to be the of the type of person I strive to be, and they lead by example.
I ended up playing three shows during my stay (I had only scheduled one), the last of which was a performance at the House of Blues opening for Stonefeather. Here’s Stonefeather, Shannon and I doing a cover of Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks:”
I also took some photographs for the Musicians Volume 2 Tour (more on that in later blogs), and for my EP. Oh right…did I mention I began recording my EP this week?
Cliffhanger…
