Afternoon from the rocking chair perch here in Nashville! Mother Nature is doing that spring thing again, complete with the sight of the little green buds on the trees and those flower thingys floating in the breeze. The sun is shining down on me today as I engage in “Operation Reentry” from this latest tour. My clothes are laundered, the fridge is semi-stocked, the mail has been haphazardly sorted; now it’s time to share the lore of the road.
Once again I was happily in cahoots with the Wood Brothers, an out-of-sight trio that breaks all music boundaries, inspiring me (along with a lot of amazing fans) every night. This is my third tour as support for the WB and it’s a great fit. The shenanigans began in Indianapolis at the Earth House, a beautiful old church-turned-music hall. Next up was a sold out, doozy of a crowd at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville, followed by a great venue in Louisville called Headliners. After a night off, we trekked south to play at Track 29, a stellar new venue in Chattanooga, and then on to Asheville for a show at the Orange Peel. It was an AMAZING night there in the motherland of North Carolina—definitely one of my top ten shows as a resident on this planet. From there we headed to Atlanta (where Oliver calls home), playing for 600 over-the-top fans at the Variety Playhouse. A great show at WorkPlay marked my last night on the tour, with a beautiful Birmingham audience to cap a fantastic week. Every damn night was a home run and there’s no way to properly thank the Wood Brothers, all of the fans, clubs, and promoters for such a great tour. My plan is to come back soon to all of these cities, so stay tuned for dates!
(As a side note, I’ve been doing some recon on road coffee; Dunkin Donuts wins the corporate drip coffee war. The cream and sugar/fried dough combo is a beacon in the night on those long ass hauls. Note to Starbucks: your drip ain’t worth the trip.)
Coming up next on the itinerary is a songwriter’s showcase at The Basement (Nashville), then up to the Northeast for some dates (in Boston, Philly, NYC, and DC) with the lovely and talented Carsie Blanton.
Until next time, here’s a little video from the front yard:
From Bob Wills country to Pennsylvania Avenue, from Big D to the Big Easy, from Razorback Alley to the LSU Tiger Den, from the Sunshine State Panhandle to the Orlando Magic, and finally wrapping up on the sweet waters of the Gulf Coast: another tour of endless road lore is on the books. This was a musical weave in collaboration with the fabulous Wood Brothers. I was proud to be the opener for this soulful ensemble as we both broke new ground. The crowds were tip-top at every stop; listening, whooping, hollering, and dancing were all in attendance and a good time was had by all. Riffing in the van with the WB was also a highlight. A different kind of creativity began as our minds exited stage left. Chris Wood, bassist extraordinaire, also moonlights as an engineer, masterminding the TETRIS gear pack job in the back of the van. Every nook and cranny was carefully strategized. Hat’s off, Chris! Everyone in that tent is inspirational: Oliver is an amazing, unique singer/songwriter and guitar man, Jano is a soulful, rhythmic percussionist, and Kenny is the ultimate sound and road wizard/energizer bunny. Thanks to all of the WB crew for having me onboard. Check them out here: www.thewoodbrothers.com.
I met some amazing new fans along the way and had great response to the tunes that will be on the upcoming album Time Can Change. Thanks for showing me the love! Life on the road did claim another casualty: my two-tone Ray-Ban sunglasses fell through the cracks of “expressing myself”. So long, sweet shades—I hope to see you again some glorious day…along with my 58 guitar capos, 2 electric toothbrushes (Damn right I use electric. Who has time to actually brush anymore?), 4 phone chargers, and 1 lonesome passport. It’s gonna be a grand party when we all reunite.
The new album is coming together in a big way and I can’t wait to share it with you. Look for an official release in Spring 2012! Thanks again to my KICKSTARTER backers for making this record possible and thanks to ALL of you for being part of our musical family.
