The man, the myth, the legend, Daniel Work!
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Am up super early after having slept in the back of Big Red last night because my air mattress went flat. But, I love sleeping in the back of my truck. Quite spacious with a futon mattress back there. A shave and shower and then I’m off to the store to do some last shopping and pick up a new cooler and some camping chairs. I stop and run Big Red through the truck wash and then its back to the studio to get everything together for the week. I’m off to have an Incident, a String Cheese Incident! |
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Monday morning comes early as I wake up on the floor because my air mattress has sprung a leak. Oh well, I try to pump it back up, but it just makes this gushing noise. Time for a new one. Well, it’s still a paperwork day and a thinking day as I get ready to head out to Horning’s Hideout until next week. The weather pattern couldn’t be any better right now and sets the tone for the day. I do some cleaning up and then pack up my clothes to go and do laundry up at Danny’s girlfriend, Laurie’s house. Danny is just kicking back and I’m grateful to get to come and do some laundry before going camping. We lounge and I do 2 loads of laundry. Danny cooks up a killer lunch and by early afternoon we head back into town. I’ve got a couple of errands to run and go get a new pair of shoes and hit the store. Then back to the studio to finish packing things. I get back and Little Bear is around again working rocks. We hang for a bit and put some cool things together and then I’m off to the airport to pick up my friend Jim who is coming in for the show this week to work and hang out. I grab Jim and we head downtown to the Pearl Bakery for a cup of coffee and then head out to the NW so Jim can pick up a big box truck and head out to Horning’s. Great to see Jim as always. He gets sorted and we part ways for now and I head back to the studio and find a late happy hour going on. I hang with friends, one of the best things you can do on a summer evening and we just talk and laugh and really enjoy the evening coming on and the sunset and the shadows and the clouds. There is lots of color this evening. I try to keep it not a late night to stay rested and I’ve got to be up early in the morning. |
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Morning comes again, like it always does and I am up today and fired up! Woo hoo! Taxes today. Whoopee! I’m finally getting to sit down and figure out some things that have been left unattended. And that feels good. So the day is pretty mellow. I spend the day going through receipts and crunching numbers. I throw on some tunes for a bit and then go back to silence to keep the numbers moving. Really not so bad. Just would rather be doing all kinds of other things. Another amazing Oregon summer day! Time rolls quick from so much focus on something and in the late afternoon, Little Bear comes by to do some work on the new LOVE Rocks Collection we are working on. Danny is back from Saturday Market and Skotty is in his studio as well. It’s normally quiet with no one around on Sundays. We all hang for a bit, order a pizza, have a cocktail and talk and laugh. The evenings have just been sweet. I don’t watch much TV, but spend the evening at Danny’s watching a couple of things before hitting the hay. Uneventful tax day… |
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Get to sleep in a little today. It’s tax day and I spend all day going through receipts and even organizing next year’s taxes already. Crazy. The day is pretty relaxing really, despite the topic on the table for the day. I have organized all of my info and am ready to start crunching numbers tomorrow to knock this out and be done with it. Woo hoo! The day is again full summer. The moon has been coming on and will be full tomorrow night and the days and nights have just been Summer at its finest here in Oregon. I work most of the day and then take a break to walk over the Steel Bridge and go say hi to Danny who is selling art work at the Saturday Market. A great day for a walk and it’s a little hot. There are people out and about everywhere, walking, biking, boating and just hanging in the park. I love this town. I stop and see Danny and then turn around and head back to the studio to keep picking at my work. I work until the evening and then Danny comes back from Market and we are set to bbq a little something before heading out to a play this evening. I fire up the grill, throw some veggies wrapped in foil on and some potatoes wrapped in foil on and then some brats to follow. We have a great meal and a couple of beverages before heading across town to see a play that Little Bear is in. I haven’t been to the theater in a long time. So great. An interesting play with some interesting subject matter told from a tough view point. Really love to see Little Bear at work, she’s so good. Danny and I both liked the play, but wanted a different ending. Nonetheless, a nice job by all. The day ends with a night cap with Little Bear at the Gotham Tavern and some conversation. A long, hot and ‘taxing’ day, ha ha! But a great one. Thanks for the show Bear. You’re awesome. Sleep comes not so easy with a brain full of things to do…. |
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We are up early to make sure that Andy’s bag has arrived from being lost by the airlines all night. Sure enough they found it and brought it by. Whew, glad they found it. We pack up and head downtown for some coffee before making our way south and out of town. I have to take Andy and drop him off at Silver Falls State Park where the wedding party is going on a group hike today. The drive is beautiful and the landscape is just stunning. We weave our way into the state park and try to find Andy’s friends. Wow, what an amazing place this is. There is an 8 mile hike that is a loop and has 10 waterfalls that are along the route. Crazy. Beautiful. A definite little nectar zone even for Oregon. Big pines and creeks. Sweet. We find Andy’s friends and I drop him off for his weekend and head back to Portland. The drive out is as beautiful as the drive in and I am floored and inspired. The roll of this land is incredible and it is all manicured and farmed. The colors and unbelievable and inspiring. The hills are covered with little Christmas tree farms and tracts of flowers and endless waves of golden wheat fields. The colors, wow. The wheat that is growing is soft and waving in the wind. Makes me want to go and swim on it. There are other fields of wheat that have just been cut and the rows of straw are just gorgeous snaking across the folds of land here. All those spots, just bright gold! I am warm inside and inspired by the beauty here. I get back to Portland early afternoon and try and get some work done before the hour of happy comes calling. Today is our friend Skott’s birthday, so Danny, his girlfriend, Laurie and I head over to a small party for the birthday boy. Great to see some folks I haven’t seen since I’ve been back and hang out with everyone for a minute. We don’t stay late and head home for the night. Great day! |
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Up early again to get to work. Really trying to take advantage of the time I have here in Portland to finish some things that have needed finishing for a while. I throw on some tunes and start working with stones and put some pieces together to get our process started. The weather is once again ridiculous and so summer. Awesome. I spend the day at the studio working on LOVE Rocks and taxes and music and my next moves. I am heading out to Horning’s Hideout again next week for the String Cheese Incident shows and am helping out my friend Brad do some set up work for a ticket. He has confirmed that I am now on the crew and I am excited to go and help out and also work with these folks that are putting on this event. I also pick up another gig in Colorado during my two week run coming up in August and am excited about that. I continue to work and sort through things and get my tax and receipt info together to make a big tax push this weekend. The day rolls by and I am off to the airport to pick up my friend Andy who is flying in for a wedding this weekend. Andy’s never been to Portland and it’s great to see him. The evening is just stellar with Mt Hood and Mt St Helens standing tall and not a cloud in the sky. We head back to the studio to hang by the river and relax for a bit. Hunger comes on and we head to Mississippi Pizza for some pie and a beer. Outstanding. A quick cruise around the Portland loop as I call it to get a look at the city and then back to the studio for a night cap. We’re up early tomorrow to head down towards Corvalis to drop Andy for his wedding. Sleep well, y’all. |
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Wednesday morning and I’m up early to have coffee with Little Bear and start to clean up the studio. I hang with the Bear for a short morning session and then get to work sorting through my travels from the last 4 months. It’s kind of weird to keep moving and going and then stop and process it all as it comes slamming into the back of my head. My main goal is to keep moving and doing and working and living. Little Bear and I are readying for a new collection of art and the space needs to be ready too. So, I unpack and put away and clean and then set out some stone backgrounds to get ready to put letters on them. I’m also getting ready to do my taxes and take care of all of that fun. The day is hot and sunny and slowly I pick at my world to stay on top of things and be organized. Things are slowly coming together. Can’t do everything at once and am pacing out my projects that need done while I am here. The afternoon comes on and Little Bear comes by for a little work that needs done for LOVE Rocks. The day goes fast when you are busy and all of a sudden it is happy hour again. I head down for a beer and a quick hoop session with Danny and friends. Danny and I decide to head over to some friends house that has a regular Wednesday gathering of folks that hang and bbq. We go see Poest and Skotty and everyone else who is there. Sweet house. We hang for not too long and then head back to the studio. I get back to picking at things and organizing paperwork and hit the hay pretty early to keep this recharge thing going. Hope you all had a great day! |
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Another cloudy grey morning. Cool and dreary, but alive. I get a call from Danny saying come down for coffee and a morning chat. I’m up already and grab my cocoa in a cup and head downstairs to have a sit down. Dan is there and Bob, who works upstairs, is there and we catch up and share our weekend stories. I get a call from Little Bear and we are making arrangements to go rock hunting to start a new LOVE Rocks collection. We have plenty of LOVEs, but we need backgrounds to put them on. I finish hanging with Danny and Bob and then go back upstairs to get ready to head out towards Mt Hood to look for stones. Little Bear comes and we pack Big Red and roll out of town. Great to see Little Bear and get back to work. We head out and up the Clackamas River and the further we go, the nicer it gets. We find a nice spot by the river and stop to have a PB&J sandwich before looking for backgrounds. There are some nice stones, but not quite what we had in mind. So we gather what we like and then head over to the other side of the road where there is a pile of rock that has fallen off the cliff face there. Oh yeah, this is some great stone. Lots of color and lichen and cool lines on them. We gather quite a few here and then load up the truck and keep moving. We decide to keep driving and just make a big loop around towards Mt Hood and then back to Portland. The day is wonderful. The weather sweet and Oregon cool. Hanging with my friend Little Bear and looking for rocks. We don’t really see any other spots and just keep driving and enjoy the ride and the company. We’re back in Portland late afternoon and I cannot unload Big Red because I need to clean the studio where I have dumped all of my stuff from my trip. Little Bear takes off and I start picking things up to get ready for the rest of the week and all of the things I need to take care of while I am here. The evening is just gorgeous. I make my way downstairs for a bit to hang with folks for happy hour and watch the sun go down. I am still wiped physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally and hit the wall pretty early to lay my ass down, quiet my mind and just be for a minute. |
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Morning comes later today. It is cloudy and cool with a breeze this morning. There are no folks right around me and I enjoy the solitude of my time. Water boiling to coffee in the cup. The peacocks are milling about and there is activity around with people packing things up. I take my time and stretch and drink my coffee and pack Big Red. I put all of my things in the front of the truck to be able to sprawl in the back on my futon and now have to rearrange to head back to Portland. I am packed and ready by 10 and start the drive out of Horning’s Hideout with a smile on my face. I arrive back in Portland before noon and unpack Big Red. It is good to be back in town and I am looking forward to a nice long shower since they didn’t have showers out there. I unwind all afternoon processing the weekend, being home, my tour, me, and much more. A little overwhelmed by it all, I take a sweet nap in the afternoon and then get myself cleaned up and ready to go out tonight to see some more music. There is a post Summit pick with a ton of great musicians playing, Scott Law, Tao Seeger, Darol Anger, Crooked Still and I want to go and listen and learn and stay on this mission of music. The show is fantastic and the musicianship incredible. A really great cap to all of this music and inspiration. I make my way back to the studio for the night and work on clearing my mind and being in my now. |
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Sunday, Day 3. Tough getting up today. I wake about 15 minutes before I have to be at the office to work, 10 am. No time for coffee this morning, but get some when I get there. I am tired, whoa. The morning and the early afternoon go quick and smooth, thank goodness. I’m off at 3 and head back to Big Red to regather myself for the afternoon. I work my way back to the venue to see Dave and Storm. I come in when Danny Barnes is playing and everyone is dancing away. The afternoon comes on and into evening and it is that feeling like the last day of camp. I find Dave in the dust bowl dancing. We kick it for the afternoon and then into the evening with Yonder’s final set. The sun is just setting when the music is done and everyone hangs out for a while saying their goodbyes and reveling in the energy of friends and music over the weekend. A really great festival. I say my goodbyes to Dave and Storm and Zach and walk them out. I’m staying for the night. There is a bbq backstage for everyone who worked at the festival and I wanted to hang and chat and play some more. The food is outstanding, especially Burl’s soup concoction. Spicy and nice. I cruise around and talk with a few folks and make arrangements to meet Pete K out in the campground later to pick a few. I hang for a little more and then cruise out with Luna, Courtney and Emily on a golf cart to go and find some folks and play some tunes. It is Sunday and there are still people about, although things are pretty quiet. We drive around the whole place, 200 acres and check out all the camps and must have bad timing because we don’t find any music and I can’t seem to find Pete. So, we cruise around some more and stop at the RV parking zone to see some friends there and I sit and play a few tunes for everyone. Sweet way to end my Summit. Things seem to wind down pretty quickly and we are all on our way to tired and sleep. We head back to Courtney’s camp for a quick stop and then I am on my way to Big Red and done for the night. |
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Saturday, Day 2. Up again early with the sun. Water on to boil and coffee in the cup to start this day. The peacocks are wailing again and the sound of voices softly float on the breeze. An easy morning letting the day come on, some more coffee and a little breakfast with Storm, Zach, Nova (Storm’s Mom) and Dr Dave. Today is the band contest and more great music. I’m working today at 3 until 8, so I’ll miss some good stuff this afternoon, but the day is another beauty. Work goes pretty quick and the evening has come. I head to Big Red to put some more layers on for the night and then head to the venue to catch Yonder and then Moe for late night. We just have a blast dancing in the dust bowl in front of the stage. A smooth and gracious day to give us so much great weather and wonderful music. After the music everyone heads out in the campground to hang out and pick and party. We continue the train and make our way all the way to 4:30 am, where I have agreed to do an impromptu set sitting by the pond and singing across the water at day break. There are a few folks around and the morning is calm and quiet. I start singing and the peacocks start too. The sky lightens and the day has broken and we have greeted it full face on. Great to be alive… |
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Happy Friday and Happy String Summit. Day 1. I am up when the sun hits the truck. We are up on the hill and are one of the first things around that the sun hits. The air is crisp and cool, but not too cold. There is an early morning breeze. I get up and stretch and then get the stove out to boil water for coffee. The breeze is a bit, so I fold back the futon and crawl in the back to get my morning on. The sound of voices, old ones, young ones and the call of the peacocks float around the property. They ride this smooth and quirky breeze through all of the camps. I have to pull my first shift this morning at 10. The day is easy, the weather is awesome and the people are just all so happy to be here. I’m in the office, so I get to meet the office folks and see what that is all about. I’m a Flow Tech and am working with Melinda, Courtney, Jamilya, Emily, Luna and many more. There are many who make this happen and I won’t get to meet most of them. I’m on til 3 and then go and find Dave and Storm to hook up and go and see some music. I heard about Peacock Radio while I was working and it is a small, super local broadcast, to the campground, and they put out all the music from the festival over their airwaves as well as doing some live performances in between acts. I had to check it out and see if I could play. I meet Dan and Jeff and Mark who all are involved in the station and they say I can come later in the day because of Pastor Tim’s recommendation. I’m excited and kick back for a bit to watch some music and then head to get Audrey. I’m on between Great American Taxi and Yonder Mountain String Band, woo hoo!! They give me about a 20 minute set and I have a blast playing this tiny side stage for the radio folks. The night ends with Yonder just killing it and us dancing in the dark. What a great day! |
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I awake in surprise and awe of where I am and where I’ve been. I am hit with a sense of something. Don’t know if I’m trying to define things that have happened now that I am home and have gone a full 4 month circle or what? Weird and wonderful to be home? I spend the morning updating and catching up on emails. Big Red gets a final pack and I am off to North Plains for the NW String Summit. The String Summit is just great music in an incredible outdoor venue with some of the best players around. I pull in middle afternoon to get sorted. I am working at the office and pulling some hours for a ticket because I wanted to network and meet more people and musicians and learn more and listen more and work on my playing. Since I am camping in my truck, I find a funky spot to camp that sort of puts me out on my own at the top of this hill. It’s actually #3 green and #4 tee on the Frisbee golf course. It isolates me from everyone else I guess, but I don’t seem to mind. I seem to be having a hard time communicating with people this last little while. I get the bed roll going and then take a walk about to see if I know anyone around. I run into Ziggy, Jane and Daria and then Storm, Zach and Dr. Dave arrive as well. It is a fabulous Oregon summer day. 80’s again and the breeze is just fresh off the ocean cool. I meet Storm’s mom, Nova as they are setting up their camp and then Dave and I take a stroll to check things out. What a great place this is. We walk and talk and laugh and then work our way to the side stage where our friend Pete Kartsounes is playing. Woo hoo. Pete and bass man Kevin Malone just slay it. Really great. Super rocking for two guys. I finally get to meet Pastor Tim face to face and chat for a minute. Cool. The sky has long fallen into darkness and everyone is clearing out to go and sit together at their camps in more anticipation of dancing and loving and grooving to some down home in the dirt music. I am off and into the back of Big Red, snooze central. |
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I’m up early by a phone call from Danny saying come down and have coffee. It’s early and the city is awake and moving around. You can hear it here, feel it here. The river helps move the energy up and around and through. Today is chill day and get caught up day. But mostly chill day. I am repacking for the Summit and will be camping in the back of Big Red. The weather is outstanding. Wonderful Portland summer weather. 80’s and dry with a slight breeze. My studio is near the Widmer Bros. Brewing Company and they are definitely brewing. The hops in the air is such a sweet smell. The cartoon finger is just dancing all up and down the river today bringing that wafty smell of beer brewing to my nostrils. I have lunch with Little Bear and then get to more packing, spend some time with Audrey, shoot some hoops for a bit, hang with some folks for happy hour and then pick at some work until I’m done early to keep storing up my energy for the weekend. Great to be back in Portland. |
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A nice restful night and am up early to get a good start on the last 6 hours of driving. I fill up and get some coffee and then roll on the road. The drive is a piece of cake and the roll is smooth. Eastern Washington desert into the beginning of the Columbia Gorge all the way into Portland. I hit the store just outside of town and then get Big Red a wash before heading downtown to Big Water Base Camp. I arrive just about happy hour, go figure, and am happy to be home. It’s weird after being gone for 4 months. Little Bear is at the studio and is the first one I see. Yeah. I unload Big Red and give him some breathing time and then make myself a cocktail and sit down with Danny, Bear, 5V, Tim, Scott, kicking it at the river. A clear, not a cloud in the sky afternoon. I got some grillin’s and we fire up the bbq and have some brats and chicken and veggies in some foil and watch the sun go down. So great to see everyone. It’s just like I never left and am getting shit from everyone. Love it. Whew, what a long haul and it’s not over yet. I’m off to the NorthWest String Summit just outside Portland over the weekend and will be off the grid again until Sunday or Monday. Homework never stops and neither does the practice of life and music. Really grateful to be home safe and sound. Sleep comes super easy…… |
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Monday morning comes quick and I’m up for coffee with Storm and breakfast for Zach. I enjoy the short time with both of them and they are off for the day. I am leaving this afternoon to head to Portland. Another stellar Montana morning. I catch up on some emails and web stuff and then get showered and packed and ready to roll. I’ve got a few errands to run and I make a quick trip down to the lumber yard to talk with Ryan and Tom. Big Sky has just built a new outdoor stage in the meadow area of town and it is super sweet. I am going in to secure a date in September, the 23rd, for my tour closing show. The Fall equinox is on that Thursday and I am wanting to play outside, weather pending until sunset and then we are going to have an after party in Choppers, right next door with One Leaf Clover, Kent Johnson’s band, closing the night. Woo hoo! Ryan and Tom are super cool and we chat about Big Sky and the stage and the growth of the area. The date is mine and we can now start to plan the final show. I say goodbye and then go to my friend Dr Dave’s house for a quick cup of coffee and some chat. Oh yeah, and a quick wrestle with Oscar, Dave’s dog. Now I’m off to go see Kent and then get a tour of the Music School at Montana State. I pick up Kent and we make our way to the campus and he gives me a tour of the sweet facilities there. The programs they have look great and I’m stoked to see something for the Arts going on. I give Kent a big hug and then it’s time to hit the road and get to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for the night. An easy afternoon drive and I pick up an hour with the time change just in time for dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant in the zone. Yum. Glad to get in fairly early to get some rest. It’s been a lot of driving. Home stretch tomorrow. |
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Well, we sleep in a tiny bit, but want to get on the road to get back to Bozeman at a decent hour. A stop at IHOP for breakfast and then rolling on the road. It’s a shorter drive today and the roads and skies are clear for traveling. We cruise through the afternoon and by West Yellowstone to arrive in Bozeman late afternoon. We take a few to just hang out for a minute and unwind and then go out and start unpacking everything. All the sound equipment and Kent’s things need to come out and then I can repack my stuff. We get it all sorted and then hang again for a minute. Thanks Kent for a great two weeks! I’m already looking forward to the next run. A hug and I say my goodbyes for the night and am off to Storm’s house to have some dinner and catch up on some work. Storm and Zach come home and it’s great to see them. It’s late and everyone’s bed time seems to come early this night. I’m not arguing and can use the rest. I’ve got some more driving to do in the next couple of days to get back to Portland by Wednesday. Thanks again Kent, I really had fun playing music with you. Cheers bro. |
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We’re up early to have coffee with Michael and Suzanne and hang for a few minutes. They have a sweet spot in the pines and I notice lots and lots of heart rocks. I go to Big Red and pull out a set of ‘Love Rocks’ and give them to our hosts as a present for letting us stay the night. Thanks a ton Michael and Suzanne. We leave and are off to Reno to make a pit stop to see Coach and then go out to sushi lunch. It’s another beautiful day and we hang at Coach’s house for a bit and then meet his friend Nicole at Hiroba Sushi. Woo hoo! What a great lunch. I’m in need of a nap after all that sushi, but gotta roll up the sleeves and get on the road. It’s already middle afternoon and we are trying to get to Ogden for the night. The drive is really smooth and Kent and take turns to share the load. Kent is driving the last leg and is unfamiliar with Big Red and we are having so much fun talking about music and touring that we absolutely run out of gas. But, we run out coming down the exit ramp and have to pull off to the side and run across the street to get a gas tank and some gas. Wow, thanks Big Red, you are a champion as always looking out for me. Things could have been a lot, lot worse. We finally make it to Motel 6 and are down for the night. Sleep comes easy after such a hot day of driving across the desert. |
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Friday and it’s travel and gig day. I wake up early to say goodbye to Bill before he goes to work. I have a shave and a shower and then roust Kent. I run to town to hit the post office and get some cds that were bought in the mail. I come back to the house and Kent and I pack up our stuff, hang with the kids for a bit and work our way out just about noon. A quick stop in town for some water and a sandwich and then we head down the west shore of Lake Tahoe on our way to Placerville for tonight’s gig. An incredible, stunning drive on roads that snake across the ridge tops and surround Emerald Bay on the SW corner of the lake. A great morning to take a drive through such awesome scenery. We take our time and arrive in Placerville in the middle of the afternoon to some California heat. It’s hot. We drive around for a bit looking for a place we can sit and pick on some songs. We find a bench on the street in the shade and pull out the guitars and play a few for the folks of Placerville. Late afternoon brings us to the Cozmic Café, the venue for tonight’s show. A really cool building with old gold mine tunnels and a real old western flavor from 1859. We get set up and then kick back to listen to Ryan James a young songwriter who is opening for us. He plays with his drummer and does a great job. Then it’s show time for us. This is our last gig on this two week run and we play like it is our last show ever and have a great time. The room is really hot and I think I lose 5 pounds. My friends Winston, Gwen, Michael and Suzanne are out for the show as well as some folks who are fans and came all the way up from Sacramento. Thanks for coming out y’all. Michael offers some cabin space to us for the night in Pollock Pines and we take him up on it instead of driving back to Reno. We are off tomorrow to work our way back to Montana and can use the rest before the long drive. Night all. |
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A little bit of a sleep in this morning since it is a day off of sorts and I rise to a glorious Tahoe morning! Bill has gone to work and Kelly and the kids are hanging for a bit before taking off for the day. Kent sleeps in, but is woken by the needs of little people wanting to play video games. He’s been on the couch in the room where the games are and Ellis and him are gearing up for a Super Mario match-up smack down. I take the morning to work on relaxing as I haven’t been feeling all that well as of late. I try to catch up on emails and phone calls since we have been off the grid and update the website. By noon, we are heading to Tahoe City to drop off a lunch for Bill and then head down the west shore of the lake to show Kent some of my old stomping grounds and one of my favorite places to sit by the lake. We take the afternoon and enjoy the lake, mountains, clouds, breeze, solitude and beauty of this place that is my namesake. Late afternoon and we head back to the house to chill and get some more work done. We have a smooth afternoon and push that into the evening with some music to get ready for dinner and then sit down to a fantastic homemade sushi dinner! We eat, laugh and talk and work our way into the dark of night. The kids have gone to bed and we hang and squeeze the last bits of energy and of the day out of us. So, so wonderful to be here. Thanks Bill and Kelly for having us and for supporting me all these years. You are the best. I hit the sack before it gets too late knowing that the next week will be busy and full of travel. Night all. |
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Well, it’s back to the real world day and yes, I am up again to finish packing, have some coffee and enjoy my last morning off the grid. It is so beautiful here. I roust Kent and we hang for a bit to pack up the tent and such and say our goodbyes. We have a long drive today to get to Lake Tahoe for the next couple of days. Thanks Howie for a great weekend. I’m pretty sure fun was had by all. So, back to the real world? Is there such a thing? Kent and I take off and thoroughly enjoy the drive out, just like we did coming in. Such scenery. And it’s all day. We make our way back to Weed and then head down the 89 to Tahoe, a 6 hour drive. Another beautiful California day and the drive is easy, just long. We hit some clouds and rain on the way, which is really unusual for this time of year in California. A truly mellow day and drive and we pull into Tahoe early evening to stay with my friends Bill and Kelly. We get to the house and are greeted with hugs from Ellis and Chaney, Bill & Kelly’s kids, awesome welcome. So great to see my old friends. Known these folks for over 20 years and actually introduced them to each other way back when. We hang, have some dinner, catch up, play some music for everyone and then call it a day. Great to be back in ‘Big Water’ and be home again. Sleep comes easily. |
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Yep, you guessed it, up early again to enjoy the morning. I head back to where the RV is parked and crank up some coffee to sit by the river and enjoy my morning beverage and have a chat with Audrey. We sit and play together for a while and then everyone is up and we are at the day. It is hot today, more than the last couple of days. I spend the day packing the truck and reorganizing things for the last few days. Sweaty, sweaty. I have to get the sound off the fire engine and pack that and then all of the other things that have come with us. Another incredible day. Not a cloud in the sky, again. An easy day, except for the heat, and things are packed and ready for our departure in the morning. I make a point of going down to the river and jumping in for a rinse and a cool down. Late afternoon, we head into town to the ‘Beer Tree’, the center point in town where everyone meets to hang and drink beer and talk and watch the afternoon go by. We hang with some of the locals and Kent and I pick on some tunes and just have a relaxing afternoon. Sunset comes and we head back to the ranch for the night. A hot dog dinner and some catch up on the computer after days off and we are rounding things up to take off in the morning. Woo hoo! Sleep well everyone. |
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Another early morning despite the long day yesterday. Hard to not wake up with sun and the cool air and the morning rush of the river. Kent and I have decided to stay a couple of more days to chill and play some more music. We are also working on figuring out what to do with this fabulous piece of land and working out details to make something happen. My sister and Tracy are out today and off to Sacramento. Renee has to fly back to Ohio, so they are up early and packed to get a good start on the day. Thanks so much Renee for making this trip all the way up here. We make sure that Renee and Tracy are packed and all ready to go, say our goodbyes and give our hugs and send them on their way. Wow, gees, another amazing day to be alive. We hang all day by the river and talk and laugh and plot and plan. A breathtaking swim to cool the body after a hot day of almost 100 degrees. The river is cold, but bearable. Middle afternoon, Howie, Kent and I take a drive around the area to see what is out there and around. Mike, Howie’s caretaker, suggests that we go to where the Salmon River and the Klamath River come together. The local Indians call this place the ‘Center of the Universe’. As we approach the confluence, I can see why they call it that. Absolutely beautiful! We cruise around and check out the area where these two rivers come together and soak it in. We find access to the river and I take a stroll on down to jump on in where the Salmon and the Klamath meet. The water is really nice and warmer than up river at Missouri Bar. I dive in off some rocks and have a short swim. Right when I come in from my swim, I spy a little pile of rocks and instantly find L-O-V-E! A blessing from the river and the Center of the Universe! Wonderfully refreshed, I head back to the car and on my way back, find another set of letters that spell LOVE! Wow, I’m floored. A wonderful trip out here and am glad that we came to check it out. We take our time driving back and enjoy the scenery and afternoon. The evening is spent on the home front and we have dinner with Mike and Gogi, the caretakers of Missouri Bar. Sleep comes not too late and I take Big Red out on the property and park him in some trees by the river and crawl in back to check out for the night. |
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I sleep in a little, but it is hard when the sun comes crashing in the window and the river is calling to you to wake up and come and play. Well, Happy 4th of July everyone. Thank you to all who have sacrificed anything to make our country what it is and let us have the lives we are living. Bless you all. The day is another blue bird day with no clouds. Just blue sky and rushing river. We all have breakfast and then turn our attention to the fire engine the Howie has and that we will be riding on for the parade today. We figure out how to rig the sound system on the top of this big yellow fire engine and pack up our stuff late morning to head to town and get our place in line. Wow, all of a sudden, we are on top of a yellow fire engine on the 4th of July driving down the road to town and playing music from the top of the truck. Yee haw and woo hoo!! That’s a good day. It’s not every day you can ride on a fire engine, let alone getting to play music on it too. We cruise to town playing the whole way and then get to town and line up for the parade. This is a really small town? Not sure if you can call this a town. But, anyone who lives anywhere close to here is out and ready for a great holiday. It is truly Americana at its finest. Little booths set up for selling jewelry and food, and people are just hanging out and enjoying the beautiful afternoon. We sit on the fire engine and play tune after tune until the parade starts. Then, we just keep on playing and riding through town in the parade rocking everyone out. How fun! A definite highlight. So we ride through town and then turn around and go back through town and then park for the afternoon party. We found that this town is a two song town. I started a song at the beginning of the parade and finished it with enough time for Kent to start one of his and make it a two song town. The afternoon is spent just playing music, hanging out with people and talking about anything. We make some new friends and play through the afternoon. What a great Independence Day! Oh yeah, and Happy Birthday Kent! Wishing you a wonderful b day. The evening is spent on the home front and by the river. We decide to have a little bonfire and bbq down at one of the fire pits that Howie and I built last time I was here in May. We have a great dinner by the river and everyone is beat from the excitement, the heat and the long day. What a great day! Be free, y’all, be free!! |
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Well, I sleep in as much as I can, but wake when the sun hits Big Red with me in the back. Up to make coffee and see what the day has in store. We are having our 1st Annual Missouri Bar Freedom Fest here today and music is of course on the bill. We have a great breakfast with everyone and then head out to have a day. Unfortunately, I am not feeling so well all of a sudden. I had a little Bailey’s in my coffee this morning and turns out that it was bad. So, I have a fun day battling my stomach and some bad Bailey’s. Yee haw! Can’t seem to kick it and have to spend much of the day laying down. But, despite the stomach, we set up a sweet little stage with Big Red as the back drop and the wind block. Little by little there are some local folks that show for the party and Kent kicks off the 1st Annual Missouri Bar Freedom Fest with a great set! The sound is fantastic. Next up is the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, Rex and Petey. Rex plays the classical guitar and Petey plays the Mandolin. They kill it! Wow, what great music. Really awesome. Next up is me, Big Water and I do my best to sing and play with passion despite not feeling too well. I give it my all and we have a really great 1st festival with music and food and friends and laughter and love and talking and great weather. We hang for a while and then it’s time to call it a day and get ready for tomorrow’s big day parade. Seems like I’m always getting ready for tomorrow while I am in the today. Who says we don’t time travel like crazy….? Night, night… |
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I’m up early to start to pack and get things together to leave. But, we are scheduled to be on the morning radio show and I roust Kent to wake him up and send him to the building where they are broadcasting as I finish packing and putting the tent away. I head over to the Gem and Mineral building for the broadcast and find Kyle getting things ready. There is coffee, thank goodness and we are the opening of the show. Kent kicks off ‘Morning Sushi’, the name of the radio show, in fine fashion. A great morning set for Mr. Johnson, despite the late hour of getting to bed and the early hour we needed to rise to get to do this. I follow with a short set with Kent accompanying me and we just have a blast being on the radio. Questions and answers and lots of tunes. We put a great start in this day. We play until 9 and then have to pack guitars and pull the wagon out of there. We start heading north and have a bit of a drive ahead of us. Beautiful curvy California roads take us from Quincy to Red Bluff and then North to Weed where we are supposed to be meeting my sister, Renee and her friend Tracy, who are joining us for the weekend. My sister has flown in from Columbus, Ohio for a short vacation visiting some family and friends and she happens to be out for the 4th of July and wants to come to Missouri Bar and camp for the weekend. We meet Renee and Tracy at the Mt Shasta Brewing Co. in Weed. So great to see my twin sister and her friend. I’m excited to have them along for this weekends festivities. We make our final shop for anything we don’t have and then start our way out west and off the grid. We arrive late afternoon to Missouri Bar and wow! What an amazing drive in to this place and then what a place. We get a short tour from my friend Howie, who owns the land, and then pick out camp sites and try to get settled before sunset. We get everyone settled and then have a bite to eat and just get into the relaxing mode listening to this wonderful river go singing by. Great to be here and love to see my sis and my friends. Am looking forward to a sweet weekend with all of them in this incredible place. Dark comes and the Moon rises to give us a little light to find our way to where we are sleeping. Woo hoo, let the games begin. Happy Independence Day Weekend Y’all!! |
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Happy July to all!! We get to sleep in a little, but not much as it is the first day of the festival and there are many people about moving in for the next few days. We rise and take our time getting going for the day. We have the day off, sort of. Everything that is connected to music is never a day off, but we are not scheduled to play anywhere today and can enjoy the festival and the scenery and the madness. It is another beautiful day and I spend the morning showing Kent around and seeing old friends everywhere. My friend Kyle, who does sound for the troubadour stage, is around and we find him to sign up for tomorrow morning’s radio show here at High Sierra. All day we walk and talk and laugh and catch music, music and more music. Great American Taxi were great and the evening was spent catching my friends Railroad Earth, who headlined the night. Super fun hanging back stage and getting to see everyone. Tim, Andy, Mike, Joel, Stacey and more. Another great day of life and music and friendship and craziness. I seem to hit the wall before the late night music starts and let myself crash to keep getting as much rest as I can to keep moving and tomorrow we are off to Missouri Bar in the morning…sweet dreams… |
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Up early again and in for a long day today. I roust Kent and we have some coffee and say our goodbyes to the Coach and will see him next week on our way back through. Coach(Brett), lives on the Mount Rose highway on the east side of the mountain, so we take the highway up and over the mountain to Lake Tahoe. I am so excited to be home and wanted to take a short detour to show Kent my stomping grounds. It is an absolute stellar morning again. The weather gods are smiling on us, that’s for sure. We drop down the other side of Mount Rose into Incline Village and then scoot around the North shore of the lake through Tahoe City and then out to Truckee. What a drive on such a wonderful morning. We stop at the Tahoe Biltmore and the Crystal Bay Club to take a peek at the casino and some of the stages that in there. Doing future recon. A cruise around the North shore and then a stop to visit with my friend Ryan on the way out from Tahoe City to Truckee. Great to see Ryan and we hit and run him and we are off and on our way up to Quincy where High Sierra Music Festival is. We have a great drive up through the pines and get to Quincy middle afternoon and head to the bar we are playing at tonight to check in and make sure all is good. We walk in and I see 3 of my friends from Tahoe sitting there. Wow, how wonderful to come home! I meet Vicki, who booked this gig and we are all set for tonight’s show. Now we have to make our way to the fairgrounds, which is the venue site for the festival and track down my friend Lisa to get settled for the night and help out in any way we can. Great to see Lisa, as always, and we immediately put to work. We pick our camp spot and get that settled and then help out putting up flags and working on the ambience for the weekend. Time seems to fly and we are having to pack up and head downtown to get set up for tonight’s music. Kent and I set up everything and have a little sound check and then have at it. What a fun night at the Plumas Club. Mostly locals in and some traffic from the festival, but we have a great night playing for everyone. It’s nice to make some new friends and have a sweet night playing tunes. Thanks Quincy, the Plumas Club, Vicki, Kelly, Roxy, Robin, Ashley and Genevieve. What a great day and a great night. Thanks Kent for coming on this trip and rocking it out tonight. We stay late because of all the police for the festival and the tequila and beers we have been drinking and make sure all of our stuff is put away and we can make it safely home. We head back to the festival grounds, plead our way back in to park Big Red and then hit the hay to get as much rest as possible for another long day tomorrow. |
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We’re up early again to get a good start on an 8 to 9 hour drive. Another great weather day. A little cloudy here and there with some scattered rain here and there and we are stoked. Things get hot in the desert, we all know that, but Big Red has no Air Conditioning and we are crossing the desert during the day, so the clouds and rain are some welcome shade and cooling. The desert is beautiful and Kent and I take turns driving to give each other a break and stay rested. The drive is again smooth and easy, knock on wood, and we pull in uneventfully to Reno to see the Coach and then go out to dinner. I have to make a stop at the Sprint store to pick up a charging cord for my phone that I left at Hilary’s, then we make our way to Coach’s house and hang for a bit to unwind after the day on the road and in the desert. After a nice cocktail and some catching up, Kent, Coach and I head out to Sushi Pier 2, which is of course, sushi! One of my all time favorite dinners in the ‘All You Can Eat’ Sushi capital of the world. Another incredible dinner of sushi and sake and conversation. Yummy. After dinner we stop at Coach’s friend Steve’s house for a night cap and a short hang session. Great to see Steve again. We hang for a bit and talk and laugh, two of my favorite things to do and then call it a night. We are up super early tomorrow to make our way to High Sierra for a couple of days. Back to the house and down for the night. What a great day of travel, scenery, friendship and sushi!! More music tomorrow…!!! |
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I’m up early to finish packing and check off my check lists to make sure I have all I need for this two week trip. Another stellar morning in Montana! I head to the store to pick up some last minute beverages and some snackies for the road and then make my way to pick up Kent. We grab all of his things, hang for a morning minute and then we are off on the road and to a musical adventure that will change us both. We are heading to Ogden, Utah for the night and a show and a pit stop at my friend Hilary’s house. The drive is smooth and so smooth that we stop at the Root Beer spot in Ashton, Idaho and have a Root Beer float. We pull into north of Salt Lake City in the middle afternoon and get a few minutes to unwind and chill before going down to Brewski’s, the home of tonight’s gig. Hilary has set up a gig for us so we can set up all of our sound and have a sweet warm up show for the two week run. We set up around 7 and they are super nice and feed us and throw us beers for the night. An interesting night in Ogden, Utah. It is a Monday night, so, not too many folks out, but a decent crowd for a last minute gig and we have a blast playing songs and hanging and talking and working through anything that needs it. We play later than we thought we might and have a really good evening. Thanks Hilary. Always great to see you. We pack up everything and make our way home to get some sleep and rest for the run across the desert from Salt Lake to Reno tomorrow. Night all… |
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Woke up a little late, 9:30, not too bad of a start after such a late night. A fantastic morning in Big Sky. I take my time getting going. A stretch and a shower, whew. Despite the late hour getting to sleep, I feel remarkably refreshed. The Moon and a Sunset will do that to you. I have coffee with Pat, Dave and Natashia and hang for a minute before saying my goodbyes and heading down the mountain and through the canyon to Bozeman. Today is packing day and organizing day. I make a few stops looking for some things that I need for the trip and then go back to Storm’s house to unload the back of Big Red and repack it for the extra gear that is coming. It was great to have the back end empty and crawl back there for a minute to relax. So many memories with this truck. My life is now on the lawn to be sorted and repacked and redistributed. I take my time finishing cleaning and a couple of things on Big Red and then place it all back and I look around to enjoy the beautiful Summer afternoon. Incredible weather day! I pop back out to run another errand and then make my way to Kent’s to pick up some of the sound equipment we are bringing. I grab what I can for now and then make a stop to see Dr Dave and Theresa and Jocelyn for a hit and run session. Some nice kabobs and corn on the cob, yum. Then back to Storm’s to finish my laundry and do some computer work and make sure that I am ready for this trip. I’m excited. Woo hoo! |
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Saturday starts with cleaning up after last nights fun. Whew, people getting after it. I help Storm round up all the dishes and pick up all the leftover nasty. But the morning is another stellar one and I am off to Big Sky to try and get there before the US vs Ghana World Cup game starts. Sweet drive up the Gallatin Canyon and I get to Natashia’s just before the game starts. Great game, unfortunately for the US, we lost 2 – 1. We all have had a lot of fun gathering to watch different games and countries play football. After the game I take a little drive around the top of the mountain and then head over to the back side of Lone Peak and sit in the parking lot of the Madison Lodge on a bluebird day with no one around. I’ve been working on waxing Big Red and still have some to do, so I sit up there in this amazing spot and just wax my truck and enjoy the day. Just what the doctor ordered. D Mc calls and says he is coming on up and bringing his dog. Yea, someone to share the sunset with. I call my bud James as well and he comes and brings his dog too. We sit and laugh and have the greatest time. So beautiful here, one of my favorite places on this planet. The sun rolls down and the moon creeps up. Full moon tonight! Incredible. Just soaking it in. The moon rises and starts to light up everything. We make a small fire and hang until the moon goes past the peak of the mountain from east to west. What an night. We are there until just after 4 am and then home and immediately down and snoozing. Whoa……. |
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I’m up middle morning and coffee up and get ready for another day. I am out and about to go to the Music Villa, the local music store and buy myself a new toy, a new Direct Box for Audrey. It’s a pre amp that will help me make sure that Audrey sounds great no matter system she is playing through. I’m excited because I never buy myself toys, but this is one I have wanted and needed for a while. I head to Kent’s for a late morning rehearsal to keep going over as much as we can. Then back to Storm’s to keep working on waxing Big Red and getting him ready for the next wave. The day is beautiful again. A truly nice stretch of weather. I get the front half of Big Red done before it’s time to put the work down and embrace the evening and it’s festivities. We are having a bbq and some music tonight and unfortunately get rained out early and have to come inside to play. But, it clears and we set to cooking on the grill, starting a nice little fire in the fire pit and enjoying some adult beverages. Fun is had by all and we graze through dinner and into the night with laughter, kids running around and all of us having a great time. Sleep comes easy. |
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Up early today. Happy Birthday, Taylor. Another beautiful Montana morning. Coffee and World Cup seem to be the morning staple right now. Storm and I sit and watch and sip and talk. I take care of my emails and then Storm and I head downtown for an early lunch. I take care of my phone calls on the way and end up at La Tinga, my favorite little Mexican place. A nice fresh burrito with Storm and we go our separate ways for the day. I have a couple of errands to run around and do and then head to Kent’s again for rehearsal all afternoon. We set up outside again under the carport in the shade of a Montana Summer day. Just beautiful. Sitting outside and playing music in this weather, wow, felt like I was on an island somewhere and time just didn’t matter. Another great session as we get ready for our road trip. I hit the store on the way home and grab Buffalo steak and some corn, onion and peas for dinner. A sweet meal and then some wax work on Big Red to get him ready for the next wave of road trip. I am antsy tonight and thinking about too many things. Sleep doesn’t come easy. Sucks when you don’t get along with a friend and communication lines are just broken down. Oh well, breathing in some good thoughts and wishes and ask my angels for guidance. Sweet dreams….. |
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This morning brings business right away. I finish my list of phone calls and emails while I have some coffee and watch some World Cup, go USA. Then off to walk and take care of those phone calls. Trying to keep putting things together. It takes a lot to put music together. I also make a trip out to the store to get some wax for Big Red and some other things I need. Get to talk with my Mom for a nice long while and it makes my day. Early afternoon I head over to Kent’s for rehearsal. We catch a little soccer and kick that birdie thing around again. Then we decide to set up outside to play tunes. We set up the amps and mic out under the carport in back and sit and play for a couple hours in the afternoon shade. Really nice afternoon and Kent is coming along. We get lost playing and I have to pack up quickly to make it home for dinner with Storm and Zach. I’ve got to stop at the store and pick up some Yukon Gold potatoes to go with our Buffalo burgers. Dinner is awesome and tasty. I spend the evening emailing with a friend to try to work out some differences of opinion, but don’t seem to get anywhere. Guess we all value something different. A last plot and plan and list making for tomorrow before I hit the hay. Night all. |
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Up fairly early to get the work brain on and make my lists of things to do. I’m out and walking and off to pick up a cup of coffee downtown and keep walking and talking. I’m working on a couple of different projects at the same time and trying to stay organized. Lots of phone calls today and some leg work to get some info I need for a show in March next year. A day off from playing today, but the booking never ends and I’m also trying to finalize the Team Human structure and Mission Statement. Also working on a songwriter in the round show in Big Sky. I meet with Pat around lunch to continue the Team Human dialogue and enjoy the sunshine. Back to the house and more phone calls and then a meeting with my friend Michelle from Moonlight Basin to discuss my songwriter in the round show that I’m calling ‘the Medicine Wheel’. We have a great meeting and looks like I finally have a format and formula that makes it possible to pull this off. But, more work to do and home work to do and things are shaping up. Back to the house again for the night. A healthy dinner of Salmon, corn, green beans and mashed potatoes with Storm and into the evening with some more computer time and then off to keep resting and recharging. |
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Monday, Summer Solstice! Yea! Summer is here officially. Since it’s Monday, it’s time to get ready for the week. Morning coffee with Storm, some computer time and then out to have a morning walk. I’ve been enjoying walking around the streets of Bozeman and looking at the cool old western houses. It’s the first day of Summer and the weather is awesome. I walk over to Dr. Dave’s house and hang with him for a bit. We get Oscar, a sweet little Boxer, ready for a walk too. We’re off and headed for the park. A really nice little park. Oscar gets to sniff and pee and check things out. We stop at the Doggie store to get Oscar a treat. What a cool little dog. We walk for a while and then I’m home to get ready for tonight’s gig. I spend the afternoon watching some soccer, putting new strings on Audrey and writing up the set list. A quick nap and then in the shower. Early evening I go to Kent’s house to pick up sound and then head downtown to Bar Nine. It’s the solstice and we needed to play some tunes and do some dancing. I came by this bar a week ago to see if we could do an impromptu show for the solstice and gather and celebrate the sun. So, Chad, the manager agreed and here we are with the wonderful opportunity to celebrate life and the universe! We throw up the sound and then just have a really good time playing some music. Rehearsal has been paying off and Kent is killing it. The room is pretty cool and the bar is new in town. A great little stage by the front window to catch people walking by and music rolls to a late hour. Kent’s band, One Leaf Clover, finishes the night with some rolling tunes and the night and the celebration and the meaning will be felt for the Summer. That’s part of the point. Thanks to all who celebrated with us and danced and sang. Happy ‘Soul’stice to us all. |
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Sleeping in today. Am tired, but feel great. Am sore, but feel great. I’m staying with Pat and we have morning coffee, watch a sweet video on artist Andy Goldsworthy and talk Team Human. We are working hard to define what we are doing and what our intention is with all of this. The Missions Statement is slowly coming together. We hang for a while and discuss and define and debate. Dave Mc comes through to say hey and pick up some things as he heads to Colorado to return Dan’s dog that was lost for week in the mountains when Dan was here last week. The little guy finally made his way back after a week of being lost. Pat and I hang with Ben and watch some World Cup and then talk and watch some of the US Open before Pat has to go to work. I hang and do some laundry and enjoy the afternoon. An evening ride back to Bozeman to Storm’s house and I take some time to get my thoughts together to get ready for a busy week. A great weekend to rest and recharge in the mountains. And I love the mountains. Big Sky is magic! Sleep with a smile on my face. |
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I’m up early morning to have some coffee with Pat and wake up. Today is golf day! I’m getting the opportunity to play the Jack Nicklaus designed Moonlight Basin golf course with my buds Dave and James. I run down the mountain to get James. We grab a bagel sandwich and then head back up the mountain to meet Dave for an 11:30 am tee time. It is a beautiful mountain day with patchy clouds. We make our way to the back side of the mountain where the golf course is and I am in awe of the scenery and views and placement of this golf course as we drive in. Unbelievable! It is so gorgeous. We meet Dave, gather up what we need, clubs on the cart and then hit the links. Wow, we play golf from 11:30 am to 8 pm. They only have nine holes open right now, so we play twice and then some. This is not just a golf course, it is an experience. Every single hole is just stellar. I have the best round of golf ever, on the best most beautiful golf course I’ve ever played and have the best day I’ve had since leaving on the tour. Just awesome. Truly can’t believe there is a golf course here and even better, we are the only ones on it! All day!! Again, wow! We hit the brewery for some eats and then all of us are wiped, just happily wiped out. What a wonderful day. Thanks Dave and James! |
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Friday morning is coffee and a walk downtown to get my exercise. I’ve been walking tons and trying to stretch and get more exercise. Starting to feel better, but am sore from working the old machine more. I do some work on the computer and watch some World Cup Soccer. Rehearsal again in the early afternoon to keep working through everything. Starting to really come together. We end early afternoon and I’m off to Big Sky for the weekend for a couple of meeting and to see some friends. I pull in and head up the mountain to Beehive Basin and meet my friend Dana for a short hike. Well, the short hike turns into a few hours and is beautiful. We stop at Dana’s house for a cocktail and then head down the road for some late dinner. Great food and company and time to call it a night. |
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Despite the late night, I am up early to meet my friend Pat, who is coming in from Big Sky for a meeting about Team Human. We meet on Main St and sit and talk for over an hour about defining and structuring Team Human to begin to get the idea out more. We have a great meeting and lay out some home work and some goals that are getting us started. Then off to rehearsal with Kent to keep that train on the track. Things are going well and Kent is picking things up pretty fast. We play for a few hours and work through more songs. After rehearsal I go and see my friends Dave and Teresa. We hang for a bit, watch some of the NBA Finals Game 7 and then I’m off for some sushi. My friend Natalie meets me for dinner and we have a great time talking and getting caught up. A night cap after dinner and then home. |
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I take this morning to sleep in some and then do some work on the computer. I feel rested more, but still trying to recharge. I take a short walk to the store to get some fruit for a snack and then head to rehearsal with Kent. We play for a few hours and then step outside to kick that birdie thing around. Things seem to be taking shape with the music and I am getting excited to make the California run. The early evening is spent at Storm’s house and a few friends come over to get ready to go out and see some music tonight. We’re off to see local band Jawbone Railroad and the Dead Winter Carpenters from N Lake Tahoe at the Filling Station in Bozeman. We arrive to an empty bar on a Wednesday night in Montana. It does give us the opportunity to meet and talk with the band. It’s great to meet some folks from Lake Tahoe and after meeting all of the band I find that I know someone that each of them knows. Weird and pretty cool to have mutual friends with people that you are just meeting. They play for all of us that are there and put on a pretty good show. Tough night to play on, but they do a great job. The after party goes to Storm’s house along with the band for the night. Laughter, stories and more laughter send us all to slumber land in the wee hours of the morning. |
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Up early to catch Storm before he goes to work and to get my day started. Still working on booking things and following up. I head downtown for my walk and make some phone calls while walking around. I love the exercise and need it. I have rehearsal with Kent just after lunch as we are getting ready for this road trip coming up. We play for a few hours and then take a break playing a game that Kent has brought back from his recent trip to China. It’s a game like hacky sack, but instead of kicking a small sack, this thing is like a huge badminton birdie. Super fun, but man am I sore and definitely need to stretch more. We get hammered by a short hailstorm that brings down acorn size hail. Wow, welcome to life in the mountains. The afternoon evening brings no frills and I am still trying to recoup my energy to keep this wave rolling. Down early to empty the brain, heart, spirit, soul and start to refill… |
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Monday, Monday. It is another amazing bluebird day. A slow morning working on the computer and sending some emails. I take a late morning stroll downtown and go to La Tinga for a burrito, yum. I walk back home and pack up to head out for the afternoon. It’s such a sweet day that I’m taking another drive to go and sit somewhere to just listen to the wind and watch the day go by for a minute. I take off towards Bridger Bowl, one of the local Bozeman ski areas and know there are tons of places to pull off road and take a short hike. I find a nice spot to park and walk a little to clear my brain, heart, spirit, soul. There is a nice place to put my sleeping bag down, so I lay out in the sun for a little bit too. I’m only gone for a short time and then have to be back in Bozeman to catch a couple of phone calls and get ready for a massage that I have scheduled with my friend Natalie. I haven’t had a massage in a while and just melt trying to work out all these road kinks and knots. Wow, what a wonder that does for a body! Thanks Natalie! After my massage I’m off to meet a new friend, Dana. We sit and talk and laugh and watch the sun go down. Dinner and conversation and it’s a great day with a great evening attached. I get home late and am down in a moment. |
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Sunday morning in the middle of the afternoon. Whew, rest, rest and much needed rest. I am slow moving this sunny morning and take my time getting things together and roll my butt out for a Sunday drive. The weather is just amazing! I just putz around the outskirts of Bozeman and breathe and think and learn and let go and recharge. I head home to park Big Red and go walking. I spend the whole afternoon out walking around. I stop in at Bar Nine, a new bar on Main St to check it out. Sweet spot. Nice inside with a small balcony zone and a little spot to sit out back. I ask the manager about live music and possibly putting together a show for the Summer Solstice last minute. He seems open to the idea and I just have to see who is available to play next Monday night. Woo hoo! Show on the Solstice!! I have an afternoon meeting with Kent, guitar player, about the upcoming tour to California. We hang on a patio at this little bar and have a great conversation. I am excited to put something together and take my music up a notch and Kent is a talented guitar player. We sort some of our details and call it a night. Thanks Kent, it will be a fun run to Cali. |
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Whew, made it through to today! James and I are up mid morning and have a cup of coffee before heading up the mountain to see Dave, Pat, Dan and Natashia for breakfast and the USA vs England World Cup. Ben and Katie show too and we have a kick ass breakfast and watch the game. Woo hoo, it ends in a 1 to 1 tie. A victory for the US. I drop James at home and then head back to Bozeman to lay my butt down. I am exhausted and not feeling well. Run down with a sore throat and I have a ton of figuring out to do. I check out and am down for the night. Sweet dreams y’all. |
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Show day! Up early again with Storm and Zach. They are headed to Missoula today for the ‘Love Your Mother’ festival and are gone for the weekend camping. Have fun boys! My friend Dr. Dave comes over for the morning and we hang and get caught up and laugh and work on relaxing. A nice walk down to the music store for some guitar picks and then a quick lunch with a slice of pizza and Dr. Dave. I’ve got a lunchtime rehearsal scheduled with everyone to go over as much music as we can in an hour. Whew. We get together and run through as much of everything that we can. We are going to have an interesting night and are going to piece it together with a set from me and my guys and then Kent and his band are going to close out the night. Rehearsal goes as good as it can with no notice. I head home to get cleaned up and then drive the hour out to Big Sky for the show. So great to back in Montana. When I get there I head up to my friend James house and hang for a little bit. Then it’s off to the venue to set up and see what’s going on. Everyone shows and we have a great session in the park kicking this little hacky sack badminton birdie thing around. Super fun. Then we get our space to set up and it’s time to roll. It’s the ‘Pray for Sun’ party here and we kick it off in fine fashion. There is a great turn out and the night goes pretty good. Fun is had by all and it is great to see more friends show up. Thanks for the love and support Big Sky, Montana! Thanks to Aaron, Jake and Kent for hanging in there and making it fun. I’m done playing early and then hang with some folks and talk and enjoy the tunes. The end of the night is at James and I curl up on the floor and am out. |
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I’m up early with Storm and his son Zach as they get ready for work and school. It’s a regroup day for me as I need to figure out what is going on with my band guys for this gig. I know Kyle is not coming and Aaron is swamped with work and moving and Kent I have to talk with about working together. I take some deep breaths and do a lot of walking to get myself in a solutionary mode. I get a hold of Kent and go over to meet with him about figuring this out. We have a show tomorrow and need to have a band to bring as that was what was booked. We discuss our options and have to piece something together. So, we ask Kent’s drummer Jake if he is available and he is. Now we have a sit in drummer and we have an impromptu rehearsal right there for an hour or so. Sweet, glad to be a solution minded person to figure this all out. Jake does a great job and I schedule a another rehearsal with Aaron later in the evening to work on that piece too. Kent and I get together with Aaron for a quick evening rehearsal and we are doing the best we can to piece this all together and have a good night tomorrow night. Back to Storm’s for the night and cross my fingers and toes for a fun night of music at Choppers tomorrow….?? |
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Man, 4 am comes early. Up again to head north and west to Bozeman. I’m trying to get there at a decent hour to have a rehearsal with my band guys in Montana. A smooth and easy drive. A long one and I am tired after two days on the road and a couple thousand miles of driving. A pretty uneventful drive. But, it’s another nice day and the scenery is sweet. High plains all the way to Billings and then the mountains start to kick in. I arrive in Bozeman right about happy hour and stop at Plonck’s in Bozeman to see my friend Whitney and have a cocktail to take the road dust off. Well, rehearsal is put on hold for the night as my drummer, Kyle can’t make it from Portland due to truck trouble, my bass player, Aaron doesn’t have his amp and my guitar player, Kent is out of service. I am bummed to have come this far and not be able to play and get ready for the show we have on Friday. I make my way to my friend Storm’s house for the night and settle in for some easy sleep. Will pick up the pieces tomorrow. |
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Morning comes early again and I take my time getting up and rolling on the road to Golden. The day is another nice one and this time across the country seems to be going well and easy on me and Big Red. The drive is good and I arrive in Golden fifteen minutes before my meeting. I meet my fellow songwriter Chris, who I played with a couple of weeks ago, and some new folks, Bri and Tom, who are interested in doing some booking work. We have a great introductory meeting and I have some homework to do to put this new piece together. I head back to Denver for a quick visit with my friend Pam and then over to my bud Johnny’s house for the night. I’m needing more rest for a long drive to Bozeman tomorrow. |
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And 4 am does come fast and I am up to shower and head west. I say goodbye to my bro and hit the road. The day is nice and the roads are easy as I make my way across the Midwest into Kansas. A cruisy drive and pretty non eventful, which is good on a long road trip. Big Red is running great and we pull into Salina, Kansas in the early evening. I grab some bbq from the Hickory Pit and get to bed early to rest up for the rest of the journey. I have to be in Golden, CO by tomorrow afternoon for a meeting and in Bozeman, MT by Wednesday afternoon/early evening. Whew, long drive. Better get to bed and get some sleep… |
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Sunday morning comes to quickly and I’m up to start packing and organizing all my stuff to get ready to leave super early on Monday to head to Denver. I do one more load of laundry and make sure I’m not leaving anything behind. I have to take a quick trip over to my storage unit to get some things out of my file cabinet that I need since I am home. Back to the hotel and finish packing and then into the shower to get cleaned up. Jeff and I go out to the golf course again to meet everyone for the final round. Sunday is always fun as things are finishing up. We stop at my aunt’s house on 17 tee and hang there for a bit and then walk back to 15 to meet everyone and watch the final group come through. After the last group, we all head over to the corporate tent world to watch the last couple of holes on the tv. After the golf is over, Jeff and I are off to see my friends Greg and Karen. Karen’s nephew just committed suicide and we are going to give hugs and love and say goodbye. A bit heavy, but glad we could stop by. Then a quick trip to see Michael and say goodbye to him too. A last stop at my sister’s house to say goodbye to the family and then home to put the last bits in the back of Big Red so I can leave first thing in the morning. 4:00 am is gonna come fast…. |
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Saturday morning I sleep in and am not feeling very well. My stomach is a little upset and I’ve been stressing about the next wave of my journey back west. The weather is rainy and cloudy and windy and makes for good sleeping. I try and get rested and still don’t feel all that great. I put together my set list for the night and jump in the shower to pull it together and try to feel better. It pours down rain right up until we are ready to leave and by the time we get up to the club, the rain is gone and is supposed to stay gone until later in the night. Yea! It is absolutely a gorgeous evening. I play again from 5 to after 9 and just have a sweet night. Everyone is in such a good mood. The weather is beautiful, the company is great, the music is great. We stay late and just put a capper on that beer tab and laugh and laugh. Another great end to a great day. We drop a couple of friends off on the way home and then I am done. |
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Friday comes early and I’m up early with a coffee cocoa and some computer work. I’m working on a show that I’m trying to bring to Montana next year that is a songwriter in the round format that I am calling ‘the Medicine Wheel’. I’m trying to get my friends from Nashville to come to Big Sky and get the Arts Council and Moonlight Basin involved in the show. Anyway, I’m wrapping up the initial proposal and sending it off. Then it’s off to Scioto Darby Elementary School to play for the 4th and 5th grade talent show at my sister’s school. She teaches 5th grade and this is the 1st annual talent show! What a hoot. The kids are amazing and on top of it, it’s the last day of school. Woo hoo! Summer time!! Early afternoon Jeff and I head out to the tournament to walk around and catch some golf. Another beautiful day and we catch family friend Ernie Els on 16 and then head over to #11 to visit friends who have a house there. An absolutely beautiful house and full of party. A sweet bar that has card tables, pool table, darts, pop a shot basketball, skeeball, a pinball machine and a big deck overlooking the fairway on 11. We hang and chill with my bros and sis and then Mark wants to go and see his client Chris Couch come through. So, I join Mark and we follow Chris, Angel Cabrera and Nick Watney for a few holes until the horn blows and they suspend play and take the players to a safe spot. I follow Mark and we get to hang with all the golfers and caddies for a few minutes. The clouds roll by and they continue play. We follow through 18 and then head back to 11 to see what everyone is doing. Everyone is playing cards and games and having fun. We sit for a bit and then pick it up and head towards the local home front hang spot, Benito’s. Our friend Liz runs this little tiny bar and restaurant close to my sister’s house and we love to go over and chill. It’s like being in someone’s house. She also has great food, so we all have dinner and some drinks and finish the night out. Another fun day! |
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Sleep in just a little bit and start to piece things together for tonight’s show. I do some laundry and then I have to head over to J Thomas Davis to pick up Audrey. Steve brings her out and shows me what work was done and Audrey looks great. Thanks guys. I go back to the hotel and sit and run through some songs and check out how Audrey feels. Late afternoon Jeff and I make our way to the Country Club @ Muirfield Village for the grand opening of the new patio and a Big Water show. My brother in law, Craigen, is the director of golf here and they have called to see if I would play the opening night of the patio. The terms were dinner at the club and 100 beers for the week. I have to ponder for a moment and then renegotiate the terms to dinner for 2 at the club and 100 beers for the week. Sweet deal and this is a last minute gig, so I’m up for the fun of it. Especially because it’s also the Memorial Tournament week. I play from 5 to 9ish and get my brother to come up and sing a few and my friend Michael who plays harmonica joins us as well. It’s a beautiful night and we have a great show out on this wonderful new patio. Kind of feels like a hotel or a resort. Really well done with a new outside bar, lots of chairs and couches, and a big bonfire in the middle. I have some friends show up to hang and help with the beer tab and we stay pretty late and just have a really good time. So much so that they ask me to come back on Saturday night and play again. Woo hoo! I end the night hanging with my friends Megan and Michael and roll off to slumber land. |
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Up super early today for an 8 am tee time with my uncle Tom and a couple of friends, Andy and Dave. My brother Jeff and my friend Jim come and join us as well. A beautiful morning and we get to play golf too? Woo hoo! What a fabulous morning playing golf, one of my favorite sports, especially with good friends. We have a wonderful round of golf thanks to my brother in law, Craigen who is the director of golf at the Country Club @ Muirfield Village. The afternoon we walk over the road to where the big boys are playing and practicing for this weeks tournament. We catch the skins game that is going with the number 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 golfers in the world plus Jack Nicklaus and a few more. Crazy to see so much golf talent in one spot. We hang for a bit and watch Jack and Ernie and Phil and Tiger and the whole gang go through. We all have a great time and then call it a day. I drop my brother off at the hotel and then head downtown to go see my friend Athena. So great to see her. I hang with her for a bit and catch up and then have to roll on to go play darts. Big hug, my dear Athena! I then head up to one of my old hang outs to play darts with Andy and Jim and another friend Tom. A few games of darts and some more laughs and another day comes to a close. Thanks for a great day everyone. |
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Today is work/fun day. I’m up early to get some things together and get as much work done as I possibly can before the day gets going. My college roommate is coming down from Cleveland for the day and night and I haven’t seen him in a couple of years. He arrives early morning and smiles and laughter again set the tone. I have to take Audrey to the guitar doctor, J Thomas Davis, this morning and head that direction to drop her off so I can have her back for a show on Thursday. I drop her off and head back to pick up Jeff and Jim, my old roommate. We are off to go walk around the golf course that Jack built on an old Indian burial ground. True. But, it is truly a beautiful golf course and a great event that we love to come together as a family and go to every year. It’s practice round day, so there are not a lot of people out and we just stroll around and enjoy the gardens and landscapes and golf holes. Early evening takes us back to my sisters for pizza night. We have home made pizza, dough and all and again get to hang and catch up and just have some quality family time. Back to the hotel and it’s wind down and off to sleep. |
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Happy Memorial Day! The day starts with pouring rain and thunderstorms. Ah, the Midwest. So, a nice slow morning with my bro and we are readying for a week of family and golf and hugs and laughter. It’s a hang out day, rest day, computer work day, and pick on Audrey day. The day turns nice and the feeling of summer is definitely here. A beautiful day despite the rain in the morning. I head to my sisters for dinner. So wonderful to be around my family. We have a great bbq and hang and laugh. Our friend Mark is in town for the golf tournament, a long time friend of my brother in law, Craigen. He is a coach to some of the PGA players and is here to get his guys going. We have dinner and catch up. A full belly and a full heart, wow. I head back to the hotel and find my bro hanging with his friends Christine and Jody. Great to see them too. We laugh more and wind down the day. Another nice and easy one. |
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Get to sleep in a little again this morning after another late night. I’m off to Lima, Ohio today with Jeff, Tom and Joyce for a day’s adventure to our home town. Jeff and Tom were born in Lima and my Selvaggio side of the family settled here after coming through Ellis Island from Sicily in 1914. We get picked up about noon and make the hour and a half drive to Lima through Indian Lake. We used to go see our grandparents in Lima all the time and go by Indian Lake and hit the old amusement park, the donut shop, the roller rink. The park is gone now, but the donut shop and the roller rink are still there after 40 some years. We stop at my granddad’s cemetery, since it is Memorial Day. It’s right on the way and it is truly an incredible bluebird day! We roll the rest of the way to Lima and head to the first place we always go, Kewpee’s! Kewpee’s is a little tiny hamburger joint that is in downtown Lima and has been there since 1927. I’ve been going there since I can remember with all of my grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. It is the original square hamburger and frosty place that Wendy’s borrowed and turned into a worldwide franchise. It’s the best burger and the flashbacks are non stop. Wow, they are still as good as ever! After munching down, we make our way out another cemetery where the bones of our family rest. My dad died when I was 7 and my grandparents and great grandparents and some other family folks are all buried here. It’s an old school Catholic cemetery with cool head stones and spooky mausoleums. It’s kind of a funky stop, but it always brings up lots of smiles and emotions and thoughts and feelings about life and mortality and family and all the intangibles that are important. A look back at your life, remembering things you want to and remembering things you don’t. Some of it hard and all of it growth. A good visit. After that, we head to one of Tom’s friends house, Brian and Julie. Tom grew up in Lima and went to high school here. We hang at Brian’s and have a blast. We all haven’t seen each other for quite a while. Much banter and laughter and stories and that walk down memory lane. Another great late night and home by 2 am. Sweet dreams of being a boy……….. |
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Whew! Sleep in on this Saturday. Hard not to when you get home at 4 am. What a great night. I don’t get things rolling on this day until noon and wake to HBO and a couple of movies. I’m sharing a room with my brother this week while we are here in Ohio. The sister’s house is full this week because the PGA is in town for the Memorial Tournament. This seems to be an annual event for me and my family. We all enjoy going out to the golf course and walking around and catching some of the action. I spend the afternoon with my bro kicking back and we head out late afternoon to my bro’s favorite Thai restaurant, yummy. After dinner we make our way over to my sister’s neighborhood hangout, Benito’s, to meet my sister for an early evening beverage. We kick back, laugh and talk and then get a call from my Uncle Tom and Aunt Joyce who are on their way over to join us. We hang through sunset and then head to my sister Renee’s house to say hi to Mom. We hit and run there and give hugs all around and then we all go back to my hotel room and have a night cap and laugh and have a merch session. Everyone wanted to see the Merch Table of SuperBadness, so I brought out shirts and all and we all look and shop and love it. A great day and evening spending quality time with my family. Really wonderful to see everyone. |
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Sleeping in and getting settled for the week. It’s show day! I hang all day with my bro and work on the computer and keep trying to push forward. New strings on Audrey after a phone call to Martin to get a screw for Audrey that has fallen out. Put the set list together and make sure I have all my pieces, merch and what not ready for the show. The weather is absolutely beautiful. Warm, not too hot or humid, slight breeze and the feeling of summer is in the air. I head down to the venue with Jeff to set up merch and hopefully get a sound check. We get there in plenty of time and meet Monique Ortiz, who is playing the opener spot for the evening. Super sweet and talented. Monique starts the evening with her unusual, but awesome style. She plays the bass, a two string and a fretless and sings the blues. Check her out at www.moniqueortiz.com. She slays it and everyone enjoys what she is putting out. Thanks Monique! A quick set change and it’s my turn! The room is full with so many friends and family. Woo hoo! I play and sing my heart out! My brother Jeff and my friend Michael join me on stage. Jeff has been singing with me for years and Michael has been playing harmonica with me for years too. We just have a time and kick it up. People singing and clapping and having a time too. A really great show. The Merch Table of SuperBadness is on fire and cds and t shirts are passed on. Lots of hugs and smiles and truly a super fun night. We head to Michael’s house for a night cap and bonfire and laugh and laugh and laugh until late. What a wonderful Ohio night! |
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I’m up early to shave and shower and then hit the road to make it Columbus by 3:30 to pick up my brother, Jeff, from the airport. My family is converging on Ohio. My sister lives on the west side of Columbus, My Mom is driving in today from Florida, my brother is flying in from Florida and I am driving in from Colorado. An easy day on the road again. Big Red is running well and we scoot across Illinois through Indiana and into Ohio. I arrive in Columbus right on time and have only been by the airport for ten minutes before Jeff calls to be picked up. I grab him and we head downtown to go and have a visit with our Uncle Tom, who owns a bar right downtown Columbus, The Frog, Bear and Wild Boar Bar. Some cable show from Cleveland is filming there this afternoon, so Jeff and I go for a look see and to say hi to Tom. Big hugs all around. Great to see Tom and Dave and Brad. Jeff is not feeling too well, so we head out to go to my sister Renee’s and say hi to everyone before going back to our hotel. So great to see Mom, Renee and Maddy. We miss Craigen and Taylor and will see them tomorrow. I take Jeff back to the hotel and then I head over to my friend Mike’s for some rehearsal for tomorrow night’s show. We hang outside in the back yard and play and talk and laugh and get caught up. Before we know it, it’s 11:30 and we are making too much noise in the back yard, so Mike shoos us all home and we call it a night. Great to be back on the home front of Ohio! |
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I get to sleep in today and I guess I needed it after getting up early yesterday and stressing about Big Red. The morning is spent in the hotel room working on the computer until about noon. I call the Ford place to get an update on Big Red and they say that he is just about ready and they’ll send the shuttle to get me. Jack comes to pick me up and take me back to Big Red. We get there and I can see Big Red is done and is very happy. I take care of the bill, whew, and then hit the road trying to make up some ground. It’s a mellow afternoon on the road across the belly of America and into Missouri. I drive all the way into Illinois to Effingham and stop for the night. That leaves me a short day tomorrow and I’ll be getting into Columbus just in time to pick up my brother who is flying in. Sleep comes easy again. Big Red you are a champ, thanks for carrying me around for so many years. |
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Up at 4:30 am and gather up Audrey and my things and head out to Big Red. We’re off at the crack of dawn and head across eastern Colorado as the sun rises. A beautiful morning and day rolling across the flats of the western plains. I stop in Hays for some gas and notice a little drip under Big Red. Damn. We make our way to Salina, Kansas and head to the Ford dealership to have them take a look. Well, bad news, Big Red needs a new transfer case seal and some clean up. Not a lot in parts, but a lot in labor. Shit. Oh well, I guess everybody’s tour bus breaks down some time or another. I’m here in Kansas for the night and hope to be up and running by early afternoon tomorrow. I find a place to stay for the night and get checked in before heading out to walk around the area and stretch my legs and my mind. Crossing my fingers that Big Red is ok. An incredibly warm spring afternoon in Salina, Kansas. Jack, my shuttle driver suggests that if I like BBQ that I should stop to the Hickory Hut, the best bbq in town. I do like bbq and I take him up on his suggestion and have a fabulous brisket sandwich, fries and onion rings. A chill evening and some more rest on the journey. |
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A slow Monday morning after such a great weekend. I spend the day working on the computer and readying for the drive across the plains to Ohio. A mellow day picking at things. A nice long shower, and it’s time to pack up and make sure I’m not leaving anything. I take off from Chris’s house late afternoon and head to meet Johnny. Thanks for everything Chris, you’re a star. I meet Johnny and Kuen for a quick beer and then am off to meet Bob D, another friend in Denver, for dinner. We go to Maggioni’s, a sweet old time Italian restaurant with food off the hook. Wow. What a great meal. Thanks Bob D. Glad you had a minute to hang and break some bread. I make a quick hit and run visit to see Pam and meet her family and then back to Johnny’s for the night. I’m up super early to head east and beat the traffic, a 5 am start. |
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Sunday morning! Another beautiful morning and we can see the mountains around now. Yesterday there was so much dust in the air you couldn’t see anything. But this morning, not so. Everyone wakes slowly and gets moving. We are all off to brunch this morning at the Fresh & Wyld Inn, where I played the Mother’s Day brunch a couple of weeks ago. There are two sittings, 9 and 11. Travis and I are up and gone for the early brunch sitting. Another incredible morning with an amazing breakfast! Karl comes up from Grand Junction and brings another songwriter/musician with him to play for brunch. Lesley Kernochan plays the keys and sing like a bird. What a sweetie and great to see another artist out on the road and doing their thing. Everyone else comes for the 11 seating and we all hang and eat and listen to some music. A great way to start the day. We ride back to Amber’s and start gathering things up again to head back to Denver. We all pack up and make our ways to where we are going, say our goodbyes and hugs and split. Jim is staying in Grand Junction and Chris and I head back to the big city. A wonderful drive with a stop to look at a water fall and a hit and run visit with Guy and Deb who live just outside of Aspen. What a great place they have. A beautiful house and sweet recording studio and art studio in the barn. Thanks for the tour Guy and Deb! Then we’re off to the home front and make it home just before sunset. We are both wiped and wind down the night with the season finale of Lost. Sleep comes quick and easy. |
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The sun hits the tree tops and pours over me in the screen room I am sleeping in. The morning song is one of sunshine, slow breeze and hummingbirds zinging and singing and feeding at the feeders by the window. Everyone wakes at their own pace and we coffee and start talking and planning out the day. The fest is in the park towards the center of town, but the center of town is really the whole town. What a hidden gem, this little town. It’s like the Napa valley of Colorado only without the grapes. A big growing zone with really conscious farmers and people who are working on biodynamics as a way of growing and being. We gather up the bikes so that we all have something to ride for the day and work our way to the park to help out if we can setting anything up. My ride of choice is a 50’s something old Schwinn with two gears that you can change with kicking back on the pedals. Super sweet! A beautiful day, but the breeze is picking up and the dust is starting to blow. We spend the day riding and talking and laughing. Some time on the swings and throwing the football around, listening to some music and drinking some of the local beer. America, what a town! Sometimes things are just fine, a least for a moment, and this is one of those days. Americana at its finest. Kids running and riding everywhere, all ages, all kinds of bikes and lots and lots of smiles. The evening brings dinner at Ambers with everyone and then we are off for the evenings festivities with a show at the Paradise Theater by one of the local bands. Pretty funny little town. The whole town is out and about all day and evening and we wind down our day back at Ambers hanging with everyone laughing our butts off. Really nice to have a day to not think about anything and just relax and be in the now with the people I am with. What a great day! |
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Sleep, sleep, sleep in. A very slow day after such a long one yesterday. Time to pack and gather and pull my pieces together once again. I’m readying for a weekend trip to Paonia with Jim and Chris to visit with friends and check out the 1st Annual ‘Gears & Beers’ Festival. A little computer work and a quick grab of what I need for the weekend and Jim and I are off early afternoon to make our way across town to pick up Chris from work and then we are leaving from there. So great to see Jim. We hang all afternoon and laugh and talk and wait for Chris to finish work. Chris is done about 6 and then we are off west, up and over the mountains to the west side of Colorado. A long drive (4 ½ hours), but a smooth one. We laugh and talk and watch the land go by. Mother Earth sure has beautiful skin. We arrive late in Paonia to find Amber waiting for us and Travis as well, yea!! We hang for a bit and then all are off to sleep to ready for the big ‘Gears & Beers’ festival in Paonia! |
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I am up super early this morning, have a quick cup of coffee with Jilian and then head to Boulder. I’m off to Foothill Elementary School to play for a couple of the 4th grade classes. I met Kim on Saturday at the gig in Golden and she teaches 4th grade and was interested in having me come in and do my workshop. So, I spend the morning playing for these kids who are so smart and so ready for summer. They were all most polite and the workshop went well. I truly love looking in their eyes and talking with them. I zing back down to Chris’s house in Denver to spend some time on the computer and catch up on emails and get ready to head up to Lyons for tonight’s gig. I take off early afternoon and make my way north to Longmont for a stop at the Pumphouse Brewery. An incredible afternoon as I then make my way to Lyons for this gig at Oskar Blues. I arrive a little early and have a burger and a beer and then take a nice stroll through town to walk off some dinner. It’s close to 8, the start time for the night, and I go back to the bar and meet Romano and Dave. My friends Johnny and Kuen come up all the way from Denver just to catch my set. Wow. I play and sing well and the room is full of welcoming locals. We hang and talk and laugh and enjoy a lovely evening. Thanks Dave, Romano and Oskar Blues. Thanks Johnny and Kuen for coming. An hour drive back to Denver and I get home to find Chris and our friend Jim, who has just arrived from California, just kicking and winding down the night. Great to see Jim! We hang for a bit and catch up and then head hits pillow and you know the rest. |
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I’m up early with Chris for coffee before he heads to work. I pick up my things that I have in the house, which isn’t much. I usually only bring in my toothbrush and stuff along with Audrey, always, and my briefcase. Another beautiful morning again here in Denver. I pack and then head to Arvada to make a stop at the Pickin’ Parlor to get Audrey looked at. She is missing a screw on the back of the low E string tuning key. Arvada is close to Denver and it doesn’t take too long to get there. I stop in and meet Edward and Kelly who are the guitar repair folks and have them take a look at Audrey. They don’t have the right gold screw, so Edward puts in a silver one and I will have to call Martin to order one. Audrey needs a little TLC, but I don’t have the time to leave her. I make arrangements to possibly come back on Friday. I take a sweet drive up to Golden and am on my way up to Nederland to see my friends Billy and Jilian. My route changes as the highway I want to take is closed and I must drive around into Boulder and then up to Nederland. Oh well, bummer to drive a turny gorgeous canyon with a little river coming down. Very, very pretty. I weave my way up to Windy Mountain for a hang session and bbq. We spend the afternoon just hanging out, walking around the property, checking out the little chickens that they have just gotten and playing with their dog Willie. After dinner, which was salmon on the grill with this yummy glaze, we have a pick session with me, Jilian, Billy and Tristan. I’m always nervous when it comes to playing with people because I’m not such a lead player. But I hang in there and work on following the progressions and we sing and play and have fun. Always great to see Billy and Jilian and definitely great to play and sing with them. Ice cream for desert and then off to lolly land. |
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Up early with Chris to have coffee before he goes to work. A nice slow morning finishing laundry and sending emails. Whew, booking, booking, booking! It’s a beautiful day and my friend Pam comes to visit for a bit. We take a nice long walk and talk, enjoy the sunshine and all the blooming plants and flowers. Always good to see Pam. It’s a pretty mellow day that ends with a sweet bbq dinner with Chris. A somewhat restful day into slumber…. |
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Morning comes slow for me. Chris is up and gone to work and I settle in to catch up on emails and some business. I’m rockin’ the coffee/cocoa for the morning and pulling myself together after a great week last week in Golden. I grab some laundry that needs doing out of the truck and get that started. The day is spent on the computer trying to book more and keep doing my homework. It is a beautiful sunny day, nice and warm and that certainly helps the smile factor. I work all day until getting a call from my little bro, Johnny, who lives here with his girlfriend, Kuen. Johnny swings by in the late afternoon to pick me up and we head to the local little par 3 golf course, Harvard Gulch, here in south Denver. A really beautiful evening spent walking and talking and hitting a little white ball with my friend John. What a blast to smack it again. First round of the season for me and not all that bad. We laugh and have a great time and then head back to Chris’s. John and Chris meet for the first time and its great when you bring friends and good people together. John hangs for a minute and then splits and Chris and I fire up the grill for some chicken and a nice dinner. A mellow evening watching the huge salt water fish tank Chris has and catching some baseball. We hit the slumber button fairly early to try and get a good night’s sleep. Sweet Monday! |
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I’m up early and find Suzannah, Cassady, Kendall and Scout up and making eggs and pancakes. Sunshine outside and it’s a beautiful morning. I pack up Big Red and hang with everyone for a little bit before waking Chris to say my goodbyes. They all come together and we start singing the ‘do do do’ part of ‘Let it Rain’ on my way out the door. Wow, the most amazing send off I’ve ever had! Thanks again Thompson family! I hit the local coffee shop and grab a cup of fresh drip Colombian and make my way towards Denver. The wave is moving east. I’m off to see my friend Denver Chris and he has found us Colorado Rockies tickets for the afternoon game against the Washington Nationals. An easy drive down from Golden on a beautiful morning and the city of Denver shines in the sun. I get to Chris’s house in time for breakfast and it’s great to see him. We hang for a few, eat, catch up and then go get the bikes ready for a ride to the light rail that will take us downtown. A little air in the tires and we’re ready for a roll. We ride a few blocks to Chris’s friend Terry’s house, who lives by the light rail station. I meet Terry and his girlfriend Sharon. Sweet folks and a sweet little house. We put the bikes away and Chris, Terry and I head to the station. What a beautiful day, slight breeze and a few floaty clouds. We take the train downtown and get out at the mall area. We walk a few blocks and check out the scene of shops and restaurants. Chris grabs our tickets and we go to the Breckenridge Brewery for a pregame beverage. A quick wet of the whistle and then to Coors Field. Take me out to the ball game! A great day for a ball game and with peanuts and a beer we watch a great game that ends with a Rockies victory 2-1 over the Nationals! Back to the Brewery for a post game beverage and where Sharon works and then a train ride back to Terry’s house. We hang there for a bit of a wind down session and listen to some sweet vinyl, Thin Lizzy from 1975, Rory Gallagher from 1976. Awesome! A late evening bike ride home to Chris’s and a night cap while watching the fish tank end a great day! |
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An early morning with Cassady 3, Kendall 1 ½ and Scout 4 mos, Chris and Suzannah’s kids. They are so super cute and Chris and Suzannah are amazing with them. I continue to meet wonderful, kind and beautiful people and this family is certainly all of that. I am inspired. I take some time to go cruise around Golden a little bit, have a bite to eat and then head back to the house. I pick up my pieces and get ready for the evening and to head out to Denver in the morning. Chris and Suzannah and I work on the vocal for one of my songs and are all excited to go and play tonight. Sound check is at 6, so we head down to the Buffalo Rose to unload and walk in on Billy Nershi’s Blue Planet. They are just finishing as we all come in. So great to see Billy and Keith and Eric and Chris. We bust out a sound check and gear up for the night. Coral Creek, Chris’s band, kicks off the night and just sounds great. Suzannah is singing her heart out, Chris is ripping on the guitar and the horn and rhythm section are laying it down. Suzannah gets the night swinging by jumping down off the stage and getting people up and dancing. So fun! I get my spot and sing ‘Let it Rain’ and have a blast playing with the band. A great set by Coral Creek and then Billy Nershi’s Blue Planet comes and slays it. The house is dancing, jumping, smiling and having a time! Super fun to see Billy and get to hang with everyone. Sweaty, tired and grinning, we pack up the last of whatever gear and details are left from the night and make our way home. Chris and I hang and have a snack and laugh and talk and then bam, done and down and snoozing…what a great night and a great week. Thank you, thank you Chris, Suzannah, Cassady, Kendall and Scout. You are all amazing and to open your home and yourselves with such sweetness and love….wow! I look forward to seeing you all again. |
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Woke up feeling 100 percent better. My, oh my, what a sleep I had. Apparently my body said put me down for a day. Glad to be feeling better and am excited for tonight’s show at the Golden Hotel. An easy morning and then rehearsal time with Chris. We spend the late morning and early afternoon going over tunes and getting the set list ready for tonight. Late afternoon comes quickly and it’s already time to head to the hotel and get things set up. A sweet little bar and venue and I’m excited as Spencer, the bass player and Bill, the drummer come and join us. And unexpectedly, Dave, a sax player shows as well to all of a sudden put together a full band to play with. It’s been an interesting endeavor to come and put all this together without ever having met any of these folks. Chris and I have just met this week and have been phoning and emailing back and forth and I am just meeting Spencer, Dave and Bill for this show. So, there will be a little bit of winging it due to lack of rehearsal with everyone, but everyone is a really good player and we seem to keep it all together for the night and all the folks in the bar are enjoying the music. Really, really fun night. It’s great to have some pieces backing me and the room is full of sound and music. Thanks Chris, Spencer, Bill and Dave for a great night. I sell a couple of cds, which always adds to the bank and we call it a night. Lots of fun. We are done early, so we head out to another bar and have a night cap before calling it a night. Thanks again Chris for all your help and effort and friendship and hospitality. Amazing. I’m down for the night with a smile on my face. |
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Slept in, wasn't feeling well. Got up and had a cup of coffee only to return to the horizontal position and sleep all day. Whew, got hit by a bus and don't know what happened. My first bump in the road for me. Don't like being sick, who does? Am trying to pull it together enough to have a short rehearsal with Chris for tomorrow's show. Back to bed for more sleep and hope to better in the morning. |
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Up super early to be at the school by 8:30. A quick shower and breakfast and Andrew and I head to Edwards to June Creek Elementary School. Andrew has a teacher friend at the school and has set up a morning of Big Water Goes To School for us. Andrew is coming along to play a song with me for the workshop to share how things can work together and what happens when they do. We are visiting the Special Ed class, Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade today. The school is super sweet and the kids are amazing as always. The teachers are super helpful and amazing as well and the whole morning is incredible. The future is bright and these kids are the proof. The workshop goes well, even made one little dude cry after singing Dreams Do Come True. Wow. I leave feeling full and happy, despite the stomach that is keeping me queasy. Andrew and I head to his office after and have a short meeting about Yarmony Grass. Andrew is the promoter of Yarmony Grass, a festival in western Colorado that I have been a part of since its beginning 4 years ago. A good meeting and then I’m off back down to Golden for an evening of rehearsal again. Chris has a show on Saturday with his band and they are having a rehearsal tonight, so I meet Adam, mandolin, Dave, saxaphone, Jim, bass and Bill on drums. Awesome. They are all talented and I get to sit in for a second and do a couple of songs. Chris has invited me to stay and sit in for a couple of songs on Saturday nights show opening for Billy Nershi’s Blue Planet. Things go pretty smoothly and we are all excited for Saturday night. I’m still not feeling well and fighting hard to get rid of this cold and get my energy back for Friday and Saturday. I hit the Nyquil and am out…. |
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Morning comes too soon and I am definitely feeling not so good. Chris and I spend the day working on tunes and going over things. Really great to meet another passionate musician and writer. A lunch break down to the local Mexican spot and then an afternoon of more music. Things are coming together nicely. We rehearse until late afternoon and then I have to pack up and head up the mountain to the Vail area for a school gig tomorrow in Edwards, CO. The weather is funky and a little stormy as I make my way up the mountain to have dinner with my friend Andrew. I arrive early evening, battling my stomach and some queasiness and hook up with Andrew and Ian and Lauren and Ramsey for dinner. We hang for a bit and then get settled for the night. A little work and a song or two before bed and I am wiped. Not feeling good at all. |
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Sleeping in on this morning, yes. The farm is so quiet. I have a nice mellow morning and ease my way into the day. The weather is changing and snow and rain are expected and is pretty normal for Colorado any time of the year. A long shower and a quick pack leads me to breakfast where Dava shows me the breakfast burrito fixin’s and tells me to have it and make my own breakfast. Woo hoo! Farm fresh eggs and leftovers from yesterday’s brunch, yummy. After breakfast I say my thank yous and goodbyes and hit the road. A quick stop at Judd and Amber’s to say goodbye to them and then I head up the mountain and over to Carbondale and then make my way to Golden to meet my playing partner for this weeks gig, whom I have never met. Chris Thompson is a singer/songwriter as well and we have agreed to collaborate for a show on Friday at the Golden Hotel. I slide in middle afternoon and arrive in Golden on a very nice afternoon. I touch base with Chris and we meet at the local brewery. The local pale ale is out and we have a beverage and pick a little on the patio with Adam from Head for the Hills and Kyle, who I am just meeting as well. We have a short session and then head over to pick up Chris’s kids at school. His wife is out of town for the day and we tag team the little ones for dinner and bed and then get down to working on some tunes for the show on Friday. Drift off to sleep feeling tired and happy and feeling a cold coming on…. |
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Am up super early again to pack up and head out to Paonia for the day and night. I’ve never been to Paonia, a small town in central west Colorado. I’m off to play for the Mother’s Day brunch at the Fresh & Wyld Inn Farmhouse. Happy Mother’s Day to all you Moms! Another beautiful day and I arrive a little early to check out the scene. I meet Dava, the owner and have a look around. A sweet little farmhouse with mountains in the background and farm in front. I play a seating at 10 and another at 12 for a full yard of folks. The weather is so nice that brunch is outside in the yard under a huge Cottonwood tree. I play unplugged to a record number of folks for Dava. They serve their all time high number of patrons and the morning is wonderful. I sell a couple of cds and meet some folks and make some new friends and fans. My friends Amber and Judd make the early brunch and later in the day I head over to their house to see their new digs and have a quality visit. We hang for a bit, check out the garden and then have a nice and mellow bike ride through the town of Paonia. A stop at the local brewery and it puts a cap on the afternoon. We head back to the house for dinner and then I make my way back to the farmhouse for the night and to do some late night homework for an upcoming gig at the end of next week in Golden. What a wonderful weekend. Everyone has just been super great to me and I send tons of love right back to everyone. Sleep comes as the head starts to bob……… |
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Am up super early to get on the road to Grand Junction for a show this evening. I am headed to my friends Karl and Janet’s house right on the Colorado River in Palisade, CO. They have a sweet spot and have graciously agreed to host a house concert for me. The drive is a piece of cake and Big Red is running great. I arrive just after noonish and get settled in for the night and the show with a short nap in the Mothership, a 1962 huge Spartan trailer parked out in front. Awesome. A quick rest and then I am off to town to jump on the local radio, KAFM 88.1 in Grand Junction. They are always amazing to me and put me on the air almost every time I come through. I meet Todd the dj and have a great short spot. Thanks KAFM, you all rock, literally. I had a great time. Then, back to the house to get ready for the show. We are setting up everything right on the lawn by the river and slowly everyone gathers. Almost 30 folks come to support this crazy life and journey of mine and I am grateful. I play for everyone for about almost two hours as we all sit and talk and listen and watch the sun go down. Thanks to all of you who came out to enjoy an evening of music. I told stories I don’t normally tell or haven’t told in a long time. I had a lot of fun and the venue was off the hook. Thank you, thank you Karl and Janet. Big hugs to both of you. We sit by the fire for a bit, but not too late. Everyone has to be up early…. |
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Up early to call the dealership about Big Red. They are going to take a look and call me back. I’m thinking the seal on the transfer case is leaking and needs to be replaced. I take the time with no wheels to catch up on emails and some computer work. Ford calls to tell me I’m right and that they can fix it and have me up and running by the end of the day. A pretty mellow day with lots of thinking and visualizing what I am doing and where I am going. Hilary gets home from work and we have a beverage and then head down to the dealership to get Big Red. All is great and he is running like the champion he is. I grab some Chinese for dinner and then head home to hang out and catch some NBA playoffs. Hilary had a date so I am on my own. I do get a visit from the neighbor Kyle who lives downstairs and has just graduated from Weber State. Congrats Kyle. Great hang session. Hilary gets home early and we go out for a beverage and to engage the people of Ogden, Utah. Interesting place. A late night and a little rest to get ready for the wagon moving east. |
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All right, an early morning to get an early start making my way east across the desert to Salt Lake for a pit stop on my way to Grand Junction. A beautiful morning and a pretty cruisy day across the state of Nevada, the most mountainous state in the union. On the way, I notice a drip spot after pulling out from taking a pit stop and dive under the truck to see that my transfer case is leaking. It’s not a lot, but I am concerned and am just wanting to make it to Ogden where my bro Hilary lives and my stop for the night. The rest of the drive is ok while I listen to tunes from fellow singer/songwriter Chris Thompson, who I have a show with at the end of next week. Chris and I have never met, but we are using technology to share music and put together a show. We will have some rehearsal time next week, but I have never done a show like this and am excited to work with some other musicians and at this process of collaborating long distance. I’ll let you know next week how things went. Am looking forward to that one, but for now am focused on the now and getting to Ogden safely. I make it in safely and drop Big Red at the Ford dealership in Ogden to get looked at first thing in the morning. Hilary comes and picks me up and we head to Brewski’s for a beer and some hockey, NHL playoffs baby. After our hockey fix, we head to Tona’s, a local sushi place and nibble on some fish and have some sake. Wonderful, wonderful, the coconut crunch roll was fabulous! Back to the home front and an early night to stay on the rested wagon. Crossing my fingers once again that Big Red is fine and can be sorted and I can keep rolling to make my show on Saturday. I had to cancel a radio spot on Friday and bump it to Saturday and am looking forward to seeing everyone in Grand Junction. Sleepy time with dreams of letting go…. |
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Happy Cinco de Mayo todo el mundial! I’m up early again to take Big Red down to see Mike. I leave my truck and take a stroll while it is being worked on and find a place to sit and read. Haven’t read a book in a while and am reading ‘The Secret’ and working on visualizing my world. Good stuff. Mike finishes Big Red and we still have some gauge issues, but know that the radiator and thermostat are working fine. So, I thank Mike and take Big Red for a quick spin to check him out and then off to a sushi lunch at the Sushi Club. Awesome. Sake and sushi, love it. After lunch, back to the house and finish packing up the truck and getting ready for the next stretch across the desert from Reno to Salt Lake City and then on to Colorado for the next wave of shows. We spend the evening with a quick stop at CostCo for Coach to get a new phone and then we are off to visit with Steve, a friend of Coach’s, for a margarita or two. We have a great hang session with Steve, super nice guy, and then we pop out for a round out and about on this Mexican/American holiday. All I can say is ‘Viva la vida!’ ‘Long live life!’ Woo hoo and Arriba! |
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I sleep in a little bit and ease my way into my Tuesday. Am working on balancing my energy and pacing myself out for the next 5 months on the road. Mike from Pro Auto calls and tells me that Big Red needs a new radiator and a new hose for the power steering pump. I say, fix it all, I need my bro to take me around this beautiful countryside. I continue my work at the house, checking inventory, sending emails for bookings, and working on some new tunes with Audrey. Coach is out playing a two day event and I wait for Mike to call and Coach to finish. Mike calls and says that Big Red is ready. What a great mechanic. He tells me that the belt needed replaced, so he did and charges me for just the parts. He tells me Big Red is running on 7 of 8 cylinders and changes the spark plug for me and charges me only for the part. He gives me the thumbs up and Coach comes home to get me and we go pick up Big Red. I take BR on a run up the mountain to test him out and go have dinner with my friends Milt, Robyn, Marc and Damara in Truckee. I stop at the Big Water Grille in Incline Village on the way to meet the owner, John and try to set up a gig in July. A super nice guy, I leave some music and we agree to make something happen in July. A great evening, dinner, conversation and then head back to Reno for the night. My gauge is still moving and I call Mike to make arrangements to come back in tomorrow morning to change the thermostat and see if that is the problem…the saga continues…. |
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I’m up early to take Big Red down to Pro Auto in Reno and see Mike to get him looked at. My temperature gauge has been going crazy and I want to make sure that we are good to roll east across the desert towards Colorado. I drop off Big Red with Mike, a super sweet guy, and then drop off the Coach at the golf course so he can play and then head home to get to work on continuing to keep this wagon organized. I spend the day doing laundry and sorting through all of my inventory and paperwork. It sure takes a lot to get to play music for a couple of hours for people and myself. I pick up the Coach at the end of the day after a blustery blowing windy one and we stop to see his friend Dominique for a quick beverage and then home for the night. No news on Big Red until tomorrow, crossing my fingers….and having lots of faith that things will work out. |
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Sleepy Sunday morning. A great slow day again. I spend the day continuing to organize my stuff, making phone calls and doing some work on the internet, watch a little golf and hockey, have a great Rib Eye dinner and wind down the evening with a movie. Chill, chill, chill. Getting ready for the next wave coming this week as I move east into Colorado. Colorado here I come, woo hoo!! |
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Sleep in on this morning and have a slow day just chillaxing and getting ready to play some tunes this evening. A beautiful spring day. I empty out the back of Big Red to start to go through everything and keep it organized. Coach is joining me for my gig tonight and we pack up a little early to take a drive up to Virginia City and check it out. Really cool old west town. We’re scouting out some of the bars to possibly play in. The drive takes us up the mountain and then back down to Carson City to the Plan B Micro Lounge. We arrive and meet the owner Scott and walk into one of the coolest little lounges I’ve ever played. Oliver is there to help dial the sound, we set up the ‘Merch Table of SuperBadness’ and then I have it and have a great time playing at this place. The room is super cool and the sound is incredible. I sing my heart out and make some new friends and fans. Super fun. Thanks Scott for a great night. |
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Am up early after a great night in Tahoe City. So great to see so many old friends all come out and fill the house. Strong showing and I thank you very much for the support. Really great to be around you all again. This morning I am off to Incline Village High School to go and play for and talk with the senior class. They have an enrichment program that I have been invited to be a part of by my friend Milt, who teaches at the school. Milt and I have been friends for 20+ years and he has recently been given a teaching award given to only 3 teachers in the country every year. Congrats Milt. So Big Water Goes To School enters the high school for the first time. We have a great short session and I don't get eaten alive. These kids are very sweet, respectful and treat me great. It's awesome to get to speak to people getting ready to go out into the world about finding your passion, the importance of writing and what it means to give back to the world. Wow, wonderful way to spend a morning. The day is absolutely gorgeous after a few days of winter storming. I have lunch with Milt and then take my time heading back down to Reno for the night and a show in Carson City tomorrow. Sushi dinner and I'm toast.... |
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I sleep in on this morning after a great late birthday night. But, the wave keeps moving and today is gig day up in Tahoe City. I gather my things and head up the mountain to Truckee to meet my friend Scott for some sushi lunch. We have a great late lunch and then I head to Tahoe City to prep for my gig. A quick stop in town to meet my friend Shadar for a quick beer and then a stop to help Scott move a couch and a chair and then to Bill & Kelly's to shower and prep. I make my way down to the Blue Agave in Tahoe City and get things set up. The 'Merch Table Of SuperBadness' takes a few to put together. A short sound check and it's time for a night. What a great turnout! So many old friends. I haven't had a gig in my home spot for 8 years and everyone comes out to rally in full force and it's a great night with a full house of Big Water fans. Thanks to you all. Much love back to you for coming out and hanging and having fun with me. Big Water back in Big Water, sweet! |
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Back in Tahoe, back to winter! Woke up to a sweet spring snow storm. A great day to get caught up on things after being away for a few days. Working on emails, booking and continuing to organize the rest of the summer. A load of laundry and a guitar lesson for Ellis, Bill and Kelly's son who is home sick for the day. I leave early afternoon to head down to Reno. My friend Brett has his birthday today and I'm driving down the mountain to join him for dinner and the evening. We have a suite at the Grand Sierra and gather for cocktails and hook up with our friend Brian. Dinner at Charlie Palmer's steak house and then into the casino. I'm not a gambler, but I learn how to play craps and enjoy the game. Happy Birthday Coach! |
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Stormy, stormy morning. I wake up in Squaw Valley to winter, again. Winds were blowing 150 mph last night and the snow is blowing sideways. A slow and working morning. Phone calls and emails to keep this wagon moving. Am working on booking a week with my band in June and July and things are coming together. Started the ball rolling towards making my next record and am trying to wrap my brain around all of that. A constructive day and lose track of time from just focusing on what I am doing. I take off early evening to my friends Bill and Kelly's for the night. Wonderful to see them as always. Their kids Ellis and Chaney are hanging and we have a nice evening just chilling and making paper airplanes. I get a little more work done and then head to bed, sleepy time.... |
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Happy birthday Mom! Monday morning comes early. I'm curled up tight with Wilson as we peak out to greet the morning air as it is greeting us. It's travel day and we pack up our stuff, clean up the site, say our goodbyes and head out down the road to civilization. The morning is stellar and the drive is just beautiful. We take our time getting back to Red Bluff to pick up Big Red. Sad to leave Missouri Bar and come back to the world. The wave keeps rolling and the river keeps running. Am headed to Tahoe for a few days and a show on Thursday. The drive from Red Bluff to Tahoe is beautiful through the olive groves and almond trees of the central valley and then up into the foothills to Donner Pass and home to Tahoe. Big Water returns to Big Water. I stop in Squaw Valley for the night to visit with my friend Kathleen. Beers and sushi and lots of laughing. |
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Up before the sun comes up and again a session with the percolator. So peaceful in the morning with cool, crispy air and the birds all chirping. We are scheduled to leave today and head back to Red Bluff for the night, but change our plans and make a decision to stay and leave on Monday morning. The day is spent exploring the whole area from boundary to boundary and then some. We take a short walk up the hill to look at a couple of the creeks coming down into the property to see about tapping into them for water. We discuss the sun patterns and the wind patterns and continue to be realistic in the conversation about what makes sense. We are thinking short term, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years and 20 years with our plans and really feel like this is truly an incredible opportunity to create something really unique and special. We have dinner with Mike and Gogie and then head back down to the river for another fire and to camp out by the water tonight. The sun has set and the night comes on with the moon leading the way. I am up long after Howard has settled in the back of his truck and tend the fire I have lit. The river just runs and runs. The noise is mesmerizing, the fire warm and the night so calm and quiet. I find a huge rock to lay out on, check on the fire and curl up with Wilson to keep me warm for the night. Dreamland is here, this place, this time...... |
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Up early today after going to bed early last night. Another coffee morning with great coffee from great water and that old school percolator. We ease our way into the day with another stroll around the property to plot, plan and dream. The conversation continues good ideas are coming in. We take some time to look at the water situation and how to upgrade the volume and pressure of what is coming down from the creeks. We take a look at the water line and have to do a couple of repairs and get a really good idea of what needs to be done to get water to the property. Initially we are working on the simple necessities that it would take to get this up and running. Along with the huge amounts of work to get some basics and some buildings, the potential continues to have more and more value. We spend the afternoon down by the river building a couple of fire pits right next to the river and get ready to cook out and hang out by the river this evening. The day comes to a close and the moon lights the evening. We cook up some grub, potatoes in the fire, a couple of quesadillas and then the highlght, bacon on a stick. Yep, bacon on a stick roasted over the fire is out of sight. Some cold Newcastles that have been chilling in the river and we put a great cap on this day! Happy birthday to my dad! |
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I slept fabulously! Super hard and snoozy. I awake to coffee from an old school percolator with Howard and Mike and Gogie, the caretakers of Missouri Bar. A clear, cool and crispy spring morning. A nice slow morning pace and we are out walking and talking around the property so I can see what this is all about. This used to be an old gold mine since 1853 and now has just been worked over by the process. It is super rocky, but the rocks are clean and have been sorted and washed looking for gold. There are some great trees and a huge meadow with a pond at the end and enough room to put a small town. The conversation is what is realistic and practical to do with this land. We spend the day talking infrastructure, water, power, green, renewable energy and sustainable farming. The potential is incredible and the job is overwhelming. But, a dream come true to build a place from scratch that coexists with its surroundings and sustains itself. Bed comes early and the brain is swirling with thoughts of Big Water Base Camp.... |
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Happy Earth Day everyone! Am up early to pack and hit the road. I'm off to Oakland first to see my friend Lisa B and have some coffee and catch up. Great to see you Lisa B. Great lady, great conversation. After a quick hit and run session with Lisa, I am off for a weekend north and off the grid. My friend Howard has 20 acres off the grid surrounded by National Forest land in Northern California. We're off to go and begin the discussion of what to do with such a piece of land. I drive to Red Bluff and hook up with Howie. We drop Big Red at his uncle's house and head north to Missouri Bar, a sweet spot on the South Fork Salmon River. We make it to Weed and then head west up into the mountains. 2 hours later up over the pass and following the river, we arrive at Missouri Bar, an old gold mine that we are looking at making a reclamation project out of. It is definitely off the grid and remote. The river runs right through the property and is just beautiful. We arrive late in the afternoon and don't get to look around too much. A long day of travel and plans of scouting the zone out tomorrow. Head is swirling with dreams and dreams and dreams... |
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Milestone day!! Big Red has rolled over 225,000 miles!! I got him as a pup with only 26 miles on him in 1993. Now, 17 years later and 225,000 miles further, he is still my bestest friend and am super proud of the champion of champions. We spend the day up early to head over the Golden Gate to Marin County to have some coffee with my friend Ryan who did my t shirts for me. Coffee is awesome and seeing Ryan is always a treat. We catch up and after, I head up to the top of Mt Tamalpais with Big Red. We spend some quality time just being up there on the ridge line and looking at the Pacific Ocean. An afternoon of cleaning up and getting ready for tonight's tv appearance. I'm performing on the Bruce Latimer Show, a live music cable tv show and has been on for a very long time. It will be my 4th time on the show and it's really fun to do. The show goes out live without commercials from the community television channel in Pacifica, CA. A great show and lots of laughs. Great to see Bruce again and I get to meet Patrick Campbell-Lyons who put together a band called Nirvana back in the '60's and is the other guest on the show. Thanks again for having me. Am off to pack and ready for tomorrow's trip to off the grid land... |
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Am up early to work on the computer, drink coffee and hang out with Mr Wilson. We take a great morning stroll together and I try to look at the world through the eyes of a dog. A wonderful slow morning pace and then back to the pad to get back to work. Drew Carey and the Price is Right in the background and the morning is complete. The day is spent in dialogue and debate and plans are being made to check out some land over the weekend for a new Big Water Base Camp that would be a music venue/workshop/retreat/educational self sustaining farm. We'll see. Plotting and planning through the eyes of a dog.... |
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Another beautiful morning? Yep, it is. I have plans to meet Julia and Craig, more old friends. They live over by Golden Gate Park. We meet and walk down towards the beach for a brunch spot and a hang session. Great to catch up and see them both. A very mellow typical Sunday with amazing weather and wonderful company. A beautiful sunset by the water and an early sleep. |
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Another beautiful morning in SF. I had a great time at the house party I played at last night. Thanks Teddy and Samantha for hosting the pardoo. Thanks to John McGaraghan and his brother Mike for playing as well. Awesome. Sweet songs by both of these guys! I enjoy a sunny morning with Blue, Melissa and Jackson. I have a pick on the guitar and read some stories to Jackson. The day is fantastic and I head to the Marina zone of SF and find Howard to head out and go sailing on the Swoosh! An amazing afternoon getting a sailing lesson and wandering out under the Golden Gate Bridge into the Pacific Ocean. A wonderful day for sailing, sunny with calmy waters and a great breeze. A little apres sail at the SF Yacht Club, and I feel like a king. What a great day! Thanks Howie! |
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A mid morning rise and it's gig day. I pack and organize my inventory, do my set list, pick on Audrey for a bit and head down to Menlo Park mid afternoon. I'm off for a house party hosted by Teddy and Samantha Underwood. I met Teddy and Sam at Yarmony Grass last year and we have kept in touch since. I find the house easily and it is a blue bird afternoon. Just beautiful. They have a sweet patio out back with lots of chairs for folks, ping pong table and the grill is rolling. A nice evening with some sweet folks. I share the night with fellow singer/songwriter John Mc Garaghan, www.johnmcg.com, and we have fun trading sets and getting everyone going. Everyone is very supportive and the evening is smooth, fun and easy. Thanks Teddy and Sam for hosting and opening your house for us all. Many thanks to all who came out and hung out and listened to some tunes and did a keg stand. Sleep comes easy... |
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I'm up early to a charging Jackson waking up and saying good morning. Cute, so cute. I'm not feeling so great today and take the opportunity to rest and regroup my energies. A very chill day and some quality time with jackson after preschool and a chicken stir fry dinner to end the day. No pics today, sorry. |
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Wake up in the city, get a little work done and then walk down to the coffee shop with Howie and Wilson for some joe. A beautiful SF morning, cool and sunny. We take a short walk and head back to Howie's. I do a little more work, trying to book a week with a band coming up, and have lunch before heading out to San Bruno to go and spend some time with Blue, Melissa and Jackson. A great cruise down the coast through the Presidio and down the Great Highway and over to San Bruno. The afternoon is breezy and nice and I kick it with Blue for a bit before Melissa and little Jackson get home. We have a really nice dinner at a Mexican Bistro and then home to just hang and catch up. Always good to see old friends... |
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A clear and cold morning to drive from Reno to San Francisco. I head up the Mount Rose Highway and over the summit. It's full winter up there with everything covered in a lot of snow still. I'm on my way to SF, but am making a run through the north shore of Lake Tahoe to put out posters for an upcoming show at the end of the month. A gorgeous day and Big Water is glad to see Big Water. I stop at the local radio in Truckee and drop off some tunes and info for the show as well. Then, up over Donner Pass on I - 80 and on down to the city. Off to see my buds Howard and Wilson and hang for the night. A beautiful afternoon down on the Marina and it's great to be back in SF. Love it! What a great city. I mean a great city. I've got a show on Friday and some quality time with friends and family here. A fabulous dinner and lots of laughing... |
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A blustery morning with snow on the pass over the I - 80 to San Fran, keeps me here in Reno one more day. So, the day is spent continuing to recharge and catch up on emails, plans, taxes and the rest of the real fun business stuff that keeps me rolling. A pretty dull day, slow moving and cruisy, but I do get a lot done. The best part of the day is dinner with Coach and yes, you might have guessed it, Sushi! I swear Reno is a hub for great sushi if you know where to go. Late night pack up and getting ready to head to San Francisco to see my bud Howard. Look out city, here comes the Big Water wave.......... |
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Up early again to throw on the coffee and start a great Sunday. I continue to work and organize my business world and then have a kick ass brunch with Coach while watching the beginning of the final round of the Masters. I bing bop between work and golf and work and golf while watching these awesome golfers pursue the prize of Masters Champion and a green jacket as I pursue my own championship. A great day of golf, a great day of work. Pretty mellow on this Sunday and slowly feeling like I'm getting on top of things. Got to keep plugging away. Dreams do come true, but we need to make them happen with movement and action and thought. Keep at it people........woo hoo! |
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Am up early again and throw on the coffee to start my day. A relaxed schedule today as I am on my own until the evening when Brett gets back. A cruisy morning catching up on emails and plans with some Masters golf thrown in. I take a mid day break and head for lunch. Yep, sushi lunch. This time I head to one of my favorite spots, The Sushi Club. Lunch was fantastic and the fish is so good. I hit the store for a couple of things I need and then head back to the house to keep getting things in order. Am grass roots here and print all of my 3 cds and have to cut out the jackets and fold and glue them and assemble my merch. Today is inventory day and am working to keep track of all of this. So far, things have gone well and the response has been wonderful. I also do all the booking and spend the afternoon working on routes and contacts. 'Pending Land' is never sorted and always moving like the wave. Sometimes hard to stay up and surf in 'Pending Land', but I'm giving it my all. I get some TV time and watch the Masters, the college hockey national championship and a movie while working. A slow afternoon and evening until Brett gets home late and tells me of his trip over a night cap to end the day. |
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A late morning for once and I enjoy the time moving slower. Today is a day to regroup and reorganize all my info and inventory and stuff. Am trying to stay on top of all my merch and business as well as my clothes and daily stuff. Spend the morning doing laundry and getting ready for sushi lunch! Sushi is one of my favorite eating experiences and I am in the 'All you can eat sushi' capital of the world. Quite ridiculous really, $25 for lunch, $35 for dinner with sake and a tip and you get to sit there for as long as you can take. I've learned not to over eat at this point and have an incredible lunch. Sushi is always on the schedule when I come through Reno. Today was Sushi Pier 2 and the fish was awesome. There are many places that have all you can eat and they are all good. My bud Brett is gone for the night on business and I have the house to myself to work on stuff and unwind. A big deal when you're out on the road. I have a smooth evening and fall asleep early, grateful for all that I have. |
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Another beautiful morning and am up early to pack it up again and head west. Thanks for the pit stop Hilary. It's about 8 to 9 hours across the desert from Salt Lake City to Reno. The day is a great travel day and the desert is incredible as always. I love the desert. I spend the day thinking about how it would have been coming across in a covered wagon and how long that would have taken and hard that must have been. My Big Red wagon rolls across the desert and slices this trip in 8 hours. I had fun racing trains and always enjoy the time to think and listen to the wind. I pull into Reno in the afternoon and the weather is stellar. So great to be back in the Tahoe zone. I'm here for a pit stop with the Coach, my buddy Brett. We have a quick unwind and then head out to catch a baseball game downtown Reno. The Reno Aces, the Arizona Diamondbacks minor league team, have their home opener tonight and we just happen to have tickets. Super fun to catch a game. A sweet new stadium right downtown that seems to be helping to revitalize the downtown zone. Woo hoo! Aces 5, Fresno 4 in 12 innings. A great opener and a great way to come home. |
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A bluebird morning, this morning after a few days of storms and snow. Super hard to leave on such a beautiful morning, but I've had a fantastic Montana run this time around. Thanks to all my support group here. But, the wave keeps moving and is never really still. Today I'm off to S Ogden for the night and a pit stop with my bro Hilary on my way west to San Francisco. An amazing sunny day with everything covered white as I pass through West Yellowstone and into Idaho. The day is easy and the ride smooth. Big Red is such a champ and is running great. I pull into S Ogden in the middle of the afternoon and unwind all the way to dinner for Hilary's birthday. A fun dinner with Hilary, Shelly, Coco and Kyle. Great food, great people. Tomorrow am moving on to Reno. |
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Well, I decided to stay in Montana for a couple of extra days and wow, what a great decision. It has been a grand and interesting beginning to this tour and I needed some time to keep cleaning my brain and body and spirit and soul. New snow the last two days have made it a hoop and holler to go out and ski some powder. I have taught skiing for 20 years and it is definitely part of my being and who I am. The mountain, the universe and me. Time to regroup and ready for the next phase/wave to Northern California. Am meeting with the band boys this evening to discuss the next move...watch out y'all....??!! |
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Morning brings a socked in mountain with fresh snow on it. Harper is on his way back to Colorado and decides to stay for a morning run with us up to the top of Lone Peak and down through the North Summit Snowfield at Moonlight Basin. We get everyone together and head up the mountain. Two chair rides and we’re on the top of the ridge line between Big Sky and Moonlight Basin and make our way around to the tram that will take us to the top of Lone Peak at 11, 175? Ft. We ride the beer can tram to the top and hike up to the sign out shack where the ski patrol monitor the snow field from. Pat, Dave, Don, Curly and me head out around the back side of the mountain into a white out. The vertigo is intense and you have to totally ski by feel. The rocks down the sides of the chutes help define a little, but still its all white. Wow, some amazing skiing back there and we all make it down in one piece. I decided to take a day for myself and clean out the webs in my brain for the next wave. Trying to rap my head around spending more time in Bozeman to work on this band thing. Meeting everyone tomorrow to discuss the situation. Dinner is with Pat and Dave and the National Championship! |
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Am up early again and have an idea to call Michelle at Moonlight Basin to see if they might want some Big Water soul-o music today for the awards ceremony of the Headwaters Spring Run Off. She calls back and says yes and I make a run to the mountain. I grab my gear and get to run around for a quick hour and a half and then head to the lodge for some tunes to share with all these competitors and their fans. Another great time is had by all. No injuries and more competitors than ever. Another successful year for the Spring Run Off. An evening gig is canceled after an executive decision is made to not put myself somewhere I don’t want to be as an artist. The night ends with a wonderful sushi dinner with my great friends Dave and Pat and a late cameo by the man, the myth, the legend, Don Harper. |
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Wake up to snow covered streets in Bozeman. Today is the 5th Annual Moonlight Basin Headwaters Spring Run Off, a hiking and riding competition. I pack up to take the 1 hour drive up to Big Sky and am excited to play today and add drums, bass and lead guitar for today’s show. A beautiful day, but stormy on the mountain top with 70 mile an hour winds and only the hike portion of the competition gets completed. We still set it all up and proceed to have a throw down and get more people dancing than I ever have. Many, many thanks to Aaron Archer on bass, Kyle Nichols on drums and Kent Johnson on lead guitar. Really fun to play with a band again. We all had a great time and these guys rocked it. There was definitely some special energy flowing around everyone. The night ends just chillaxing and watching it snow. |
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Woke up early to get some things sorted for the day. On the drive yesterday, Big Red was telling me something was wrong with the power steering. I unpack some things I need for the day and take Big Red for a maintenance check up. Oil change, lube, balance and rotated tires, fixed a nail hole in the tire, alignment and new power steering lines, seals and pump. Thanks Ty and the boys at the Quick Service at Bozeman Ford! Big Red and I are tight and he has always let me know when he needs something. Took care of some business, booking, promo, and got lots of rest. Evening is a gig at Norris Hot Springs, 30 miles from Bozeman out toward the Ennis Valley. It is a strange place to play, ‘the bubble’, a dome that sits right next to the soaking pool. The pool is full and I have a lot of fun as always playing for a captive audience soaking in a hot spring pool. Back to Bozeman for the night. |
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Got in late from my gig at The Hog Wallow. Thanks to you all who came out to say hey last night. Up early to return sound and then pack it up again and hit the road back up to Montana for a 3 day weekend swing. A pretty uneventful drive, but beautiful scenery. Got into Bozeman and had a sweet dinner waiting. My bud Storm grilled up some bison steaks with a great salad to give me some much needed energy for an evening of rehearsal with some boys here in Bozeman. I spent the evening with Aaron, Kyle and Kent adding bass, drums and lead guitar to my songs for a gig on Saturday up at Moonlight Basin. Wow, what a great rehearsal with these guys. Really fun. Got home to get rested for a long weekend. |
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I awoke from a dream and found myself in Utah. An early morning drive from Ogden, where I am staying, to Park City, where I am headed to see an old friend that is here with his family for Spring Break. I've known my friend Todd since 7th grade, an old ski buddy and an anchorman for ABC down in Miami. I spend the day with him and his wife Karen, their friends Rich, Lisi and Loraine. Tough day on the mountain with super icy conditions and 70 mph winds that shut down the top of the mountain. I am in the area for a gig at The Hog Wallow in Salt Lake City and my friends happened to be here. So, I make a point of spending time with them. Friends are important, especially old ones. We have a great day with lots of laughter. Thanks Todd and Karen. |
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A Montana morning in Bozeman. Am all packed and rolling onto the next phase of this road trip. Spent the day driving to Salt Lake City. A pretty painless trip except for the white knuckle part through West Yellowstone. A nice drive to look at the scenery, clear the head, thinking and letting go of things I don't want to carry anymore. A cruise across the potato desert in Idaho can do that. Got to Salt Lake and had a mellow night with some dinner and working on catching up on more bookings and brain drops after having been out of internet zone for a couple of days. Hope your Monday was good as well. |
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Up and out to say goodbye and thank you to the Schottenfelds for a tremendous week. Fun was certainly had by all and I am a better person for knowing all of these folks. Thank you Rick, Robin, Michael, Jason and Max Schottenfeld and Dennis, Carrie, Daniel, Allison, Liza and Jonathon. And Michael Seale, Daniel, Ryan and Hilary. Wow, what a whirlwind week. Off to Bozeman this evening for a rehearsal with Aaron and Kyle, bass and drums for a gig coming up on the next weekend. Really fun night of music and jamming with these guys. It's gonna be a good gig! |
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My last day training day and hanging with the Schottenfeld and the Gross family. A morning of skiing and plotting and planning a scavenger hunt for the whole group. We hide clues all over the mountain and split up into two teams. Everyone scours the mountain looking for clues that lead everyone right back to the lodge and to the bar for a celebratory beverage of choice. An incredible week comes to a conclusion with a group dinner and awards for everyone for their accomplishments this week. A truly amazing group of people. I am changed and better. Thank you to you all. Go Team Human, go!! |
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Woo hoo! As my week with the Schottenfeld's works its way to an ending, we all have a breakthrough day! I spend the morning with Max, who conquers the hardest blue run on the mountain and earns Blue Square Champion award. Next, I take Robin for a couple of back to back runs up in the Headwaters and she slays it and conquers the mountain. A great lunch and then spend the afternoon riding with Rick and cruising around the mountain. The evening ends with a fantastic dinner up on the mountain in a yurt. We take a snow cat ride up and have a wonderful family style dinner with a guest appearance by me playing some tunes and an unexpected visit from our great friend Hilary Larkin. A great end to a great day! |
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A good day to you all from Big Water, Audrey and Big Red! Still in Montana and in training. Spent the morning with my training partner, Max. A beautiful day to work hard on getting this body in shape, letting my spirit soar and cleansing my soul. Switched it up in the afternoon and went bump training with Robin and Michael as we watched the next storm come in and bring us more snow. I had an intense hoop session at the end of the day with my friend Michael. Haven't been in to a gym to shoot hoops for a long time. It is March madness!! Finished off the day with a great dinner with the Gross's and the Schottenfelds. Amazing group of people and a really great day!! |
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A bluebird day! So amazingly beautiful here. I have been here many times and always am in wonder by these mountains here. Snow was fabulous. Spent the morning with my friends Dan, Ryan, Michael, Jason, Daniel, Jonathon, Allison and Liza doing some videoing around the mountain. Skied with my friends Robin and Rick in the afternoon and then learned how to pan vodka during the apres ski hour. Wow, that was a smacker. Got to see some friends in town from Ohio, Chris, Nikki, Christian, Jack and Matthew. All in all, had an amazing day with some amazing people. I love Montana. |
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A snowy day in Montana despite it being Spring. It was a gorgeous and great skiing day! Training continues and my body is feeling better by the day as I am still preparing to be on the road for six months, whew. But skiing is one of my favorite ways of training. I have a training partner, my man Max. He's a shredder and we are teaching and training each other. Had a mellow evening hanging with my friend Michael Seale. It's really good to be back in Montana! |
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Wow, Spring is here! Happy Spring everyone. Well, the Big Water Soul-O tour 2010 was kicked off in fine fashion! Thanks to the Timbers and all those who stopped by for a beverage and some music. Montana is truly beautiful, amazing and magic. I am a long time ski instructor and spent my morning with my client, 6 year old Max. The afternoon brought on the kick off show and all went well. Thanks Storm for coming up and recording the show. I had a lovely dinner with some great people and am gearing up for a great week of skiing and training with the Schottenfelds from NYC. Life is short and life is long, enjoy every moment......... |
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