The Road that was.

Well settled back into an Irish day here in BG. Yesterday was around 70 degrees and gorgeous, so I convinced everyone in the department to eschew the weekly happy hour at the sports bar come down to the house and do cookout on the back porch. Spring is the time to do, I suspect that with all the perennially damp rocks of the back of the porch that soon the misquotes will soon be unbearable.

Adult are fun, they bring stuff when they come to your house, there was as much food as there was beer, conversation and laughter. And everybody cleaned up before they left.

But I'm digressing here (and honestly this shouldn't have come as such a surprise) I wanted to talk about the tour. It's good to be home, back with mrs. and that renewed sense of vigor that comes anytime to ridiculously enamored people spend time apart. But it also felt SO GOOD to be back on the road, there were moments of pure euphoria that hit me in the most mundane spots 2AM approaching the Delaware Water Gap, on 95 north, or the Garden State Parkway. I just love it, the alone time, and when it ends with a successful gig so much the better.

Tuesday
The story begins Tuesday I suppose, drove up to Trenton to Jimmy and Maggie's to run through stuff with Maggie, LisaBeth Weber and Antje. The thinking was this: since we all know each other's music we would work out vocal parts and stuff and play together on it. So weeks ago we traded CDs and did some homework. Not surprisingly, for songwriters that is, both girls had new tunes that they wanted to do. Antje had to be out early the next day for a lunch date with Gene Shay so we only had the night and a couple of hours the next day to get it together. In that time we managed to work out 18 songs!

Wednesday
Of course, being a gig day, it rained and rained and rained. Still turnout was good and Kyler England -our opener- was great. It was good to Jesse again. Gene Shay and his wife came to teh show along with Patti Shea, Deirdre Flint, and Larry Goldfarb. we stumbled on some stuff of course, but I think there was great value in not practicing too much. Were we to do it again (and we might) I wouldn't change a thing.

Here's the Set list: (the author is in italics)
Everygreens LisaBeth
Fly Around myself
Pearls Antje
Moonshiner myself
Homegoing LisaBeth
Paper Fleet Antje
52 Vincent myself
Oyster LisaBeth
Judas Antje
Lousy Boy myself
Biko/Geronimo LisaBeth/Antje
Dublin Boys Antje
Murderer Antje
Folksongs myself
Oh My My LisaBeth
the Landlady Song Antje
Joan's Ark myself
Hard Times myself

encore
Front Porch LisaBeth

Thursday
I jokingly posted to a Folk List a few weeks ago that to be a singer/songwriter is to know the sound of one hand clapping. But in Providence, no hands were clapping. It was a houses concert and no one was there. I'm not really surprised, I've never been to Providence for anything, ever. And as I learned there was an awful lot going on. I decided, rather than just plow through some pointless semblance of a show, to just get everyone to sit in a circle and play songs. Well, I am SO GLAD I did, everyone was great, even Joe. the guys who was there to sell CDs and collect at the door, had wonderful songs that I would have never ever heard if there had even been two people there.

I'm chagrinned to say this, but it's been a long, long time since I've heard good songwriting in person. thank you Greg, Chuck and Joe.

And special thanks to Greg and Debbie for putting me up in their beautiful home.

Friday
The Minstrel is consistently one of my favorite places to play. ANd why not, they have a well developed crowd of regulars, 30 years of history, consistently great acts, and the coolest door policy anywhere. This time Mike Agranoff the booker, and musician in his own right, set me up with the Canadian band Tanglefoot, they were GREAT! the places was packed, literally standing room only. and for good reason, Tangelfoot play traditional Canadian folk music, but the rock like Metallica with killer 5 part harmonies. totally worth it just to see 'em play. That I had a great show on top of it is just gravy.

Afterwards drove out to the Poconos to see my sister-I-never-had Carolyn (we share the same birthday) arrived late, like 2AM sat up till like 5AM listening to CDs and talking. One of the great things about touring is seeing dear friends, whose lives are as busy as mine and thus making getting together harder and harder.

Well I'm on the topic I am thrilled that I got the chance to catch up with Dani, Mary, Renee, James, Kelly, Patti, Deirdre, and the Front Porch-ers even if it was just for dinner, drinks or even less.

Saturday
Talk to me for like four seconds and I'll tell you that the Postcrypt is my favorite place to play. Still is, still is, good times got to see Matt and Fabian, some old friends and some folks who've been on this list a long time and are just now getting to see a show, That, is especially rewarding. In bed a 2am and up again at 6am for the 13hour drive back to Kentucky. Am I nuts? probably. Do it again? yes. today.

Thanks to all of you who made this such a wonderful experience for me.

cy-a out there soon enough.

-Br