Onward To Yesterday!

The new CD is scheduled for release in June 2009. It's called Onward To Yesterday. The track listing/order is set, and recording is under way. The initial release will be a special edition thing I'm putting together; more on that later. And I'll be posting a track or two before the disc comes out as well. For now, here's the CD cover art.

Ernie's Club Hong Kong.

On Wednesdays, there's an open jam at Ernie's Club Hong Kong on Main Street in Plymouth. I've been a few times. It's not like the other open mikes in the area, where a performer will get up and do their own thing for fifteen minutes or whatever. This one is a continuous jam with rotating personnel; players just work their way in by taking over an instrument for a while. Lots of people end up playing a few different instruments over the course of the night. Bill Joiner is the man who holds it together, and he's a very good drummer.

Ernie's Club Hong Kong has bands on Thursdays, and (Who Are The) Brain Police will be taking the stage there on May 7.

This Wednesday I've got an open mike of my own to host, down at Shooter's Tavern in Belmont. It'll be nice to get back there; I haven't played Shooter's in over a month, I think! After that, I might drop in at Ernie's to see what's going on.

The Country Cow.

Thursdays mean two things at The Country Cow in Campton: live music, and pizza. I was the performer this past Thursday, and the show went well. I had a nice full house to play to for most of the night. And I got myself a 'cowaiian' pizza that I simply must show you. Check this bad boy out. It was dinner and then breakfast the next day. So good.

Seven Barrel.

Tonight I'm playing with (Who Are The) Brain Police at the Seven Barrel Brewery in West Lebanon, NH. The show starts at 10pm. Our bass player (Billy Thunder) is unable to attend this evening, so I will be slinging the bass over my shoulder tonight. It's been a while since I've done a bass gig. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Last night at the Country Cow was a pretty good night. I played to an unusually large crowd, and they dug it well enough. Thursday is pizza night at the Cow, and their Hawaiian pizza was my dinner last night and my lunch today. SO good. You should definitely check 'em out. Next Thursday, Lee Prince is playing there. I haven't set up another show there yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Three shows.

Tonight is a solo show at The Country Cow in Campton, NH. It seems like forever since I played a solo show. Was the last one really in Swannanoa, North Carolina? I think so! Well, I'm looking forward to tonight for sure. I'll be starting around 7pm, and finishing up around 10.

Tomorrow I'm playing with (Who Are The) Brain Police at the Seven Barrel Brewery in West Lebanon. And Saturday is a show with No Limitz at The Crazy Gringo right on the strip at Weirs Beach.

Sunday is a trip to Funspot, 'cause Monday is my 40th birthday. Going to the arcade for my birthday isn't a matter of reclaiming my youth or anything; it's just something I'd normally enjoy on a day off. Plus, my kids thought of it, and it's a fine idea.

Kingdom of Loathing.

There's a silly online game called Kingdom Of Loathing that I play now and then. I signed on pretty early, and what do you know, it was five years ago today that I made my character. So, it's my KoLiversary. Whee!

If you like text-based games (and booze), you might get a kick out of it. My guy's name is Dorkus. Say hi sometime!

Back to work.

Y'know, it's nice to be home. I had SUCH a good time on the road, and I'm already trying to figure out when I can do it again. But it's nice to be back in New Hampshire. Especially since most of the snow decided to disappear in my absence.

Tonight is my first show back in the Granite State. The Jim Tyrrell Trio is going down to Dover to play at The Brick House. It's a double bill with Johnny Doogan, a fun trio that has a great body of original material about robots and fun stuff. My trio will be doing a few songs from the upcoming CD (which I hope to have ready for summer).

The CD is turning into a more ambitious project than any disc I've done before. Which is the way it should be, I suppose. At least at my level; there's still plenty of room for additional ambition, it's safe to say. Anyway, I'll be pretty proud of the results if it goes the way I intend it to. Details can be found right here as the project progresses.

The tour ends.

I'm back home now. I had less time for blogging than I thought I would, so let me get you caught up on things now.

Thursday was a rainy day, but it let up in time for the load-in at The Beacon Pub in Swannanoa. I set up the congas for this show as well, but I didn't put a mike on them. They were plenty loud enough with the smaller PA system I use. The crowd was very nice, and I played a lot of requests. The show had been advertised as heavy on the drinking songs, so I did more of those than I thought I'd be doing. They were happy to have me, and I should be able to play there again if I find my way back to Asheville. I don't have photos from the show on my camera, but I know a few were taken, so I'll post 'em if I get 'em.

There's a lot more to be said about the week I spent down there, and I'll probably highlight a few of the fun things I did in future blog posts. The important thing for you to know is that I had the BEST BACON I HAVE EVER EATEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE at the Tupelo Honey Cafe.

I left Asheville on Saturday, intending to drive through the night as much as I could. I ended up stopping three times to sleep, and I wasn't really lucid enough to feel good about driving until the sun came back up. Then I was in the zone. I got to Plymouth NH around 4pm Sunday. Plenty of time to unpack, do the road laundry, and get a good night's sleep. I'm more or less back on my normal schedule this Monday morning. And I'm already thinking about where to go next. Suggestions welcome. :)

The tour continues.

Tuesday's show at The Rocket Club was good, but a little bit of a surprise. The other band (Pete and J) couldn't make the show due to a blown transmission. So all of a sudden I was on the hook to play the entire night. Not too big a deal, I play full shows often. But I was a little nervous doing it in a new venue.

Fortunately, local comic Greg Brown helped me out by doing an opening set. He's a friendly and funny guy. He set them up, and I knocked 'em down. It ended up being a really good, high-energy show. Several folks in the crowd took turns coming up on stage and playing the congas. A lot of people danced and got really really drunk for a Tuesday. In fact, most of the crowd went across the street to another bar (The Admiral) after the show. A quick stop there and a 1am run to Taco Bell topped off a very good night. Look, photos!

Tonight is the show at The Beacon Pub in nearby Swannanoa. That should be a good one too. The venue is a real cute place, and the people there were wonderful when I stopped by to check it out earlier this week.