Bookings.

I want to thank everyone that has offered to help me through the loss of my gear recently. I'm lucky to know so many good souls. I'm also a New Englander, and I have a built-in aversion to taking handouts.

Replacing my gear will run into some money, but I can offset it by booking a few extra shows. So here's a list of dates I have available. If anyone can provide the opportunity for me to work to replace this gear, it would be the kind of help I'd have no problem accepting. :)

Sunday June 13
Sunday June 20
Sunday June 27
Thursday July 1
Friday July 23
Friday August 27
Friday September 10

Live at Camp.

Last Tuesday I played at Camp in Meredith NH. This is one of the songs from the show, an original with lyrics by Stacey Lucas.

By the way, that's the guitar that got stolen over the weekend. Lemme know if you see it around. :)

Stolen gear.

Someone took a bunch of gear from my car last night. I just got back from filing a police report. Here's what I lost:

My guitar. It's an Oscar Schmidt (by Washburn), small scale acoustic electric. In a hard-shell case with CWB and AVL stickers on it.

My wireless headset mic and transmitter. Audio-Tecnica. I just got that thing, too.

A gig bag. All the instrument and mic cables. I found one of the microphones from this bag on the ground next to the car.

I've got a show at The Village Perk today, and with some small purchases and a quick pillage of the basement studio, I think I've put together enough replacement gear to get through. This one stings pretty bad, though. That guitar isn't high-end or anything, but I was real happy with the size and the sound. And that headset mic was definitely helpful with my efforts to be more ergonomically correct.

So, anyway. Gonna pull it together and go play a show. This makes it harder to do what I do, but it doesn't change what I do.

Bike Week 2010.

Laconia Bike Week 2010 is fast approaching, and as always, I'll be playing a few shows in and around the Lakes Region. I generally try to book shows that aren't right in Weirs Beach, because it's very tricky to get gear in and out of there. Here's where I can be found:

Saturday, June 12 - Stix Entertainment Center, Meredith NH. A classic rock gig with No Limitz. In a bowling alley! Badass.

Monday, June 14 - Laconia Harley-Davidson. Another show with No Limitz, starting at 6pm.

Thursday, June 17 - The Country Cow, Campton NH. I've played a Bike Week show at the Cow for the last couple years, and it's always a good time up there.

Friday, June 18 - The Red Blazer, Concord NH. A solo show down in the big city.

Saturday, June 19 - The Black Cat, Laconia NH. When No Limitz plays the Black Cat, it's usually a pretty rowdy time. This gig should be especially so.

I am not a motorcyclist myself (I bruised my epididimus riding a dirt bike back in high school, and that was enough for me to lose my taste for biking). Sometimes I think having a scooter would be fun, but it's just not practical for the touring musician. But Bike Week is always a good time for me, because the crowds are always right into it. So I'm looking forward to this little run of shows.

A week in (and around) Meredith.

My strategy for booking shows is pretty simple: book anything that comes up, as soon as possible. It keeps me busy for sure. And it usually means driving all over Hell and creation. But this week, I'm lucky to have a nice little run of shows right in (and near) Meredith, NH. Here's the list:

Tuesday, May 18, 8:30pm - Camp, Meredith NH. I'm the feature performer at Live at Camp (formerly Live @ Lago), hosted by Linden Mazurka. I'll be performing an entire set of originals. Video and audio from this show will be available later in the week.

Thursday, May 20, 6pm - Giuseppe's, Meredith NH. I'm excited about this one. A 3-hour solo show with a grand piano just waiting for me. Giuseppe's is one of the very first places I played out, and I love going back there. I'm going to try to stream this one live if I can.

Saturday, May 22, 8pm - The Crazy Gringo, Weirs Beach NH. I've got to skip over to the next town for this one. No Limitz is doing the classic rock thing at the restaurant that started my lifelong love affair with nachos.

Sunday, May 23, 1pm - The Village Perk, Meredith NH. Back to town for a midday show at Gregg Grant's coffee shop. This show will likely be watchable online.

Then I've got no shows until the following Sat/Sun, when I play two gigs in Campton. Nice work if you can get it!

Weekend recap.

It was an unusual weekend; I only had one show. I played with No Limitz at Shooter's in Belmont. It was my first test of the new headset mic, and I'm pretty happy with it. Takes a little getting used to, but it'll work well, I think. No Limitz was well-received by the Shooter's crowd. We've got to adjust the setup so we can play smaller venues at an appropriate volume, though. We're finding that we're too loud for a few of the rooms we play.

I spent most of the rest of the weekend with my boys; we went to the Science Center in Holderness, and we stopped at my uncle's birthday party. I also got to start work on the downstairs studio. If I can find a few more hours, I can get that place ready to record again. Hopefully this week.

Rockin' the triple.

Every now and then I do a foolish thing to myself, and it happens just infrequently enough for me to forget just what it puts me through. And it's happening again on July 10. I'm playing a triple.

This one might not be so bad though, since all the shows are in close proximity to one another, and I might only need to set up sound at one of them. Here's where I'll be:

Squam Lakes Arts Festival, Ashland NH - this is an all-day event with a lot of great local musicians performing (among them, The Crunchy Western Boys and Audrey Drake). I'll be playing a one-hour set at 2pm, and it'll be mostly original material.

Veggie Art Girl Boutique, Holderness NH - Stacey Lucas is having her summer open house at the boutique, and there will be several performers here as well. Not sure what my time slot is yet, but I'll be there all day (except for the hour I'm in Ashland).

Shooter's Tavern & Pizzaria, Belmont NH - I've got a night show here, and it's a Saturday, which means it will probably be a duo show. Matt Langley is the likeliest co-conspirator, but I've got to confirm that.

It will be frantic and exhausting, and I'd do it every day if I could.

A pain in the neck.

I've been going to Physical Therapy a couple times a week, to try and get some back/neck pain straightened out. I think my posture at my shows is a large part of the problem. I lean over the keyboard (with a guitar in my lap) to sing into a mic for 3+ hours a show.

Recently my mic stand got damaged, and I was going to order a new one, and then I thought maybe I could use the opportunity to improve my setup. So instead, I've ordered a wireless headset microphone. It should arrive today, and if it's not too complicated to use, I might have it in place for tonight's show.

Tonight's show, by the way, is at Shooter's Tavern and Pizzaria in Belmont NH with classic rockers No Limitz. It should be a good one. This band will be a good fit for that room. The show starts at 8:30pm. Come on out if you can for pizza and music, and to laugh at my new Madonna headset. :)

Summer Schedule Part II.

The shows keep rolling in, and I'm almost completely booked up for the summer. Here are a few more rooms in which I can be found:



Giuseppe's Pizzeria & Ristorante, Meredith NH - Very musical, very Italian, & very good. This is one of the first rooms I ever played, back when I was a piano-only mohawked ruffian. It's really nice to be playing a few solo shows here. I'll be doing one Thursday night each month this summer.

Weirs Beach Lobster Pound, Weirs Beach NH - my first season up on the deck, playing outdoors for the Weirs Beach crowd. I'll be doing a couple Thursday shows there as well.

Walter's Basin, Holderness NH - Thursdays are pretty busy for me this year, I guess. Walter's Basin is a great spot right on Squam Lake, and shows in their lounge (The Basshole (yeah, that's right)) are always fun.

Check the show schedule at http://www.jimtyrrell.net/ for all the details. Hope to see you!

Lego cake.

Today is my birthday! And I'm trying to be good about what I eat these days. My boys took this to heart, and made me a Lego cake. Awesome.

I'm gonna kick back (as the schedule allows) today. No show until Thursday, when I play a duo with Matt Langley at Shooter's. Come on out if you can!

Summer schedule.

Summer 2010 is starting to take shape, and it's looking busy. Just how I like it. I'll be taking July and August off from the day job so I can play as many shows as possible. Here are a few of the places I can be found this summer:

The Margate, Laconia NH - This will be my sixth summer playing the beach bar at the Margate. This year I'll be there every Wednesday and Sunday in July and August.

The Black Cat Cafe, Laconia NH - I can be found at The Black Cat once a month with classic rockers No Limitz. Our shows have built up a nice little following over there.

Shooter's Tavern and Pizzaria, Belmont NH - I'll be playing shows here throughout the summer as a solo performer, a duo with Matt Langley, a trio with Jimbo's Garage, and with No Limitz as well.

Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery, N. Woodstock NH - A new room for me this season. I'll be there one Thursday a month starting in July.

There are already a lot of other one-time appearances on the books too; I'll be bouncing around New Hampshire all summer. Keep an eye on the schedule for updates, which will be coming in regularly over the next month or so.

Jim Tyrrell on Local Outbreak.

As mentioned yesterday, I recently did a radio interview. It was for the Local Outbreak program on The Planet 100.1fm. I rode down with Annie (from The Planet) to Rage Rock Studios in Manchester to do a one-hour Q&A with Matt Connarton. They did a nice job of putting the piece together.

The episode aired on Sunday, April 11. And the folks at IpmNation have archived the show for streaming & downloading. And you can hear it right here.

Catching up.

Wow. A lot has happened since the last time I posted here. I traveled to North Carolina and back, sold a house, did two live radio appearances, played 16 shows, and recorded a 1-hour interview for Local Outbreak. I've got to get better about keeping this thing up to date. I think I'll pre-blog some stuff today. And in the interests of keeping things fresh, I will consult my psychic and only pre-blog stuff I haven't done yet. :)

I don't have any shows coming up until the weekend; Saturday night I will be at the Black Cat Cafe in Laconia with No Limitz. We'll be streaming video of the show live on the web, and I'll post a link here and on my Facebook page.

Time for some drinking songs.

St. Patrick's Day is nearly upon us! Better start drinking now. If you haven't already. Here's a rundown of what the next couple weeks have in store:

Friday, March 12
I'll be visiting the Daily Planet Morning Show (WPNH 100.1fm) to play some drinking songs live on the radio. It's an early one; I'll be getting there around 6:30am, and I plan to hang around for an hour (or until they kick me out).

Saturday, March 13
My classic rock band No Limitz will be at the Black Cat Cafe in Laconia NH. Not a drinking songs show exactly, but I may sneak a few in on the set breaks. And there will be plenty of drinking either way. This show will be streamed live over the web, and I will post a link that night.

Sunday, March 14
I will be playing a late-night solo show at the Lucky Dog Tavern & Grill in downtown Plymouth NH. This is the bar where JS got me started on the whole drinking songs thing, and it's nice to be back. The show starts at 10pm or thereabouts. This show will also likely be watchable online.

Monday, March 15
Nothing scheduled, but if I'm not too hung over I may take a trip down to the Red Blazer in Concord NH for their open mike night. Matt Langley will be the host that night, and if it's anything like last Monday's open mike, it will be worth the trip.

Tuesday, March 16
Another open night, which I may elect to fill with a visit to Lago in Meredith NH. Linden Mazurka's Live @ Lago singer/songwriter night on Tuesdays is one of my favorites, and I don't get to go nearly as often as I'd like.

Wednesday, March 17
A busy day for sure. It starts with a return to the Daily Planet Morning Show for more drinking songs for the radio crowd. Then I'm off to Ragged Mountain Ski Resort, to play an apres-ski show at Talullah's Tavern. This will be my third St. Pat's at Ragged Mountain, and they always have a good time with it. And that night, my trio (Jimbo's Garage) will be at Shooter's Tavern and Pizzaria in Belmont NH, regaling the folks with tales of drunken revelry.

Thursday, March 18
With luck, someone will have come up with enough money to post bail, and I will get to the business of finding my car, making sure the gear is still in it, and heading home for a hot shower and a nap.

Friday, March 19
Just when you thought it was safe... my trio is off to Tony's Italian Grille & Pub in Thornton NH for a Show Us Your Shamrocks show. It starts at 6:30pm, and by then we may actually remember the fuzzy details of the previous week, and will be happy to share any of those stories that will not incriminate us or anyone else.

Saturday, March 20
There is the possibility of a Weirs Beach show with No Limitz, but it's still up in the air. I will update.

Sunday, March 21
No rest here. Time for another solo show at The Village Perk in Meredith NH. Gregg Grant has done a wonderful job with the reopening of this coffee shop. I got a killer pulled pork sandwich there last time. This show will be streamed live on the web.

*UPDATE* This show has been moved one week forward. I'll be at the Perk on Sunday, March 28 from 1-4pm.

Monday, March 22
It's my turn to serve as host at the Red Blazer's open mike night. At this point, the closest I'm likely to come to the drinking songs material is Margaritaville. But I think if we truly believe, we can keep the spirit of St. Patrick alive the whole year 'round.

The Red Blazer.

It was a good open mic night at the Red Blazer last night. Four Concord-area musicians stopped by to play for the decent Monday night crowd. One guy even did a Zappa cover. Fun!

Matt Langley and I switch off weekly as host of the open mic. I will be there on March 22, April 12, and April 26. I have a couple Friday night solo shows there in June as well (the 18th and 25th).

It's a friendly little room, and if you're a musician in the Concord area, come on down on a Monday and we'll make room for you. :)

This week's schedule.

Oh man, have I got some stories for you. It's been a crazy month, and I'll post some tales from the road over the next few days. For now, though, here's a rundown of the upcoming week. It's a busy one!

Monday Feb 22 - Red Blazer, Concord NH (hosting open mike night 8-11pm)
Wednesday Feb 24 - Shooter's, Belmont NH (hosting open mike night 8-11pm)
Thursday Feb 25 - The Country Cow, Campton NH (solo show 6:30-9pm)
Friday Feb 26 - Shooter's, Belmont NH (with Jimbo's Garage 8-11pm)
Saturday Feb 27 - private party, Plymouth NH
Sunday Feb 28 - The Village Perk, Meredith NH (solo show 1-4pm)

This Sunday's show (and possibly one or two others this week) will be broadcast live on the web! More about that in the next couple day. Stay tuned. :)

CD is on its way.

Things have been a little quiet at this blog, because the action is taking place over at www.onwardtoyesterday.com, where info about the new CD is posted every day. The discs have been shipped from California, and they'll be in hand by the end of the month. Preorders will ship out immediately once they come in.

In other news, I'm playing Dueling Pianos again tonight at Ri Ra in Burlington, Vermont. Ed McCarron and I will be covering pretty much any song you ask for, as long as it's upbeat. We get a fair amount of requests for slow songs, and it's tough to do those and keep the energy up. So yeah, you probably won't get 'Desperado' out of us. Try something like 'Our Lips Are Sealed' by the Go-Gos or something.

Onward To Yesterday preorders!

The CD is *finally* in production (official release date: Jan 31), and a limited number of preorders are being taken. Visit www.onwardtoyesterday.blogspot.com to learn more about the Onward To Yesterday Limited Edition CD.

In other news, what was looking like a busy January has turned into a frantic one. New shows have been added at the Red Blazer in Concord, NH. And I'm hoping to drop in on the open mike at Lago one of these Tuesdays. Not today though; too much album promo stuff to do. :)