A week in which I virtually did not play music? Feels really odd…

Missed last Tuesday (Chris Parreira’s open mike in Ashland), last Friday (with the Friday Night Group in Garibaldi), and last Sunday (open mike at the Wild Goose), mostly because of scheduling conflicts. Practice Wednesday night with Screamin’ Gulch was phenomenal; we had an audience (of 5) who did nothing but listen raptly for the whole two hours we played. The band is tight, and impressive—even with me as their lead guitarist. I’m going to miss those guys.

This week will be better. I played Tuesday, and can play Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. (Screamin’ Gulch can’t practice Wednesday because a Real Band is playing.) Friday, I’ll get to do a short set sandwiched in between Lonesome Dove and Dandelion Jo at Johnny B.’s, and Saturday is Round Two of the auditions for the $1,000 Prize Gig, as well as a Southern Oregon Songwriters “showcase.”

Good news is the “Joe got fired” song is coming together. Couple long trips in the car (with no radio), and a lot of breaks in between judging sessions at the District Speech Championships, turned out to be enough. Four verses and four choruses, pretty fast country music (country rather than bluegrass, because of the prominent bass line). Might be room for a fifth verse, but it’d have to be really special. Since it’s an encounter with a freeway panhandler (on the advantages of being homeless), it needs to take place between a red light and a green light at an intersection—which I think is just about 3 minutes. (Yes, I know that’s arbitrary. There is nothing wrong with being arbitrary as long as I’m the one imposing the arbitrariness.)

Still need the last verse to tie it all together and make the final point—which it doesn’t yet. It would be nice if it were performable by this weekend.

THE ST. LEIF’S EVE CONCERT: Yes, it’ll be FRIDAY, MARCH 28—that’s the day Johnny B.’s has open, and I’ve reserved it. My ideal band includes James on guitar, Darrin on harmonica, Dan on mandolin, Russ on congas, and either Delonde or Jack on bass. Have solicited Russ, Jack, Dan and Darrin thus far. And we’ll need time to practice. A two-hour set, probably, which would give the audience the best 25 or so songs. (And I have photographs of everybody. This could be fun to do a poster for.)

Joe