!!!

It's a bizarre feeling to have my hands in so many projects, each engaging me in a completely different way. Playing in other people's bands is fun figuring out how to engage with other material, usually in a very different style than material I write myself.

Playing with Broadcloth Sunday at the Stone was really a treat for us as players. We had a small space with decent acoustics, and an occasional radiator hiss to punctuate some of our more composed moments. It's still kind of a blur to me but I felt exceptionally present at the time. Thanks again to everyone who we blackmailed into coming - Kinan, a student of Nathan's, was kind enough to record video of the concert (he also recorded our set at Audubon Strings on January 30th, on Youtube and many of my pages), and that will be up shortly. Expect something like a coherent release from Broadcloth in the very near future, too.

Then Monday and Tuesday saw me playing solo sets. Monday was at Cafe 9 as part of the Beatnik 2000 series. What I saw of the bill was interesting and eclectic, with spoken word and some other music. I had to leave early because I had work in the morning and a big day lined up on Tuesday; the first show I ever booked with Fairy Boy and the Official Suckers and Mogli who were touring from Halifax, NS. This was a show that I had been having weird prophetic dreams about in the two weeks. I won't attempt to explain them but they were different from my normal anxiety dreams about upcoming concerts, which usually involve me struggling continuously to get to a concert on time through nightmarish turns of events (kind of like the plot of Umjammer Lammy, the absurdist psychedelic music game on the Playstation.) Feral Flowers and The Book Slave and I rounded out the show, and it was a solid, nearly two-hour marathon of great music. I was pretty captivated by everything, and there was a great turnout, and on top of that all of the potluck food was delicious. On top of that, Fairy Boy, Mogli and the other Suckers Rosie and Thom were all sweethearts, and I had a blast hanging out with them. In a fashion quite true to myself, Jeff/Feral Flowers and I are going up tomorrow to see them play again in Leverett, MA at the Juggler's Meadow. I've got first hand info that it will be an awesome show, also featuring Providence, RI and Amherst, MA-based Mallory.

After that, I'll have an appearance as a performing guest on "The Jef Sessions," Jef Wilson's radio show on WYBC 1340 AM in New Haven, or online at The Yale Radio website, between 1-2PM on Saturday. Carl Testa will be appearing for the first hour.

It's been a busy week for me, and after Saturday I don't have anything lined up for awhile The next thing on my plate is another acoustic show I've booked at the Fucking Discovery Zone, with touring acts Story. and Cud E. who are fellow Nova Scotians playing acoustic solo folk punk. I will play along with other CT acts New Year's Revolution, Tyler/Old Hannah, and Wood Spider. A large and varied acoustic show, with flyers forthcoming. This will also be the second show I've ever played where I've not been the only accordion player - Mogli was the first, and Story. will be the second, and both make fabulous use of their instruments, just in case you should happen to be an accordion nerd like me.