I’m writing this with a drizzly panorama of urban dreariness in the window, and a warm, kitty-fortified den of coziness here in the room. I love this time of year for that very contrast. Concerts around the holidays usually feel the same way, and it’s a great feeling when a bunch of friendly folks are packed into a welcoming room, sipping something warming, and enjoying some music.
I’ve got a few opportunities for that scenario to play out coming up. Tomorrow night (Friday, 11/25) I’ll make my way back to Tacoma’s finest singer/songwriter refuge, The Mandolin Cafe. I’m very much looking forward to sharing the stage again with the wonderful Gina Belliveau. Gina’s music has been a great companion the last few weeks, after I left our show here in Seattle with a copy of her new record. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s the kind of music that unfolds slowly but surely through repeat listens, revealing layers of rich nuance and secret delights. She’s got a knack for making naturalistic imagery and personal reflection merge in striking ways; it sometimes feels like the audio equivalent of early American naturalist photography and paintings to me. The songs evoke skies and landscapes- sometimes with words, sometimes with notes. Take a listen to one of my favorites, ‘Birdseed‘, for an example of what I’m talking about.
The word about Gina’s already out in Tacoma, but I’m hoping she’ll be able to get in front of some more folks here in Seattle in the year ahead.
Friday, 11/25 – Tacoma, WA – The Mandolin Cafe – w/Gina Belliveau and Nick Deonigi – 6pm, $5 suggested donation Facebook event
My next show here in Seattle is going to be very close to home- just down the street, in fact. I’m excited to make my debut at one of West Seattle’s finest watering holes, Shadowland, on Saturday, 12/10. I’m not sure who I’ll be sharing the bill with that evening, but I’m sure it’s going to be a fun night. As far as I know, this will be my last local show of 2011, so I’ll be doing my best to make it a good one.
Saturday, 12/10 – Seattle, WA – Shadowland – 9pm, Free
I’ll be wrapping up the year with a hometown gig in Anchorage, AK. To say I’m looking forward to this show would be to seriously understate things…I’m thrilled to be both heading home for the holidays, and getting the chance to share my new music with old friends and family.
Thursday, 12/22 – Anchorage, AK – The Tap Root – 9pm, $5
So there you have it- my last few shows of 2011. I hope this finds everyone well on Thanksgiving Day, and I hope to see you at one of these shows if you’re in the Northwest or Alaska in the next month.
It’s been yet another long spell between posts here, and I apologize for the delay. I’ve been settling into a new home and a new job in Seattle, and it’s all kept me pretty busy. But I’ve also been making and playing lots and lots of new music; I just haven’t been playing it on stage all that much.
I’m happy to say, that’s changing next week. I’m kicking off a little run of shows here in the Pacific Northwest with a performance at the Seattle’s (Ballard’s, really) Tractor Tavern, supporting Tim Easton. It’s one of my favorite places in the country to play, and I can’t wait to get back.
After that, there are a few more shows on the calendar. I’m hoping to keep adding to this lineup, but here’s what it looks like so far:
9/13 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern - 9pm/21+/$10 – w/Tim Easton and Jonny Corndawg – adv. tix
11/19 – Tacoma, WA -The Mandolin Cafe w/Gina Belliveau, Bobby Jo Valentine, and Andy Kong
11/22 – Seattle, WA – Stone Soup Theatre Downgate, 7pm/$10/all ages, w/Larry Murante, Bobby Jo Valentine, and Andy Kong
11/25 -Tacoma, WA - The Mandolin Cafe - 6pm-8pm/all ages/free, w/Gina Belliveau and Nick Deonigi
These shows are going to give me a chance to share stages with some great musicians, and I’m really looking forward to that, as well as playing a bunch of new music. I feel rejuvenated and excited to see if this new material works as well on stage as it does in my living room.
Here are a couple of demos I recorded at home recently- the first being a Lightning Hopkins tune, and the second coming from Furry Lewis:
Death Bells
Falling Down Blues
And here’s a video of me and Beth Wood, with Scott Docherty on keys, performing a rehearsed-just-before-the-show version of Patty Griffin‘s ‘Mary‘ at the show in the last post.
If you’re in the vicinity of one of these shows, please drop by and lend an ear.
Since my last (or first, if you prefer) post on this site, quite a lot has changed in my little world. I’ve moved back to my old home base of Seattle, and I couldn’t be happier. As everyone knows, moving is a pretty big pain, and until now I hadn’t really had a chance to catch up here in music land.
The first couple of months in the life of Big Picture Blues were, by my standards, quite a success. Thanks to everyone who has downloaded the record, and big thanks to anyone who passed that link along to someone else. It’s still a pay-what-you-want download at Bandcamp.
I wrapped up 2010 with a wonderful house concert in Anchorage with Tom Begich (who generously hosted the event as well) and Steven Bacon and Kendra Kinsey. It was a real pleasure, and I look forward to the next chance I have to participate in such a warm, intimate night of music. Those words are overused (guilty here) in the context of singer/songwriter concerts, but they truly applied that evening.
Once back in Portland I kicked off the new year with a little show at Artichoke, the venerable Hawthorne listening room. It was a 30-minute showcase set, and I used the opportunity to try something different, taking a seat, unplugging, and playing mostly blues tunes. My friend Spencer McCloud was there with a camera, and was kind enough to share the footage. You can take a look at a few videos from the evening here.
‘Uptown Blues’
‘How Long Blues’
‘Honest Mind’
‘You’ve Got to Stand Your Test in Judgment’
I’ll be heading back to that stage in a few weeks to perform a full-length concert on Saturday, March 5th. The evening is a split bill with my friend Beth Wood, with whom some of you are probably familiar. She’s pretty terrific, and if you’re a fan of singer/songwriters, she’s someone you should already be acquainted with. I look forward to listening as much as playing that night. I’ll be joined onstage for a few tunes by my friend Scott Docherty, who’ll be tinkling the ivories. Scott, who used to run the wonderful Red Hare Gallery in Astoria, Ore, also kindly contributed the beautiful poster for this show. What a guy! My plan is to showcase the new record, so if you’re digging it, this would be the chance to hear those songs in a great-sounding room.
If you’re in Seattle, I hope to see you at a show soon…I’ve just got to get a few booked.
I’m pleased to present to you the brand new and improved home on the Web for my music. The occasion is doubly exciting, as I’m also announcing the release of a new record. To triple the magic vibes, this record is available right now as a digital LP on what one might refer to as the ‘Radiohead Sliding Scale‘. Pay what you want, in other words, even if it’s nothing. Consider it my gift to you; a symbol of new beginnings and good will for the new year.
So before we get too carried away with anything else, head on over here to pick up your copy of Big Picture Blues.
I’m using a really cool site called Bandcamp to distribute the record at first, and I’m not sure what the plan is after that. In order to keep it free, I do need a small trickle of donations to come in ($20 post-15% Bandcamp fee buys everyone 1000 free full-album downloads), but I’m hoping that’s not a problem. I especially like the fact that the downloader (you) has a range of file format options to choose from. In this case, beggars actually can be choosers!
The most important thing to me, more than any concerns about commerce and profit, is that as many people as possible have a chance to hear the record. I’m proud of it, and I just want it to be heard. If you enjoy it, maybe you could pass the link on to other people you think might like it too. Little things like sending the link in an email to friends, sharing it on Facebook, posting it on your blog, or any other way you can help spread the word is really appreciated and encouraged. At this time there are no plans to release a physical CD or to market it through other digital outlets, so get it here while you can.
Getting back to the new site…I’m planning to continue adding new items as frequently as possible, but as of today I think you’ll find it pretty well-stocked with good stuff. There are unreleased recordings sprinkled throughout the various pages, including a few complete concerts from recent years. On the right you’ll find portals to tons of great music made by friends I’ve been fortunate enough to make through years of playing music, and I encourage you to check as many of them out as you can. The ‘Recordings‘ section is pretty robust, and if you’re interested in any of my records beyond what you can read in the liner notes, this is the place for you.
If you find anything broken or not functioning correctly, please let me know so I can take care of it. I’ve been troubleshooting quite a bit, but I imagine I’ll miss something.
So that’s about it for now. Thank you so much for checking out the site, whether you’re a longtime listener or a first-timer. I hope you find something here that interests you, and I hope you come back for more!
I’m happy to say, that’s changing next week. I’m kicking off a little run of shows here in the Pacific Northwest with a performance at the Seattle’s (Ballard’s, really) 
