The Red Room

I don't even have a picture to share, but I played with Max Moser at the Red Room in Boise last night and felt I should report that it went quite well. It was a forty-five minute set of original material--and though the bar scene was thinned out (as to be expected on a Wednesday night), we were paid a listening ear and applause from everyone there. Max backed me up on a cajon we put together ourselves in his backyard. It's pretty cool what you can do with a guitar and a box made out of plywood. Tomorrow night we'll be at Shangri-La chillin over some vegetarian cuisine, so be sure to check the Shows page for info on that and stay tuned for more gig dates. There's more to come!

Cussin' and Cursin': A Prayer - New Song

Started this yesterday, finished it today. What do you think?

I know my mouth

might need redeeming someday
but I don't

plan to pray until then
'cause I'm clean

from the dust,

never swore, never cussed
—no shit.

I guess I'll start prayin'…

But you cursed the ground
so I'd say

I'm sound just callin'

my cussin' cursin'. I'm keepin'

loose my tongue

and warmin' up my lungs
so we can talk person-to-person.

Jesus Christ, God

damn it
I'm so tired of this

shit

'Cause we fucked it all up

to the point where I'm
tryin' to hold back from cryin'

to you,
but I know why
we stumbled--we're both pissed,
high, and humbled

because we couldn't seem to
get a good view. But I'll take another
shot with you, and

why not? It feels good

when we're singin' together
and it might not sound nice, but

fuck soundin' nice.
It's not like we've got forever.

Jesus Christ, God

damn it
I'm so tired of this

shit

I know my mouth

might need redeeming someday

but I don't

plan to pray until then.

Survivin' on Sin - New Song Progress

Take me to Babylon,
I'll settle in there, forget the Son.
I'll live my life with the blinds--
completely shut down but doin' fine.
I'll sink in
I'm thinkin
I am survivin' on sin.

I've heard I'll get to know the mistress:
"She's always talkin', lying listless.
She'll drink the wine until she goes down.
Pale beneath purple, everyone knows about her lines."
I'm cheatin'
I'm breathin'
I am survivin' on sin

There is no place like the guillotine,
all said and seen.
There is no place like the guillotine--
sharp, shine, and sheen.

It's all I've ever known--
when this sentence ends I'll be at home.
'Cause then I'll find my head
and it'll be wearin' the devil's red sign.

I need it

I bleed it
I am survivin' on sin

There is no place like the guillotine,
all said and seen.
There is no place like the guillotine--
sharp, shine, and sheen.

New Song Rough Draft - No Place Like the Guillotine

I've been working on this one for a few weeks now and like the overall direction it's headed. I plan to include more lyrics during the last half and envision the final cut involving some electric lead and a drum kit played with brushes or something. What do you think?



Take me to Babylon. I'll settle in there,
forget the Son. I'll live my life with the blinds--
completely shut down but doin' fine.

I'll sink in
I'm thinkin'
I am survivin' on sin.

It's all I've ever known; each sentence ends
and I feel at home, because then I find my head--
and it's always wearin' the devil's red smile.

I bleed it
I need it
I am survivin' on sin

Amplifier

I'm quite stoked to announce that I recently ordered an SWR California Blonde "acoustic instrument amplifier" (aye, not just for guitars) and it just arrived in the mail today! I'm not entirely certain of the year it was made, but I'm pretty sure it's from somewhere between 1999-2002. I haven't had a ton of time with it yet, of course, but so far I'm impressed with it's big bold, natural sound. For an amp that's probably 12 or 13 years old it's in great shape. It's pretty dang loud, too! It's labelled at 360 watts, but I'm pretty sure that's only possible with an extension speaker. Standing alone, it's probably around 160 watts, though I could be wrong since I don't have the manual for it. Either way, it's going to be perfect for gigging; not only does it have volume and voice, it's also got an XLR microphone input I can sing through while playing. So, in the absence of a PA system the show can still go on. It's just great. Anyway, take a look!

Gigs of Late

In an attempt to fund my musical endeavors and "get out there," I've started playing some small gigs whenever I can fit one between work and school. So far, I think they're going pretty well. I enjoy sharing my music and playing for people--I just don't do it very often, so it'll be a little while until I feel totally at home in front of an audience. Overall, though, I'm having a blast. It doesn't seem like anything too exciting, but being heard is pretty thrilling after you've poured hours into writing and practicing a set. Live music is an awesome form of communication--so, I'm feeling pretty stoked just to be doing it.

The last I played was at Salt Tears, backed by Bobby Reeves on drums. Thanks for playing, Bobby. I'd say we make a pretty damn solid two-piece. We'll be doing more together in the next few months. Check the Shows page for upcoming performances. Thanks!

Promo Flyer Template

Tonight my good friend Max helped me put together this flyer template for small gigs. It's designed so that any location, date, and time can be written in before it's slapped on a bulletin board or window. Simple and easy to look at, it's just what I need. Thanks a ton, Max!