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December 12, 2007: Sunset Tavern - Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Sweat Through [new ver.] / Cold, Cold Hands / Rusty Blade / The Reaper’s Son / World Alive (Hank Williams) / Big Black Sleep / Dead Leaves / Dry Up Like A Dream / The Final Blow / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / I Am The Rust
December 7, 2007: Conor Byrne Pub, Seattle, WA
Bad Livers & Broken Hearts: A Tribute to Tom Waits
SET LIST: Way Down In The Hole / Goin’ Out West
December 1, 2007: The Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Sweat Through / I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive (Hank Williams) / Skoal Bandits / The Reaper’s Son / Big Black Sleep / The Final Blow / Dead Leaves / Dry Up Like A Dream / Cold, Cold Hands / Rusty Blade / I Am The Rust
November 24, 2007: Backbone Campaign Benefit, Vashon Island, WA
SET LIST: Maggie’s Farm (Bob Dylan)
November 5, 2007: White Eagle Saloon, Portland, OR
SET ONE: The Reaper’s Son > All You Shadows / Maggie’s Farm (Bob Dylan) / Dead Leaves / Season For The Crows / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Suicidal Revival / Cold, Cold Hands / Lost Highway (Hank Williams Sr.)
SET TWO: Come Together (The Beatles) / Rusty Blade / The Final Blow / World Alive (Hank Williams Sr.) / Down At Silverdam / Sweat Through
Sam Marshall & I had a great time at the White Eagle. Traffic was light on the way down to Portland so we showed up about 2 hours early. Plenty of time to eat and set up our own sound (no sound person for this one). Lightly attended, as could only be expected for a Monday night. I tried out my Dylan cover in preparation for the tribute show on November 24th. Sam sounded great as always. We were told we got a good grade by the bar (didn’t know there was a test) and they want to have us come back on a Friday night. Sounds good to me! Actually, they said they wanted us to play Happy Hour, which I found hilarious as Sam and I both sing mostly about death, murder, and drug abuse. Unhappy Hour?
Sam drove us back home right after the show and immediately encountered some heavy fog that slowed us down to 40 m.p.h. on the interstate. (Cars still passed us at light speed, even though you couldn’t see taillights until you were right up on somebody! Bunch of stupid mother f***ers out there.) Lot’s of late night weirdness followed. By 2:30, I could barely hold my eyes open, even with James Brown cranked on the stereo. 10 miles outside of Seattle we saw a wreck that had just happened–a car was slowly backing out onto I-5 (!!!), it’s front end destroyed after running off the road into a cement embankment; the driver must have fallen asleep at the wheel. This was sobering and the image kept Sam alert for the rest of the trip (that, and Tool’s ‘10,000 Days’). We arrived at my place around 3:00am. By the time Sam reached his own apartment, I was probably sound asleep.
Thanks to Anna & Rachel, Pete & Patrick, Wendy & Stephen (who was from Indiana!), Mike, and a handful of folks who stuck around or wandered in an out through the night.
September 29, 2007 - Conor Byrne, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Dead Leaves / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Season For The Crows / Rusty Blade / World Alive (H. Williams Sr.) / Sweat Through
I nearly forgot to post this one, which is ironic as it was a very memorable evening. My friend Mackenzie put this night of music together which also featured Rachel Harrington & Zak Borden, Joleen Black, Sean Bendickson, Holly O’Reilly, The Mish Brothers fr/Left Hand Smoke, and Robin Moxey. All the proceeds were donated to the Genocide Intervention Network and we successfully raised over $1,200! This was pulled almost completely from a $7 cover charge, so we had a fine turn-out for the evening.
From my personal perspective, it was one of the most well received solo performances I’ve ever done; great response from the audience, who were unusually attentive for a Saturday night at Conor Byrne; people were even dancing to the music with nothing but my foot stomping for a beat (then again, most electronic dance music is nothing more than a quarter-note pulse with sound effects over the top, so I guess that makes sense). To top it all off, I won a raffle prize for the first time in my life: a generous gift bag from Monkey Grind Coffee House!
Big Thanks to Mackenzie & Jeff at Randomville, to all my fellow performers, and to Conor Byrne; thanks also to Eric, Shelly, Rachel, Angela & Alice (who won an acoustic guitar!), Brett, Anna, Alana, and Ryan & Molly.
September 22, 2007: Victor’s Celtic Coffee - Redmond, WA
SET LIST: Dead Leaves / Season For The Crows / The Final Blow / Dry Up Like A Dream / All You Shadows / Suicidal Revival / Rusty Blade / Seen The Glory / Sweat Through / [encore…sort of] Skoal Bandits
My first time in Redmond playing to a small but appreciative crowd. Had a couple of folks come in as I launched into what was to be my last song, so I decided to do an “encore” with Skoal Bandits.
Thanks to talented Mary Win for inviting me along, and to Victor’s for having us play; also thanks to Suzanne, May & Aaron, Tom, and Gabe & Lauren.
September 19, 2007: Hector’s, Kirkland, WA
SET LIST: Sweat Through / The Final Blow / The Reaper’s Son / World Alive (Hank Williams) / Big Black Sleep / Dry Up Like A Dream / Cold, Cold Hands / Rusty Blade / I Am The Rust
Hector’s was a cool place in Kirkland with great food and a cozy room to play music in–and I finally felt like the band was too loud for our own britches…or something like that. We persevered and surely damaged some eardrums while playing a pretty solid set, interspersed with my bizzare between-song banter. It was the Tone King’s CD release party and they did an amazing job, getting folks out on the impromptu dance floor without ever once going for obvious song choices or pandering to the crowd–that’s really hard to do!
Thanks to the kind folks at Hector’s, including Caroline; to Mark Naron for setting up the show; to The Tone Kings for having us and “[blanking] ass” (part of my stream-of-conscious rambling); and to Susan & Tony, Erin & Erin Jo, Mike, Gary, Jaime, and Jodi.
Balls.
September 11, 2007: Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Season For The Crows / Dry Up Like A Dream / The Final Blow / Rusty Blade / World Alive (Hank Williams Sr.) / Sweat Through / Skoal Bandits
J.D. Hobson invited Asa Broomhall (from Australia) and I to share the bill with him; he had just started up a monthly gig at Highway 99 in what seemed to be a slam dunk spot: following right after the Washington Blues Society monthly meeting. The idea being that the bevy of Blues lovers would stick around and make a night of it…Well, after the meeting ran waaay over, it meant that JD, Asa, and I couldn’t take the stage until 9:30–and set-up and soundcheck put us near 10:00–so most of the WBS folks had already left on an exceptionally slow Tuesday night at the club (and bless those that DID stick around!).
Thankfully, friends of Asa’s sister (who wasn’t there, but granted us a huge favor from beyond the interenet ether) came out and insured that we weren’t playing to an empty house. J.D. and Asa were both phenomenal; Asa in particular was hysterical as hell and closed out the late weeknight on a happy note.
Thanks to Angel & Greg (aka “Frank” or “the Penetrator”) at Highway 99; to J.D. & Asa, Alicia, Blunt Joseph, Marti, George, Paul, and Shanti.
August 29, 2007: Charlie’s Coffee Bar, Richmond, IN
SET ONE: The Final Blow / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Season For The Crows / It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) / Dry Up Like A Dream / Cold, Cold Hands / Suicidal Revival / Rusty Blade / Lost Highway (Hank Williams)
SET TWO: Come Together (The Beatles) / Seen The Glory / Dead Leaves / The Reaper’s Son / Sweat Through / I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive (Hank Williams) / Down At Silverdam / Whiskey Girl (Gillian Welch) / Skoal Bandits
Another great time at Charlie’s playing for the home crowd. Lot’s of friends I haven’t seen in over a decade. My friend Doug was going to come sing a couple of songs with me, but work obligations put a kink in our plans, and if it hadn’t have been on a Wednesday night, probably could have coerced more folks to come out (well, I’ll shoot for a FRI/SAT night next time).
I want to thank Mike & Gretchen, and Amy & Chelsea at Charlies; Matt (who bought a CD after only hearing my sound-check!); Gerald & Star, Erin & Josh, Aunica, Max & Anja, Joe, Dorothy & Ozella; and a huge thanks to my family: Nick & Matt & John, Linda & David, and my Mom & Grandma.
August 19, 2007: Washington Blues Soc. Picnic, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Sweat Through / Big Black Sleep / …World Alive (Hank Williams) / The Reaper’s Son / Dry Up Like A Dream / Cold, Cold Hands / Rusty Blade / I Am The Rust
Torrential rainfall and flash flooding just before a picnic spells trouble. Thanks to WBS music director Mark Naron, they managed to secure an on-site warehouse at the last second so that the music could happen. The Dark Pioneers and I were first up and, after holding for a half-hour, we actually played to a room that was slowly filling with an audience. It was a warehouse, so it was also an extremely loud show, but we seemed to go over pretty well with a slightly, uhm, more progressive take on the blues. While it looked bleak at the outset, it turned into a great indoor picnic.
Thanks to Mark for inviting us; Ed and Ted for sound support; Son Jack Jr., Anja & Zeke, Deb & Larry, Rhea, Rocky, Eric, The Fabulous Roofshakers, and The Tone Kings. If I didn’t have to have the car back, I would have stuck around to hear more of the great line-up.
August 16, 2007: Crossroads Bellevue, Bellevue, WA
SET ONE: Seen The Glory / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Season For The Crows / Dry Up Like A Dream / Dead Leaves / Whiskey Girl (Gillian Welch) / All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / Sweat Through
SET TWO: Rusty Blade / Suicidal Revival / Down At Silverdam / …World Alive (Hank Williams) / The Final Blow / Long Black Lilies / …Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) / Skoal Bandits
Crossroads is not your ordinary mall; with one of the most culturally diverse food courts I’ve ever seen, a giant chess set with 3 foot pieces and a crowd of spectators (seriously, there was a crowd watching two men square off), and the hippest branch of any public library. It’s the “thinking person’s” mall. They also put a lot of thought into their music program, complete with a big stage, a great sound system, and even somebody that knows how to run it!
My CD Seller did the trick, allowing me to play while people helped themselves to CDs and dropped $10 into the “bank”; the downside: I didn’t get to meet many people this way. Very attentive and respectful crowd, though the majority didn’t stay in their seats longer than a song or three as there was plenty more to draw their attention–did I mention the giant chess set? Unusual place to play, but very enjoyable. Great food, too!
Thanks to Lynn for inviting me to play; to Bob for making it sound great; to Art and Anja, and to the folks that listened, bought CDs, or left tips (even though I didn’t ask–I actually was being paid to play there).
August 11, 2007: P&G Speakeasy Cafe, Duvall, WA
SET ONE: Seen The Glory / All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / The Final Blow / Dry Up Like A Dream / Whiskey Girl (Gillian Welch) / Dead Leaves / Season For The Crows / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Rusty Blade
SET TWO: Skoal Bandits / Suicidal Revival / Cold, Cold Hands / It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) / Long Black Lilies / …World Alive (Hank Williams) / Down At Silverdam / Come Together (The Beatles) / Sweat Through
Another good time at P&G; smaller turn-out, but attentive crowd nonetheless (and great food, too). Had a battery die a slow and painful(ly loud) death in one of my effects pedals–a high pitched whine squealed it’s way through the house P.A. in the middle of a song and it took me another couple of minutes to track the problem down. (Also managed to knock myself in the head a few times with the microphone in the process.)
Thanks so much to Paula for inviting me back; to Alan, Joel, Cynthia & Bruce, Anzolee & Rob, and Alice & Andy & Ethan & Erin (plus the few folks that wandered in and out before I had a chance to meet them).
July 28, 2007: LUNA Jazz Club, Eugene, OR
Sam Marshall and I have returned from Oregon intact. It was great trip, if not a little surrealistic at times. I’ll be blogging on this one as my short little SHOW DIARIES couldn’t do this trip any justice. So here you have some set lists and a bushel of thank you’s; check out my blog in the near future for the full rundown.
SET ONE: Dead Leaves / The Final Blow / Dry Up Like A Dream / Season For The Crows / It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) / Sweat Through
SET TWO: Rusty Blade / Down At Silverdam / World Alive (Hank Williams) / Skoal Bandits / {w/Colin Lake (harmonica) & Sam Marshall (guitar):} Goin’ Out West
Short story: Colin had a great idea to promote our show by busking at the Eugene Saturday Market, so he, Sam, and I played music for the market crowd and made some new friends along the way–thanks to Jeremy, Alex, Kevin, and Will.
LUNA JAZZ thanks to: Nathan, Rocket, Josh, and Malcolm at LUNA; Patrick & Adele, and Brett, and especially Chris for giving Sam and I a place to stay for two nights, and for your unlimited hospitality; Alex, Fay & Diane, Ken, Dell & Rhonda, Keith & Anne, John (a.k.a. Old Man Dancin’), Kathleen & Dave, and…Eli…who sat on the stage while narrating my set like DVD commentary. It was a night out a David Lynch (or Fellini) film…you’ll have to read the blog to find out more.
July 27, 2007: The Axe & Fiddle, Cottage Grove, OR
SET ONE: The Final Blow / Season For The Crows / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Suicidal Revival / All You Shadows / Sweat Through
SET TWO: {split set w/Colin Lake; songs in no particular order} Dead Leaves / Dry Up Like A Dream / Down At Silverdam / Scrapyard Lullaby (Chris Whitley) / World Alive (Hank Williams) / Cold Cold Hands
Thanks to: Stacy, Fred, Anna, and Luke at Axe & Fiddle; David, Mike & sons, Karen, Peggy, Ellen & Fred, and Shawn & Courtney (?).
July 26, 2007: Nine Muses Tavern, Portland, OR
SET ONE: Dead Leaves / The Final Blow / Dry Up Like A Dream / It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) / Season For The Crows / Rusty Blade
SET TWO: Sweat Through / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Seen The Glory / …World Alive (Hank Williams) / Down At Silverdam
Thanks to: Kevin, J. Feathers (sorry, I didn’t write down your first name), and Mick at Nine Muses; Patrick, Tom & Danna, Chad, Matt, and Pete–especially Pete for giving Sam and I a place to crash for the night!
July 21, 2007: Conor Byrne Pub, Seattle, WA
SETLIST: Sweat Through / Big Black Sleep / All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / The Final Blow / …World Alive / Dry Up Like A Dream / Dead Leaves / Seen The Glory / Skoal Bandits / Long Black Lilies / Rusty Blade / Cold, Cold Hands / I Am The Rust (Premier!)
My first show at Conor Byrne without Creeping Time. This was also my first headlining gig with the Dark Pioneers (in our 3 show history!) and we managed to make it through an hour of material with a minimum amount of rehearsal. The odds were not in our favor on this night: first Sam managed to severely sprain his ankle about two weeks before the show, which made getting together for rehearsal a tactical procedure; we played on the rainiest, muggiest night Seattle has seen in a long time–this probably deterred the usual walk-in crowd at Conor Byrne; there were a lot of sound problems, too, that sent screaming feedback into the house P.A. at least four times throughout the night, frustrating the musicians and chasing off customers…it was one of those nights, and yet it still managed to be a good time.Chad Hinman (w/a little help from his friends) did a fantastic job opening up the night and Jon Hyde played an amazing set as well. We took the stage around midnight and played perhaps the loudest show I’ve ever done since my college rock band days. If you came expecting to hear the subdued folksiness of ‘The Dead Leaves Sing’, then you probably left either shocked or disappointed. My hope is for “pleasantly surprised” (which, luckily, a lot of people seemed to be). My dad, in particular appreciated the more rockin’ sounds.Thanks to everyone who made it out–I forgot to bring my MEMORY BOOK again (I know I KNOW…), but it was a good time no matter the weather!
July 12, 2007: The Mandolin Cafe, Tacoma, WA
NO SET LIST
The last time I played at Mandolin, this enormous room was packed…and only a few people even seemed to notice there was music being played. This time, the place was about a 1/4 full, but the audience was listening. While that may not be good for the cafe business, it was a lot more fun to play.Things tried to get of to a rocky start as Sam [Marshall, who I invited to join me after his gig was cancelled] and I got stuck in serious traffic on the way to Tacoma. We pulled into the Mandolin lot 30 minutes before show time. Once we set up, there was a powerful hum in the monitors that Russ–resident sound guy–and I could not track down. My amp was also buzzing like mad but it was already after 7:30, so I tried a temporary fix that reduced the buzz but didn’t do away with it. Sam also seemed skeptical of the in-the-round method I suggested, where we each played a song in rotation. It seemed to work once we had both relaxed and shared some banter, though we managed to forget to set out mailing lists and CDs in our rush to set up…All in all, the folks in attendance really enjoyed the show and wanted us to come back.Thanks to Mary & Joe, Will, Maggie, Lindsey, Rod, Gerald, Robert, and Russ, plus Sam Marshall for playing music, driving to Tacoma, and verbally sparring with me.
July 10, 2007: Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Dry Up Like A Dream / Dead Leaves / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Season For The Crows / Rusty Blade / Cold, Cold hands / It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) / Sweat Through / World Alive (Hank Williams Sr.)
Played the Monthly Blues Bash for the Washington Blues Society again. Another great time and it was good to reconnect with the folks that helped me find “the path” to blues nirvana. Also tried out my new National Resolectric guitar and Fender Deluxe Reverb amp–yes, I’ve gone electric (about 50/50, actually); the Resolectric is a wonder and one of the best guitars to play slide on, and has officially replaced my Gretsch resonator (the “dobro” from my press photos). Sure, the Gretsch sounds great acoustically, but it never seemed to cut it when plugged into a sound system.
[GUITAR GEEK WARNING:] The Resolectric has a P-90 pickup in the neck position and a Highlander pickup in the saddle, which happens to sit atop a resonating plate; basically, it’s an electric guitar and a dobro all rolled into one (it also sounds great un-amplified). I had the pickups split so that I can run them both separately: the P-90 goes to my Fender tube amp and the Highlander to my D.I. box (and through the sound system), so I get a big doubled sound with two different tones. Pretty sweet sounding. [END of GEEK-OUT]
Back to Highway 99, where Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm Method kicked some serious ass. I’m sure I’ll see them again when the band and I play the WBS Picnic in August, so looking forward to that!
Big thanks to Rocky, Rhea, Greg, Eric, Malcom, Neil, Zab, Rev. Deb, Jill, Bruce, and Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm Method.
July 7, 2007: Salmon Bay F.O.E., Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Dead Leaves / Season For The Crows / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Dry Up Like A Dream / Rusty Blade / Lost Highway (Hank Williams Sr.) / The Final Blow / It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) / Seen The Glory / Sweat Through
An unusual gig for me, but I was playing a going away party for a friend and co-worker, plus helping with the Eagle’s annual membership drive. When I was a just a kid, my dad and uncle used to play at the local Eagles, Moose Lodge, and Elks Club, so it added a level of surrealism to the night. (And no matter where you go, all of those places must have had the exact same architect; no Space Invaders video game at this one, though.) Met a lot of nice folks, had some great barbecue chicken, and even sold some CDs–and I was still home before 10:00pm.Thanks to Rocky, Sylvia & Peter, Hazel & Julian, Alan, Eric, Dana, Jordi, and the John DeStefano Band.
June 16, 2007: Mississippi Pizza Pub, Portland, OR
NO SETLIST
Mississippi Pizza Pub rents out their space all the time. In fact, we arrived in the music room (seperate from the pizza-making and eating room) to find a triple graduation/birthday party going on; a solo musician was strumming away at “Every Rose Has It Thorn” with no discernable irony. This was a BIG party, but I was told they would be done by 5:00 so we could start setting up by 5:30. I was also told that there would another group attending a stained-glass window unveiling in the back bar at the very same time the party was vacating. 5:00 came and went and the first party continued (”Teach your Children Well” was a big hit). By 5:30, the stage was clear enough that I could start setting up while the second party arrived before the first had even cleared out!
Magically, by 6:10, the music room had cleared and Chad Hinman and I started playing. We decided to perform “in-the-round”, with each of us trading a song back and forth. Time flies when you do this, as we played an hour and 40 minutes without stopping; the audience didn’t seem to mind, and as I checked my watch I realized we each had time for one more. No sooner had we finished the (possbily) nine-piece Cuban band that was to start at 9:00 was loading in! A hasty load-out on our part followed, but I did get a chance to meet the folks in the audience before Jodi and I had to drive back to Seattle that night.
It was a pleasure to play with Chad and our songs complimented one another’s for a good yin-yang effect, so I asked him to come play at Conor Byrne with me in July. I also owe him big time as he had to bring the majority of the audience! Thanks to: Mark & Jodi, Maureen, Angela, Erin & Jason, Erin & Richard, Debi & Courtney, and to the folks that I didn’t get to say hello to personally.
June 15, 2007: Sam Bond’s Garage, Eugene, OR
SET LIST: Dead Leaves / Season For The Crows / …World Alive (Hank Williams Sr.) / The Final Blow / Cold, Cold Hands / Suicidal Revival / Rusty Blade / All You Shadows / Skoal Bandits / Sweat Through
I haven’t been to Eugene in years, and never before at Sam Bond’s, so it was great to return and play some music. The majority of the audience hadn’t arrived when I started, and it seemed to split 50/50 as to whether a solo guy wailing away onstage was worth listening to. I felt like a played about two songs too many, but got a lot of great compliments after the set. Then Poor Bastard’s Romance proceeded to blow the roof off the place (and guitarist/singer Leif blew up his amp in the process) while Hillstomp knocked down the walls; by the time these guys hit the stage (about midnight), the place turned into a sweat-filled dance party that lasted for the next hour and-a-half. The place was packed for the remainder of the night and it hoot to see. Yes, I said “hoot.”
Jodi and I hit the road around 2am and, thanks to our internet (mis)directions, we got lost trying to find our way back to her brother’s house where we were staying. Nothing is more frustrating than driving around at 4am looking for a turn that doesn’t exist. Thanks Google! Finally, we turned right with our fingers crossed and–boom–we found the way back, rolling into the driveway just before 5am. Sleep followed and so did my debut in Portland that evening.
Thanks to: Everybody at Sam Bonds, inlcuding Brian & Crickett; thanks to Leif, Jared, Aaron, Ryan, Henry, John, Howard, Scott, Erica…and I know I’m forgetting some names…
June 12, 2007: Crossroads Bellevue, Bellevue, WA
The Science of Set Lists:
When faced with the challenge of performing 3 1/2 hours of music over the span of four hours–about twice as much as I’ve ever played in a single gig–I had to get fancy. I had to pull together a bunch of covers of songs that I both a) enjoyed and b) could arrange in a hurry, and also devise a method to make sure I kept things mixed between covers and originals. I came up with an A LIST and a B LIST, the latter featuring covers and songs I’ve rarely played (or didn’t think would go over well at an outdoor market). For every two songs off the A LIST, I had to play one off the B LIST.
Ultimately, I had 29 songs (+ one I forgot to play until the end, then decided to ditch it) and so I had to repeat a lot of them. What was worse, my head cold took to my throat the day before; though I didn’t lose my voice this time (unlike my MidPoint showcase), I hovered at about 72% for the show. Since I’ve been playing all the A LIST songs frequently, here’s most of the B LIST, in no particular order:
Dead Flowers (Rolling Stones) / Scrayard Lullaby (Chris Whitley) / Look Out For My Love (Neil Young) / Butcher’s Boy (Traditional) / Lost Highway (Hank Williams) / It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) / You Gotta Move (Mississippi Fred McDowell & Rev. Gary Davis) / Big Black Sleep / The Sharpshooter / Rifle / Weeds Grow Around (new version) / Together In The End (NEW!)
June 9, 2007: P&G Speakeasy Cafe, Duvall, WA
SET ONE: The Final Blow / Season For The Crows / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Dry Up Like A Dream / All You Shadows / The Butcher’s Boy (Traditional) / The Reaper’s Son / Rusty Blade / Cold, Cold Hands / Suicidal Revival / Whiskey Girl (Gillian Welch) / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Hank Williams) / Sweat Through
SET TWO: Seen The Glory / Dead Leaves / Lost Highway (Hank Williams) / It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) / Scrapyard Lullaby (Chris Whitley) / Skoal Bandits
Small but mighty crowd in Duvall, WA (and great tippers, too)! Unlike the Tractor show, where every time I turned around there was someone else I knew (and quickly felt some guilt that I couldn’t stick around and talk), I had a chance to chat with the P&G group, both from the “stage” and during my set break. Also added a few new covers to my set in preparation for the big 3 1/2 hour outdoor market just days away.
Huge thanks to Paula (owner) for inviting me to play–and for inviting me back ASAP! Thanks to Jennifer & Donna (from Indiana, no less), Jimmi Ruth (did I spell that right?) & Carolyn, Cynthia & Bill & Quin & Jamie, and Steve & Greg. A few more folks came in during my first set and left before I got to say hello, but thanks for sticking around for a bit.
June 5, 2007: Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: {w/Sam Collins & Brian Alter} Dead Leaves / The Final Blow / All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / Big Black Sleep / Cold, Cold Hands / Dry Up Like A Dream / Rusty Blade / Skoal Bandits
The official debut of The Dark Pioneers. As my NEWS article proclaims, the show was a great success! Never before have I played a show so chock full of familiar faces on a crowded weeknight; as consequence, I had to abandon my Memory Book after meeting so many friends, and then friends of friends–I would have spent the evening writing down names instead of conversing.
The audience reaction after each song was pretty intense, and there were so many great compliments after our set; luckily, no one seemed to notice (or at least mention) that my Gibson kept going out of tune, nor the fact that I went up on the lyrics to “The Reaper’s Son” and “Skoal Bandits.” Beyond those minor indiscretions, we really hit it out of the park–and with the owner and the booker both in the audience, it was a great time to do just that.
Jared Clifton (along w/Jeff Fielder & ) put on a killer set and made for a hard act to follow, and The Kill Devil Hills closed out the night with a set just as amazing–check out their CDs “The Drought” or “Heathen Songs” to hear what I mean. Thanks to The Tractor Tavern for having us, and to all the friends young and/or new who made the night such a winner–consider my charcoal-lump of a heart warmed and smoldering.
May 23, 2007: Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: {solo} Season For The Crows / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive / Sweat Through / {w/Brian Alter & Sam Collins:} Big Black Sleep / All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / The Final Blow / Cold, Cold Hands / Rusty Blade / Skoal Bandits / Dry Up Like A Dream / Dead Leaves
A night of the unexpected! A night of miscommunication! A night…that was actually a lot of fun, once the dust settled. Not everybody knew I was coming, a few thought I was playing as part of Robin Moxey’s band, and even fewer knew I was going to bring a trio (more on that later). The surprise to me was that the Robin Moxey Trio was actually a sextet–the biggest freaking trio I’ve ever seen–complete with Robin and Jonathan on guitar, Eric on keyboards, Joe on Hammond B-3, and brothers Aaron and Sean on bass and drums respectively (plus Doug as guest guitarist). Robin also hoped that Sam, Brian, and I would join in (!!!) a’la The Band’s “The Last Waltz.” The stage probably would have collapsed under the sheer amount of musicians standing on it, but the free-for-all didn’t happen.
So, yes, I decided to give the new trio a test drive before the Tractor show in June. Who, in their right mind, would debut a band so fresh from the basement at one the biggest gigs in their young career? Not me, I say! It was a good plan, because we all had a lot of bumps and flubs along the way–with two-and-a-half rehearsals as a trio, we actually pulled it off pretty well. We also performed two new songs (Big Black Sleep, Cold, Cold Hands) that have never been played with a band before; that latter I’ve only attempted as a solo performance once.
Thanks to my partners in crime: Sam & Brian; to Sean, Aaron, Eric, Jonathan, Joe–the big band–and to Robin for inviting me; to Kelsey, Ed, and Singh at Highway 99; to Rocky, Reverend Deb, Matt & Stephanie, Gary, Steve & Matt & Natsuki & Lora (sp?), Doug, Kris, and Led Lawless. I know I forgot some names (didn’t have my memory book out at the moment), but thanks for hangin out!
May 10, 2007: Chiribin’s, Bellingham, WA
SET LIST: All You Shadows / I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive / Down At Silverdam / Season For The Crows / Dry Up Like A Dream / The Final Blow / The Reaper’s Son / Rusty Blade / Suicidal Revival / Sweat Through
Chiribin’s has amazing hamburgers and a cool staff, but I’ll think twice about playing there again. Bands supposedly get paid 20% of bar sales after $150 is made (no cover charge, no playing for tips); to my surprise, I was also told that they couldn’t pay me until the “next day.” Seeing as I live an hour-and-a-half away, driving back for the money was not an option; to know this in advance, I would not have accepted the gig–I’ve been screwed before in the very same fashion.
After a couple of emails to the booking agent, the verdict was that once the bar took their cut, there was no money left for the bands. There were maybe 30-40 people there throughout the night, and all of them drinking…I guess each must have had only one $2 Jim Beam (which was the drink special). When you think about it, this is a raw deal for travelling and local musicians alike, for 1) the bar to sell really cheap drinks, 2) to not charge a cover or 3) allow musicians to ask for tips…and then offer only 20% of drink sales to split between all the bands on the bill. On a Thursday night…
Well, enough of my bitching; if there was anything that made this gig worth it–even more so than my really incredible (and free) hamburger–was that fact that I did meet some outstandingly cool people. Thank you to Carly, Ricky, Matt, Tim, Annalise, Chris & Annake, Daniel, David, the many folks I didn’t get to meet in person, and to my partners in musical crime, The Caved-In (who sounded incredible, BTW): Kat, Mark, Kendra, and Orin. Thankfully, money is the least of all the reasons why I make music, so it was great to play for ‘em all.
[note: Chiribin’s closed down not long after my show; go figure.]
May 5, 2007: El Diablo, Seattle, WA
SET ONE: Seen The Glory / All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / The Final Blow / Dry Up Like A Dream / Dead Leaves
SET TWO: Season For The Crows / Rusty Blade / Suicidal Revival / Down At Silverdam / Sweat Through
There will be shows like these from time to time…
While I really dig El Diablo, and the barristas have always been friendly whevenever I’ve stopped by, things got off on the wrong foot from the get-go. Strike one: the unfriendliest booker I’ve ever spoken with; aside from talking to me like I just fell of the turnip truck (and that he was doing me a huge favor by booking me), he offered this gem: “I get too many phone calls as it is, so I’m only going to tell you this once; and don’t call back again.” No worries, man–I won’t be calling back.
I don’t envy a booker’s job at any venue, especially places that book 4-6 nights a week with 2-3 bands on the bill every night (which is certainly NOT the case at El Diablo); it’s a thankless job and a lot to keep track of, plus you put up with flakey musician-types all the time–HOWEVER, if you’re so concerned about too many phone calls at all hours, there’s this thing called email that allows you to respond on your own time. Try it, you might like it.
Strike two: after delivering show fliers nearly three weeks in advance, I was told it was no problem, they could hang them up for me. When I arrived Saturday for the show, the fliers were nowhere to be found. That’ll teach me not to hang them up personally; luckily, I had made them myself so I wasn’t out any money. It was also fortunate that Jean Mann, who was sharing the bill, hung up posters of her own with both our names on it.
Strike three: while this wasn’t El Diablo’s fault, it was unfortunate that I played all of my first set to Jean, the barristas, and my wife. After my last several shows have had such great turn-outs, it was a little disheartening to play to a near-empty room; it also made the other two strikes sting a little more. Luckily, for my second set, a lot of great folks were right there and listening, so that really made my night. I want to thank the unflappable barristas Melissa & Linea (sp?) for putting up with me, Jean Mann for sharing the bill, Jodi (of course!), Andy & Demarie, Pat & Bryn, and all the folks that stuck around for a couple of songs but I didn’t get to meet. Onwards and upwards, I say!
April 13, 2007: Green Frog Acoustic Tavern, Bellingham, WA
SET ONE: Seen The Glory / Season For The Crows / Long Black Lilies / Goin’ out West (T. Waits) / The Sharpshooter / Down At Silverdam / Suicidal Revival / Sweat Through
SET TWO: {w/Ken Nottingham} Rusty Blade / All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (H. Williams Sr.) / The Final Blow / Skoal Bandits / Dry Up Like A Dream / Dead Leaves / {solo} Wish (Nine Inch Nails)
Great times again at The Green Frog, playing with Matt Coughlin and his quartet (and they really kicked some ass)! ‘What’s Up!’ magazine even wrote an article on me–in their National Spolight, no less. Played a short solo set, and later came back up with Ken Nottingham (Creeping Time) joining me on bass. Thanks for making the trip north with me, Ken!
Thanks to James (owner/bartender/sound guy: the driving force behind the Green Frog), to Jill, Kevin, Rick & Carol, Phil & Jennifer, Keegan, Brittinie, to all the folks I didn’t get to know by name, and to Matt Coughlin & Co.: Brian, Sam, Phil, and Dalton.
[NOTE: this is the gig where I first met bassist Sam Collins, future Dark Pioneer!]
April 10, 2007: Egans Ballard Jam House, Seattle, WA
NO SET LIST
As Charlie Spring put it, this show was a study in contrasts–and it worked! Playing in the round can be very rewarding, for both the audience and performers, and I had a great time playing with Charlie, Laurie Katherine Carlson, and Jen Hopper. If you weren’t there, you really missed out!
Egan’s was a fantastic place, set up cabaret style (they usually feature jazz acts throughout the week), complete with a great sound system. Each of us performed three tunes at a time, and occasionally added guitars or vocals to each other’s music–I even broke my long-standing “no jamming” policy and added lead/slide to a couple of Charlie’s songs.
Thanks to everyone at Egan’s, including Ben (mgr/sound), Heather, and Ted. Also thanks to David (who filmed the event), Stan & Richard & Marylin, Steve, Chris, Claude, Jerin, and Camille. There were a lot more people that I didn’t get to meet, but thanks for being such a great audience.
April 4, 2007: Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Seen The Glory / Season For The Crows / Long Black Lilies / The Final Blow / Dry Up Like A Dream / Rusty Blade / Suicidal Revival / …World Alive (Hank Williams Sr.) / Skoal Bandits / The Reaper’s Son / All You Shadows / Sweat Through
Had a great time playing with JD Hobson & Sam Marshall! We were a little worried about attendance on a Wednesday night, but we ended up with a good-sized audience. My performance went from rocky to spot-on over the course of 45 minutes, but “Skoal Bandits” really got the house going (to my surprise). 2/3rds of the way into my set, some wise-ass called out to me to “play some BLUES!” Apparently he didn’t get the memo…Many thanks to Kelsey, Ed, and Freddy at Highway 99, to Cameron & Adam (did I write that down correctly?), Tim, Susan & Carol, Kirk, Brenda & Carolyn & Krista & Jaimie (my Canadian rhythm section!) , the two guys down front who left before I got their names (sorry fellas), Cris & Jennifer, and the many folks at the bar that I didn’t get to meet in person.
March 31, 2007: Conor Byrne, Seattle, WA
SET ONE: {solo:} Season For The Crows / Seen The Glory / {with Licoln Barr:} Big Black Sleep / Long Black Lilies / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / {solo:} Down At Silverdam
SET TWO: {with Creeping Time} The Final Blow / {with CT & Lincoln} All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / Whiskey Girl (Gillian Welch) / Skoal Bandits / I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive (Hank Williams) / Rusty Blade / Medley: Dry Up Like A Dream > Goin’ Over > Dead Leaves
So many people wrote that they couln’t make this show for one reason or another, so I expected to play to an empty house…instead, I played to a crowd of 200+ (holy crap!!!!). It probably didn’t hurt that the Jesse Sykes show down the street at The Tractor sold out, leaving a lot of people looking for music (and beer) in the Ballard neighborhood; I took that bit of good fortune and ran with it.
The show was a blast and, in Lincoln’s words, we were “a little bit country and a little bit rock n’ roll” that night. A lot of folks were surprised by a much heavier sound than they’ve heard from me in the past, and things got especially intense during our closing medley, including the out-of-control rendition of “Goin’ Over” and the bombastic final moments of “Dead Leaves.”
There were so many people and the place was so packed that it was hard to get from the stage to the front door, and I didn’t have the nerve to meet folks unless I already knew them (though a few did stop me to say they loved the show). At the very least, let me thank friends, old and new: the Conor Byrne crew, Nicolas for sound support (and minor carpentry-work), Brian for spy-ware bootlegging, the birthday party (not the band!), Anya, Mick, Laurie & friends, Athena, Pat & Ryan (both of RJM fame), Marty & David & Rachel, Ryan & Mackenzie, Amy & Becky & Sam, Peter, Matt, Amy…and so many more that I didn’t get to talk to.
March 25, 2007: Cafe Venus/Mars Bar, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Wish (Nine Inch Nails) / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Hank Williams) / Down At Silverdam / The Sharpshooter / {with Michael Spaly} All You Shadows / Rusty Blade / Dry Up Like A Dream / The Final Blow / {solo} Sweat Through
Sam Russell (of The Harborrats) set up a solo showcase for Michael Spaly (his first solo show ever!!!), Clayton Ballard (of the wRight Brothers) and myself. It was a pretty thin crowd–and I’m stretching the meaning of the word “crowd” here–but we had a good time despite the lack of attendance. At the end of Sam’s set, and to cap off the evening, all four of us took the stage and performed The Harborrats’ “Back To You” and the intricate “The City Girls and The County Girls”, plus a sing-a-long of “Goodnight Irene.”
While I forgot my Memory Book, I would like to thank Jesse for sound support, the staff of Cafe Venus and The Mars Bar, Clay Ballard’s group of friends (I was only introduced to Amy), a completely different Clay who signed up for my mailing list after only hearing my sound check), Scott & Megan, and the occasional audience members that drifted through but I didn’t get to meet.
March 9, 2007: C & P Coffee Company, West Seattle, WA
NO SET LIST
I’ll be damned if I didn’t publish this entry once before…guess it didn’t take, so I’ll try again: Jibran and I traded songs (3 at a time) to a decent crowd on this early Friday night show. I reconnected with friends I haven’t seen in years, and met a few new friends in the process. Big thanks to Emily the barrista, Onora & Tom, Andrew & Lorna, Stan & Lauren, Shannon, Tom & Ysabelle (Tom, I’m sorry I didn’t write your wife’s name down!!!), Ian & Sarah & Mimi, Megan & Shawn, and Tom #3 in the other room (yes, it was a night full of Toms!).
March 3, 2007: Tizley’s Europub, Poulsbo, WA
SET ONE: Seen The Glory / Big Black Sleep / Season For The Crows / Long Black Lilies / Goin’ Out West (T. Waits) / Dry Up Like A Dream / Dead Leaves / Look Out For My Love (N. Young) / The Sharpshooter / The Reaper’s Son / All You Shadows / The Final Blow
SET TWO: Suicidal Revival / Rusty Blade / Cold, Cold Hands / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (H. Williams Sr.) / Down At Silverdam / Skoal Bandits / Whiskey Girl (G. Welch) / Sweat Through / Scrapyard Lullaby (C. Whitley)
Many thanks to the staff at Tizley’s, especially Lisa and Jen, and Rob for having me over; the food was great and everybody was as helpful as could be.
After the initial awkwardness of my performance space (in a corner and out of sight of 75% of the restaurant and bar), I relaxed a bit and played a decent show. Special thanks to Kim & Jayden (and family) for braving the table right up in front of me–I wouldn’t want to be that close to me while I played, so it’s impressive you lasted the whole first set–and thanks to those who listened but I didn’t get a chance to meet.
February 3, 2007: Wired & Unplugged, Snohomish, WA
SET ONE: The Final Blow / Season For The Crows / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Long Black Lilies / Dead Leaves / All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / The Sharpshooter / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Hank Sr.) / Down At Silverdam
SET TWO: Suicidal Revival / Rusty Blade / Dry Up Like A Dream / Seen The Glory / Lighht That Shines / Skoal Bandits / Whiskey Girl (Gillian Welch) / Sweat Through
It seemed like a recipe for disaster: first, Jon Itkin’s car broke down in Portland, forcing him to cancel and leaving me with another two hour show in less than 24 hours; I was feeling pretty lousy after the Pegasus show (a very very chilly ferry ride didn’t do my cold any good). Snohomish must have cured my ills because vocally I was on the mark and feeling pretty good. And then I had to go and break TWO guitar strings in less than 15 minutes! Luckily the crowd was very patient as I quickly changed the strings and continued. It was a great audience and a great room to play in–one of the best, actually–and I even got my first piece of fan-mail from Jillian (age 8). She said I look “hamsin,” too.
Big thanks to Rory Corbin for running the sound, to Arianna & Sarah, Jeff & Jillian & Family (sorry I didn’t get to meet everybody), Tom, Rick, Tad, Blaine & Martin, Angie & Andrew & Thomas (I hope that’s right, ‘cuz I can’t read my own handwriting), Elizabeth, Jill & Sam & Britney, Travis, and Matt. Quite a few people passed through that I didn’t get to meet, but a great listening audience.
February 2, 2007: Pegasus Coffee House, Bainbridge Is., WA
SET ONE: All You Shadows / Dead Leaves / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / Season For The Crows / Long Black Lilies / The Final Blow / The Reaper’s Son / Skoal Bandits / Whiskey Girl (Gillian Welch) / Sweat Through
SET TWO: Suicidal Revival / Rusty Blade / Dry Up Like A Dream / The Sharpshooter / Seen The Glory / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Hank Williams Sr.) / Down At Silverdam
Thanks to a lingering head cold left over from my Sundance trip, I was afraid of a repeat of my Indiana/laryingitis fiasco. Luckily, my voice held out for the night (a little weak, but there when I needed it). It was a small group, but appreciative.
Big thanks to Norm for inviting me to play, and to Mike, Alan, Jay, Jeff, Bella, Sebastian, and Jodi.
January 26, 2007: Sundance Film Festival, Park City, UT
DAY TWO/SET ONE @ THE SPUR BAR & GRILL: All You Shadows / Dry Up Like A Dream / Seen The Glory / The Reaper’s Son / Suicidal Revival / Sweat Through
DAY TWO/SET TWO @ THE ROSE-WAGNER CENTER: No set list for this one. I played over an hour of music chosen completely at random.
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It was an eventful few days and more info than I can cram into this tiny space, but there’s always room for some gratitude:Tremendous thanks to Burt Hurner & Mike Beck of Radical Rat for inviting me along; they did an incredible job putting this two week event together, not to mention being helpful and supportive throughout. Big thanks to Josh for running sound–both with great patience and a great ear–and to the staff at The Spur (including Casey, Amanda, Jennifer, and several folks whose names I didn’t manage to write down–sorry). Here’s a shout-out to my fellow Rat-kateers for making some amazing music: Cary Cooper & Tom Prasada-Rao (The Dreamsicles), Amanda Williams & Matthew Burgess, Jagoda, Eric Schwartz, Sam Shaber, Dave Crossland, Amy Speace, Tim Wray, Toney Ventura, and Stephanie Corby & Louisa. There were many more who played throughout the two week marathon of music, so be sure to check out the Radical Rat website to find out more.
And last, but not least, here’s to all the cool folks I met (and a few I already knew): Joe & Shelly, Cynthia & Dan, Larry, Jim, Sue, Michael, Todd, Mark, Karen, Carl, Jan & Mike, Sherri & Mike, Laurie and Neil, Lisabeth & Steve, Mary & David, Susie & Bob, Paul, Ashley, Jose, plus Lisa, Lisa, Aliah, & Charlie at the Rose-Wagner Center. I saw a million faces and I rocked them all!
January 25, 2007: Sundance Film Festival, Park City, UT
DAY ONE/SET ONE @ THE SPUR BAR & GRILL: Dead Leaves / Season For The Crows / Long Black Lilies / The Final Blow / Dry Up Like A Dream / Rusty Blade
DAY ONE/SET TWO @ THE SPUR BAR & GRILL: All You Shadows / Down At Silverdam / Long Black Lilies / The Final Blow / Rusty Blade / Sweat Through
January 19, 2007: Chesterfield House Concert, Seattle, WA
SET ONE: Dead Leaves / Season For The Crows / Long Black Lilies / Goin’ Out West (Tom Waits) / The Final Blow / Dry Up Like A Dream / The Sharpshooter / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Hank Williams Sr.) / Down At Silverdam
SET TWO: Suicidal Revival / Rusty Blade / Seen The Glory / Light That Shines / Skoal Bandits / Whiskey Girl (Gillian Welch) / The Reaper’s Son / Sweat Through
Playing in an intimate setting (a very large living room) without the aid of a microphone, with the audience in close proximity and listening intently…well, it don’t get more intimidating than that, folks!
I’m an introvert at heart, so it took a while to adjust to the scrutiny; it also didn’t help that my voice was dry and weak during the first set. Notes that I’ve never had problems nailing vocally in the past were suddenly hard to hit, but Gabriel mixed some lemon juice in a glass of water and that seemed to do the trick. This was also the first extended voyage for my new stomp box that I bought from Andrew Ellis; he’s an Australian luthier with a pretty handy little invention that’s helping put some kick (as in kick drum) into my performance.
Many thanks to Gabriel & Jill for inviting me to play, and to Jibran for recommending me. I managed to meet just about everybody in attendence, so I would like to thank Woody & Brandy, Ricardo & Mary & Ricardo Gabriel, Sally, Deb, Eric & Kristen, Josh & Kelly, Bruce & Nancy, Soozee, Mary & Stephen, Fiona, and Phil. It was amazing playing for you all!
January 11, 2007: C & P Coffeehouse, Seattle, WA
Cancelled. No thanks to a minor snowstorm the night before and ice on the roads, I had to pull the plug on this one; a new date coming soon.
January 9, 2007: Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Dead Leaves / Season For The Crows / Long Black Lilies / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Hank Williams) / Down At Silverdam / Dry Up Like A Dream / Rusty Blade / Sweat Through
I’ve always suspected that my music would go over better with a blues audience than a folk crowd, and this night proved that theory! Highway 99 was a very cool place where I hope to play again, and the audience reaction was nothing short of incredible. I was unprepared for the rush of CD sales and Jodi had to become merch gal in order to give me time to haul my gear off the stage to make way for the next band.Besides CD sales and mailing list sign-ups, I had my hands full trying to keep track of everybody’s name in my “MEMORY BOOK”, so here’s my best attempt at thank you’s: Thanks to Kelsey (sp?), John Lee, Rhea, Freddy, Rev. Deb, Charles, Gary, Dennis, Howard, Mike, Stan & Maggie, Malcom, Tommy, Zab, Larry, Mark (for adding me to the bill), Paul Green & Straight Shot, Jodi, Lincoln, Jon, and Jay. If I forgot to add your name, I really do apologize–this was probably the most Olympian feat of meeting and greeting that I’ve ever experienced (and it all happened in about 15 minutes).
January 5, 2007: Trabant Chai Lounge, Seattle, WA
SET LIST: Dead Leaves / Rifle / Season For The Crows / Long Black Lilies / Rusty Blade / Dry Up Like A Dream / All You Shadows / The Reaper’s Son / Sweat Through / Down At Silverdam
Another packed house where almost no one was listening. Well, a big thanks to those who were there to listen, including Jibran, Jen, Mackenzie, Jeff, Brian, and Don. Kind thanks to Trabant for giving us shelter on such a soggy and miserable Friday night.