Waiting on a Train in Mobile

I know I've been video heavy of late here on the blog, but that's how it goes sometimes.

This is from a guest appearance at Pascal and Lauren's brother's open mic hootenenany in Mobile two nights back. It was an awful lot of fun as you may plainly see.

Southern Radio

Yesterday in Louisville we all went over to WFPK and played some music for the fine folks there in Kentucky. I got to draw live on the radio and you can hear what it sounded like right here.

Dance Area

Here's a video I made from last night's show at Garfield Art Works, featuring the solo debut of Josh Kaufman, the songwriting genius behind Rocketship Park (and Balthrop, Alabama guitarist extraordinaire).

Good Ideas Grow On Trees

Here's the new video I made for Mike Viola's song, Good Ideas Grow On Trees, from his album, Lurch.

I hopes you like it.

Once or Twice

Glen Hansard brought his battered guitar but left his Oscar on the mantle piece to play two sets of Amanda Stern's Happy Ending Music and Reading Series at Joe's Pub last week. The theme was "Temporary New Yorkers," so all of the participants were people in the city for an extended visit or artistic excursion.

Hansard played some very new songs and some very old songs, got everyone to sing along and took the requisite risk Happy Ending shows demand (all participants are required to make themselves vulnerable by attempting something they've never done). You kind of have to check it out to understand it, which is convenient because the Happy Ending Series is now a regular part of the Pub and you can catch a new show on the first Wednesday of every month.

Busta

Last week, Vibe magazine hosted a Rising Talent Hip-Hop Showcase at Joe's Pub and some already established talent dropped in to help out.

Moments before Busta Rhymes arrived and took the stage, I was standing on the back hall balcony, taking a break from the enthusiastic response of the crowd and the impressive young performers on the stage. After looking out at the nearly empty space in the hallway below, I stepped in to watch some of Ron Browz's set. I looked up a few moments later to find Jo, standing at the door, signaling that I should check something out.

Stepping out of the booth and looking down, I found the hallway--empty moments before--crammed with photographers, fans, press folk and (for all I know) people who had no idea how they got there. There might have been people (like me) who had never seen Busta Rhymes, who didn't know what he looked like, but just got sucked into the force of attention his presence demands.

Browz and Rhymes performed their collaboration, Arab Money and everyone who was there, caught in the whirlpool of talent and force of personality, has had it in their heads ever since.

Piano, Man

The Piano at Joe's Pub may need today off for recovery.

Eric Lewis made his Pub debut last night, arriving not with a whimper but a series of explosive bangs. He and his band played a set of hard-rock jazz, recreating and re-imagining Metal tunes and good old fashioned rock and roll on piano, violin, bass and drums. It's as close to punk rock as you get while wearing a suit and not by any stretch the only trick up his sleeve. By the end, Lewis was bloody, the piano needed new strings and a tuning and 'Sweet Home Alabama" will never be the same.