Everett, WA: Historic Everett Theatre

Across the region lie many communities that have reclaimed and restored old downtown theaters, and though programming slates may vary through each respective attempt to stay afloat, the one constant among all of these cases is an utterly beautiful hall. Given that, I'm delighted at Everett's choice to feature so much live music in general, and my outfit tonight in particular--co-billing with fellow Americana pickers ThorNton Creek (I've always enjoyed Thornton Bowman's songwriting). The 'full' WW Band is down to three (me, Alicia, Dave) tonight after scheduling conflicts and a wicked March flu have had their way with us, but TC guitar player Don Miller graciously accepts our invitation to sit in on several numbers...and again, I'm not complaining in this setting.

Hope we can all keep it going!

Seattle, WA: Can*Can (Bushwick Book Club - Shel Silverstein)

And tonight, it's the grown-ups' turn... Shel Silverstein fascinates me: such a beloved kids' author who also wrote some very-adult material and held a longtime position with Playboy. This duality is on display from many of the Bushwick participants (in burlesque/cabaret setting) tonight...including me, as I debut the 'secret' (i.e., not performed for kids at Town Hall!) dirty verse to my tune based on the "The Bagpipe Who Didn't Say No"--a sweet-if-sad (and long and obscure) kids' poem that I believe drew inspiration from an off-color, music-related joke Mr. Silverstein must have encountered in one or more of his circles. Heck, the verse practically wrote itself given the double entendre possibilities one easily finds when simply naming different parts of a bagpipe! Fun, too, to close with everyone singing "It's the End of the Sidewalk as We Know It," after apologies to Messrs. Silverstein, Stipe, Buck, Berry, and Mills, of course.

Seattle, WA: Town Hall (Bushwick Book Club for Kids!)

Our fearless Bushwick leader/poobah Geoff Larson is bringing the vision of original-songs-inspired-by-collective-reads to a new audience this month: kids! And what better pick than Shel Silverstein's much-loved collection of poems and drawings, Where the Sidewalk Ends? Fresh off a nice plug from the Seattle Times (still wondering when the local music media'll take any note), Geoff, Tai Shan, Bucket of Honey, and I find ourselves featured for Town Hall's Saturday Family Concert this morning/afternoon, and boy do we have a show for you! We tackle poems ranging from "Jumping Rope" and "Dancing Pants" to "Ourchestra" and "The Bagpipe Who Didn't Say No" (my offering, along with a jumbled R.E.M.-inspired take on the table of contents), with me slinging three different instruments over the course of six tunes. Witness some fine dancing-along from our crowds.

Bellevue, WA: Crossroads

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a curious choice for St. Patrick's Day entertainment...though my latest Bushwick Book Club offering, based on Shel Silverstein's poem "The Bagpipe Who Didn't Say No" and set to premiere at this coming weekend's events, has a bit of an Irish-y groove (probably should've been more Scottish...) and gets rushed into service. And I am wearing a green shirt. Crossroads, however, is the kind of place that might attract a crowd looking for not-the-usual-green-beer-and-pub-jams, and as such it's a fine fit as ever. Plus who can resist the chance to drop the non-profit's name and visit with sound guru Bob Conger?

Plugging Away