Seattle, WA: Musicquarium Lounge at The Triple Door

Brian just had to take a choir full of kids to sing the anthem at the Sounders FC playoff game tonight, so we're a man down...but we're warmer and drier in the MQ, no doubt.  Might as well shake things up, then, so first set is entirely songs I wrote for The Bushwick Book Club Seattle--which, with one or two exceptions, Dave and Alicia haven't heard before.  If you didn't know they had originally held only water, you might think this decision hit Dave a little hard judging by the empty collins glasses piled along the base of the aquarium tank in his corner...easy, fella.

Drummer Dave Bush's collection of empties

Seattle, WA: Musicquarium Lounge at The Triple Door

Visit number five to the MQ in 2012 passes without major incident, but none too dull either.  A resident's equilibrium...

Irvine, CA: FAR-West Folk Alliance Conferece

The task of documenting a weekend-long experience such as FAR-West seems too tall a task at the moment, so I'll let the picture below speak for the time being...  Nice to see so many good folk!

Photo: Victor DesRoches

Seattle, WA: Columbia City Theater (Bushwick Book Club - 1984)

Interesting to re-read this one so soon after re-reading Fahrenheit 451...but dang if I can bring myself to contribute another thoughtful number for The Bushwick Book Club this time, despite ample and engaging source material.  No, a ukulele-driven commercial jingle for Victory Gin is what I'm offering.  Delicious!

Tonight's quiz: did a given event happen in 1984...or 1983?

Seattle, WA: Musicquarium Lounge at The Triple Door

The one and only Hawkeye Herman tells a story about his journey with taking requests, eventually arriving at the conclusion that audience members wouldn't want you to sing one of their favorite songs if they didn't like the way you sang/played (even if you wished they'd appreciate your original material more).  Even so, however, I don't see the WW Band playing Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" anytime soon...sorry, Table Seven.

Seattle, WA: Bumbershoot (Bushwick Book Club - A Wrinkle in Time)

Okay, true confession: despite all my work in the local music community, I've never been to Bumbershoot.  (Of course, I've played out-of-town at Tumbleweed for ten recent Labor Day weekends...)  Till today, that is--now I'm hosting and performing for The Bushwick Book Club Seattle Presents Original Music Inspired by A Wrinkle in Time on the Words & Ideas Stage, where they're treating me very well.  Fun to do a book published the same year as the Seattle World's Fair (1962--50 years ago), as well as one that I recently lived through a sound designer for a Youth Theatre Northwest production.  And nice to cross the 'Shoot of the musical bucket list as well.

Richland, WA: Tumbleweed Music Festival

This is my tenth Tumbleweed, and it's fun to reflect on my journey from "kid with that song about Walla Walla" to songwriting contest host, MC, etc.  Amidst all the running around I play a set, too, and I'm thrilled that Erin's vacation plans allow her to join me.

As I told the crowd assembled at the South Stage, there are three stages to climbing the Tumbleweed ladder: first, they add you to the schedule; second, they ask you back; and third, Hank Cramer cuts your song ("Carry On").  Looks like I made it to the top!