Down Time And Up Time

So the surgery went well, my hands are still a little sore every now and then and I’m not nearly 100% but making progress. I hope to be able to play soon. I had hoped to start making progress on recording the new CD but that obviously didn’t happen, let’s see how the next month goes.

Spent some time in Vegas with Angela this last week, nothing like spending 5 days in a row with the person you love. Check out the Cosmopolitan next time you are in Vegas, 3rd floor secret pizza joint ROCKS! And, oh, gambling sucks.

The last few days have also been one of pleasant reunions, from a brief layover with friends at DIA, to a night in Austin tonight with friends who have made a bigger impression on my life than they would ever know. Spent the drive home listening to the Avett Brothers, Band of Heathens, and some old Blues Traveler and The Wallflowers.

Life is good.

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My cover of “The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby

So, the San Antonio Current is celebrating 25 years in existence, and as such, they asked local musicians to submit covers of songs popular in 1986. Here’s my submission…I didn’t have any time to work with, so here is a stripped down acoustic guitar version of Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is”. Tell me what you think!

The Way It Is

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Ukelele Marley!

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When the hands go numb in the night…

So my hands finally told me to quit being a dumbass and take a break.  After several months with my hands continuously going numb throughout the day and the night (yet still playing 3+ hour acoustic gigs), lately I have reached the point where it has become quite painful and it is time to get them fixed.

I went to the doctor this week and, as expected, I have carpal tunnel in both hands and am probably looking at surgery on at least one, if not both of them.  But here’s the kicker – I also have a fracture in my wrist!

Yup.  I was flying a kite at the beach about six weeks ago (I rock the stunt kite!) and backed up right into a hole someone had dug in the sand.  As I was falling I reached out to brace my fall with my left hand and tweaked it pretty good.  It hurt like hell and was swollen and numb the next two days but I thought I just sprained it so I kept on trucking.  The pain came and went and after a while I just assumed it was the carpal tunnel so I just kept sticking to my original plan of taking September off to get that checked out, not knowing, of course, that I was a dumbass playing guitar with a fractured wrist.

So there, I’m still taking September off, maybe more,  but I have still have four more gigs to go in August and they couldn’t fit me in for the surgery any earlier anyway so I think I’ll finish those off and then take a hiatus from playing for a while.  I’ve done it for six weeks, I can do two more!

I think some time off will do me good.  Ibubrofen…check.

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Robin and Dave in PA

I’m grooving a little in my chair as I’m thinking back on last weekend.  The dance floor was packed, the inhibitions were gone, the entire wedding party was tearing it up and having an incredible time.  I can’t say that I have ever enjoyed a wedding reception more, the band was rocking the disco-funk, Dave was busting out the “Kid and Play”dance moves, and everyone was smiling.

Robin and Dave danced their first dance to Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are The Best Thing” and that fucking rocked beyond belief!!!!  What a great song!  The horn section was kicking and the love was in the air, the wedding party started acting like back-up dancers, incredible.

More than anything, I’d like to say congratulations to Robin and Dave, your happiness brings the world happiness and that is the way it should be.  My only memories of Pennsylvania are filled with joy and family, love and laughs, and the thought of getting kicked out of the jacuzzi at 3am.

Cheers.

Welcome to the family, Robin.

 

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Without My Hands

Recorded early in the evening at Freetail Brewing Co. in San Antonio

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Year gone by

Wow.  I can’t believe I have been back in Texas for over a year now.  Most things about moving back here have been great, constant work musically, great job with a great company, been incredibly active around the city.  Sure, I could do without the megachurches and Texas politics, but Angela, the boys and I have made a great life for ourselves here so far.  Thanks to all the folks at Freetail Brewing Company who have let me play there for so long and the people who frequent Dick’s Last Resort on the Riverwalk for throwing money at me every Tuesday night and letting me forget or make up the words to a thousand songs!

Cheers.

 

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New Videos

Check out the video page for a couple of new ones from this last weekend @Freetailbrewing.  Let me know what you think!

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We’re going to Disneyland!

This was a couple of years ago, but thought I’d share.  Love the eyeballs!

We\’re Going To Disneyland!

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Songwriting mode…activate!

So, what the people who see me play down on the Riverwalk in San Antonio every Tuesday night don’t know is that I am actually a songwriter and there is a whole lot more to me than just singing Sweet Home Alabama, Sweet Caroline, and other songs with the word “sweet” in them.  (Sweet Emotion…holy crap!)  That just happens to be the type of gig where people come to hear that stuff, and I’m ok (and I get paid) to oblige.

But in the meantime, I’ve been pretty active lately writing new tunes for my 5th cd.  I’m about 8 songs into it and I’m hoping to write at least 15 so I can have a few to choose from before I get into the recording process.  Let’s see…so far there is a ballad called “Emily”, a drunk stupor named after cheap tequila about a guy who goes crazy after a woman leaves him, a crazy ukelele ditty with my best lyric to date (Sister Mary Etzel, baby, we were made to pretzel), a song about wanting to kill my neighbor’s dog (The Shih-tzu Song),  a love song for my wife called “Without My Hands” which (surprisingly) isn’t sexual in nature, a song inspired by my hatred for Jack Kerouac, and a few others.

You should have seen what didn’t make the list.

The good news is…honestly, I’m getting better.  I like the direction I’m heading and my songwriting has evolved past my neo-folk, angsty singer/songwriter days.  It doesn’t suck.

Here’s to progress! (and bold fonts)

now about that f#cking dog…

 

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