19 November - A Fond Farewell

Here's a screenshot of the events I played with the Group DeVille Trio and The Mistress Miriam Show this year. If you were at any of the three GDV3 gigs, congratulations. You were witness to one of our final performances.

The three of us got together last night for one of our monthly sessions, and after much consideration, we have decided to no longer perform as a band. From now on, we're just three friends who'll get together from time to time for coffee, an occasional lunch out, or a dinner party with our spouses. And yes, we may even drag the instruments out now and then and make some music. But no more regular practice schedule, and no more shows. It's time.

The photo above is one a friend took of us during the July show at Angel Park. Oddly enough, we had talked back then about possibly making that gig our last hurrah. Turns out it was. 

13 November - Rehearsal

No, I'm not going to post about the elections that were held last week here in the States. There's plenty being said about that elsewhere.

Today I'm just stopping by to note that we're rehearsing this afternoon for the gig we have on Friday. It will be our last scheduled performance in 2024, and that seems worthy of mention. In the weeks to follow, we'll be working on new material for the act, but also simply enjoying the upcoming holiday season until we resume playing out again in the new year.

Hey, know what I will also mention? How much I love being a part of this. It's unlike any other act I've been involved with before. This isn't a rock band. It isn't any kind of band. It's a Show.

Playing with The Mistress Miriam Show has broadened my approach to music and performance. My guitar technique has grown and strengthened, partly out of necessity, but mostly out of the pure joy of learning new styles of play. Our interaction on the stage is remarkable. Natural. We absolutely own it while we're up there. And as I'm not being the "frontman" in this, I can concentrate on the harmonies, my favorite part of singing in a group.

Fun? It's a F'ing blast.

1 November - Excited

Exactly two weeks from right now (as I type this, in fact), I will be getting ready to take the stage with The Mistress Miriam Show over at Luthiers Co-Op in Easthampton. We go on at 8pm. "Not to be missed," as Miriam says, but if you DO miss this one, we'll be back at Luthiers in February.

27 October - Mastodon Post

I'm not on any of the corporate socials these days, but I do post over in the Fediverse, on the Mastodon platform. This is what I had to say this morning:

Yet another wonderful gig last night with #TheMistressMiriamShow (yes, it amuses me to hashtag our name). House not packed, but appreciably full, and ATTENTIVE. I love it when the comments and praise afterwards indicate that folks were really listening.

18 October - By Invitation Only

But of course you are all invited. We've got this event coming up soon. It's in a very cool space in nearby Florence, Massachusetts. Think "artist's loft." Think "demi-monde salon." Anyway, it's very cozy and glam. Miriam and I played there as a duo last year, and we're back on Saturday the 26th with The Show's current three-piece incarnation. The venue kindly provided the poster image shown below. So if you're intrigued, and able to attend, you can REGISTER HERE. 

17 October - Board Meeting

Here are my two pedalboards in their present configurations. The top one is the main sessions and gig board, and the lower one is a grab 'n go, "just the basics" board - a tuner plus dirt and delay. The larger one provides me with a greater variety of tone combinations, but is admittedly still pretty simple. I like simple. 

12 October - November Show Poster

You should download this image, print it out, and put it up on your refrigerator. It will be a constant cheerful reminder that on the 15th of November you will be joining us in Easthampton, Massachusetts for a spectacular night of top-shelf entertainment.

4 October - Welcome Home, Little Gibson

A couple of weeks ago, I traded a perfectly decent guitar and some cash for the guitar shown below. I have always loved the sound and feel of Gibson acoustics, but their fancier models were never in my budget. My professional-level investments have always been in the electric realm; justifiable expenses because electrics are mostly what I use.

Still, it's good to have a nice acoustic around the place, so when this no-frills Gibson presented itself in a local shop for a really quite reasonable price, I took it off the hanger and tried it out. And then I brought it home. It's a 00 sized guitar, fully acoustic (no onboard pickup, etc.), and all solid wood. So I'll have to take better care of it than a beater, if you know what I mean. The fit, feel, and tone are absolutely wonderful. I finally got one. And I love it.

2 October - Numbers

In 2017, Tom Petty died aged 66 on October 2nd, just eighteen days shy of what would have been his 67th birthday on October 20th. October 2nd is my birthday, and today I turn 67. As a Tom Petty fan, this feels very strange.

30 September - Your Name in Landsat

Not music related, but this is pretty cool. Wanna see what your name looks like made out of Landsat images? Click here.