20 August - Got a Gig Tomorrow

18 August - Summer Fun

For several years, it was my habit to release a single online at some point during the Summer, and then take it down on Labor Day. Just a bit of temporary seasonal mischief.

Fast forward to August of 2024. While digging around in one of my external backup drives, I rediscovered a folder of these "Summer Singles." There were a couple of other standalone song projects in there as well. I gave them all a listen again, and they made me smile.

Long story short, I decided to dust off and polish up a few favorites and re-release them as a collection. So here they are: Summer Fun. But now you can listen all year 'round.

You can click HERE (or the link over there to the right) to go get it. Enjoy.

16 August - Coming Up

12 August - More Downsizing

I'm now back down to eight guitars thanks to the Strat trade/acquisition mentioned below. There were thirteen guitars in the house at one point, but I'd rather have fewer instruments and play each of them on a more regular basis.

Current pedalboard situation: two small boards: one with five pedals (tuner, dirt, delay, reverb, boost/comp), and another with four (tuner, dirt, tremolo, delay). 

Regarding amplifiers, I've done some culling of the herd in this category, too. Apart from a tiny custom half-watt number a friend built, and my little Ampeg practice bass rig, the only workhorse amps I have now are the three Fender-based tube combos pictured below. The black one is a totally stock Pro Junior IV, while the other two each have a Fender chassis in custom cabinets built for me by Mather Amp Cabs. They're all I need.

4 August - Upcoming Shows

We're pleased to announce that The Mistress Miriam Show has been booked for a residency/rotation at one of our favorite venues next year. We'll be rocking the 8:00 to 9:30pm set at Luthiers Co-Op in Easthampton MA on the first Saturdays in February, May, August, and November.

While you're marking your calendars, please note that we have another show at Luthiers this year as well, 8pm on November 15th. We're also closing out the Angel Park music series in Williamsburg MA, 6pm on August 21st. 

17 July - Anniversary

Fender's Stratocaster model was introduced in 1954, so this year marks its 70th anniversary. This was not on my mind when I found the one pictured in the previous post, but an online aquaintance posted a link to an article about Fender's most ubiquitous guitar today, and I was amused by the significance. Click here if you'd like to read it.

14 July - I Was Wrong

Back in the early 2000s, Fender introduced "satin" finishes to their line of Standard guitars, and I clearly remember thinking "Those aren't going to age well." I expected they'd discolor easily through use, and get all blotchy and unappealing. Well. Silly me. This past Thursday I came across the 2003 Standard Stratocaster shown below in a favorite local shop. It had been upgraded considerably by its previous owner(s) over the intervening 21 years, and seemed worth a look. So I looked.

Long story short, I went back the very next day with some older/superfluous gear. We made an even trade of it, and I brought the Strat home. It's a wonderful axe, and to say I'm pleased to have been proven wrong about the satin colors is an understatement. I truly love how the finish has aged.

3 July - Promo Photo

The Mistress Miriam Show - Band Selfie

27 April - Now We Are Ten

Downsizing the gear again. Yes, the pedals. Traded in six yesterday, came home with two. Mathematically, that's known as "subtractive progress." For the curious among you, the new ones are the Screamer and Reverb stomps from the simple yet amazingly versatile 3 Series by JHS.

This whittling-down of things means I now own a total of just ten pedals, and three of them are tuners. One tuner is a standalone, an old Boss TU-2 that stays out in my little studio for general use. And then I have two pedalboards. One with six pedals, another with three. My style of play doesn't demand more than a minimalist approach.


That said, I'm always impressed and intrigued by many players' giant pedalboards showcasing all the amazing effects and combinations thereof available to them. But I also hold the belief that that one's pedalboard ought not take up more real estate on stage than one's amp, and I use small combos. My 2x12, 4x10, and half-stack days are over.


But hey, remember: there is no wrong. Go big, stay small, do whatever works for you. The important thing is making Music.

7 April - Retirement

Crazy, right? As of this month, I will begin receiving Retirement Benefits from the Social Security Administration. Please bear in mind that I may have left the full-time rat race behind, but I'm not retiring from writing, recording, or performing Music. I might have scaled back the public events, but have no plans to quit the business entirely.

In fact, I'm currently involved with a full-band reboot of The Mistress Miriam Show, featuring three of the original members plus a new bassist. I'll post our bookings in the sidebar once we get to that point.