The Last Town Chorus' Travelogue

Re-entering the New York City force field after some time away always feels like freebasing human life force. On this particular day, I’m loving that feeling. Listening to Jay-Z and Biggie to recalibrate. On the train back from D.C., I worked on a song that I may try out in Boston tomorrow night, being as the song features Boston in the lyrics.

(Sent from my mobile phone.)

Washington, DC: Architecture

Washington D.C. has some magnificent architecture. Not that I would know, because I only left the house for Indian food. Oh, and for Starbucks this morning, where I compared Palm phones with a stranger who turned out to be a professor of theoretical Physics at Johns Hopkins University. We ended up in a lengthy, lively chat. If I were granted a couple extra lives to while away, I’d spend one of them as a scientist. Probably a cognitive neuroscientist. Today I managed to find about nine minutes in which to steal away into the den to work on the song ‘Magic,’ which I hope to nurse to demo stage by the weekend. The song is a bit conceptually complicated, but it needs to feel musically simplistic if it’s going to do its job.

(Sent from my mobile phone.)

Washington, DC: State of the Union

In DC for a quick family visit, tho I just learned while here that I’m due back twice to perform at Iota in Arlington. First on March 6th. I love being here in our nation’s airy capital — oh wait — is it just me, or does the fellow in this picture look rather suspicious…alone, dark clothing, with a hunched and purposeful gait. It’s nothing less than my civic duty to report this joker to the authorities! Must run now.

(Sent from my mobile phone.)

Click HERE to watch a video clip from last Saturday’s full-band show in NYC.
Sure wish I could kidnap that band and take them with me everywhere.

Bubble tea made with *multi-colored* tapioca balls!

(Sent from my mobile phone.)

Our show last night at the Zipper Factory was my favorite in recent memory. Everything just felt right – the people, the lighting, the sound, the vibe onstage. I even played guitar when I got back home. Tonight I’m at Banjo Jim’s in the East Village, watching my friend Amy (Allison) play with Rich (Hinman) accompanying her on guitar. A year or so ago I barely knew Rich, and ran into him here, and asked if he might want to do some touring with me. Turns out he played every one of the 150 or so shows I did in 2007. On tour, we’d listen to Amy’s songs while driving. Now I’m watching them play together for the second time ever. I’m so lucky.

(Sent from my mobile phone.)

Live photo of The Last Town Chorus at Zipper Theater in NYC, Jan 26, 2008. Photo by Jeffrey Abelson.

Wow. Our soundcheck at the Zipper Theater, which is located on mercifully uncool 37th Street, sounded marvellous and arena-like, despite a very uncomplicated monitor system (1 mix for everyone!). The staff is adorable. We’re amped to play.

(Sent from my mobile phone.)

Michael (my manager) is in town from L.A., so he visited my hood. We
strolled up to his old brownstone apartment on Berkeley Street and I let him
tell me, once again, how utterly sketchy the neighborhood was “back in those
days.”

(Sent from my mobile phone).

Tonight I recorded a rough demo of ‘Overboard’ (the name changed). Just lap steel and voice through the same amp. I’ll play the song for the first time at tomorrow night’s show. Steve Martin was on Charlie Rose tonight: “When people ask me ‘how do you make it in show business’ or whatever, what I always tell them – and nobody ever takes note of it cause its not the answer they wanted to hear – what they want to hear is here’s how you get an agent, here’s how you write a script, here’s how you do this. But I always say, ‘Be so good they can’t ignore you.’ If somebody’s thinking, ‘How can I be really good?,’ people are going to come to you. It’s much easier doing it that way than going to cocktail parties.”
– Steve Martin

(Sent from my mobile phone.)