More like Rocktober
15 October 2011

October was our busiest month of the year in 2010 and it is certainly our busiest this year. It began with a bang as we hit up two new venues - Weezie's Kitchen in Richmond and Clare and Don's in Falls Church. Then we performed at the extremely busy Wine and Garlic Festival at Rebec Vineyards with Pops Walker. I think we got about 4 hours of sleep that weekend. We then played at Milano's, a new venue for us in our home town of Lynchburg. Here is a list of the rest of our performances for the month:

This will be one of my last posts as Geoff and I just put in the order to have our EP pressed. We'll be transitioning to one website with a new band name soon. For more information about the EP please listen to WNRN this coming Tuesday, October 18th at midnight as we'll be making the big announcement there.


September
15 September 2011

Fall is almost here and the weather has been fantastic. We started September playing the first ever Labor Day Wine and Music Festival at Rebec Vineyards with Richmond-based group "A Good Natured Riot". Geoff and I will be back at Rebec Vineyards in October playing the Wine and Garlic Festival. This past weekend we had what felt like a mini-vacation in Charlottesville doing three performances in 24 hours. We played at Coupes Friday night, the second annual Midtown Street Fair Saturday afternoon and then Maya Saturday night. Here's a list of our remaining shows this month:

This may be one of the last updates I post because now that the EP is done and being pressed we're finally going to be launching a new site. This is going to be a big step as we continue expanding. As of right now it's slated for release on November 1st, but pre-orders may become available soon. I'd just like to thank everyone for their support so far - we're approaching 100 performances for 2011 and it looks like we may reach our goal of 150 before the year is over.


80
15 August 2011

We've done 80 performances so far this year and we have well over 100 booked in total. We set a goal of 150 gigs at the beginning of the year and we just might hit it. Geoff and I just got back from a two week vacation, but before we took a break I did my last ever solo interview with the vivacious Desiree Baughman for Magazine33 - check it out at Magazine33.com.

Our new EP is done as far as recording and packaging goes. The only thing left to do is get it pressed, set up distribution, send it out to reviewers, and set an official release date. We're going to be launching a new website where it will be available for pre-order.

We've got quite a few performances coming up for the remainder of August. We just had a great time playing back at JM Randalls again in Williamsburg and the following night at Five 01 City Grill in Virginia Beach where we stayed with our friends Eric and Jen. Here's a list of the performances we have left in August:


If music be the food of love, play on
15 July 2011

Geoff and I just wrapped up a frenetic performance at JM Randalls in Williamsburg. One of the waiters said our music was on his iPod - for a musician there is no greater compliment, though I gotta say tips are nice too. Last night we had a great time hanging out with some of our friends during a rare show in our home town of Lynchburg. No doubt the fun will continue as we're on the road for the next ten or eleven days. Here's a list of our upcoming performances.

Geoff and I started this month off playing at the City Market in Roanoke. We're used to playing late in to the night so it was a refreshing change to perform in the morning. We did Byers Street Bistro in Staunton shortly after (you must try the food there) and then went to Piccadilly in Winchester and played on a boat. We're going back to both Byers Street and Piccadilly next month, so check out our upcoming events schedule.

Piccadilly
Outside Piccadilly with a new friend in Winchester, Virginia

We're taking a little bit of a breather during the end of July and the first part of August, but the hand-lettering is being done for the credits on our upcoming EP and soon after they will be pressed. We've got to send out advance copies to reviewers and radio stations and such because they like to get music before anyone else, but then we'll be releasing it to the general public digitally and physically in most areas we perform in. We're very excited to get to this point as it has been a long time coming - the great journey continues.


Fifty four
6 June 2011

Bottoms Up

Fifty four. That's how many performances Geoff and I have done in 2011. May was good to us - we performed at the Virginia State Championship Chili Cook-Off in Roanoke and the Art on the Vine Festival down in North Carolina in addition to many other shows at many of our favorite spots, including Richmond and Charlottesville. After a fire put Four Courts in Arlington out of commission for a week last month we got back in there and did our thing - it was probably our best ever performance there! We also did the first of several shows at JM Randalls in Williamsburg. We'll be back at JM Randalls every second Thursday throughout the summer.

We've met some really amazing folks - everyone has been great to us this past month and we really appreciate all the positivity and encouragement. It definitely helped us start June with a bang! We've been going out for 5 day stretches now and next week is no different, except for a Monday performance in Alexandria. Here is a run down of the rest of our shows in June:

Our new CD is essentially done now so we'll be hyping it up for a couple months as well as releasing a single. Be sure to check back in with us soon. See you on the road!


Singin' in the breeze for you
10 May 2011

Virginia State Championship Chili Cook-Off

Geoff and I had a great time at the Virginia State Championship Chili Cook-Off this past weekend in Roanoke! Those Harley guys really knew how to make a good bowl of chili. We've got 15 shows on the books for May, a new high for us on our never-ending tour. Here's what the line-up looks like for the rest of May:

Check back in with us soon because we're very close to announcing our new name, website, and CD release date! We'll see you on the road!


Meanwhile, in Virginia...
21 April 2011

Ruckus April has been a volatile month. Geoff and I tried a few new venues while preparing for the release of our forthcoming EP. We had a great time performing for the first time at 202 Bar & Grill in Farmville and there were tons of people at The James Joyce in Baltimore. The James Joyce happens to be affiliated as a sister bar to Four Courts in Arlington which we were scheduled to play yesterday, but unfortunately there was a kitchen fire and Four Courts closed for the week. The upside is, as far as I know, no one was hurt.

We'll be back to finish out the month in our home town of Lynchburg on April 30th, but tonight we're in Staunton again performing at Byers Street Bistro and tomorrow we'll be back in Baltimore at Leadbetters! There will be a lot of movement and change in the coming months as Geoff and I combine our efforts into a more consistent theme. We'll be announcing a new name, a new website, and releasing a single to promote the new CD.


Spring Forward
28 March 2011

March has been good to me. Geoff and I began the month performing in our home town of Lynchburg, Virginia at The White Hart. Then it was back up to Baltimore to perform in Fells Point right over the Inner Harbor - so beautiful. We tried out a new venue in Richmond (which we'll be returning to) called Bogart's in the Fan and then did a show the next day at a venue we've been performing at for over a year now - Coupe DeVilles in Charlottesville. We got what I felt was our first legitimate encore at Coupes that night; they would not let us go without performing another song.

We finished March out down in North Carolina beginning at Ruckus Pizza in Raleigh, followed by Open Eye Cafe in Carrboro, a private cook-out in Raleigh, and West End Wine Bar in Chapel Hill. Ruckus is one of our favorite Raleigh venues - it's always a blast and the crowd was pretty great to us, especially for a Thursday! Open Eye Cafe was a new stop for us and we had a wonderful time - there were people of all ages getting into the music and the staff was very nice (and cute). Carrboro reminded me of Charlottesville in its relationship with the rest of Virginia, just a little smaller. The support from the people at West End Wine Bar in Chapel Hill felt amazing. I felt bad for Chapel Hill though because the UNC men's basketball team was so close to beating Kentucky in the East Regional final - everyone in that city was watching the game and when it ended the streets were full of people, mostly upset or disappointed - hopefully we gave 'em a good show and lifted their spirits a bit.

April will be even busier and we have shows out to September... or maybe October. I'm excited about the year 2011 is shaping up to be. Our EP is almost ready to go out to reviewers and then it will be released to the public shortly thereafter. Here's a list of some of our upcoming shows - I hope to see you there!


Loose in Baltimore
23 February 2011

It's been far too long since I posted an update. Since my last post Geoff and I finished out January performing at our usual haunts in Arlington, Charlottesville, and Richmond. We really lucked out with the mild winter this year - last year a show or two got cancelled because of snow. We didn't slow down at all this month either. We began February traveling from Raleigh, North Carolina to Winchester, Virginia and then back down to Charlottesville. I remember the Union Jack in Winchester being a particularly fun performance for me and Maya in Charlottesville is always a great time. I have said it before and I will keep saying it - if you're in Charlottesville, go eat at Maya.


Going out for several days at a time seems to be becoming a regular thing and I couldn't be more thrilled. Last week we broke into Baltimore for the first time ever and it was amazing! We did a performance at Leadbetters, "the best dive bar" in Baltimore and met a wonderful blues musician named Baltimore Red Jones who went on after us. If you ever get a chance to see him perform, do it - he's the real deal. A day or so later we performed at Tir Na Nog right over the water at the Inner Harbor in Fells Point. It was one of the most beautiful places we've had the pleasure of playing. Aside from having to stop mid-performance to check on an 18 year old girl that tripped, flew through the air, and fell into some chairs, everything went smoothly (and the girl ended up being fine, just a minor cut on the chin).

We're busier than ever and the reason I haven't updated my site as frequently is because of the work we're doing to get our first collaborative release together. Dana, the illustrator, did such a great job on the artwork and the songs are being finalized. I'm also working on a new website so instead of having to update my site and Geoff's site we'll only have to update one. Well we're out again for three days - back to Baltimore, then we'll hit up Coupes in Charlottesville, and then we're trying a new place in Staunton. See you there!


Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss
18 January 2011

The above photo was taken as I was driving out of D.C. last Thursday, January 13th. Geoffrey and I did a performance at Vermilion in Alexandria the day prior. As always we had a great time and the people there were wonderful as ever. We spent most of that Thursday in the National Gallery looking at the latest exhibits before heading off to Winchester. We took the photo below out in street right in front of Vermilion - it was dark, but the holiday lights and decorations were still abundant.

On Friday we did a performance in Winchester at T.C. Tooties and despite the slight booking mix up the show went off without a hitch. We were followed by a lively band called The Jokers. We'll be back there on April 1st! The crowd there was great, many people bought us shots, and we even sold out of our CDs! Many thanks to the Jackson's for hosting us. I really feel at home in Winchester.

On Saturday we drove down to Virginia Beach to do a performance at Abbey Road Restaurant which, by the way, is right next to the beach! Our friend Jen made us a delicious spaghetti dinner before we went over to the venue. After wrangling with the mixing board we got a decent sound going and the crowd there went wild! Thanks for inviting everyone Jen and thanks to Geoff's music fraternity brother's that showed up and sang along. It was a very fun, very fulfilling night. This little four day trek is one I won't soon forget.

While we were on the road we got a call from one of our favorite venues in Arlington, Four Courts, and we'll be squeezing in a performance there tomorrow, Wednesday, January 19th at 9pm. Busy as always, we'll be in Charlottesville the next day (Thursday) at Coupe DeVilles and then we'll do a follow-up performance in Charlottesville on Saturday at Maya. Don't miss out, these are once in a lifetime performances. ;) I want to share one final photograph, this one taken by a very talented photographer named Christopher Breedlove when I performed at a friend's wedding.


There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
10 January 2011

Already more than a week into January and the wheels keep turning. I had a great time performing on New Years Eve right outside of D.C. at Parker's in Bethesda, Maryland. That area has a great atmosphere - very cosmopolitan. I also spent this past Friday night in Falls Church because Geoff and I had another performance outside of D.C. - this time in Alexandria. It was a cozy coffee spot called St. Elmo's and it reminded me of The White Hart here in Lynchburg.

There are many more performances coming up and the pieces are falling into place for our upcoming EP release. Then perhaps we'll give a name to our collaborative effort. Here are a few of the dates for January:

Check back often because there are going to be a lot of changes coming up. We're expanding into new territory (we have our first few shows booked in Baltimore) and we'll be releasing more original material. I hope I am busier than ever in 2011.


Happy Holidays
20 December 2010

kybecca wine bar - Fredericksburg, VAIt is the holiday season and I have been extremely busy. The past month has just flown by. Geoff and I have had a lot of fun traveling from Raleigh, North Carolina through Roanoke and Charlottesville up to D.C. We had a great time in our hometown of Lynchburg at The White Hart this month as well. We're ending the year right outside of D.C. in Bethesda, Maryland at Parker's beginning at 10pm. This will mark our 69th and final performance of 2010. It has been an educational year, but the more I do this, the more fun I have. I've met some of the kindest people this year.

Geoff and I are scrambling to finish our first collaborative recording effort. All of the instrumentation is done. Once a few vocals are finished and the mixing is complete it will be ready for packaging. We want to get it out soon so we can start right away on an album, but we also want to take the time to get it right.

It looks like 2011 will be an even busier year. There are performances booked out through May already. That is a good feeling. I'm aiming for many more performances and recordings this year. I hope to travel farther and engage many more people. Check the Events page to see if I'll be performing near you and if I'm not... just ask.


Delicious Autumn!
17 November 2010

I finally got another picture up, albeit a low-quality photo from a cell phone, but there is something charming and antiquated about it. It's from our last McGrady's performance in Charlottesville. The past few performances have all been great - we hit up Vermilion in Alexandria, Bottoms Up in Richmond, and 419 West in Roanoke. We met so many genuinely nice people, some of whom were local musicians or performers that gave us great advice. The response at the Bottoms Up performance was the best we've had in Richmond. Coming up Geoffrey and I will be performing at the kybecca wine bar tomorrow (Thursday, November 18th) at 8pm and then Saturday, November 20th at Ruckus Pizza in Raleigh, North Carolina.

We have a few more performances in December, which I'm sure I'll write about as those dates approach, but we've begun booking in earnest for the whole of 2011. We'll be expanding our reach and our music this coming new year by traveling farther with the live act and by adding more musical personnel to the roster. Do come see the live show as it is ever-changing, improving and evolving constantly, and always a lotta fun. In the not too distant future Geoff and I will be announcing the name of our collaborative project as soon as the EP is packaged and ready for distribution. More details will be forthcoming, but I am really excited with the mixes I have been hearing. I think there are some really great songs and great musicians on this release.

I've been writing a lot of musical themes and concepts for new songs recently so I am looking forward to finishing the recording of our EP and beginning work on a full length release. I have been listening to a lot of The Avett Brothers and Etta James lately. Check them out if you haven't heard of them and if you're looking for more music I have posted some links to my favorite musicians on my 'Links' page.


Another trip around the sun
6 November 2010

Less than a week after my last update we performed in Chesapeake, Virginia. A young woman approached as if she was going to pay a compliment or make a request. Instead she put her hands in my hair and her lips on my neck. This is not the first time I have been accosted mid-song.

The remaining October dates were a resounding success. We saw some old friends in Roanoke, met a laid back musician in Williamsburg named Jocelyn that tipped us off to a few of the local venues where she performs, and saw our favorite waitress at our first indoor McGrady's gig in Charlottesville.

We began November at a crowded Four Courts in Arlington and then drove down to Coupe DeVilles in Charlottesville the next day. We knew it was going to be a wonderful night when nine or ten beautiful women walked in, single file, with all the pageantry of a, well, a pageant. Those wahoos were dressed to the nines.

Geoff and I have big plans for 2011. The year is coming to a close, but we're just getting started. We have a big announcement coming up. Check back for new music very, very soon. To close out the rest of November we'll be performing at...


Wine & Garlic Festival Wrap Up
12 October 2010

Today is the first day I don't feel exhausted after a long, but wonderful weekend of performances. After my last post Geoff and I performed at Ragtime in Arlington as well as JM Randalls in Williamsburg. Despite the rain those two performances went very well, but we did break a few strings during the Arlington gig so we had to find a music shop around town. Luckily for us we stumbled across a wonderful place called Action Music. We had a great time just talking shop with the owner as well as several of the staff members and the local talent that hangs out there. They also gave us a wicked discount on strings. If you're ever in Arlington go to Action Music just to check out the wide variety of instruments available, not to mention the great service. We even drove by Jamestown, you know... Pocahontas and John Smith... that Jamestown, but it was closed. Probably because of the weather.

Following those performances we did another show at one of our favorite Charlottesville haunts - Coupe DeVilles. Those UVa students sure do love the song "Wagon Wheel" because just about everyone there was singing along! After the Charlottesville performance we had a little less than a week to get some recording and mixing done as well as prepare for the Wine & Garlic Festival and a wedding. On Saturday we performed at the Garlic Festival at 12:15pm on the Great Garlic Stage - I think we were a bit nervous because it was our first festival and we wanted to do a good job, but overall it went well. Unfortunately we couldn't stick around and enjoy the food and wine because we had to run up to Stanardsville to perform at a wedding for two amazing people that we've met during our travels in the past year. It was one of the most beautiful receptions ever! It was so serene. We were honored to perform and if we didn't have to perform again the next day at the Garlic Festival we would have stayed longer. On Sunday we performed from 1:15pm to 3:00pm and many of our friends and family showed up. I was actually surprised by just how many people I knew. The weather more than cooperated during the weekend - it may have been one of the best autumnal weekends in Virginia I've ever experienced.

I don't know how we're going to top this weekend, but we're sure as hell going to try. We've got more performances coming up, as always, and I managed to learn a new song to squeeze into my solo set during our performances. Even though it was covered on nearly every media outlet (even Google's main page) I really should mention that John Lennon's birthday would've occurred this past Saturday on October 9th, him being my role model and all. He would've been 70. I payed tribute to him before we played "Norwegian Wood" at the Garlic Festival and that got a great response from the audience. It's amazing how much one person can affect the world.

20th Annual Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival


It's fall ya'll
26 September 2010

Since my last update Geoff and I performed at Maya in Charlottesville, which is always great fun, and then at 419 West in Roanoke - also a wonderful, upscale venue. The day after our Roanoke performance I left for Connecticut where I enjoyed the last few days of summer on the beach in Old Lyme. I even kayaked at sunrise on the first day of autumn! It was spectacular - literally a spectacle as the sun burst through lines of clouds on the horizon.

I took a train back from Old Saybrook, Connecticut straight into Lynchburg, Virginia. I passed through New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, D.C., and Charlottesville. It was awesome riding through the heart of these great American East Coast cities. I was reading a book on the Founding Fathers I bought at the Book Barn in Niantic, Connecticut while I passed these historical sites which made the ride that much more poignant. I have to say the rail system impressed me. It has to be the easiest and most inexpensive form of mass transit in America.

Upon my return I had one night's rest before Geoff and I headed to Norfolk for a performance at Mojo Bones. Our friend Brandon has begun helping us set up and take down our unwieldy equipment for shows now which is a great relief to both Geoff and I. As Brandon or Geoff can attest the show at Mojo Bones was interesting to say the least. Two young, easy-going women began dancing right in front of us using one of the venue's structural poles for balance and one of them proceeded to smack me firmly on my behind. It was a blast. I will try to get some pictures posted.

The other wicked awesome news is that there was a cancellation at the Garlic Festival and we were asked to play! Thanks for thinking of us Katie! We are so excited because we figured we'd have to wait at least until next year to try to book the Garlic Festival. I've updated my Events page with a ton of new dates. I'm looking forward to October. It's going to be busy, but it's what I love to do.


Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine
8 September 2010

I finished out August performing at Coupe DeVilles (one of my favorite venues in Charlottesville) and it was extremely crowded because it was move in weekend for UVA. The following week Geoffrey Osborne and I performed in our home town of Lynchburg, Virginia and had another great time at The White Hart. Then September came.

September will no doubt blow by like the rest of this year has for me. Beginning September 1st Geoff and I began renting a house in order to focus on creating music and moving forward with our career's. We have nine performances in September last I checked and we already barrelled through three of them - one at Awful Arthur's in downtown Roanoke, one at the Moose Lodge in Appomattox, and one in Raleigh, North Carolina at Ruckus Pizza. We had a blast at all three performances.

Following the performance in Raleigh we drove around North Carolina and dropped off a few demo CD's at venues before heading up to Farmville for a birthday party! As I looked around the room at the party I realized I had stayed at many of the homes of the party guests while touring around Virginia. It was a little surreal, but I thought it was funny. It always amazes me how nice and hospitable most people are - there were many hurdles that I didn't foresee when I began pursuing music and I'm sure there are more to come, but there are many rewards I was unaware of that I am now extremely thankful for.

Geoff and I are in the process of mixing our EP, which will be available shortly and we're very excited about the new songs! Coming up we'll be playing at Bottoms Up Pizza in Richmond tomorrow, then Maya on West Main in Charlottesville the next day. I'm sure they will be a lotta fun as we've played both venues before. Come hang out and have a drink with me!


Get born
20 August 2010

The fun continues unabated! I did end up seeing Rihanna in Connecticut and she put on a great performance, as did Travie McCoy and Ke$ha. Many thanks to Rihanna's business manager for the tickets. After having returned from Connecticut Geoff and I drove up to Arlington to play at Ireland's Four Courts - we had such a great time (I want to see those pictures Stefanie!). If you're ever in D.C., do yourself a favor and get some mead at Four Courts.

The next day we drove back to Lynchburg and had a few hours before we had to head back out on the road. We made our way to Rebec Vineyards on 29 North and played their last Third Thursday event of the summer. It's so beautiful out there. We met some really fun people (even sang with a few of 'em on stage!), then had a wonderful time sampling some wine and chewing the fat with our new friends Katie and Brian after the show. The News & Advance was wicked nice and printed a big photo of us to promote the event (thanks Casey!). Thanks to Katie for the photo on the left of our performance at Rebec - it is also the last time you will see me wearing those sunglasses thanks to Katie. :)

After having a couple weeks off it feels great to come back so strong. Hopefully I'll get some photos from other people soon and post a few. Tonight we're playing at one of our favorite gin joints in all the towns in all the world in Charlottesville - a place called Coupe DeVilles. Come hang out with us!


There's no half-singing in the shower, you're either a rock star or an opera diva
4 August 2010

I have been having so much fun in the past month that I just haven't had time to post an update! The music I've been listening to recently really reflects the good times I've been having 'cause I seem to be listening to a lot of carefree pop jams. I'll post a few of them below.

I'm in Connecticut right now spending time with friends and family (and maybe Rihanna), but Geoff and I have been very busy. Right before I left for Connecticut we performed in Charlottesville at McGrady's and we had a fabulous time - the audience was really great. The weekend prior we went up to Richmond and played at the Beach House Bar before driving over to Virginia Beach to perform at the Green Parrot. Because we do a three hour set with no breaks we sometimes get several different crowds throughout the night when we're at a restaurant and at one point everyone in the room at the Green Parrot was from Lynchburg, which was hilarious to me because we performed just a week and half before in Lynchburg at Big Lick.

Because we've been doing so well Geoff and I also made a few equipment upgrades recently so our live sound is getting muy bueno. As always we're learning and writing new material and soon we'll be adding a few new members to our live act. I'm really excited about the direction everything is going! Enjoy some of the tunes I've been listening to below.


Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work
12 July 2010

Our next show is this Wednesday, July 14th at Big Lick here in Lynchburg, beginning at 5pm. We'll be on 'til 8pm so come out and have dinner and a drink with us. The photo's below were taken by Robert Green (http://www.rgreenpix.com/) - an extremely friendly and skilled photographer from Winter Park, Florida. He was on the 2-hour ferry ride with us when we were headed back from our North Carolina tour. As I said in my last post we took our instruments out on the ferry and began jamming - then something magical happened.





And here's a photo from my own camera - I was playing guitar on a yacht in Smith Mountain Lake for the 4th of July (that's our Independence Day for non-American readers). We took the yacht into a cove and swam in while holding plastic bags of food over our heads. We built a fire, had some good food and drink, and watched at least 5 firework shows simultaneously over the lake and mountain range.

This past weekend Geoff and I performed at Awful Arthur's downtown in Roanoke for the first time, which was a blast; we performed again the very next day at Maya in Charlottesville. Maya is quickly becoming one of our favorite places to play.

Did anyone else watch the World Cup final? I'm glad I was able to catch it, but I'm bummed it's all over now. Start the countdown to the next World Cup! Apparently the authorities caught the Barefoot Bandit and it's also been reported that a new cap is being tried for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which might actually work. So back to writing songs, travelling, and performing for me - 2010 has given me plenty to write about so far. What is that ancient Chinese curse? "May you live in interesting times"? Interesting times is an understatement.


Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?
23 June 2010

Outer Banks Sentinel The article to the left is from the Outer Banks Sentinel while we were touring through North Carolina last week; I found it on my desk when I arrived home. Like I said in my previous post - we had a GREAT time! The last performance we did in Ocracoke at Howard's Pub went very well, especially for a Monday night. There were about three different crowds that rolled through. We were delighted to see little kids dancing wildly during dinner, flailing about to our music. By the end of the night we had a rambunctious bunch right in front of us and were happy to end our night and our tour with them. Thanks to everyone for buying our CDs, for making donations, and most importantly for the wonderful conversations.

I got the pictures from our performances, so below is a photo from our first performance at Kelly's in Nags Head. I snapped it during Geoff's solo set. Kelly's had a great stage.
Geoff at Kelly's

In between performing at Kelly's and Mulligan's we had a few days to experience the beauty of the North Carolina coast. Aside from the drink, the beach, the hot tub, and bicycling, Geoff and I went out one evening with a group of friends to get ice cream and we watched the sunset over the sound. It was beautiful - the two photos below were taken by Rachel Miller.

Ice Cream
Sunset

Mulligans After a few days of rest and relaxation we returned to the stage at Mulligans. As I said previously, the weather seemed determine to ruin our set. First it was too hot, then a thunderstorm rolled in right on top of us, but we made it through. We weren't wearing our typical stage clothes because it was so incredibly hot, but after the thunderstorm moved on and the breeze picked up, it was a pretty pleasant evening.


Howard's Pub We ended our mini-tour at Howard's Pub in Ocracoke on a high note and the next morning we ate in a quaint little cafe on the island before catching the two hour ferry ride to get to the mainland and ride up route 70 nearly all the way home. But there was still a little magic left because on the ferry ride we broke out the mandolin and guitars and started playin' a few tunes while sitting on the back of the cars' trunk. A crowd gathered, people started clapping, and eventually it turned into a two hour performance! On a ferry ride! We had some great conversations with some really nice people afterward and it's a great feeling to hear you made someone's day.

Ferry Ticket

So we get home and not only do I find the Outer Banks Sentinel article, but I see an ad from our home town newspaper that lists one of our upcoming performances at Rebec Vineyards. Pretty damn cool. Click on the ad below to see a larger version of it.

Rebec Vineyards Ad


Carolina In My Mind
21 June 2010

Happy first day of summer! Today is the last day on our North Carolina excursion. We're in Ocracoke tonight playing at Howard's Pub. I hope I have some time to see the sites in Ocracoke before we leave, especially the pirate paraphernalia - Ocracoke is apparently the location of Blackbeard's final battle. For the majority of the week we enjoyed the sun and surf in Corolla and performed just 30 minutes down the road in Nags Head at several venues.

We put on a damn good performance at Kelly's and while the weather seemed determined to ruin our set at Mulligan's, we perservered like professionals. I'd like to thank the Jackson's for all their hospitality on this trip. We had great food and great company. I hope to get some pictures up from this mini-tour tomorrow evening. I think the most enchanting part of this whole trek was the bicycle rides at night through a beautiful moonlit golf course with fireflies all around and the sound of frogs "ribbiting" in the background. With a mixture of sand and flora the landscape was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh.

Prior to this trip we did a performance in Charlottesville, Virginia at Coupe DeVilles (one of our favorite venues) and then did a performance in our home town of Lynchburg. It's been awhile since we performed in our home town and the audience was very warm and attentive. I finally have some photos from previous performances ready to go - they're out of order chronologically, but I put the name of the venue under each picture as a reference. Click on a photo for a larger version.

Bottoms Up Pizza
Richmond, VA
Coupe DeVilles
Charlottesville, VA
SoRo
Roanoke, VA


Happy Memorial Day
31 May 2010

What an incredible week it has been. Virginia is so beautiful this time of year. After Richmond we drove up to Arlington and performed at the Cowboy Cafe. That was our fourth time playing there and it's always a good time (which is why we keep going back). Following that performance we played the very next day in Winchester at the Union Jack. The Union Jack is right in the middle of the downtown Winchester mall and has a charming outdoor patio, dining hall, and bar - the structure itself definitely has some history.

The stage was upstairs in a completely separate, but large and equally impressive space with a nice little bar at the back and a single bartender - it was packed. Some people couldn't even find a seat and just stood on the side leaning up against the wall, boppin' their heads along with the music. It really was one of our better performances; I think the atmosphere really brought it out of us. The crowds were great at every venue, really great, and so were the staff for that matter. It's so much more fun working with competent professionals and every staff member at every venue this past week made this trip a pleasure.

Sometimes it's hard to believe what we're doing and what we've done. The day following the Union Jack gig we played at a private party and we had a blast there as well. Afterward I went swimming under the stars with a few new friends and then exhausted myself on a trampoline. It was beautiful. Back to recording for Geoff and I for a few days, but then we've got gigs comin' up in Charlottesville and our home town Lynchburg, Virginia.

I hope everyone has a happy Memorial Day here in America. I know a lotta people get a day offa work so I'm sure that will make a lotta people plenty happy. I hope to find some time to get some more pictures up here from all these performances.


The pause is as important as the note
27 May 2010

It's a little after midnight; Geoffrey and I just wrapped up a performance in Richmond at Bottoms Up Pizza, a delicious pizza joint with two decks and a vast interior. We had a glorious time playing outside on the lower deck and thoroughly enjoyed our audience. The person in charge of scheduling performances said we got a lot of positive feedback so we'll be heading back on September 9th! I can't believe we're already scheduling for September, but I love it.

A little over a week and a half ago we played at a semi-new venue called SoRo in Roanoke. The crowd was generous and the staff was very welcoming. I always look forward to going back to Roanoke. As always we've been writin' and learnin' new songs so the act is constantly evolving. I'll be posting a few photos from SoRo when I get back home and hopefully some good snapshots from this little 4-day excursion. Tomorrow we'll be back in Arlington playing at the Cowboy Cafe.


May the 4th be with you
4 May 2010

There's been strange cars in Times Square, strange oil in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as strange and new sounds emanating from my amplifier. Strange days indeed. For the past few weeks I've been recording an EP with Geoffrey Osborne. It's good. We just have drums and vocals left and then we're going to have an announcement when we release the EP. This whole month we're booking performances at a rabid pace in an effort to give ourselves a little time to focus on promotion.

When I heard The Fray was coming into town last week, I thought - just for a split second - they might come hunting for a pricey guitar stand they "misplaced" a couple years back when they stopped in Farmville for Bandfest and we "acquired" it. Luckily they were just performing at the Vines Center.

This past weekend was incredible. On Thursday we played at the Cowboy Cafe in Arlington - congrats on the baby Zac and thanks for the drinks Caleb! Before we began we took a stroll around the suburbs - it's absolutely gorgeous. You Arlington folks really know how to keep up a neighborhood. We stepped it up that night and the performance was a lotta fun. Thanks for coming to see us Jessica & Co., Amy, Adriana, Chase, and Geoff's other friend (Geoff, what was his name again?). Thanks to everyone else who listened too. We stayed in Winchester that night and so we had to stop by the Apple Blossom festival the next day to see what all the hoopla was about - it's totally worth seeing at least once if you've never been.

That same day as the Apple Blossom festival we drove down 81 to Charlottesville to perform at Maya. It really felt like the first day of summer because it was so hot and we performed out on the patio that night under the stars. We had two great crowds that night - the earlier dinner crowd and the later bar crowd. As always performing at Maya was awesome. If you're ever in Charlottesville you HAVE to try the food at Maya (I like the Oysters). We'll be heading back to both the Cowboy Cafe and Maya in the coming months so be sure to check the schedule and show up. You'll never hear some of the cool sounds we generate live on record, so come out and see us! Every performance is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity. :)

In case you were wondering, the photos in this post are from the performance in Richmond at the Beach House Bar on April 9th. Unfortunately we don't have any photos from the last two performances, though we'll be performing in Roanoke soon and we'll be sure to bring a camera. The picture below doesn't even capture a third of the people that were packed in at the Beach House Bar - that place was bumpin'.


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