Solo show this Thursday

Hey there? How are you? It’s been a crazy few weeks, I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to let you know that if you’re in the Seattle area, I’m playing Chop Suey (again) this Thursday. Last time was so much fun seeing old friends, catching up, letting the Coyotes run wild in a club venue.

This time will be different though. I’m playing solo, but not like just strumming an acoustic guitar kind of thing. I’m playing my acoustic guitars more like electric guitars. There’s more texture. Feedback. Pedals. Loops. It’s really fun. Which, if you know me, you know I struggle with solo shows feeling fun because my imagination knows all the layers that aren't there. But this time, I’m excited. Hope to see you there. Get your tickets here.

Oh, and I’ll be playing all new stuff. Kinda like when Jerry Seinfeld reinvented his set by starting from scratch, playing open mics and small venues. The only difference being arenas and theaters are not my normal venue, and I’m only slightly less funny. (Haha)

Music and Mountains: A Roadtrip Journal

I’ve spent a lot of my life on mountains. I love them. Especially popping out into the alpine above the trees. The lakes and larches, meadows and marmots, ravens and rocks. Naturally, it's a place for me to go when I want to get away and clear my head, which I needed last week. So I went.

Last year I begun to imagine doing live music videos in the mountains. Seems like a good fit for me. Here’s the first in that series: Fear and Love Outside at Lake Easton in the Cascades.

Fear and Love, why can’t I tell you apart?

I wrote Fear and Love back in 2017 or 2018 when trying to understand the church’s attraction to Trump. Here I am still singing it, still trying to understand because as someone who takes Christ seriously, it’s really difficult to understand. The beauty of the gospel is not there. No beatitudes. No service. No unconditional love. Why would christians be so supportive of that?

I’ve resolved that I might never understand it and that I should spend my finite energy on things that matter most within my sphere of influence. It’s so easy to get caught up in obsessing over the stuff outside my sphere of influence, and I’m guessing you might struggle with this too.

So, here’s a few ideas of small, practical things we can do:
• Invest in friendships
• Turn off the news and read or listen to music more
• Invest in serving others
• Make art, or furniture, or a treehouse
• Host dinners for friends and neighbors
• Get to know someone very different from yourself

Do you have other ideas? I’d love to hear them. Send me a reply and let me know. Better yet, come to the show Thursday night and let’s talk about it!

Talk soon...