you in the pacific northwest!

By Robbie on May 16, 2012

Help me out if you can. I've been waiting for the stars to line up to get me back out there so that I can work on a record (which promises to be weird and fine) with a friend. The waiting has gone on for a couple years now, so I'm getting impatient! What I need is at least two decently paid performance opportunities within a couple hundred miles of Seattle (but not in Seattle, where I have a place to play). That means Portland, Olympia, Bellingham...need more examples? Okay: Walla Walla, Eugene, Yakima. And I love Missoula so much, so toss that in there too, it's worth the drive.

Needless to say, festivals and other well-budgeted events are always welcome, but the likeliest category and the one I really love to work is house parties, so if you have experience doing them and would like me to invade your personal space, please drop me a line at the private-show link on the right. (Clubs are less likely of interest to me; nevertheless if you know of one in your area that's listening-oriented and demonstrably wants to have me, you could let me know that too.) The time frame would be November onward. 

Speaking of house parties, it seems that the one I'm playing with a trio this Sunday near St Louis had sold out, until a couple folks cancelled this last week. If you're interested in filling their empty seats, please write at once to Randy, randy@oaktreeconcerts.com.

this monday at the hideout

By Robbie on May 10, 2012

It's mash-up time again, with two favorites. Fountains of Wayne Hancock.

it's all up in there

By Robbie on May 7, 2012

For the last 2 weeks I've been editing, mixing, and now, sequencing my forthcoming record. During this stage of record-making, I always entertain the vain hope that the repeated listening will stop before I get existentially sick of hearing the recordings -- that maybe, when the thing's done, I can sit down and listen and enjoy it like anyone else. Not a chance! Tonight while skipping around from track to track, checking out the connections, I started musing on the more obvious proteins that went into these quasi-inventions:

The Osborne Brothers

Danny Barnes

Wells Tower

Charleston, Illinois

Bruce Robison

Uncle Dave Macon

Norfolk, Virginia

Carolina Friends School

Jenny Scheinman

Dave Van Ronk

P.J. Harvey

Michael Daves

Rodney Crowell

Al Anderson

Don Rigsby

Aryn Kyle

Creedmoor, North Carolina

Hank Thompson

858 Quartet

Will Keys

Bruce Molsky

Sarah Judson

Doc Watson

Al Murphy

Walt Koken

David Grier

The Country Gentlemen

Wilmette, Illinois

Benny Martin

Park Slope, NY

Vic Chestnutt

Norman Blake

Carson Robison

Don Williams

Roy McAlister

Larry Cordle

That's a pretty comprehensive picture of the components of my music/heart right now!

this monday at the hideout

By Robbie on May 5, 2012

Greg Cahill and I will be doing Earl Scruggs and other banjo-centered music. 

sick!

By Robbie on May 1, 2012

There are malefactors afoot in the biosystem. One is supine and modestly diverted by Freeman Dyson's The Scientist as Rebel. Meanwhile, he wishes to remind his beloved readers in the Chicago area that this Thursday's show at SPACE in Evanston is not yet sold out, though the movement is in a favroable direction. That is, people are not calling and demanding to sell their advance tickets back to the club. Please buy in advance if you're thinking of coming. If I can get back on my feet in two days, as I expect I can, it'll be a fun show full of weird new songs and high singing and insouciant ass-wiggling.

By the way, thanks very much for the responses about answered fan mail, which I loved. Now back to Freeman and green tea....