The Red Light Cafe was the first place we thought of since it is the place where our friendships were formed and also the place where we congregate every Wednesday night for the weekly open mic night.  The audience was made up of about 20 or so people and right away the vibe was great.  We opened with “Powderfinger” by Crazy Horse and that drew a nice cheer from the audience.  From the first chord I was in the zone right away.  I wasn’t nervous, figity or stressed.  Just gassed to be playing these great songs with such great people.  Throughout the night, songs like, “Hey Joe”, “Sweet Jane” and “One Way Out” just gelled and we were felling it big time.  Mike was really cutting loose on the guitar and doing some amazing jams and we just locked in and played until we were covered in sweat.  We closed out the set with “Rockin’ in the Free World” which brought the house down.  It was hard to believe it was over at that point because it seemed to just fly by.

One of the things I loved so much about this performance was that it was easily the most fun live show I’ve ever played.  I really hate to always compare everything to my former band Mystery Road but the experience just didn’t compare for me.  Mystery Road shows were fun but there was always so much tension for me and stress to put on a solid performance that I sometimes couldn’t lose myself in the show.  This show just felt so loose and carefree that I felt like I could just be absorbed by the songs and feel them.  Maybe it was playing the bass?  Maybe it was that I wasn’t having to sing and be the front man?  To be honest, I think that it was just so exciting for me to be doing something completely out of my norm.  It wasn’t folk rock, it wasn’t folk and it wasn’t me on guitar and vocals.  It was me playing bass guitar in a rock n’ roll trio and I felt free to just groove out, goof off and have a damn good time (all the time!).  Making music with these two is just a joy and it’s definitely something that is inspiring, moving and also has given me some new found confidence in my abilities as a musician.

Song after song I just sang them with all that I had and then it was over.  No huge applause, so hollaring for an encore.  Just me strumming my last chord and singing my last note for my loving wife and huge fan who cheered and looked to me with all the love and support that she always gives me.  It was a bittersweet way to kind of wrap things up for a while but it didn’t end just then.  After my set, this guy and his wife approached me to tell me that my songs really touched them and that they were huge fans of mine.  This was a really great thing to hear because I’ve said this before.  When a stranger comes to me and tells me that my songs moved them, that is what I call success.  After doing this for 14 years, it was really great to hear that my songs were still able to make a connection with somebody in a really strong way.

Roswell Coffeehouse was a bit of a haul but it proved to be very much worth it.  This was a really cool lil coffeehouse just off of 400 in Roswell with huge and gorgeous outdoor stage with plenty of room and electricity.  I was floored when I got there.  I got my stuff unpacked, set up and was brought a delicious cup of coffee by the barista.  One of the odd things about this gig was that there was nobody present that I knew before this night except for my lovely wife.  This was a very much intentional move on my part though.

I didn’t tell anyone about this show because in all honesty, I just wanted to put myself back where I sometimes feel the most challenged and that’s to try and win over an audience of people I don’t know.  In all honesty, it took me about 3 songs to get into my groove because after 2 or 3 songs, nobody seemed to even see that I was there.  All it took to change things up was a dirty look from my wife to play with some gusto and for me to remember just why I do this.  All of the sudden I felt a surge of energy (maybe it was the 2 coffees) and all of the sudden people started looking up.  They clapped and laughed at my stories, left tips and even took a bunch of my free download cards for my album.  I felt like I was engaging them and giving them a good show.  This was also the first time in ages that I had to do a “two set” show.  This really gave me the opportunity to challenge myself by pulling out songs that I hadn’t played in forever and a day.  Surprisingly songs like “Rainsville”, “Jennifer” and “Weather Worn Highways” felt really fun to play and sounded like I just played them a day or so before.  This was what, in my opinion, made the show for me and made it a truly fun experience.  It was like getting to see old friends again after not seeing them for a long time.

The night came to an end very quickly.  It’s amazing how fast two hours goes by.  I’m glad I had this opportunity to challenge myself yet I still feel that my focus is slipping.  I’m not as engaged and focused on doing the solo stuff like I was.  This is how I know that it’s time for a change.  It’s time to shake things up and fall in love with my art all over again.  More to come on that though.  I have one more booked show for 2011 and then that’s it.  For how long?  Who knows but new adventures lie ahead for me.  I can feel it.

August 9th was yet another amazing day/night of music with my brother Bert Wray. This day would also prove to be the day that I discovered I am allergic to Soy Milk. That’s right boys and girls. After having some soy milk for breakfast that day, my face puffed up and had me looking like I had just gone two rounds with Mike Tyson. That wasn’t enough to keep me down though. After popping a couple of Benedryl and getting me some sunglasses to cover up the eyes, Bert and I hit the road and ended up back in Mooresville at a place called Miciah’s Speakeasy. Yeah, it was a pretty bad ass place. We rolled up in there in true Backporch Prophets style, announced our presence and asked where to sign up. Turned out there wasn’t a whole lotta people there so we decided that we would split our set in half each doing two songs on our own which was a lot of fun. When everyone had their turn the list went around again so we got up and showed ‘em all how the Prophets like to rock it! We kicked out the classics and just had a blast.

We were planning on heading to another open mic but the people were so cool and interesting. The people we met that night were really fun, cool and all of them had stories of their own. Everything from sharing the same name as a famous movie star to a woman with really big boobs telling us about how she busted her husband cheating by seeing all kinds of x-rated text messages on a “secret” cell phone that he kept hidden in the glovebox of his car. These are the kind of people that, as a writer, I find myself fascinated by and find myself immersing myself in conversation with. We ended up hanging out and doing 3 sets. We even were asked to close the night out so we did so with a Rolling Stone’s classic “Dead Flowers” which brought the place down and had the women talkin’ to the Prophets. What lady doesn’t love the Backporch Prophets?

After many beers and some great and interesting conversations, Bert and I hit the road back home. On the way home we laughed and talked about the great times we had and in just two days we managed to catch up on over two years of being apart and it was without a doubt what I needed. It was uplifting and it totally reminded me how much I not only love music but how much I love Bert Wray. From the day we met, I knew that I had found my musical soul mate. He has inspired me over the years and he has always been there for me a musical partner, a brother and a best friend. Getting back for just two days did so much for me and made me remember just why I love doing music. I love it because it connects with the people, engages the people and it makes me feel as if I’m contributing to the soundtracks of peoples lives when they’re around. Not a bad lesson to be re-learned in two days. Oh yeah, and don’t give me soy milk!

Anybody who is a singer, songwriter, writer, artist or any other creative type knows that sometimes inspiration runs a little low and that we just need a kickstart to get things back in gear. Over the past few months I was feeling uninspired and somewhat running low on creative fuel. One of my best friends in the world, Bert Wray, seemed to be going through the same thing so we decided to give each other a kickstart and do what we do best: play music together and take it to the people.

I showed up in Charlotte, NC on Monday afternoon and there was Bert waiting for me on his porch and the minute I pulled up he ran up to the car, I got out and huge hugs were exchanged. It had been over two years since we last saw each other so we were both ecstatic to see each other. It didn’t take long before we were both planted in chairs in his kitchen with guitars out and songs being shared. Bert and I many years ago played together as The Back Porch Prophets and we became known around the Queen City as the feel good podunk duo that put on a really fun show and did our best to bring happiness to the people through our music. We quickly fell right into Back Porch Prophets mode busting out some classic old songs and some new songs by each of us that totally resurrected the spirit of our long defunct duo. Playing with Bert is like riding a bike. Even though we hadn’t played together, we managed to just pick up where we left off playing these new songs like we’d been playing them together for years.

The first thing we did was find an open mic in the lake town of Mooresville, NC. After grabbing a quick bite we packed our guitars and other implements of musical awesomeness and headed out. We arrived at a place called Harvey’s which was this cool little bar and grill type of place. We were the first out there and signed up right away. The place was really cool and obviously occupied by a bunch of regulars. When it got to be our turn, we took the stage to perform my song “Crosby, Nash & Me.” Right off the bat we were back. Everyone laughed and seemed engaged so we caught them in our folk tractor beam and kept them there. Bert then delivered the song “Drinking A Beer” which totally brought everyone up but to me the highlight was singing “The Rain” with him. This is the song that Bert wrote for me years ago and now here we were performing it together and swapping off verses and harmonica licks. It was a moment I will never forget. Once the open mic was done we stuck around to watch a few others kick out some interesting renditions of a classic rock songs and then hightailed it back to Charlotte to try and make the open mic at The Flying Saucer. We showed up with our guitars and walked into what was a techno rave dance party. It was very obvious there wasn’t an acoustic open mic going on so we decided to try and hit the open mic at The Evening Muse.

Just a lil back history here. The Evening Muse is a VERY pretentious and snotty little folk music venue in Charlotte where Bert and I first met some 11 years ago. It’s always had a really stuffy “we’re better than you” vibe to it and very early on disliked us because of our rootsiness and lack of ability to be good looking and smooth folk! Anyways, we figured hey, it’s an open mic and we’ll get in towards the end of the list and rock it out bringing it around full circle. Upon showing up at the Evening Muse, we walked in and the lady behind the counter didn’t even make eye contact with us. We just stood there looking at her and then looking at other like “What the fuck?” the dialog went like this:

Bert: We’d like to sign up for the open mic. Can we get in a late slot?
Evening Muse : Um, I don’t think so.
Bert Wray: Well, is it yes or is it no? If it’s yes we’ll play and drink beers with you and if it’s no, we’ll leave.
Evening Muse Chick: Let me go ask… [she drags across the room to ask the host]
Evening Muse Chick: Yeah. It looks like no!
Bert: PEACE! WE’RE OUTTA HERE!

Damn! Denied and kicked to the curb. So I did what any other proper folksinger would’ve done after being ousted from an establishment. I just pulled out my guitar and played a set right there in the gutter in front of the venue. That’s how you do it folks. Aint no venue going to keep me down. They can’t have me inside, I’ll take my music outside and share it with the world. So shove that up your hole Evening Muse. As we sat in the gutter singing the blues, Bert’s buddy Monster Mike pulled up and said, “Let’s take this to my house!” We followed Mike to his place and proceeded to play a full on gig in his living room while drinking the absolute cheapest beer you can buy and just having fun. Mike refused to let us go playing for free so he paid us by giving us each brand new knives! Yes. We got paid in hand weapons! As the 2am hour hit we peeled out of there and headed home to pour ourselves into bed. The next day would prove to be another fun time…

Stay Tuned for Part II.

Being back at the Java Monkey again was a great time. The crowd was a lil smaller than the last few shows but once again, they proved to be an awesome audience. Everyone seemed to be really into the set but it took me about 3 songs to really find my groove. There’s something about that venue that makes it hard for me to find my groove right away. Maybe it’s because I’ve become so accustomed to having monitors at shows that allow me to hear myself better and there they do not have them. Even though I didn’t really find my groove right away, I did feel connected with everyone. I’m finding that the longer I do this the better I’m getting at working hard to connect with the audience. It’s really something special when you’re telling a story and you look around and see everyone attentively watching you, laughing and smiling. That’s what I consider “making it.”

The set was a lot of fun. I pulled out the old Back Porch Prophets’ classic “Woman of the Mountain” for the first time in many years which was an absolutely blast. The Michael Nesmith classic “Different Drum” was also a lot of fun to play and seemed to get some smiles and debuting “I Listen To NPR” was a lot of fun and definitely got some laughs. I really dig writing funny songs as I feel like they really break up the serious mood of the sets a lot of times. This particular song did get a few long faces as I know that people are pretty passionate about NPR but in the end, everyone got the joke and played along. The real highlight of the entire night though came after the set was over. After the set I went down and sat with my friends in the audience and my friend Ellen says to me, “I know you’re done but you didn’t play my favorite song. Would you play “Rest Stop For The Lonely?” and everyone started chanting “Encore!” I got up there and played my encore request and you couldn’t kick the smile off of my face if you tried.

Once again, it was a pretty magical night for me. When I look back and reflect on my shows it always makes me smile and happy to do what I do. This is why I do it. I don’t do it for money and I don’t do it for fame. I do it because I love it and because it’s my life blood. Thank you all for all of your love and undying support! You all are the ones that make it so much fun for me.

Being back at the Java Monkey was great and the weather couldn’t have been any better. It was cool but not cold and more people showed up than I expected. The PA at Java Monkey has been crapping out so I hauled out my trust ol’ PA system so that was great. The night started off with my good buddy Jonathan McBee and he did a great job. He really worked hard and brought out a nice crew of people which made for a great experience. There’s no better setting for a show than an outdoor stage, great weather and the place full of people who were attentive and totally digging it. I started out the set with and old song that I hadn’t played in a while (The Night Gram Parsons Died) and I feel like it may have been too slow of a start. That particular song is pretty pitchy for me to begin with and because we had no monitors, it was a little shaky. Not shaky in a way that the audience could tell but I could feel that hesitance as I was trying to get my head voice. Finally by the beginning of the 3rd song it was clean sailing. I did have a bit of a technical difficulty with one of my pedals overriding during “Brother and Sister” but other than that it was a great night.

The only thing about this show is that I didn’t feel a real connection with the audience. Sometimes I can be playing to 5 people and feel that they are all connected to the songs. When that connection is made I can really feel it and it fuels my performance but on this night, I didn’t feel that connection like I have before. I don’t know exactly why that is. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t make it a bad show by any means. The audience was attentive and they seemed to be digging it. I had a great time and I feel that I played well but that connection just didn’t seem to happen. Maybe it’s because the last show in Carrboro, NC was such an amazing show and connection was so intense that it was hard to live up to. As awesome it is to have an absolutely amazing show, it’s kind of hard to not want every show to live up to it. I think what I did learn from this is that I need to remember to treat each show as it’s own entity and to not try and compare it to any other shows. A show is a show all it’s own and it deserves to have it’s own life and opportunity. Again, I’m not sure if that’s what it was with this show but the more I type, the more I’m thinking that this is what it was.

It was a lot of fun playing some older songs. “Back To When” was fun to play again, so was The Replacement’s “Here Comes A Regular” but “Ghost Town” didn’t seem to have that magic that it usually has for me. I think it might be time to phase it out slightly just to kind of give me time to miss it and reconnect with it. The night drew to a close with “Fart Proudly” and everyone just loved it. I love it that I have a fun, lighthearted song that everyone seems to enjoy and really get a kick out of. It was a great night of music and a night where I feel like I learned something new. That’s what I love about being a musician. I’m always learning and hopefully improving.

Who said “You can never go back” obviously wasn’t at Jessee’s in Carrboro. I’ll be honest and say that I really had no huge ideas or expectations for this show. My only expectation was to share a night of music with my dear friends Something Candid and maybe a few friends who would be in attendance. What I got on this night was far beyond my expectations. Jessee’s was packed wall to wall with people and it was standing room only! WOW! Just WOW!!!! I saw some great old friends not seen in a while and made some new friends as well courtesy of Something Candid. My adrenaline was pumping at maximum and trying to get my focus to perform was a bit harder than usual.

Around 8:30 I finally found my focus, approached the mic and the audience was so attentive and quiet I could hear a pin drop. I addressed the room and opened with “Lying In Our Bed” which seemed to be a great way to open. This is the point of a performance that I call the blackout phase. From this point I literally go into a somewhat of a meditative state. Call it cheesy if you want but I think that many performers can attest to this. It’s almost as if the music and songs just take over. This is a great feeling though but it makes it hard for me to really accurately recount all that happened. This is why I record all of my performances so I can go back and see what it’s like from the audience side. Anyway, after the first song I was so overwhelmed by the applause and love that I felt so welcomed and I just knew it was going to be a great night.

Since the last time I had played in NC, I had four brand new songs to share with everyone. “You Built A Wall’ seemed to get a great rise out of the audience while “Crosby, Nash & Me” and “I’ve Gone Walkin’” also seemed to engage them but it was “Fart Proudly” that definitely won them all over. Everyone just laughed out loud and hooted and hollered as the song carried on. It was so fun to see them reacting to not just the songs but my stories in between. It was also a great treat to FINALLY have my friends Chris and Anita present to hear me sing the song I wrote about their kids “Brother and Sister” complete with visual aide in the form of a photo of the kids. It was also fun to use my Fairy Wand that their little girl Chiara made for me. She wanted me to use it at my concert so I sure did. All of this together just made for an amazing night but the highlight for me was having my dear wife L present. It was so awesome to look over and see her singing my songs. That is something that never gets old.

After my set, I spent some time catching up with some dear friends and I checked out an amazing set by Something Candid. Seeing them perform just made me so happy and their songs just blow me away. Seeing my former partner in crime Elana so happy and playing music with Sabina makes me smile endlessly. These two have a definitely musical bond and kinship that is unbreakable. Their performance was stellar as always and after the show we spent time catching up, laughing, drinking and hugging. It was a magical night of music, fun and friends both old and new. I also realized that I have truly grown as a musician, songwriter and performer. I don’t mean this in an egotistical way but for me to be able to recognize this growth is huge. I’ve spent so many years being hard on myself as an artist but I finally feel that I can look at where I’m at and say, “Hey man, you’re actually pretty good at what you do!” I feel this comfort in my skin as a solo folksinger and by listening to all the greats like Arlo, Tony Joe and Kevn I’ve learned how to just be myself. Real can be engaging, entertaining and funny.

All in all, this was an amazing night for me. It was so amazing to be back in NC and it actually made me miss it a bit. I had many great years in NC and I have many great and wonderful friends there as well. Luckily, these friends are so amazing that they all keep in such great touch with me that it felt as if no time had passed. I got to see and catch up with them and I even got to meet some new friends as well. Who says you can’t ever go back? I did and you know what? It was friggin’ awesome. I love you all so much and thanks for having me back with open arms!

Appearing on the Blue Plate Special was something I never really thought would happen. The Blue Plate Special is a folk/americana radio show in Knoxville, TN that has featured some of my favorite and influential musicians. Acts like The Two Man Gentleman Band, Tony Joe White and David Grisman have all appeared on this show so to be considered good enough to be featured on this show is one of the highlights of my life. Upon getting the Knoxville Visitors Center, I was greeted and felt completely welcomed. I was asked to sign a consent form and then next was soundcheck. It was all a surreal moment for me as I stood on stage looking out at the empty room. I was curious as to how many folks would show up but again, I could care less. I was just really happy to be there and I was feeling really nervous. After all, the world would be tuning in!

I shared the stage with a Nashville group called Scissormen. They were a really cool and super nice blues trio and we spent some time getting acquainted, talking about music and trading notes about our hometowns and cool places to play. Before I knew it, I was told to take my place on stage and get ready to go live. My heart was pounding in my throat and I could feel my hands just get clammy and start trembling. Honestly, I love that feeling. When I feel that way, it’s real. It reminds me that this is still exciting to me and that I truly love and anticipate performing live. The room was full with about 40 people sitting and standing. All eyes were on me as the announcer announced my name and the rest was a blur.

As cheesy as it seems, performing sometimes to me is kind of like a meditative, out of body type experience. It’s like I know what I’m doing and what I’m playing but it’s like it just flows out of me and takes over. Opening with “Brother & Sister” was a good way to ease into the performance so once I got through that and everyone applauded, I felt at home and comfy. “Another Rainy Night In GA” and “Why I Sing About The Rain” both got outstanding responses but it was closing with “Fart Proudly” that I was totally nervous about. My buddy Bert told me once, “Funny is hard man. Funny is only funny if other people find it funny.” As I introduced this song about “a feeling that comes from deep down”, I felt really nervous. What if they don’t get? I threw it to the wind (no pun intended). The first verse started out with everyone fixated on me and as soon as I sang the words “Fart Proudly”, everyone just looked completely off guard and shocked! ELEMENT OF SURPRISE! I had ‘em. No body laughed until the 2nd verse when they finally realized what was hitting them. I loved this as it was pretty hilarious from my end to see everyone so surprised and then suddenly entertained and laughing.

The response from the people was overwhelming after the show. People lined up to shake my hand, thank me for coming to play and that they loved my set. I had a great conversation with a man (a writer) who found a connection with my lyrics and was not shy to tell me so. I also met an awesome family with an Autistic son who took a liking to my songs. After talking with them I gave him a guitar pick and he was so excited. His mother emailed me to tell me that he talked about “Fart Proudly” all the way home and won’t let go of my guitar picks. It made me feel like a million bucks and lemme tell ya, you just can’t put a price on how this made me feel.

The people of Knoxville were so awesome to me and it was almost as if I’d found me a brand new musical home. They want me to come back and do it again and I totally will. The people, the food, the shops… EVERYTHING. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget and I’m already looking forward to the next time. This whole experience reminded me of why I love to play music and what I want out of playing music. I just want to engage, entertain and connect with people. For whatever amount of time they are watching me, I want to take them away from their troubles and invite them on a journey with me. That connection was made and I can’t even begin to tell you how priceless this was to me. I am inspired and re-energized. Knoxville, thank you all!

So just how folked up can a bunch of Unitarians get?  Well, more than you’d think.  I’ll be honest.  When I first got booked at this Univeralist Unitarian Coffeehouse, I was a bit nervous.  Here’s me, an athiest folksinger with a potty mouth performing for some church folk.  Well, in all honesty, it couldn’t have gone better.  Right off the bat I was blown away by how many people were there and just how attentive they were.

Opening with “Wish For Rain” was comfortable to me and got a chuckle out of the audience as it has been the “winter of rain and snow.”  They listened so attentively that it literally made me feel a bit uneasy.  I am not used to playing to a room full of people focusing and attentively listening to my songs.  It was such a pleasant surprise and they really reacted to each and every song.  Some songs got  a better reaction than others but what I loved so much was playing to an audience of people that truly had an interest in what I was singing.  This wasn’t a trendy place full of trendsters and college students.  This was a roomful of people who came out to hear an evening of music.  I was both honored and pleased to have had such a great audience.

I closed the night out with “Fart Proudly” which I was a bit nervous about.  I knew this crowd had been a great one but just how would they take to my ode to flatulence?  Well, they took to it with smiles, laughs, clapping in time and even singing along.  I was so floored.  After my set, many people came up to me thanking me for performing and that they really liked my songs.  Ya know, I was loving it and it’s shows like this that remind me just why I love playing music.  All I ever want to be for my listeners is what my favorite musicians are for me.  A temporary escape from all the bullshit of the world and life for just 45 minutes.  I want to take them on journeys, tell them stories, make them laugh and engage them.  I feel like I am still growing with every show even after doing this for nearly 15 years.  How exciting is it to feel that there is always someplace to grow into as an artist?  This night was a truly great night for me and a much needed boost and reminder of just why I do what I do.