UPDATES...

Yes, the Arts Center Open Mike was good. Jane and I did “The Abomination Two-Step” (I continue to be surprised that’s such a hit), and the two new songs, “One Gas Station” and “Spend the End of the World with Me.” One couple apparently came hoping they’d hear the “One Gas Station” song. Not sure where they’d heard about it. Jam session afterwards (my favorite part). Suggestion was made that we should have a “jam potluck,” where we’d just all gather for dinner and playing music, without the structure of an open mike; I like that. We could do it downstairs in the Big Room next to the kitchen, and I could provide my little PA system.

It was also suggested the Arts Center do a themed open mike (Gene Burnett does one monthly at the Wild Goose in Ashland)—an “Armageddon Night,” say, in which all the songs would be about the end of the world—and couple that with an art show in which all the artwork had an end-of-the-world theme, too. That also is doable, and would be fun. The Arts Center is likely to have a month or two this year in which there isn’t a scheduled Artist of the Month (happened last year), and we have to fudge; this would be a good fudge. And the end of the world is an ideal topic for this year, which is supposedly the last year, ever.

The to-do list grows… Charlie videoed the Open Mike, so I have footage to work with, to compile into both YouTube videos (15-minute increments) and a DVD (some of the performers have requested a DVD of their work, and I’d like to deliver). The easiest way to do it may be to prepare the 15-minute increments first, then string them together on the DVD as “Part One,” “Part Two,” and so forth. I have a “French video” to do of the Artist of the Month mosaics (there are actually several artists, all students of the same teacher), and have the perfect soundtrack, I think, in the form of Ken’s and Jane’s instrumentals at the Open Mike, if they’ll let me use them.

All videos—and I have videos of my own to do, too. I still haven’t looked at Kathryn’s “Blue Krishna” work on the old digital camera. With luck, between her and Sedona’s footage, I have enough for the music video. Next trip out to Cascade Locks (Tuesday?), I need to stop in little Dodson, Oregon, and take photos (or film) of what’s left of the town for the “One Gas Station” video. I have the video of “Spend the End of the World with Me” to do, too—and as I recall, the script for that one’s more complicated. With all that to do, I have got to make the video work take less time.

I understand the “Pig Wars” puppets are to be retired after our next show (which will be our Wizard of Oz parody, Jedi Pigs of Oz). I suppose it’s time; one can’t keep this up forever, and our “actors” have had a good 3-year run—more sequels than a lot of movie actors get, in fact. We’ve done the Three Little Pigs (Pig Wars), Billy Pigs Gruff, Sleeping Piggy, and Cinderpiggy, and the scripts and performances have gotten better each time. I would like to ensure our “finale” is both perfect and gets a lot of attention.

And besides things to do, there is good news: One of my songs got selected for an album of children’s songs being produced by the Southern Oregon Songwriters Assn. as a benefit for the Maslow Project, which deals with homeless children. The song? “When They Die, I Put Them in the Cookies,” of course. Got a form to send them waiving copyright fees, so all proceeds from the record can go to the kids.

Elsewhere? Not much. On the job front, no news at all. There are still a few places where I haven’t been rejected yet, but I’m working on it.

Joe