GOING TO NAZSHVILLE...

Well, I’ve had Internet at the motel three times in two days (must be an Omen). I had better take the opportunity to update the Blog. I’ve had two entries I couldn’t post because I didn’t have Internet for two weeks running.

I am going to Nashville—first, for the Pineyfest songwriters’ conference, which I got invited to again, and second for a Just Plain Folks “Road Rally” that’ll be held either just before or just after (I forget which). I’ll get to record six demos with a group of Nashville studio musicians (five of the songs were co-wrote with other people, who are splitting the cost), perform a couple songs at the famous Bluebird Café (supposedly a Big Whoop because the Big Names hang out there), and otherwise play music non-stop for six days and nights. My idea of a vacation, definitely.

I leave Sunday 7/29 from tiny Medford “International” Airport, and return the following Sunday, 8/5. (Medford “International” is so small you can park in front of the terminal. I didn’t see a single jet on the runway—only prop planes. One must fly to Canada once a year or so to get the “international” moniker.)

So during the week aforehand, I’m concentrating on playing as much music as I can, as many places as I can, to prepare my calluses for the “vacation.” Thankfully, there are a lot of places to play around here. Last Saturday night was the Southern Oregon Songwriters Assn. (SOSA) showcase at Johnny B.’s tavern in Medford; Sunday night was an open mike at the Wild Goose tavern in Ashland; Tuesday (tonight) a country jam session at the community center in Rogue River (complete with a stage, dance floor, and dancing couples); Wednesday is another SOSA showcase at Johnny B.’s; and Friday evening I’m supposed to perform for the Phoenix Chamber Commerce’s open house. Enough? Maybe. (Did I mention I also got to perform at the Jackson County Fair last week?)

The country jam was fun. I hadn’t got to play with a band (much less play lead with a band) for a long time, and I did impress some people, so I’ll be able to go back; they do play almost exclusively old country standards, which is fine—but there’s only a couple of those I can sing, so I’ll have to work at introducing some of my songs to the mix. Yes, I want to go back. It’s really the only jam session I’ve found around these parts in the past 2 months, and it’s almost every week.

The Wild Goose was fun, too. My second time there, but I finally figured out (I think) how to play for drunks—start with something really slow and raunchy, with really obvious lyrics, to get their attention, then you can follow it up with something faster. (I would still keep it really obvious, though. The audience is operating on reduced brain cell capacity.) So they got “Eatin’ Cornflakes,” “The Termite Song,” and “Naked Space Hamsters in Love.” It’s possible they may remember me next time around.

The SOSA crowd are as a species more attentive—they’re all writers and musicians, too, and they’re there to strut their stuff, too. They listen without being bludgeoned upside da haid. Still, I’d like to teach ‘em a couple of things. They still mostly don’t play together, but most of ‘em would sound a whole lot better if they weren’t solo. They also don’t record together, which shocked me (hopefully, some of my shock was communicated). Maybe I get to take an “elder statesman” attitude, after I come back from Nashville with some demos and maybe some music publishing information.

We’ll see. More later, if the Internet continues to work.

Joe