ASH WEDNESDAY...

HAPPY ASH WEDNESDAY… The new song, tentatively hight “Up in Heaven the Angels Play Music,” is in final form, I think, and recorded. Not really a religious song (except in the sense that “Can I Have Your Car When the Rapture Comes?” is a religious song). I will plan on performing it at the library next Saturday, and see what folks there call it—that’ll be its real title. (That’s if folks bother to request it again, of course; if they don’t, it won’t matter). Link is http://www.soundclick.com/share?songid=8772093.

The musicians at the library on Saturday and at City Hall on Friday were all trying to do love songs, in honor of Valentine’s Day, so I gave the library folks “When I Jump Off the Cliff I’ll Think of You,” “Rotten Candy” (which was actually written on Valentine’s Day) and the Southern Pigfish anthem, “Love Trails of the Zombie Snails”; the folks at City Hall got to hear “Armadillo on the Interstate” and “Always Pet the Dogs.” Sold a CD Friday night, too.

And on Saturday, I gave two CDs away. One went to Jane Scott, the video lady, who was filming Saturday morning’s visit by the local Congressman; Jane and I did the “Jeff Benson thing”—she apologized for never returning my phone calls, and I told her it was all right, and we both agreed we were both still interested in videotaping a “Deathgrass” concert to air on local cable TV (which covers two counties). She was excited about getting the CD, and with luck it will make her more interested in filming a concert. The other CD went to our local state representative, who had come to hear the Congressman (and apologized for not donating to the Food Pantry like she’d promised to); in her case, the CD may make her interested in coming to the next concert. Tentatively, we’ve got one concert around St. Leif’s Day (March 29), and one in June—another benefit for the Food Pantry.

Music this week Wednesday and Saturday; I have City Council meetings to cover for the paper Tuesday and Thursday nights, a high school debate tournament to help judge Friday, and rehearsals for “The Tempest” Sunday (and next Tuesday, too), but it still feels like I’m not doing enough. The following week, I have Thursday nght free, and I think I’ll essay a trip into Portland for one of those open mikes. (There’s an open mike in Portland Friday night, too, that I might be able to get to after the speech tournament.)

Open mikes may be the way to go to develop a bigger fan base, or a fan base in a new market (like Portland); I don’t have to generate an audience, because they’re already there. All I have to do is impress them. If I do it right, I may have people inviting me to do shows after a while, and people willing to attend them. I probably can devote one night a week long-term to this effort. I probably cannot afford to do more.

I got word of somebody starting an open mike in Manzanita (20 miles or so north of here), and I offered myself; I think they really want bands, though—essentially auditioning talent they can hire to play weekends come summer—and I don’t think I can commit the band to an audition. I did tell the Manzanita folks the band was probably available come summer, but absent something they can listen to (CD) or watch (DVD), that may not matter much. I did see someone advertising on Portland Craigslist to record (for a fee, of course) live concerts—and it occurs to me I know somebody in this area who says he can do that, too: a local minister with some good recording equipment. I wonder if he’d be interested in recording the St. Leif’s concert?

Joe