Sometimes....

Today: 
  Sometimes we do things that just make no sense.  We think things that are irrational, and we follow dreams that just never seem to become reality.  There is a small part of me that often chases dreams but, I have been fortunate enough to make some of them my reality.  I guess that is why I am feeling a little stressed today.  There are times where your dreams are exploited and taken away.  Then you need to decide if you should try to remain peaceful, or just let them go for the good of what you are trying to create.  Another time, I would have let it go.  This time is different because, there is hope.  When you have hope nothing is really lost, or is it?  Now the only question that remains is, "Do you really understand what was lost?"
  Spring is here with a slight chill to the air tonight.  The past two days crept slowly by with the sun shining down, a raging fire, and some hooping with the Phamily.  The music has been great lately, with no signs of slowing down.  I am feeling a twinge of regret for not making it to Soulive last night, or Boombox tonight at the Westcott Theater but, sometimes you need to just appreciate just breathing the air.  Surrounding yourself with good friends, and a laugh shared among equals can be the right medicine for a clouded perspective.  I prefer spinning vinyl these days instead of my mind.  The world seems to make so much more sense to me today.  For that I am eternally grateful.

03-26-10
Jatoba The Perfect Wife Manchester, VT :
   Going back to Vermont this past weekend to see the Jatoba boys was again something I desperately needed to do.  There is a feeling of coming home every time I reach the top of Hogback heading into Brattleboro.  This is sacred time, time to share memories and stories with the road family.  This time it was my turn to travel north again, and I didn't mind much.  I miss the people there and love how every time I visit someone tells me I should stay.  The show on Friday was good.  Not the best, but still a time to re-connect on projects and plan for the future.  There was weak drinks, and much dancing.   The second set caught my attention a little more now, thinking to myself how far the boys have come.  I could not help but feel a sense of pride.  They have earned their place in the scene on their own talents.  I am just there to help them on their journey.  I am glad that I have been able to watch them grow.

03-27-10

Hot Day at the Zoo and Moe./ Snoe. Down 2010 Killington, VT:
 The Snoe. Down scene was epic.  The sun shining down on the mountain and people wiping out on the half-pipe .  Hot Day at the Zoo played a raging set comparative to their latest effort Zoograss.  I have never been a huge fan of Moe. personally but, they can be interesting.  I do like their music.  I do appreciate their impeccable sense of timing and sometimes flawless jams.  The afternoon set on Bear Mountain was tight, fearless, and the perfect thing to fit the adventure.  This particular weekend perhaps it was more fun then we thought it would be.

  There is something to be said for a condo full of crazy people after a beautiful day of music that has magical powers.  It could have been the beards (who claimed to be wizards.) I guess you never can tell.  We quickly changed our plans to attend Keller Williams in Burlington that night and we opted to stay in the mountains and get down.  There is something that can be said for our after hours shenanigans.  I am not sure what it is about it.  It could be the faded look everyone gets in the wee hours of morning, or the seemingly endless hours of laughter that comes every time.  This is where people become a little closer.  Where you meet strangers and leave as friends.  I think this is truly where you can learn to let it all go and just exist, if you embrace it.  I am not sure what else I can say about it.  Jon was right, "It was all fun and games until Jed broke the coffee pot."  

What Would Hunter Say....

Disclaimer: Experiment Only...Meant for entertainment, some people will take this seriously. Guess they can refer to our motto.  Cheers! 

What would Hunter S. Thompson possibly say in a moment like this? I thought on it for a brief second and started to write (Not that I would even come close to what his thoughts might be. I could probably not even come close to his brilliance. Hopefully feeble attempts are harmless.) Here is what came out of that trip....

King of the Mountain
We never stopped, we have been at this for months with no end in sight. What else is there to do but go on some strange, alcohol fueled bender in the mountains for a week. Not enough foresight in this plan, and the only way out at this point is to take the bus. Fuck that. Ah, good alcohol, or was it the Little Feat, whiskey and bad cocaine? The sun coming up slowly by day kissing the Spanish Moon goodnight. Surely there is time to catch up on all of these things. Christ, there are ten thousand copies of this thing out there, and we are just getting started.
There was a thaw today coming out of the mountains, slowly through the Olympic Village, and past the High Peaks. I love this part of the country, and haven't felt home like this in quite some time. It is bittersweet, really. The promise of greater things hanging in the balance has just passed my weary head. It has me shaken but, not ignorant to these things.
Coming down from a high like this is hard to ignore. It's like a roller coaster in reverse. Good thing I put the band out days ago, they would never be able to navigate this climate, and besides, why should they get to have all of the fun. It is really a question of bad economics and which way the wind might blow.

To Do List:
-Book Martin Sexton for a small intimate club show (Please and Thank You)
-Confirm the already booked dates
-Lights and bring the raucous for the show on Saturday Night
-Phish, Hampton...get ready
-Call the Dickey crew to let them know we will be swinging by for the show
-Distribute
-Sleep....continue the hustle.

Done. Set fire to the opposition? They don't thoroughly understand what is really going on here any way, setting the pace, and making it happen. What do they really know about all of that which has changed in the past few years. A waste of time that I cannot afford for this very reason. How do you make them see? There needs to be a desire to open their eyes and really take it in. It seems a futile attempt to make them understand that this is bigger than any one person or entity, and to survive the only realistic thing to do would be to collaborate. Everything has changed, for no real reason that I can fathom. No need to retreat, it is alright to move forward, with great success. Besides, we are all friends here, right?
Thanks, Devito. Mahalo. It was a good run, and the insight and positive energy from it will carry me through the next few months. It was in these necessary evils that I have found peace within myself, and the strength to know that things are moving on, ever changing still. The chances are well worth the risk, and all of this work has amounted to much more than I could have ever thought possible.
We are never going to make it out alive without a solid plan, and strong drink. There has to be an easy grand to throw down on something serious or we are all fucked. Phone call, secure that, and our fate as it looms in the balance. Done, and two if I need it. So, I clearly needed to put them out after the ice palace and the choclolates wore off, good thinking on my part. Time to plan for two weeks across the country, better make it 30 days or else we will never make it through. Work it, develop, grow the family, and then hit it all again. It is a healthy chain of events, really. It is also the only way to approach this righteously.
OK, here we go. No more screwing around. This is serious, and we all know to what degree. Fasten your seat belts, this is going to be a rough ride this time.


The Bus
The damn bus. The putrid stench of the Adirondack drug runners who had way too many at DeVito's bar last night, sets me a slight off balance. You would think a shower for the good of mankind was in order before coming down from the mountain. They come with the pure stuff, to spread the love throughout the central most parts of New York. The pimps, thieves, hustlers, and slightly better than average cocaine. Who really knows the difference any more the stuff that has been stepped on a time or two with pharmaceuticals and the buzz is similar to what you could have with it pure, for a quarter of the price. Which is all to say that it is still a good buzz and a descent high.
These are the true Adirondack Pirates, screw the rum runners, they had their day. Damn the rum all together because it will not get you off anymore. What we need is scotch on the rocks or straight to the vein, damn the glass. Plan a tour across the country under these circumstances? Absolutely.