gigs life love gigs life love gigs life love

hello! how are you? i am fine! ... ok, there was that one bad day... but anyways, the ratio of good/bad days is much better lately! to recount recent wks as best as i can: b ryder's, DDs & KA -- good show, benefit for aj, KA bass player who has had some legal problemos -- raucous DDs set, fun KA set, don't remember much more except no one got arrested, so that was good! next was 4th of july, my sober bd: i drove down to south LA co for a music event & worried about friend who's been sick; stayed at a pretty swank place (for me), drank my 1st rock & rye soda, visited an "old world" shopping area where got dad german jam/newspaper, saw "the dictator," drove to big's gig w/KA, which went well, tho i was full of worry, so it was kinda tough; i hit my parts, but being a sideman in KA's band, i can't really let it rip & blow out the bad spirits, when they hit... next night, tho, was DDs right here in frazier park at sue's tavern, a lovely & cozy saloon, & there i was able to stomp it all out, really exorcise them demons, in front of a GREAT enthusiastic, happy, laughing, dancing, teeming crowd w/my DD fellows... what a pleasant surprise, to find that the greatest gig of late would be right here in FP! next day was... oh wait; that was the benefit... this all runs together these days... then this past wkend was central coast shows w/KA, fri in lompoc, fun show, sat in solvang, lots of hanging-out time at cool white oaks hotel w/nerdy bandmates; i was kinda puzzled why we weren't DOING anything, really, just lounging around, then donnie (karling's co-pilot) commented he felt like he was on vacation, so then i just relaxed & loafed cause i realized we all weren't gonna go anyplace... anyways, saturday's show ended up being SUPER fun, tho exhausting for all cause we didn't know til we got there we were playing all night. i esp loved sat night cause i could hear really well (we were set up in a small, pretty room in the back of a wine bar), so before fatigue overtook me (our breaks were too long! others agreed it trashed our momentum, sitting so long between sets!), i knocked out some parts that i got such a thrill from! we also padded the night by playing some DD tunes which allowed me to realize how different the two bands are: DDs are pretty blasting compared to KA; i almost felt embarrassed doing DD songs cause they are so primitive & uptempo, but i guess each band allows me different outlet, like in KA i get to be more creative on piano & back-up sing using different voice-styles, which is fun... back to being able to hear, what a thing it is to have a solo or part come out that surprises & delights oneself: where'd THAT comes from? such a pleasure! i love playing music... i love having this passion & ever-developing aptitude... i can never stop... my sister posted a wonderful website for her upcoming marriage & i was tickled that she wrote this about me: "sister jenny was a teacher until she ran off to join the music circus." perfect!... i hope to go to as many circuses, fairs, amusement parks, boardwalks as i humanly can in the next many years... i hope to keep living this life of love & thrills & fun & occasional roadblocks & speedbumps & learning & growing... this post has been very conversational, but that's my mood... it's beautiful up here... i hope it's beautiful where you are... love to all

L.L.L.