I am super-tired. Yesterday was one of the more typical days-on-the-road. We got up really early, hit the road, did a TV show, then had hours to kill before load-in. It was a lot of coffee-shopping and WiFi borrowing, trying to catch up on emails and doing my continual task of planning tours that never seem to come through as well as I'd like.
Raul Malo was as pleasant as anyone could be. I don't know why I was feeling shy yesterday -- that is unlike me -- and didn't ask if I could play with him. Even the minute the show ended, he turned to me and said, "You should have played accordion or saw. Why didn't we work something up during all that down time?" I know, I know, it was dumb of me. "Next time," we laughed, "next time." We sat around and chatted after the show, and I got a picture of the two of us. I never asked Elvis Costello to pose with me, so I guess it all evens out.
The funniest part was pre-show when folksinger and WoodSongs host Michael Johnathon was giving Raul and me the run-down of the show. He basically told us that fifty-five bajillion people would be listening and watching the program (that's "programme" for you Brits), so don't mess up. I must say, I was impressed with what a tightly-run ship it is. "A Prairie Home Companion" was much more loosely organized backstage, as was "The Early Show" back when I used to work for them, so it was kind of bizarre to see a group of volunteers who had things timed down to the second. I loved it, and as a artist, I appreciated not having to worry that something would go wrong.
Y'all know me, I LOVE an organized crew, so it was perfect. At 6:54, Raul and I were ready to go on-stage, and at 6:59, we were live on the webcast. At 7:59, the show ended. We encored, including saws, yodels, and opera, and signed a little fewer than fifty-five bajillion autographs, but still plenty of them. Dan Canon played a killer bluegrass guitar for me, and lent lovely background vocals, and was good company for a 17-hour work/travel day, which I appreciated much.
Also, the folks in Lexington were super-nice, and it was good to know I might actually have a good audience if I ever play that town again. Which I think I should.
I'm ready to start organizing some weekend tours. You folks in the Carolinas, I've been promising you shows forever. Can anyone help to book/promote them? Or maybe host a house concert? If I've got a house concert on the books, I'll absolutely book shows around it.
In the mean time, I'm off to book more Scottish shows for next year ... I just can't get enough Scotland.
Raul Malo was as pleasant as anyone could be. I don't know why I was feeling shy yesterday -- that is unlike me -- and didn't ask if I could play with him. Even the minute the show ended, he turned to me and said, "You should have played accordion or saw. Why didn't we work something up during all that down time?" I know, I know, it was dumb of me. "Next time," we laughed, "next time." We sat around and chatted after the show, and I got a picture of the two of us. I never asked Elvis Costello to pose with me, so I guess it all evens out.
The funniest part was pre-show when folksinger and WoodSongs host Michael Johnathon was giving Raul and me the run-down of the show. He basically told us that fifty-five bajillion people would be listening and watching the program (that's "programme" for you Brits), so don't mess up. I must say, I was impressed with what a tightly-run ship it is. "A Prairie Home Companion" was much more loosely organized backstage, as was "The Early Show" back when I used to work for them, so it was kind of bizarre to see a group of volunteers who had things timed down to the second. I loved it, and as a artist, I appreciated not having to worry that something would go wrong.
Y'all know me, I LOVE an organized crew, so it was perfect. At 6:54, Raul and I were ready to go on-stage, and at 6:59, we were live on the webcast. At 7:59, the show ended. We encored, including saws, yodels, and opera, and signed a little fewer than fifty-five bajillion autographs, but still plenty of them. Dan Canon played a killer bluegrass guitar for me, and lent lovely background vocals, and was good company for a 17-hour work/travel day, which I appreciated much.
Also, the folks in Lexington were super-nice, and it was good to know I might actually have a good audience if I ever play that town again. Which I think I should.
I'm ready to start organizing some weekend tours. You folks in the Carolinas, I've been promising you shows forever. Can anyone help to book/promote them? Or maybe host a house concert? If I've got a house concert on the books, I'll absolutely book shows around it.
In the mean time, I'm off to book more Scottish shows for next year ... I just can't get enough Scotland.
2 comments
My son and I were at Woodsongs last night and we thought you were great. We brought along our Cub Scout den to listen, too. He is taking guitar lessons right now, but I know you have inspired him to play some of the tools laying around the house :).
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Let me know how the toolshed holds up.
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