4-30 Burlington VT

We had a great time this past Saturday playing with Railroad Earth at the Higher Ground Ballroom. I must admit those opening slots on big stages can always be a bit dicey but, I think we pulled it off, or at least introduced ourselves to the Burlington jam scene and scared a few hippies. Thanks to everyone who bought merch, and to Railroad Earth (who are exceptional pickers and are a friendly bunch) and the staff at Higher Ground for being helpful and providing the backstage libations. And a big thanks to Tony at WBKM for having us on his show.

Sticks and stones

Blog/ 4/22/2008
Sticks and stones

Spent earth day picking rocks out of the ditch up on Stoney Brook rd. I suppose you’re supposed to pick up garbage, but we didn’t find any, I did see a deer carcass picked entirely clean though. My dog Libby ran off after something and we had to spend a good half hour running around calling for her and that kind of pissed me off but I did find a really cool swimming hole in the process.
I finally got the rafters up on my timber frame thanks to help of Jeff Berlin, Jeff and Susan Mocas, Mike Phiel, and Don Carbino, who provided the staging and tackle we needed. I must say it looks pretty slick, almost a shame to close in. Which is fine cause the bank wouldn’t give me the loan to do so, so it may just sit like it is for a while.

Mixin' Blues

As the snow finally recedes round these parts it reveals all the unfinished business from the times when there was no snow. Like my project of building stonewall all over the place in hopes my property does not slid of the side of the freaking mountain. So for the last few years I have been hauling stone from wherever I find em’and mixing all mortar by hand. So in hopers in getting this project done before I am in my late nineties I am succumbing to modern times and borrowing a cement mixer. I asked my friend Don if he was using his anytime soon, his reply; “ Good, god, I hope not.” So I lugged his mixer over and it got about six rotations in before the pin holding the drive shaft broke, so Lori and I were back to hand mixing. So my friend Brent comes by and says why aren’t you using that old mixer, and I told him mixers are for pansies, but can I use yours? So now I got Brent’s mixer. Then we ran out of Portland cement, no problem I got to go to the supply store to get a sheer pin for Don’s mixer any way, maybe we will find some more stones along the way.

Boston 4/9

Took the bus down to Boston met my dad at south station and did a quick session at Mad Oak studios in Allston with him playing trumpet on Honeywood to finish up the debut Perfect Trainwreck album. Started mastering on Thursday 4/10 at Peerless with Jeff Lipton and had a swell time playing at Atwoods in Cambridge later that night. Friday had us doing a show on Joan Hathaway's Three-Ring Circus on WMBR in Cambridge. A surprisingly smooth couple of days, I got to remember when shit goes right for when shit goes wrong.

Driftwood 2 out

Lets get this blog train rolling with the release of The Driftwood Periodicals vol. 2. Played to a full house at The Middle Earth Music Hall last Fri, accompanied by Mr. Pete Weiss on the Moog Synthesizer, Thanks Pete. The next day had us rolling up to Stowe Vt. to play with some other bands in the make shift Spruce Peak Lodge. Jeff's car blew a tie rod or something and they had to turn around en route, but thanks to Chad Hollister and his band we switched set times, and Jeff and Short Dog were able to make the gig in the dog's wagon. Nothing's easy. Good to see some old friends and play with the Dejas again.