Happy Summertime Everybody!

In this post I’m going to tell you about some of my tour highlights so far, some of the things I have coming up, and of course the big news which is that my record with Thomas Bailey and Max Johnson is now available online! So in case you don’t have time to read all my ramblings, here is the link to the album: http://wildhog.bandcamp.com/ For now only the digital download is available but if you want a physical copy either come to one of our shows or sit tight and they will become available online in the next few months. I’m so happy with the way this album turned out and I hope to be able to make a lot more like this in the future.

So now I’m in Paris and things aren’t too busy for me. I’m taking some well-deserved relaxation time while Tom runs around and does bike things (he’s really into bicycles if you didn’t know), which involves laying around the flat and reading. I read Of Mice and Men for the first time, beautiful book. Now I’m reading Keith Richards’s autobiography, Life, which is kind of like having a sip of some fine old whisky and then washing it down with a few cans of Miller Lite. No offense, Keith, but stories of getting in trouble with the law and all the fun crazy times with the Stones just doesn’t compare with a master like Steinbeck. Aaaaanyway! In case you or anyone you know is in Paris this weekend, Tom and I are playing a few shows:

– Tonight! Friday 6 July at Le Saint Sauveur, starting 8:30pm, FREE – 11 rue des Panoyaux 75020 Paris

– Sunday 8 July at Bar du Marché in Montreuil, 9 Place du Marché, 93100 Montreuil

While I’m at it I’ll tell you what else is coming up for me (not too much, but I’m excited about it anyway):

– Tuesday 17 July Tom and Max and I will play our Official US Wild Hog Release at Jalopy in Brooklyn! NY people, trust me it’s worth the trip out to Red Hook. This place is so wonderful. If you’ve never been you have to check it out, and if you have then you know what I mean. 8pm, $10 315 Columbia Street Brooklyn, New York 11231

Then in early August I play a couple of shows with my old pals Chester River Runoff:

– Fri 3 Aug at Front Porch – Camp Marshall House Concert in Trenton, NJ

– Sat 4 Aug at Boonie’s in Tyaskin, MD

And later in August I’ll have some shows with Sabra Guzman and Ben Townsend in our new band, the Long Branch Ramblers and other than that I’m mainly excited about taking Greyhound buses around the US to visit some old friends I haven’t seen in too long. And I’m working on putting together a tour for the Froggy Mountain Boys for October that will take us through Germany and into Denmark. So this summer’s not too heavy on the gig events but it’s still plenty eventful. And now, for some of the highlights of my travels so far:

In Prague: castles, old stuff, funny clock, hotter than I expected, lots of walking and hills, gory stories on the walking tour, funny touristy restaurant with accordion and ROCKIN bassoon duo. playing ultimate frisbee, beer tasting, strawberry soup with cottage cheese gnocchi in the cafe where Einstein and Kafka used to hang out (but maybe not with each other?), museum of decorative arts, wonderful sculpture exhibition, lots of good food and beer, and best of all catching up with my old pal Andres from the COA days.

In the UK: feeling like the old time thing is really growing in London, wow, meeting the Southerns in Liverpool and having a great time at the Caledonia, extra day in Wales with Jackie due to Edinburgh cancellation (frowny face about that but there was a bright side to it), long walks in the mud in Wales, first show of the tour in Aldeburgh having the organizer say before the show “Don’t be put off if the crowd seems unresponsive, they’re just quiet around here” and then halfway into the first song a dozen or so crazy young partygoers come charging to the front of the stage, dancing and hollering, and they don’t leave til the show’s over, amazing old-fashioned Victorian-style breakfast courtesy of What The Dickens?, a lovely jaunt out to Mow Cop in Staffordshire where we met a real Druid and drank homebrew and they stayed up all night (but we were tired had to drive early the next day), kids’ gig in London, going to the Pleasure Gardens and getting something completely different from what I expected but still had a great time with Jo and Charlie and saw the “Boxettes“http://www.theboxettes.co.uk/ which made everything so wonderful, even if I was being mauled by some Cockney rednecks while I was trying to enjoy the show (FYI I don’t think it’s ok to grab a man’s beard and say ‘come on mate, you wouldn’t grow it like that if you didn’t want me to pull on it!’), jams at the Elderfield with Ed Hicks were wonderful, getting to pop in to the Shakespeare’s Head and see Tom Paley again, playing with super bass player Pete Thomas, our biggest London show at the Somerset House, um, I think I’m forgetting something but it was all so wonderful. Thanks to everyone!!

And now I’m in Paris, cooling my heels until I go to NY next week. NY folks, holler at me! I don’t have much planned except to hang out with family and friends.

I think there will be some videos from this tour in the next month or so but they’re not up yet. I will include any new videos in subsequent e-newsletters. If you have any videos that you took yourself please let me know!

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer time! Keep cool everybody, til next time.