Notes From The Road (as requested by Soren)

The night before I left for Ireland I could not sleep. I know a flower and could not stop thinking. I have not felt this empty in a very long time... this feeling would, would only expand with every failure:

1) minor cab accident

2) late for flight

3) late for connection

4) weather conditions holding planes for future flights

5) elderly woman gets mugged 

6) lost luggage

and to boot, two nights spent at JFK International Terminal #5

This whole time the big empty inside me kept expanding... I realized I had not eaten since I was in Los Angeles two days ago. I grabbed a cold sandwich from the magazine store and ate quickly. Not a good idea. I threw up on my boots whilst attempting to sort out things with the ticket agent... then the tears- I was shamed by a ten or eleven year old girl wearing pink in her hair and traveling by herself when she gave me a tissue and told me to wipe my face. I met an old man who was retired and he too spent the night at the airport. He told me that I had sad eyes and I should not waste any more time traveling alone, "find a flower to share this with." 

I began to think about all the time spent in my room listening to Mississippi John Hurt and how I wanted to know what he knew, all the sounds, words, and stories, the time spent woodshedding, then all the failures I've encountered, all the minor lifts and misunderstanding, the almost... 

The miles start to add up and I feel like I'm chasing a ghost, and how did I become one-

the desserts, the glaciers, the flats, the prairies, the mountains, the oceans.

I got to Dublin but my bags did not. Lucky for me I always travel with my National so I could at least perform a set at the Westport Festival. I’ve been up for three days now and can't find my driver, after an hour and a half of waiting outside he finds me. The driver puts me on the phone with one of the organizers and she and everyone else is a bit livid with me. It’s a three-hour drive from Dublin to Westport and I'm smiling because the driver is genuine and there is lush green all around me and I didn't give up. I get to the hotel, shower, and get picked up once more to the festival grounds. The driver says he thinks he might recognize me and continues to guess. I tell the driver, I’m a busker, a blues man, a traveler who's a slave to melody who might perform sonic experiments on the spot, it’s very complicated, I had things, I lost things, I gave things up, now I have something else, or it’s what I've always had... he says I should try to get more sleep, and lets me out. Absolute truth, the sun broke through clouds and I was able to play, I felt like myself again for an instant- everyone was lovely and later I loomed around the manner hall where Keats, amongst other profound thinkers, were known to visit- got back to hotel to find that the airline had destroyed my bags, they were soaking wet and in pieces...

I arrived in London and played at the Bedford. I found a bit of ritual and I felt like myself again for an instant playing music catching up with friends- all my love goes out to Jay and Lillie, Nialle, Julian and Laura, Sharon, Lucy and ... 

I broke a golden rule, which I regret: Do Not Bring More Than You Can Carry! I brought a suitcase full of records! Can buskers do that? Big Hearts, little Luggage! All the pages in my passport are stamped and I guess I'll figure that out as well- I usually don't write about my travels for good reason but I was invited to write a little something and maybe someone might find that their lot is not so bad after all. 

Next I’m off to meet the Magnetic Zeros for a tramp around Europe- these are the dates: 

Date: July 06, 2012

Venue: Melkweg
Address: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Comments: supporting Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Date: July 07, 2012
Venue: Katine
Address: Cologne, Germany
Comments: supporting Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero

Date: July 09, 2012Venue: Le TranbendoAddress: Paris, FranceComments: supporting Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Date: July 16, 2012
Venue: Leeds Irish Centre
Comments: supporting Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Date: July 17, 2012
Venue: Olympia Theatre
Address: Dublin, Ireland
Comments: supporting Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Date: July 19, 2012
Venue: Manchester Cathedral
Address: Manchester, UK
Comments: supporting Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Date: July 20, 2012
Venue: Secret Garden Party
Address: East Anglia, United Kingdom
Comments: solo set & playing with Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros