Random.

Remember 6 months ago, when Facebook forced us all to talk about ourselves in.the third person, by starting every status with "(First Name) (Last Name) is:", and then they took the "is" away so we could decide for ourselves whether to be narcissistic douches?

I'd like to think we're better as a society with the optional "is."

Thank you!

A special thanks is in order, to the crowd that came out last night. That was an hour of pure privilege.

Picking a performing art as a career involves a lot of self-assurance and a thick skin. You hear "no" so much more often than "yes," and you deal with a lot of callous disrespect from people that don't understand that what you do is a job. It's been getting me down a little bit lately, and I have had a harder time holding my head up. I hadn't even noticed that I was depressed before last night, when that depression gave way.

Last night, you all came, despite horrible weather conditions, and brought your friends, and sat, and listened, and clapped and laughed, and let me entertain you. In your applause, on your faces, and in our conversations afterwards, you gave me more valuable affirmation than I knew I needed. It was amazing to share that with you all. I will never take this privilege for granted.

Let's totally do that again soon.

Caffe Vivaldi tonight, 8:30 PM

Be sure to come see me at Caffe Vivaldi tonight, at 8:30 PM! It's on Bleecker and Jones St, super-close to the W 4th St stop on the BDFV. I'm playing with my friend Andy Mac on percussion, it's going to be awesome!

Reflections on doing sound.

Having now done sound at a club for four months (half of that time doing it 6 nights a week), I have a new mission in life:

I want to call every sound engineer I've ever had and apologize.

Then, I want to make a series of resolutions for how I will deal with all sound engineers and open mic hosts in the future.

I will always memorize the two people before me, so I won't ever have to ask the sound engineer/host when I'm up.

I will research the club's backline before any and every show I do.

I will promote. Promote. Promote.

I will tip my sound engineer (please don't judge me for not knowing that was a 'thing.')

I will leave my sound engineer alone when he is DOING EFFING SOUND.

I will listen closely to my sound engineer's questions and instructions, to ensure a smooth production from the gate.

I will let my sound engineer judge the levels in the room for himself.

I will never scold an engineer again for any of the following:

• Stray feedback
• Loss of sound onstage resultant of own faulty equipment
• Not paying rapt attention to my set
• Too much bass in my monitor
• Too much treble in my monitor

I will NEVER say the following:

• "Can you make sure my vocals get heard above the mix?"
• "So, a little bit about the band you're about to hear: We are a [name three disparate genres that do not describe our act]."
• "It's very important that [ANYTHING.]"
• "Why is there nobody here?"
• "I have played at B.B. King's twice. Have you done sound at B.B. King's twice?" [TRUE STORY. Someone said that to me.]
• "Audience: What do you think of our sound? Want anything turned up? Down? Just ask the guy in the back."

Seriously, soundpeople -- I am so, so sorry. I must be better. I will be better.