That...

...was not entirely bad. Not entirely bad at all.

I needed some microphone time before Boston on Friday. I got it at the Soul Food Books open mic tonight - I did the rewritten Life in the Underground (new lyrics, some new music) and the instrumental Cascadia, How I Have Missed You. Not perfect. but I feel a lot better about ... well, both songs, really. And where I've reached, singing.

Bed now. G'night!

TRAKTOR!

This is kinda awesome. Clickie! (And worksafe. stickmaker found it.) On a not entirely unrelated topic, I had a jewellery blacksmith accompanying me on Friday in Bothell for a bit, providing an impromptu rhythm section. I gave him my card later. (So yes, it was just me and the blacksmith, then. The four of you in the world who get that joke may now giggle. ^_^ ) Anyway, that was fun.

Not many people showed up for market Saturday morning at Woodinville, probably partly because it rained before I got there. Still, I found a semi-dry spot and played a couple of hours before going out with Anna and Paul to see Up, which ran later than optimal for the open mic at Third Place Books last night - but since I needed the mic time badly before Boston, I went out anyway, signed up (nr. 44 omg, which queued me up for sometime between 1-2am), and practised a lot while waiting. I ran into Fae Wiedenhoeft again (for whom I opened at the Bothell show), and we chatted a bit; I also talked a lot with some of the high school musician crowd who have been showing up every month, including one who was amazed to discover an Irish bouzouki at this thing. (He plays mandolin and has been interested in Irish bouzouki, having encountered both on a trip to Ireland.) I did the new-lyrics/new-chords Life in the Underground and the instrumental Cascadia, How I Have Missed You, both of which seemed to go over well, particularly the second. (Life in the Underground is rhythmically very simple; Cascadia, I was told, is rhythmically complex and interesting.)

Oh, and on Thursday, I found a used travel case for keyboards that I'm going to re-foam for Kokahu, so he'll be coming along on the trip with Summer. It's an Anvil case - older, ugly, lacking wheels, but strong - which should be pretty good. I stood on it and it didn't seem to care, which I find encouraging. And I stopped at a thrift store and picked up an electric knife for the usual $3, good for just these sorts of purposes.

Time for me to go cut some foam! Hopefully this'll work.

What're you doin'?