Crazy couple of days

So this has been a crazy couple of days.  Monday was awesome.  Eight dudes joined me for some rocking "Lunch n' Bowl".  I lost.  Last place.  Ouch.  Then about twenty or so folks joined Alison and I at Otter's for some chicken tenders and conversation.  Todd and Garett dropped by as well, which was really fun.

Had a pretty amazing show at 12th and Porter later that night.  First I played guitar with Lindsey Jones, always a good time.  Then my crew joined me onstage for some rock and roll.



That's Emily Deloach singing background vocals, Winn Elliott on the keys, Paul Eckberg on drums, Chris Weigel on bass and Jim Colella on guitar.  Quite honestly, one of the best groupings of musicians I've ever played with.  Hopefully this gang will be with me at local shows for a while now.  I can't thank them enough for their awesomeness.





And to prove that I live in a house with pre-schoolers, my setlist was written in crayon: (note the hints for the usual forgotten lyrics in black, guitar changes and capo settings in red)



Today, Alison and I got to go to Ella's PreKindergarten Spring Concert and Luncheon.  Basically, a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds on a church stage singing cute little songs with cute little motions.  Tears were shed for the sweetness.

Then I came home to this in my basement:



Yeah, this would be the SECOND time our kitchen sink has had a crazy leak into my basement studio.  First time it was the pipes going FROM the sink.  This time it was the col water TO it.  Thankfully it wasn't near as gross as it looked at first, it was just a giant mess and took up a bunch of time I'd have rather spent mixing.

I'll post some more photos of the roadtrippers as I get them.  Thanks to Geof, Chris, Josh, Doug, Michael, Tim, Andy V, Jaron and Katherine, Jud and his crew from Xenia and the boys from Alabama.  You guys made for quite a day, and I barely drove at all!  Glad you made it back safely.  It's a dream come true to have people care so much about what my friends and I get to do.  Hope you had a great time.  Let's do it again soon.

Monday, April 27 - Nashville Rock Day

Ok, I've got it.  For all you out-of-towners coming in Monday for the rock and roll show, as well as any in-towners who feel like hanging, here's the scoop:

If you're in town by noon, let's meet up at the Pla-Mor Lanes in Berry Hill for Lunch n' Bowl.  Yeah, that's right.  You buy a combo meal (burger, fries and coke) and you get shoes and two games of bowling for free.  In and out for like six bucks, you can't beat it.  We'll grab a couple lanes and you can take turns mocking me and my spinless roll.

Pla-Mor Lanes
2906 Foster Creighton Dr.
Nashville, TN 37204

Then I'll have to go back to work for a bit.  So, you know, do whatever you want.

Then, and the time may change as soundcheck becomes more specific, but probably around 5:30 or so we can meet up for dinner at Otter's.  This is a strictly chicken tenders restaurant.  You may hate that idea.  I will love it.

Otter's Chicken
Music Row
1528 Demonbreun St.
Nashville, TN 37203

So, basically, come to Nashville and eat terrible, delicious food with me.  And bowl.  And then catch a rock show with copious guitar solos.

I may even play my new song about the lonely astronaut.

That is not a joke.

Brother Larry in outer space

It's been a good and busy week.  I've been getting to work in a production role with two great artists and friends.  I did eight songs for Kevin Lawson and today started work on a tune of Randall Goodgame's for BriteRevolution.com.  Once that song is finished I'll start mixing Kevin's stuff.

It's been fun at Sputnik these days.  Vance is working with the White Stripes, Mitch has been doing tracks for this killer band called The Four Kicks and Josh has been in the closet behind me making weird objects make strange noises, generally out of other weird objects that no longer work.  It's been a good place to be.

The girls are so much fun right now.  They're alive to the Spring, telling us all about the bugs that live in the grass, scouting out the dandelions and just feeling the urge to run, jump and shout for no other reason than that they can.  Maybe that's not the weather, but whatever it is it feels right, and it's a joy to watch.

Alison and I have been doing the spring cleaning, and that's been refreshing, and I've been trying to do the same with my mind.  The guys in my neighborhood have started reading an ancient little book called "Scientology".  It's a great combination of aliens and religion.

I'm kidding.  We're reading Brother Lawrence, "Practicing the Presence of God".  It's simple, but wholly overwhelming, showing us what it might actually look like to take every thought captive and live like we really believe we are new beings with the Spirit of God alive inside of us.  I'd tell you more, but I have so little I feel like I understand.  I just know that I want the Truth to change who I am, and so I ought to seek the Truth more often.

Anyway, I guess that's it for now.  Oh, come to Nashville this Monday night.  A bunch of other people are.  The show's at 8.  Dinner at 5:30 sound good to all you out-of-towners?  My favorite BBQ place closed down, so I'm hurting for ideas of a good place for a group of 15 or so non-locals who need to experience real Nashville.  Anybody have suggestions?

The only things in life to fear are death and taxes (or something like that...)

Well, with plenty of time to spare I have again filed taxes like a (barely) responsible citizen.  Now that I'm no longer in The Normals I make enough money to have to file every year.  Wow, what a blessing.

So once again my internet savior, Geof Morris, has risen to the occasion and fixed my website.  You'll now notice it actually loads.  Thank you, Geof.  Now I can actually update my blog.  I'll be updating a few other things around here as well.  Mainly to reflect projects I'm working on as a producer or my new solo work exclusive to Brite Revolution.

I'm playing another full-band rock and roll show here in Nashville in about two weeks.  April 27, to be exact.  I've heard from about four different folks that they're planning on coming in from out of town, even out of state to catch this show.  Aside from the fact that I'm incredibly honored that someone would take all that time to see a dude sing eight or nine tunes and play a few guitar solos, I'm also thinking we should make something out of it.  Seems like we ought to invite others to come as well and all meet for dinner someplace great and local.  Anybody else out there want in?  I'll be thinking of a great place to go...

Well, since I'm finally back to the blogosphere I thought I'd make a couple lists, since that's mainly what the internet is for.  Here we go:

Top 5 things I've been listening to:

1. U2 - No Line on the Horizon
2. White Stripes - Icky Thump
3. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP
4. David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
5. Wes Pickering - Being Born EP

Top 5 things I've been reading:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (again)
2. The Stranger - Albert Camus (disturbing)
3. A friend's work-in-progress about her life growing up and leaving a cult (inspiring)
4. Handbook to Prayer - Kenneth Boa (thanks Randy!)
5. boring information about people I don't know (thanks to the weird new facebook layout)

Top 5 things I'd rather be doing

1. reading on a beach in Hawaii with my wife
2. writing in a notebook at Malibu Lodge, Vancouver
3. going down a giant waterslide into a pool of ice-cold lemonade (huh??)
4. being able to get decent U2 tickets
5. sleeping in, every day

Top 5 things I'm thrilled to be doing

1. waking up every day to the face of my four-year old wanting to play
2. receiving plucked dandelions from my very excited two-year old
3. producing a project for super-dude Kevin Lawson at Sputnik
4. living in this neighborhood with these friends
5. actually getting to see and touch my wife every day, instead of just connecting over the phone

Top 5 things I will do before sleeping tonight:

1. watch last week's Dollhouse (which is getting better and may turn into an actual good show)
2. read a little of List #2, Item #1 (and possibly item #4)
3. stick in some ear plugs
4. put a pillow over my face
5. sigh

Andrew joins Brite Revolution!

Andrew has teamed up with some good friends to be a part of a revolution.  Brite Revolution is a great new idea for music on the internet.  People can subscribe for $4.99 a month to get two new songs each month from all of the 20 or so artists on Brite.  Folks like Andrew, Matthew Perryman Jones, Katie Herzig, Randall Goodgame, and many more.

A large portion of the subscription money goes to fund these new recordings, as well as various non-profit organizations helping to do good throughout the world.  CLICK HERE for Andrew's artist page.  Viva la Revolution!