B Willing James

Workin' it.

2012-02-29T14:06:00.001-08:00

Be doing a lot of this in the next few months. Feels damn good.

Ryan Adams at Walt Disney Hall

2012-02-19T11:04:00.001-08:00

"The Indiana Jones of soft."

Ryan, describing his cat in a tangent song on cats underscored by a melancholy piano progression.

"I need to go, but you're soft as fuuuuuuuuuu...."

Another impromptu song for turret's guy, for "Darren", and one to wrap up the events of the entire concert... Ryan on the fly, with just his guitar and his mind is something to behold.
I came out of Walt Disney Hall fully charged tonight. Electric. I feel like climbing, making love, singing in unison, singing in harmony, laughing at the top of my lungs, hugging every stranger within 7 miles, writing a novel, learning to fly...

I came out feeling like it was possible. The proverbial, universal IT. He was inspiring in his honesty, his willingness to follow his mind, and his harmony with his audience. He's notably a terrific vocalist and songwriter, but of that I was already aware. What took me to the heady, supercharged level was observing him both navigate and tag along with his brain throughout the evening. Some nuggets:

"Here's the redneck version of Lord of the Rings."

"Here's another summer time fucking anthem.. you know, from that funeral on the beach that one time!" One of my personal favorites, but there were many.. and I have a few more I'll upload. Unfortunately I didn't capture the epic song about cats, mentioned above. Forgive the semi-shoddy camera work. There was "no video allowed". Huh.

If you were to tell me that I was biased because I'm a nerd at heart, who loves video games and playing music, I wouldn't have much to disagree with you about. Unabashed love for both.

I'm in love with the venue as well. The Walt Disney Hall is a beautiful work of art, posing as a venue. Go hear a concert there and marvel. It's a great time..

...and to the man himself. Respect.

Oh and did I mention Gary Schandling opened? Yeah. He was great too. Said he and Ryan met on the road years ago, and became friends after a conversation about loneliness. Gary told Ryan he started shaving one leg so it felt like there was a woman in bed with him. They've been friends ever since. Ha.

Ventura County Reporter - Money for nothing

2012-02-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

I contributed to a great article about the economics of the modern musician. Read, share, discuss, think, and act. Some great ideas in here.

Ventura County Reporter - Money for nothing

-Michel Cicero

The Venice Sound.

2012-02-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night at my favorite singing spot in the Los Angeles. Music is at 8, a show not to miss.

1717 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, CA - 8PM show - $10

In Pictures: January

2012-02-14T03:31:00.000-08:00

A memorable night from the balcony of Seaward Isle.

Awkward family portrait.

One stormy weekend, and one giant exodus of birds.

Old Chesh hung out for a few nights.

Destination Avalon, CA: September 24-26..

No shit. And finally, we arrive back where things began.

Joy Willing

2012-01-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

One year ago today, our wonderful grandmother Joy Willing passed away peacefully in her sleep. On that day, this song was forever renamed for her. A hopeful, but real take on our inevitable final step into the ether. It's called Joy's Song. Enjoy your family today! Much love.

B

3 things on love.

2012-01-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

I subscribe number of blogs, and they frequently capture my imagination. One in particular always seems to inspire different spider webs of thought, and I'm always happy when it shows up in the inbox. It's called Brain Pickings. It's usually entertaining and immensely interesting excerpts from books, but also includes occasional video and other bits captured from cyberspace.

One entry stood out this morning, and it was a letter sent from John Steinbeck to his son Thom in 1958, after Thom had written home about falling in love with a girl named Susan at boarding school. It's just so wonderful and candid, I wanted to pass it along. I'll include the whole thing here, and if you want to explore more of his letters, and the rest of the site, just click on the banner above.

New York, November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.
First – if you are in love – that’s a good thing – that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.
Second – There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you – of kindness and consideration and respect – not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.
You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply – of course it isn’t puppy love.
But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it – and that I can tell you.
Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.
The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.
If you love someone – there is no possible harm in saying so – only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.
Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.
It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another – but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.
Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.
We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.
And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens – The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.
Love,
Fa

"The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away." As a human who is a lifelong student of patience, as maddening as it can be sometimes, it really touches me to read this. Great words, and advice.

~~~~~~~~

The second thing on love comes in a different form. Art, through thought and expression. As it should be I suppose. I'd just like to share some pieces that I enjoyed thoroughly from Wendy MacNaughton. I'm a huge Douglas Adams fan. There is some relation here to his school of thought, but delivered with a bit more dryness if that's even possible. Here are a few pieces from her site that are in a similar theme, and a link to more of her work.

WENDYMACNAUGHTON.COM

~~~~~~

The third thing on love is a new song. I wrote this in the winter of 2011 with Justine Bennett, and we just recorded it. It's not released yet "officially" but I suppose in the information age, it's as official as it gets when you hear it.

It's called Wherever I Go.

I'll be posting the rest of the EP shortly, and will let you know as soon as I do. Lots of love y'all, enjoy each other.

Lonesome Traveler

2012-01-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

So I'm on stage last night at our final dress rehearsal, singing Puff the Magic Dragon as Peter Yarro and I'm thinking, I sure didn't see this coming.

It's times like these that get me. The realization moments. You can't predict anything with any degree of certainty in life, and more often than not it pays to say yes, go with the flow and do something you have no idea how to do.

This show is really good, and getting better. It's a brand new show, written and directed by James O'Neil with the inaugural run in the books from earlier 2011 at the Rubicon Theater in Ventura, CA. This time it's at the historic 90 year old Laguna Playhouse in downtown Laguna Beach, CA.

"During the Great Depression, the theatre was sold to the City, which then leased it back to the company. During World War II, The Playhouse offered entertainment for the troops and hosted USO dances and other activities." Read more - http://lagunaplayhouse.com

It's a beautiful venue, with a 420 person capacity, great sound and sight lines.

That's me as Woody Guthrie, with Trevor Wheetman, the Associate Musical Director and multi instrumentalist. If you don't know Woody, do click on his name and do some diggin'. He's one of our great American folk heroes, and was quite influential on Bob Dylan and many of the indie/folk artists today. I also get to play Dylan at the tail end of the show. Portraying just these two icons has been a giant challenge and a great joy.

Here's one of the scenes we recreate in the show, from the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, when Dylan tore everyone a new one, going electric and polarizing the folk community.

And as I mentioned at the top, we also somewhat recreate this scene of Peter, Paul and Mary's Puff the Magic Dragon.

The show is different than the traditional sense of a "musical", which usually entails actors breaking out into song and singing a story. This is more of a theatrical concert, with dialogue and scenes cut in periodically to create a bit of a story. The time frame is 1926 from the start of recording, to 1965 when Dylan went electric. It covers The Carter Family, Woody, The Weavers, Harry Belafonte, Peter, Paul and Mary, Ian and Sylvia, Dylan, Joan Baez, Odetta, The Kingston Trio, and more.. It's an experience, and I highly recommend a night out in Laguna to catch it. Feel free to message me with any questions, stories and/or thoughts!

Previews start Tuesday Jan 10, and opening night is Saturday, Jan 14. The show will run every night until Feb 5th, except for Mondays.

***Tickets and more info are here: http://lagunaplayhouse.com.

Press from the 2011 run at the Rubicon Theater:

Los Angeles Times Critic's Choice

Santa Barbara Independent

Ventura County Star

Much love y'all! Hope you have had a hot start to 2012 so far. See you soon.

Refresh, retreat.

2011-12-28T14:48:00.001-08:00

Perspective is key to staying hungry, happy and productive.

I'm up in Mammoth with my friend Jeremy, who is usually on an island somewhere in the pacific doing his work. We stay in touch frequently and share life stories and push each other to be better writers.

Of course I came down with a monster cold the day after Christmas, but the call of a peaceful winter wonderland in the mountains was too strong. Here we are. I'm studying my script for the upcoming run of Lonesome Traveler, sipping tea, taking zinc, reflecting on the year behind, and looking forward to the new one.

2012. Shite, it's here. The one that's touted as our last. I suppose we should live it that way, right? Shouldn't we always? With some moderation of course..

As I usually am around the end of December, I'm excited for a fresh year. It seems that as a culture, we put a lot of emphasis on resolutions and bettering ourselves, while doing less of the things that hold us back from achieving our goals and personal happiness. It's a good thing to do, and it shouldn't be limited to just the end of the calendar year. Make your resolutions your life.

I live a good life. I've spent decades playing music, working, and learning hard lessons in love. This next year will test my resolve, drive, an dedication to my career as a musician, likely more than the years behind me. I see it as a defining time in my life, being the age I am, and having the perspective, drive and thoughts that I do these days.

My first goal of 2012 is a proper solo studio record. I've got a solid collection of songs already, and I'm gonna spend the remaining winter and early spring writing, collecting, harvesting.. I'm truly excited. Much more on this to come, it will likely consume my existence for a spell. And all will be as it should.

Happy New Year. I'm ready.

2011...

2011-12-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

So, full disclosure. I wrote an epic email last night, full of wonderful stories, quips, bad jokes, and other random tidbits. Then my computer froze, and even though I was sure I had saved earlier, my draft is somehow nowhere to be found. It was late, I got frustrated, and I decided to rest and deal in the morning. Still nowhere to be found, so alas.. I'll have to improvise. Amazing how much I love technology, and how little regard it really has for me sometimes.

That said, it's been an exceptionally rich and emotional year. I have a suspicion this goes for many of you too. There are some years that are somewhat calm, and there are years that bring more than their share of change, heartache, stress, and challenges. The best and some would say only way to deal, is to rise up with the waves, duck under them if necessary, but do everything you can not to get pummelled. Others would say: Easier said than done..

I have surely become an information hound. With the latest "phone" in my palm, I am jacked in like never before and I really do enjoy it for the most part. It's easy to get obsessed and miss what's going on in the real world around my person, and certainly that's an element I will need to balance going forward. I must say I use my iphone most frequently for shooting pics and processing them. I'll share a few recent shots below. I only occasionally use it for an actual phone, and even Apple would probably tell you in secret that's not it's strong point. On second thought they probably won't tell you jack. Kind of their M.O.

2011 has brought something strange to the forefront... Conversation is turning to short, quick bursts. (See "social media") However, I've also noticed a richer theme in many that I've had. There's a deeper understanding that we all seem to desire, and as we wade through the ether of electronic and cellular fields, communicating at breakneck speed... there seems to be a great slowing as well, playing counterpoint to the rapid technological advances to "enhance" our lives. In short, it appears we want more truth than ever. I certainly do.

There is so much to cover about this past year, that unless I was going to write a short book here, I can really only scratch the surface in this email. And there's already much to tell you about what's coming up in just the next 3 weeks..

The highs and lows were intense this year. Matters of the heart ran rampant.. The best times and the hardest times sometimes intertwine, and it's hard to know what to feel. Sometimes it's just indifference. A numbing. I do believe there's an overload point built in to us..

I've been a student of the song for a long time, and will continue to be until my time is up. Songwriting is many things. Therapeutic for one. It's a release, and a vehicle for understanding and processing emotion, life, loss, love, humor, humans.. Songs are a huge part of the fabric of human existence. Sure the last 60 years or so have commercialized them, and made a business out of those who sing them.. but at the essence, songs are something we need. The creator, the listener, the consumer, the singer.. Music is important, and I've dedicated my life to learning, and contributing to all aspects of it.

I present to you a new song, one born from a truly difficult time, and the most honest song I have written. It's incredibly hard to be honest and real in a lyric, sing it, and share your innermost feelings with friends, and strangers alike. To me though, that is my personal challenge. To find the heartbeat of human emotion, the highs and the lows, process it, and throw it back into the world in hopes that it will inspire and help people through both difficult and happier times. The second challenge being survival and making a living, but we'll get to that another time. :)

It's called "Ain't Enough Love to Stay". You can play it below, and it's also available as a free download. I recorded this version with my brother Josh the day it was written, and though I will likely re-record it in the new year for the new album, I like how this came out. Hope you enjoy.

<a href="http://bwilling.bandcamp.com/track/aint-enough-love-to-stay">Ain't Enough Love to Stay by B Willing James</a>

Tonight I head into L.A. for a show with one of my favorite bands, La Vie. I'll be doing a solo set at about 10pm or so down at Harvelle's Blues Club in Santa Monica. It's right near 4th and Broadway, and it's the oldest blues club in L.A. Vibey, cool place with great martinis, big sound and tons of history. Hope you can make it.

Info and directions: http://harvelles.com

This weekend I'll be doing two special shows at Zoey's Cafe in Ventura. Sunday evening is a short opening set for a songwriter/singer that I've respected and admired for a long time. Ellis Paul. Among many accomplishments, he may be best known for his songs "The World Ain't Slowing Down" and "Sweet Mistakes", appearing in the films Me, Myself and Irene, and Shallow Hal, respectively. He's also heavily tied in with the Guthrie estate, having done extensive work and research with the Guthrie family and songbook, along with being part of the great "Ribbon of Highway" Tour. In short, he's an amazing songwriter and artist, and I'm thrilled to play a few songs to open his show and talk some shop. There's much more, if you're interested. Start here with his wikipedia bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Paul

Monday night brings the second show of my December residency at Zoey's and it's a big one. Joining me are Chris Pierce and Shane Alexander. Chris is one of the most powerful singers you will ever hear. He sings truth straight from the heart, and has a top end that makes your spine tingle. If you've heard him you know, if you haven't, you need to. Shane has a completely different silky voice and approach to music, is a fantastic songwriter and player, and the two of them recently completed a tour together, entitled the "Brothers from Another Mother Tour". Gonna be a killer evening.

Show is at 7:30 both nights. All Ages.

For all Zoey's info: http://zoeyscafe.com

Call them at (805) 652-1137 for a table reservation!

Coming in just after 2012 hits - The second run of Lonesome Traveler! I'll be reprising my role as Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Peter Yarro and others for the month of January at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, CA. The first run at the Rubicon Theater in Ventura was one of the most successful in the theater's history, and was enjoyed and praised by audiences and critics alike. It was certainly one of the best times I've had in this life, and I'm very much looking forward to reuniting with my friends in the cast and kickstarting this year with 30 shows!

The show runs from Jan 10 - Feb 5, every night but Mondays.

Tix and all info can be found here: http://lagunaplayhouse.com

I want to give you all a very special thank you for your support this year, and for the years ahead. A couple years ago, I committed to being a musician full time, and it's been a wild road so far to say the least. I love to sing and create, and I love even more to share those moments with you. I love every part of this life, even the hard parts, and I look forward to singing, talking, sharing and working together for years to come. Happiest of Holidays to all of you and yours! Feel free to reach out anytime with anything at all. Love to hear from you.

See you soon. I'll leave you with a few photographs of the world outside. Be well.

Top of Lombard Street, San Francisco.

Language of the Birds exhibit, San Francisco.

Jonathan Wilson, Jackson Browne, Omar Velasco at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.

C Street, Ventura.

Downtown San Francisco.

Low tide at Pacific Beach, San Diego.

Patience

2011-12-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

It'll likely take a lifetime to be your true self, all the time. It's hard, but don't hurry.

Zoey's December Residency starts tonight!

2011-12-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

Every monday in December (except for the 12th) I'll be performing at Zoey's Cafe in Ventura, CA with a special guest every week. The shows will start at 8 pm and be $5. Tonight I'm joined by Justine Bennett. Justine plays the Joan to my Bob in Lonesome Traveler, and we're just about to finish our joint EP. She's a wonderful vocalist and writer, and I'm always stoked to make music with her.

Zoey's Cafe is located at 185 E. Santa Clara, Ventura, CA

http://zoeyscafe.com for tix and info

San Francisco Tonight!

2011-12-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

Music at 8 pm.

2011-11-16T00:57:00.001-08:00

Photo by KTJ

New Live EP, Video vault, Record store, tour dates. YES.

2011-10-28T02:22:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago in San Diego I played a short set at Lestat's. On the way over, my homie Josh Damigo bought a pack of cd's, gave one to Louis the sound guy (also the owner) and he recorded it. Now here's the deal. I've got a pile of dusty cd's from soundboards of shows past that have no business ever tickling your inner ear bones... but this one was different. It had something more.. and it sounded damn good.

In the spirit of the bootleg, and to give you a very real slice of who I am these days without actually hacking into my person, I'm releasing 6 of the tunes as a live EP for free, digitally. My intention and hope is that these songs will be enjoyed thoroughly and shared frequently by you all.

Download Live at Lestat's ----> HERE <---- Enjoy it, and then share this puppy like a surprise extra pizza at a kegger.

*IMPORTANT - Just added an entire barrel of content to the Music and Videos pages, plus a couple new shows in San Diego, L.A. and San Francisco. Extra, extra.

Thank you for your support, love, couches and late night burritos. Three of those keep me fullfilled, one just keeps me filled.

B

Asking for a Like.

2011-09-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Making the switch on FB to a music page. Can you help me get the word out? Drop your email in the box and you can download all 5 songs I have up!

Balloons!

2011-07-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night in Santa Paula, Shades of Day headlines the Afterglow party at the annual Citrus Classic Balloon Festival. Celebrating all things hot air balloons, with food music and many other attractions, this is gonna be a great time.

We hit the stage at 9pm on Saturday night. Do it!

Check it all out here: http://citrusclassicballoons.com

The News Press Mess

2011-07-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

This month marks the 5th anniversary of what is known internationally as the "News Press Mess".

The News-Press Meltdown, as it is called locally, began in early July, 2006, when five top editors resigned from the Santa Barbara News-Press, alleging that Wendy McCaw, the multimillionaire owner, was improperly meddling in news coverage, in part by arbitrarily disciplining her own reporters and editors.

Read More...

I've been asked to perform a few songs of protest at the upcoming union rally on Thursday July 28th in Santa Barbara. It will be held downtown in De La Guerra plaza, just in front of the News-Press building at high noon.

I've recorded 3 songs by Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan to be aired today at 6 pm on the show "Culture of Protest" hosted by Dick Flacks. The station is KCSB 91.9 in Santa Barbara. You can also listen online at http://kcsb.org. The hour long show will feature Melinda Burns, veteran reporter at the News-Press who helped lead the effort to form a union there and is one of those still seeking redress and justice will be on the Culture of Protest show. She’ll be joined by Ira Gottlieb, one of the attorneys for the news Press workers.

The three songs I recorded are Woody Guthrie's "Union Maid" and "Pastures of Plenty", along with Maggie's Farm by Bob Dylan. You can listen and download all three below for free. Sharing is encouraged, and I hope you will listen in tonite and or join me at the rally on the 28th!

Click on the black down arrow on the right side of the player to download.

Union Maid by bwillingmusic

Pastures of Plenty by bwillingmusic

Maggie's Farm by bwillingmusic

Crawmageddon 2011

2011-07-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

A little bit of Louisiana in Cali. The Oneill's flew in 100 pounds of live crawfish for the shindig. The party easily handled the load, plus a full keg in a little less than 8 hours on Camp's Ventura deck. Lots of sore fingers and smiles. The surprise hit was actually the boiled celery.

Shedding

2011-07-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Taking some time to create, record and refresh. Life tends towards disorder, so to be fully aware and present it's important to tend to the whole garden. Patience and love come in handy..

Just recorded 5 songs with Justine Bennett for a joint EP we're hoping to release next month. Sounding real good... Tonight Matt Bradford is coming by with his Dobro. He's a killer, and I'll post a vid of what happens later tonite.

I'm buzzing on a new version of Smoking or Non. Changed up the groove a bit. Here's a free live download from a recent show in the meantime.

Smoking or Non Live @ Room 5 by bwillingmusic

Do you know what a Haboob is? I didn't.

Brain Pickings | Mark Batty Publisher

2011-07-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

Diggin these sketches..

Brain Pickings | Mark Batty Publisher

Back to lovely Fullerton.

2011-06-20T02:56:00.000-07:00

Real stoked for the Black Sheep Show this week. Fullerton love is really like no other. Thursday night at McClain's with Mike Vitale and Justine Bennett. Gonna be a trip in more ways than one. Ok, two.

Smoking or Non

2011-06-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight at Room 5 in Los Angeles I joined Trevor Menear, Justine Bennett and Joel Eckels to do songs in the round.

About 4 years ago I was on tour in Oklahoma. I stopped one night after a particularly long leg of driving and got a hotel. It was a tiny town west of Oklahoma City, and there was a beer store close by. I picked up two beers, intent on writing a song in the hotel room. I didn't end up writing anything that night, I just passed out after the giant beers. However I had a dream that night, and in the morning I interpreted the dream into a poem. When I returned home a week later, I put that poem to music and called the song Smoking or Non.

I took a liking to this live version from last nights show, featuring Justine on harmony and Joel on guitar. Download it for free below.

Smoking or Non Live @ Room 5 by bwillingmusic

Storm's coming
I'll be inside
there's an apparition
with painted lines
where is my consciousness?
I could die tonight
witch finger beckoning
smoking or non

I'll sleep in sorrow
a life of love I'll borrow
for tonight I'm traveling alone
it points I follow
smoking or non

One giant rumble bee
solo red tail light
a constant above nothing else
morning motel dreams
window cracked wide open
another rumble bee, two, three
must be a woman
smoking or non

I'll sleep in sorrow
a life of love I'll borrow
for tonight I'm traveling alone
it points I follow
smoking or non

It points I follow
I'm feeling tired and I'm looking for
a lasting thing
could be anything..

In Pictures: Lonesome Traveler

2011-06-06T03:54:00.001-07:00

Lonesome Traveler, a set on Flickr.

Two months at 124 Ventura Rd. in Silver Strand and the Rubicon Theater. Once in a lifetime experience. Here is the experience in snapshots, through both iphone and professional lenses.

Beer Festival added. Excellent.

2011-06-05T02:12:00.001-07:00

Saturday June 18th in Ojai. Beers, food and music. Benefitting also the American Cancer Society. Gonna be a marvelous day, I can sense it. Click the banner for line up and ticket info.

Go ahead, show me a bigger fry.

2011-06-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

It's like that long eyebrow that springs up overnight, and you're like, holy s#%t man!

Zoey's with Justine.

2011-06-05T01:50:00.000-07:00

Wonderful time at Zoey's Cafe with my friend Justine Bennett. Freakin' love this song of hers called Traffic Light. We got some shows together coming up. Not gonna lie to you, it's sounding pretty cherry.

2011-06-05T01:45:00.000-07:00

Opened two sold out shows with Messina and band at the Watermark last weekend. George Hawkins on the bass was out of control. I was air bassing like a mofo right behind him the whole show.

Bobby D is old.

2011-05-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Playing Dylan in Lonesome Traveler forced me to blow the harp more, and for that I am thankful. I may never have fully learned a song of his if it wasn't for theater.. Well, it's hard to say. I don't have a Delorean. I worked this into my set last week in Santa Barbara, and I'm diving into more.. I need more diving time. A bigger O2 tank, if you will. Happy 70th Bobby, thanks for everything.

Bukowski, where I was little.

2011-05-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

Like most, I run across an unfathomable glut of information daily. Most passes right through without leaving much of a residue. Some of it, catches in an eddy, stays open in a window for a few hours up to a few days, waiting patiently to be consumed. This is one of those pages. I found it interesting that ol' Charles had a couple of old/new poems pop up into my "feed" and so I popped open a new tab to come back to it later. That was Friday, it's now Tuesday night.

Reading through to bottom of the first one, I noticed that it was marked "San Pedro, California 1991". I grew up in San Pedro, therefore I was instantly connected and interested in the poem. The second poem was from the same place, same time. Random. I almost closed it without ever reading the poems. Another strangity: I am currently writing a song called Common Man, and I have been scouring all sorts of authors and pieces written about those two words for inspiration. Turns out it was sitting here the whole time, patiently, as web artifacts do.

Poem #2:

On The Bum

moving from city to city
I always had two pairs of
shoes

my work shoes were
thick and black
and stiff.
sometimes when I
first put them on
they were very painful,
the toes were
hardened and bent
back
but I’d get them on
on a hangover
morning.
thinking, well
here we go
again.
working for
miserable wages
and expected to
be grateful
for that,
having been chosen
from a score of
applicants.

it was probably my
ugly and
honest face.

but putting on
those shoes
again
was always
the beginning.

i had always
imagined myself
escaping that.
making it at the
gaming table
or in the
ring
or in the bed
of some rich lady.

maybe I got
like that from
living too long in
Los Angeles,
a place far too
close to
Hollywood.

but going down
those roominghouse
steps
with each beginning,

the stiff shoes
murdering my
feet,
stepping out into
the early sun,
the sidewalk was
there,
and I was just one
more
common laborer,
one more
cpmmon
human,
the whole universe
sliding through
my head
and out my ears.
the timecard waited
to check me in
and out.
and afterwards
something to
drink and the
ladies from
hell.

work shoes
work shoes
work shoes
and me
them with
all the lights
turned
out.

Charles Bukowski 1991
San Pedro, California

Source: http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/two_undiscovered_poems_by_charles_bukowski/

2011-05-06T11:13:00.001-07:00

So randomly I will be doing a radio interview with a Turkish DJ on a London radio station in 30 minutes. Friends in London, tune in to 1584 am at 7:30.. random

2011-05-05T11:26:00.001-07:00

coffee, breakfast, recording.

Paint or Sleep?

2011-04-27T03:24:00.000-07:00

Hard to sleep with all this paint around. First round of special edition Lonesome Traveler edition albums. Even got a little mini canvas for the display. Quite the painter all of a sudden. If you can call dipping a paint brush in paint and swirling in a crude circle painting. I do.

It's times like these I understand a great many things about creativity. I can continually stare at, fondle, beat, scream at, cook dinner for, and towel off the same medium, in the pursuit of something different. What I learned today is invaluable. About mediums and expression anyway.

It's a simple start and I'm not very far ahead of myself just yet. But the little guy carving a mountain out of a planet in the back of my goo is grinning, that much I know.

Water...

2011-03-15T03:26:00.000-07:00

The tsunami coverage is so incredibly intense.. While driving down Fairfax tonight I found myself picturing walls of water coming around the buildings of Miracle Mile.. They say they were 30 feet in places.. 3 stories. Incredible destruction, yet in the grand view of Earth and all it's history probably a smallish move in terms of land movement.

I think maybe the scariest thing for us watching through the media is the fact we don't know what's after. What's after the tsunami? You can't get out in time, the earth eats you. Claims your body. What then, most if not all of the world quietly wonders? What if you go in a crazy disaster? Is the world really going to end next year? Signs point to yes and no, but signs can be placed wrong or upside down and you may not notice if you were intent on one destination.

Would these things be as frightening if we knew what was next? If the population of Earth was on the same page of afterlife business AND knew it was equal or better to this current one, these natural disasters (occurences to unpopulated islands) would be hardly news at all. If we even had news.. What am I talking about? There would be very little the same if we all really did know and agreed. Would competition exist? Would we need it? The questions could continue until morale improves.

Japan is in a world of hurt, and it's one of the saddest, most frightening events we've ever seen unfold through the screens. It's not hard to imagine the scenes of havoc anymore. We can see them as good as any movie when they happen, and because it's live and actually happening, nearly impossible to look away. Are there more disasters happening now then before facebook and social media? I don't have the facts, but my guess is no. Coincidentally there are many more people and video cameras...

Does Earth feel the need to perform now that we're all looking at it, poking it, peeing on it and maneuvering for fame? Maybe it's a person too, with feelings and desires like the rest of us. Maybe earth is a being and we just don't understand it. We are not all powerful, we are fragile and fallible. Living is not like clockwork. Some get the short stick pretty early, those are the breaks. You can postpone death sometimes, unless it's your time.

I'm just a lonely... a Lonesome Traveler

2011-03-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

So after auditions, callbacks and a good bit of waiting to hear.. just got word I will be joining a small but stellar cast (including the amazing Justine Bennett!) for the world premiere of the original musical "Lonesome Traveler" next month at The Rubicon Theatre!! Opening night is April 16th, make some plans. :-)

The Heim.

2011-03-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara

2011-03-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

Next week's gonna kill. On Sunday evening March 6 I'll be in studio on KRUZ 97.5 in Santa Barbara with a couple of the guys from Shades of Day. Playing live cuts and a couple from Take All Night, then doing some interviewin with George Pendergrast of Dishwalla. Good times, tune in at 6 pm!

Then Wednesday March 9 is a full band show at Blue Agave in Santa Barbara. Cool new venue, upstairs in the lounge. Cozy, rockin. Show starts at 9 pm. Call (805) 899-4694 for reservations if you're coming out, there's only 35 tix available. 20 E. Cota St. | $10 | 21+

Lonesome Traveler

2011-02-26T15:08:00.000-08:00

So I'm trying out for a role in a musical called "The Lonesome Traveler". First audition went great, got a callback, killed that too. Dude flies to NYC this weekend to see a few more auditions, and I'll hear next week. Would be a killer role, embodying Woody Guthrie, Gordon Lightfoot, and Bob Dylan... Something new. The show runs from April to May at the Rubicon Theater in Ventura, with a second run in Laguna Beach in January. Rub some rabbits feet y'all.

Oh Hell Yes.

2011-02-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

Knokkers. The kind you play.

Lucinda

2011-02-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

Puttin on the Monday coffee with Lucinda. NPR becoming a regular web stop. Dare I say... even before facebook. Of course it's always nicer when you come to class with something to share for everyone, right Spicoli? Yes, Mr. Hand...

Click the image to stream the new album.

Royce Hall

2011-02-16T03:06:00.000-08:00

Fallopians.

2011-02-15T03:19:00.000-08:00

Thursday will be rad. This is Pangolin. My brother Josh is the singer, and that's Owen on bass, Kevin on drums. The show is at UCLA's Royce Hall with the band Dawes. I'm real stoked to be joining them. This song is called Fallopians.

Get the Pangolin EP for free here: pangolin.bandcamp.com and then add them here: facebook.com/pangolinmusic.

Love, B

Full Moon Song

2011-02-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

I'm counting stars hanging low on the water

stealing thoughts of your sweet sweet caresses

I'm fading like the cigarette

burning on your window sill

reminds me how it was easy then

and it's better when it's new

you're hot and heady

I'm warm and steady… in here it's never cold

our bodies ready

struggled to find love

struggled a loner

then i stopped searching for it

and i let it come around

invited it in

even

made it a drink

made it feel like it was welcome

and I welcome the feeling inside

You're hot and heady

I'm warm and steady… in here it's never cold

our bodies ready

full moon song

lovers in the night

full moon song

First Down Magic.

2011-02-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

I admit, I've always wondered exactly how that magic yellow line worked. Wonder no longer, indeed.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/81141

Street jams.

2011-02-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Stoked. I've always been curious to play on the street. This Thursday I'll be out on State Street in Santa Barbara during the Santa Barbara International Film Fest week. The downtown organization puts on an event every month called 1st Thursdays, and a group of downtown business host music, art, and various entertainment out on the streets for all to enjoy.

I'll be in front of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, at the corner of State and Anapamu starting at 5:30. It's good, clean, free entertainment and I'm really looking forward to getting my "Once" on.

Gonna work on a video today, and get some music ready for passers by. Roger, Over.

We'll miss you Grandma Bump!

2011-01-31T15:31:00.000-08:00

When I was just a young lad, my Grandmother received a nickname that ended up sticking for her entire life. Driving in to her house there were a series of speedbumps. My mom and I used to say "Bump!" after every one, and so it became synonymous with Grandma. "Graaaandmaaaaaa BUMP!" we would shout after every one. Grandma would sign her greeting cards with only one line of the pen, complete with a little speedbump in the middle.

Grandma and I loved to talk politics and eat hamburgers, seven layer dip and chocolate cream pies. She sure loved to eat and chat. She battled MS for many years, but she was always sharp and witty and so gracious and refreshingly honest. Visits with Grandma at her home in Lompoc, CA were always informative and stimulating. She was a great thinker, and quite brilliant.

A great woman, loving mother and grandmother, and proud American. I love you Grandma!

Joy Willing 4/24/30 - 1/28/11

Night at the 5.

2011-01-18T02:47:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's just spiritual. Like tonight. Singing songs in the city with some of the baddest mofos around. Trevor Menear, Paulie Cerra, Joel Eckels, and Gaby Moreno. It was Monday night church. Dr. King was in the room, having a dream.

I'm thankful man, really am..

Oh! Can't leave out Victoria Vox. Plays uke, squeezebox, and sings gorgeously.

So yeah, tomorrow morning it's carrot juice and a workout. Boo ya.

TAKE ALL NIGHT - Listen to the new album by Shades of Day!

2010-11-16T00:40:00.000-08:00

Pork and Synthesizer.

2010-10-25T02:05:00.000-07:00

I love randomness. Really love it. Got to jam on a rare Sonica Synth on Saturday.

Introduced in 1979 by Frank Eventoff, apparently quite the expert on musical toys.

Some little known facts about a little known instrument:

Frank's neighbor in Silverlake was a modelmaker and carved the bodies - they made 24 at a time.

Donna Summer bought one of the runs of 24 and created a Sonica Orchestra. They performed live in Hawaii, with all the musicians in her band equipped with them.

Apparently, the company Hasbro once asked Frank: "Can you do something new, that's never before even been seen on the planet?" - A challenge he met with the Electronic Orchestra, a sound-maker and music system - much like the multi-timbral MIDI sound modules that would be common later.

Unfortunately, the toy industry crashed, and only the prototype was built.

More on Frank

Such is life for an inventor I suppose. The Sonica's pretty addicting, as small phallic shaped hand carved synthitars go. Haven't seen the last of it, no sir.

It was also the sort of day you find yourself riding a Dino in the back of a Dodge.

...and eating at my new #1 mexican joint. No doubt.

La SUPER RICA. Been eying it for about a decade now, but somehow never made it in. KTJ and I hit it hard. Looking at these pictures right now makes me angry that I'm not there. Find me someone who's not angry about not eating this right now. There shouldn't be a single person.

#16. Super-Rica Especial ($6.80) -
Roasted Chile Pasilla with Marinated Pork, Bell Peppers, Onions and Cheese
RIDICULOUS.

Get some.

KTJ and the hills.

2010-09-23T02:44:00.000-07:00

I finally got the go ahead to shoot Kara, something I've been aching to do. You see, she's got these eyes...

Naturally we went straight to the helium tank in celebration.

Good times in love.

In the morning we breakfasted and debated between Getty and Observatory. We went with free parking.

Perspective for balance. The view over L.A. is a powerful one. It's a lovely little town.

a-HA!

2010-09-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

mad world, my world. yes world, your world.

I'm crowning the tunnel of a years long digital culture shock of how to survive and thrive in the technology age. Been watching closely for years, thoroughly scouring web pages, blogs, articles, feeds... all the while crafting music in seclusion.. shifting chess pieces, building, tearing down.. stockpiling knowledge and fuel for the journey, confident all the while of my steady gain on a personal AHA! ...

There are plenty of answers floating about. It's easy, you just snatch one out of the air when you need it. The ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is well covered by Douglas Adams, and personally that book gave me plenty to go on regarding that subject. What's out there in space? Some cool shit, that's what.

Have you ever had that "small" moment? You know, the one where you look upwards at the billions of pinholes dotting the sky, and understand how little you are. How little time you have in this form, how little we really know of what happens when our bodies cease to function. I had that just a few days ago in Ojai, CA. It had been a while, probably years since my last one. Growing up, going through puberty and early manhood I would have them frequently. I wonder if I'm just looking upwards less as I grow older. Like I don't want to face that reality.. or maybe I'm working so hard that I don't have that time to ponder anymore, my nose is too buried in task.

I've looked upwards plenty. I still enjoy a balmy California day watching jets zip across the sky. Still one of my favorite feelings. It's a regular source of energy and inspiration. Someone figured out how to make heavy metal fly, I can certainly figure out what word should go with that chord.. But it's a man made contraption, and it has a limit. When stargazing, you feel that depth, that limitless unknown. I wonder if I get to know when I die. I'm keeping hope alive on that one.

You can't spend your whole stay getting neck cramps and gawking though. There's plenty to stare at here. Most of this planet is breathtaking and gorgeous. With the prevalence of function over beauty, humans have found a way to muck up a good number of previously pristine locales, but I think the eye candy still outnumbers the eyesores. Traveling is high on most life agendas.

In case you're seriously wondering, I'm not going to answer any great question here. I may look like I know where I'm going, but that's just a trick I've learned along the way. Don't appear lost, even if you are. Walk with confidence into that cul-de-sac, and don't break pace when you see the wall. Walk all the way to it, give it a good check to make sure it's solid and continue back the way you came. You really never know. Maybe one of the bricks is actually a lever, able to turn the wall and reveal a continued walkway. If not, no big deal. At least you leave no brick unturned.

I believe in keeping keep strong values and a solid perspective. Half of the time we are technically suspended upside down, and all of the time we are moving at an incredible rate in a circle. It's important to stay grounded, and I'm thankful I have learned that lesson early on in my stay. For example, I have atrocious motion sickness. I have to sit at the back of the movie theater. I can't sit in the backseat of moving cars. Roller coasters are pretty much out of my equation. Sailing? Probably not, but again, while a young'n I did get a great piece of advice passed along my way. Keep your eye on the horizon. Keep your balance, and don't lose sight of that horizon. Stay grounded. Life can move like a sailboat, coaster, a teenage driver, and gyroscope all at one time. It's easy to be defeated and resentful. I'm thankful I was open to that advice, and still able to draw parallels using it. Keeps me sane as the world spins madly on..

Sometimes I like to imagine that we're all lost, stranded on this rock. Like the picture everyone in underwear trick my folks taught me when practicing public speaking. I never did actually use it, as I was apparently born a real ham. I would cry as a toddler during dinnertime until I was placed at the center of the table everyone was eating at. I do sometimes get nervous when in front of people, but only if unprepared in what is to be delivered. That is what makes me nervous in daily life, too. Not having clear goals and being unfocused. Facing people, performing, telling the truth, delivering bad news... that stuff doesn't stiffen me up much. The constant reminder that I won't be able to do everything I want? That does. Freezes me in my tracks in a not so insignificant chunk of my time. I can literally overwhelm myself to the point of paralysis and anxiety attacks with things I want to do. Not because I believe I can't accomplish any one of them individually. Some days I just can't make a decision. Each decision poses a whole new stable of questions, all of which seek answers. Answers. I must constantly remind myself, they're already here.. just floating around.

This morning I read a blog written by my good friend and fearless world traveler, Jeremy. An excerpt: "Truth is subjective. So is life. That's the best part." Meaning gleaned - YES, there are answers just floating about, ready to mate with your questions and reproduce the meaning of your life. Reach out and touch faith.

Walk your Plank.

Say hello to my little friend.

2010-09-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes buddies come from the strangest places.

Been in the studio with Michael and the boys mixing the new Shades record for the last couple of weeks. Gettin that cave stank on. We're getting real close. My little buddy here knows it... He's quite anxious.

Last weekend. WTF!? It's Wednesday? Time warrrrp. But seriously, the block party was awesome. Spencer Makenzie's really does have the best fish tacos, EVER. Period. Plus about ten bands from the area, a beer garden, and hundreds of you humans. We posted up at the Vag-o-bond motel and could see the stage from the room. That's gotta be somewhat rare, as far as concerts while travelin goes.

Had a wicked good time. That was Saturday. Sunday I went back in the mixing cave. However... due to severe lack of sleep.. I had to cut out early and crash the cuss out! Cut 12 hours to the future, and it's friggin Monday morning.

Well, some other things happened before I got to here.. Let's see what I can dig up here....

I had dinner with some of the locals:

Kara and I got to see Levon Helm at the Greek. Soooooo good. Freakin' legend!

Before the show we went to this rad Vietnamese noodle house in Silverlake and got to witness a palm tree across the street go up in a fireball and burn itself out just over a minute later. Had to be there obviously, but here's a shot of the aftermath just for some fun. Looking at it now though, it's not all that fun of a picture, but I'm not taking it out now. I'll have to justify it with two more sentences.

Met Rutger Hauer at the Kinky Friedman show. He's a lot sillier than I imagined. Not that I have spent a whole lot of time imagining his silliness though. Swedes. Had a good birthday this year.

Had a few hours to spare somehow last week so I got to spend some time at the beach. Did all the things you would expect. Walk the pier, roll up my jeans, kick some water, skip some rocks, ponder our existence, navy seal incline push-up routine on a sand shelf. The youge.

Mostly though I've been staying focused on the prize. Finishing the album we started last year and giving myself the best chance to stay sane. Seriously, there are so many things I want to do right now! As for making a living, I've got some real work ahead of me. No doubt about it - I have some apprehensions (being in 30's, no health insurance, watching my savings practically incinerate, missing friends and family), but I'm a damn hopeful dude. I see a gigantic oyster, and it just so happens I'm stockpiling horseradish and lemons.

Salut!

Don't stop Believin..

2010-08-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I had one of those moments on stage that you just can't manufacture.. It's a combination of searching for something real, questioning your own future and history, and being truly inspired by someone playing from the heart, unabashed and powerful.

There was actually a few of those throughout the night. Zoey's is just a fabulous place to hang and play songs. There's few places like it, and I love that it's home. A night of songwriters in the round, with some songs actually being written on stage. Which is really the appeal of something like this. To see inside, to get a sneak peek. That goes for me too, and what I saw and felt last night was both incredibly honest, personal, and SO needed.

I have always admired Delaney Gibson for her honesty in both life and song. The girl can belt and to get the stories behind some of her songs last night was very cool. We've been friends for a while and I admire her on a lot of levels. She can hang with the boys while still being a girl, if you catch my drift.

Brother Sal was a hell of a treat. The man is a force. The description of him coming in was "whorehouse gospel" and at times that was really on the mark. He's got mad piano skills, able to run the gamut of frantic barroom ragtime to gorgeous ballad fills. Probably my favorite version ever of Bullet Chest Beatrice, with Sal on the keys and Delaney singin harmony. Wow. And then Sal played a song that literally left me speechless.

It was a perfect night to have on a day when I wasn't feelin so hot. Must have put down about 12 glasses of water, plus 5 cups of tea with honey, salad for lunch and soup for dinner. Makes me wonder how good I would feel singing if I did that all the time.

It was a night that filled my cup, so to speak. In a week filled with uncertainty and emotions both perceived and real, it felt damn good to be grounded, humbled, and inspired all while on stage.

Thanks to Zoey's, the Hogansons, Delaney, Brother Sal (for the sick b day version of don't stop believin too....ridiculous), and an audience of the best folks. A really memorable birthday eve. Thanks to CampO and Robin too for the couch this week.

So what if I'm a bit under the weather. In Ventura these days, we all are. I'm headed north to find some sunshine, hang with my girl, and play some rock and roll. Gettin a cold is gonna have to wait, or just be SOL. Beat it. Santa Ynez is gonna be rad. See you at the Maverick!

B

Me, Delaney and Brother Sal post show.

This week just may be special.

2010-08-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

Delaney Gibson, Sally Jaye, Brother Sal and BWJ together this Thursday at Zoey's Cafe in Ventura for a night of "songs in the round". Bitchin. INFO

Then off to Santa Ynez on Saturday for Shades of Day @ The Maverick Saloon with Kinky Friedman. INFO

Oh, and it's my birthday this Friday.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

~~~~~~~~~

Murdering clay pigeons in PA last month.

NYC nights..

2010-07-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

Windy, humid and warm. Drove into the belly of NYC last night for a show at Rockwood Music Hall. Heard so many great things, and it delivered the goods. Many thanks to the amazing crowd! Sarah, Jamie, Meredith, George, Paul, Brendan, Phil, Kara, Kathy, Matt, Christina, Megan, Mike, Mike, and to the lot of you who I had the pleasure of meeting. Truly a pleasure to come all the way across the country and have a full house of warm faces. Like that one monster golf shot, these are the times that we musos live for. I'm still up in the clouds. Of course that could be partly some lingering big beers effect. There's a little closet on Allen St. in the lower east side called Marshall Stack. No kidding on the name. It's not only clever, there are Marshall stacks all over the bathroom walls. Did I mention the wonderful beer selection? First time riding a Raderberger and didn't get bucked. Good shite.

Watch the F out.

Kara caught some flipcam action. Here's a couple OG tunes, which you will soon hear in full technicolor on the upcoming Shades of Day record.

Click these to watch.

WAITING FOR A TRAIN - Live in NYC

ONE FLASHING LIGHT - Live in NYC

Boston Crew. Sarah, Jared, Jess, Kara, and Julia. LOVE.

On deck are a couple days in Westport, CT. T storms are firing up as I'm typing, so we could be socked in for the evening. I gotta soak up some warm rain though. Nothin like it... Thursday we play in town at Bobby Q's, an all ages family style hang and then it's off to Scranton, PA on Friday for a weekend on Kurt's ranch and the last show in Scranton. Shenanigans.

B

T storms over the Charles.

2010-07-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

Wonderful to be back in Boston. We rode into town with some wicked T-storms, but they mercifully departed before the show. But the traffic didn't. River Street downtown Cambridge was aptly named. Instead of doing anything about it, they just put a tag on it and resigned to the constant flooding? Nice.

At one point we were so snarled in traffic Phil got out and walked the mile to the club just so they would know we were there. Well executed old school approach. We had 3 iphones in the car, I'm sure we could've contacted them somehow. I admire the passion. We picked him up about three blocks away from the club and found a spot right in front.

Had a blast at the Lizard Lounge. Phil and I had some sweet jams, and only a few clams.. It's a sweet venue. Dungeon like, good sound, and the performers play in the center of the room. Recommended highly to pretty much everyone. Super friendly staff too. Many thanks to you and also to the friends who braved the night. Nothin says party like fried calamari at midnight.

Today was good. We got comped a free breakfast buffet at the hotel for enduring a mildewy room. Some bonehead left the window open during a rain storm. Bank error in our favor I suppose. For the record, their coffee should be free anyway. One shouldn't have to pay for hot brown river water. Got back to Westport in time to watch a bunch of guys in shorts chase a ball around the grass and try to score on one another. For the sake of competition, K and I rooted for opposite teams. I lost, bitterly. It seems since USA was picked off I had been harboring a secret affinity for the Dutch. However, I melted a creamsicle out on the pavement in a rabid show of disapproval following their loss.

Tomorrow night it's out to Manhattan. Rockwood Music Hall awaits. Good times. Hope to see you if you're livin in the city. Cheers.

Eastbound and Broken

2010-07-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

I found myself wishing for football. Futbol has been a blast, and I'm really pumped on the final this Sunday between Holland and Spain. But on this particular flight I wanted FOOTBALL. I wanted to see a quarterback get creamed, or conversely, connect on some ridiculous hail mary. But nope. I got LeBron highlights, over and over and over again. Sure I could have turned it off. The in flight TV's on the seat backs are small, and you have to use headphones. I had a new book (girl with dragon tattoo), magazine (Esquire, featuring Tom Cruise), my laptop, and if I so desired... I could change the channel, or pay for a movie. I had options. But I love sports, and I wanted to know what stunt this millionaire athlete was gonna pull after this bloated, ridiculous build up. I couldn't look away.

So I fell asleep, awkwardly. The Virgin America plane had remotes in the armrests, which sounds cool on paper. But if you want to put your elbows on them, the indentation is damn uncomfortable. And apparently I do that a lot. It's like when you pull a back muscle and appreciate how much you actually use it.

Spent an extra hour in the air because of weather patterns over Texas, but had an empty seat next to me. Not a terrible flight overall, but I was ready to be in New York, and ready to get past The Decision. I'd get into that, but no need. There's plenty of scathing, opinionated articles out there to keep you queasy for days.

I was stoked. Was in the Big Apple, was meeting my girl at the gate, and was ready for a drink and a patty melt, both of which I eventually got.

What I didn't get though, was in intact guitar. The ticketing counter guy said I could carry it on, Phil carried his on a few days earlier on a similar Virgin flight, but the lady at the gate said no. No, you can't take that on board, you must leave it with the strollers and another guitar just before boarding.

So I asked, "Will it be pressurized, will this guitar be safe? It means a whole lot to me, and is irreplaceable, and I was told I could carry this on."

Her: "Yes it is, and it will be just fine sir."

Me, stupidly: "Alright, as long as it's pressurized like the passenger cabin, it should be ok."

Not ok.

I was pretty pissed when I opened up the case, which was soaking wet, to find this. My guitar also completely wet.

Now this tank of a guitar has been through all sorts, including a lot of flights. Never has it been completely wet on arrival. Not to mention broken...

argh.

I let them know how I felt about the situation, and filled out all the right paperwork and took photos. Just now, before this sentence I got a call from the claims dep't saying, thankfully, that they will cover the cost of what it takes to repair or replace. Still upsetting because it's not in great playing shape, and I've got the first show of the tour tomorrow night. Yo Phil, can I borrow your twanger?

So lesson learned. Don't let gate lady tell you what you can't do with your guitar. I'll have to bring a photo with me every time I fly to show them what happened last time I took their advice.

2010-07-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

I just passed a broken down little red corvette with steam coming from the hood. The little guy inside was screaming something about the end of the last millenium. I felt sadness, and pity. It used to be such a hot ride.

http://www.boston.com/ae/specials/culturedesk/2010/07/prince_the_internet_is_over.html

2010-07-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

Holland vs. Uruguay. Gotta say this year's cup is thrilling. Maybe it's just my renewed love for sport. It's the intensity of competition. These guys are seriously nuts. And here I am with sore calves from an hour long hike yesterday. For shame.

2010-07-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

the assembly.

2010-07-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

The sound of liberty and freedom has been thunderous and long tonight. K and I watched from a rooftop somewhere near central LA. So ridiculously amazing this year. It's been a constant barrage of rolling thunder for just under two hours now. Up above the city it feels and looks like a warring country. Here's to never having to see that..

Putting together a new round of EP's for the trip out East this Thursday. Feels good being an assembly line on Independence day. Creating. Love it.

Here's what's happening back east:

Back in a couple weeks for a promising round of band shows in late July through September. I imagine the new album being out around then. Not gonna lie to ya, that's gonna be a good time. I'll update those shows as I get more info. The truth lies in the info..

Viva futbol. I'm pretty into that tournament right now. At this point I'm not sure who my favorite team left is. I think Holland has the slight edge, but I could root for Spain too. Those guys are scrappers.

2010-06-21T14:48:00.001-07:00

Headed into the city to make some musica and figure out life with my brother Josh. :-).

2010-06-21T14:16:00.001-07:00

I heart Bigfoot.

Mobile B

Pinball hips.

2010-03-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hittin the Wednesday crest at full tilt. If today were a pinball machine I'd be slamming my hips into it.

Inspiring show last night at Genghis. A fantastic audience you are. :-) Thank you. Got to meet Jeff Buckley's mother and cousin, Mary and Alison, who were in attendance. Quite an honor to shake hands and converse with those two women. They are doing some very cool things with Flea and The Silverlake Conservancy of Music here pretty soon that sounded pretty amazing, and will most likely be thrilling for a Buckley fan.

Got an email from my Pops last night... looks like someone posted some live tracks of him singing with Montrose back in '75 -'76... I've never heard any live Montrose tracks so I'm pretty damn stoked.. check this out:

The picture is Ronnie Montrose, not my pops. This track is called All I Need. Check out Black Train too from the same concert.. Just awesome. I am so freakin stoked.

Bob James 1976

Dad and Frampton.

Road trippin, heart skippin..

2010-03-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

We humans need a good rapid fire wild ride to keep vital, sharp, and alert. This particular chapter starts last Thursday up in Ventura, CA... Shades of Day opened up a St. Paddy's weekend show for The Young Dubliners. A concert in a 100 year old 3 story Elks Lodge. Good stuff. Turns out the Dubs are mostly living in the San Fernando valley with me. Here I thought they were on tour from Ireland... again, I know very little and assume so much..

Saturday afternoon Kara, Campo and I drove down from Ventura to the Santa Anita horse racing track. My good friend Don is a horse clocker and also publishes his own picks journal called the "Winners Card" which gives the bettor a good idea of how each horse has been looking in training. He gets up at 3:30 every morning, 7 days a week to catch the workouts and spends the afternoons and evenings doing the organizing and publishing. Hard working mofo. Love that guy. On this particular day, the #1 horse in the country was running in Race 7. Zenyatta is her name. 14 races in her career, 14 wins. A great opportunity and an open afternoon... to the track!

The east winds were blowing strong, and what a race it was! Zenyatta is well known for her slow starts out of the gate and this one was no different. She started dead last, and stayed there for one whole loop around the track. Coming around the final turn she did what I can best describe as a "wheelie" and began to eat the other horses for lunch. Clearly the fastest horse in the world, it burned from last place into first in less than a quarter mile and won by almost two lengths. The pic above is about 20 feet from the finish line. The crowd as you can imagine, went bonkers. If you haven't been horse racing before, do yourself a favor. It's a great time.

Sunday the band headed down to San Diego. Our show was at the 710 Beach Club in Pacific Beach, formerly known as Blind Melon's. We met up at my friend Kerber's house down the street and all went out for some grub and booze. The show was a solid one, though every person in the place appeared to be nursing a four day hangover. The sound guy, John, was convinced he had done my sound before. Back in the day he was doing sound on the road for Eric Clapton... I'm not one to let people down, so I agreed that at one point he surely must have done my faders, though I'm pretty positive this was our first meeting. Oh well. He turned out to be a great engineer, the sound was full and clear both onstage and off. A rarity in the Sunday night club biz... Justine Bennett and Jenni Alpert opened the show.

Pretty bomb motel we stayed at. The Surfer's Lodge Motel they call it. Hell of a view from the room... where post show we brewed up our own hangovers with Stella and Ketel 1..

Props to the hotel staff for their artistic prowess.. nice bunny. Periodically throughout the night it's black eye/nose dots started to disappear one by one. I was convinced there was something otherworldy going on, and they were gonna turn into bugs while we slept. Thankfully they were all eventually accounted for, though I still slept rather fitfully. Though that could have been due to sharing a double with Camp "Big Floppy Sasquatch" O'Neill.

Monday morning was breakfast on the beach with the guys. Good stuff. Bloody Mary and a chile relleno omelette. Wow. Might as well have shot me in the neck with a tranquilizer. From there I drove out into the desert. I spend a lot of time at the computer in the city, so I treated my weary soul to some open road, music and scenery. California is most certainly one of the most diverse, beautiful destinations on earth. With some Gram Parsons and Emmylou as my soundtrack, thanks to Micah, I pointed my little green taco east and drove leisurely and indirectly towards Joshua Tree National Park. I can't say I was looking for anything in particular... so I can't say I found what I was looking for...

I got to Joshua Tree just right at dusk. Having never been I had no idea where to go for camping, but I did have some blankets and such to complement the futon in the back. Had big plans to camp, but ultimately ended up in a motel somewhere in Yucca Valley. However, with the best of Jerry Reed as a soundtrack I turned off all the interior lights and gadgets and drove slowly through the park in the dark. Like I said, I had no idea what I was looking for out here, but if you get the chance to take a dark drive through this place, you will indeed have something you did not have before... I got out somewhere in the middle, killed the headlights and engine, and leaned up against the warm hood.

Serenity Now.

Apparently this particular Monday was a popular one. Camping was out since I couldn't see anything and didn't want to get stuck in the sand trying to forge my own way. I tried 7 hotels, all sold out. Ended up driving through to Yucca Valley and staying at the dumpiest Super 8 in existence. Loved it. I had big plans to write and jam all night, but ended up eating Jack in the Box, watching Open Range on HBO and falling asleep with my shoes on. :-) Classic.

The drive home on Tuesday was a beautiful one. A windblown meandering west on Highway 62 with Wilco.

Of course a short stop in Cabazon for a dino-burger.

Tuesday night K Twist and I headed out to see ER at The Joint in Los Angeles. These guys have been in L.A. for about a year now, transplanted from Provo, UT. Mormons, all, and one of the better stage shows you'll see in this town. http://erbeast.com/

Last night was corned beef and cabbage by K Twist, room temp Guinness, and songwriting 101 with Phil Cody. Got to hear and jam to the debut of his brand new one "No Long Goodbyes", which was a treat. Great song and great songwriter. Then we did some lyric and structure work on a new idea of mine, and the four of us (Kara, Phil, Kathy and myself) had a grand St. Paddy's.

We got on a Pogues/Dubliners youtube session, which yielded this rare gem from the Pogues, called "A Rainy Night in Soho".

All in all, a grand adventure. I'll be putting my nose down for the weekend, and will emerge Tuesday night for a solo show at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles. I may have a few stories for you, so grab someone, anyone and come on out for some music and good times.

For more music, photos, and show dates/info go here:
http://brendanwillingjames.com

B WILLING - Roll Um Easy by Lowell George

2010-03-03T14:12:00.001-08:00

I never knew ya, but sure do miss havin ya around.

One Flashing Light @ Molly Malones

2010-03-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

Shades of Day rocked last Friday @ Molly Malones on Fairfax.. The night was fantastic. We ended up hitting Canter's late night. Probably close to 30 of us from the club. Kept it real.

Here's some vid of One Flashing Light:

pics up in a jiffy too.. stay tuned HERE

got a full night of editing, picking through photos, uploading, emailing and stalking to do. I made my first vodka drink a bit stiff. Not quite on purpose. Next show is March 12 up in Ventura with The Young Dubliners. They don't appear real young, but I've heard good things about them Irishmen..

Looking forward to the east coast too.. Looking like July is gonna be a badass. Little Nor'easter with Phil Cody. Booo ya.

I'll be back.

in the studio with Shades of Day

2010-02-24T00:50:00.000-08:00

:-)

the dungeon choir sings Hollow Man.

Breaking Bread

2010-02-09T23:56:00.001-08:00

I beat down a migraine today in it's infant stages with an ibu 800. The coffee didn't help, and I had phonecalls to make. I was also scheduled to sing some backup harmonies with Jenni Alpert. yikes. Piece of marble cake. Delicious, but still the throbbing head. Come on modern medicine.

It worked. As I was driving the two blocks my destination (it was raining, or I probably would have biked it) with my earbuds in, the tide of black pain started to recede. Love that feeling.

I was headed to Brad Smith's house. Brad is the bass player in Blind Melon. I was pretty stoked to get to rap with him. Big fan, for sure. A couple years back I actually auditioned to fill in on their tour after their then current singer Travis went AWOL. They ended up canceling the tour and I never got a call. No biggie, was kind of a long shot anyway. Sounded fun though. Shades of Day was also scheduled to open for them on part of that tour, so that didn't happen either. Was definitely amped at this opportunity.

Met Jenni at the door, and we went right in to the studio. Only had about a half hour window. A comfy, modest home studio on a rainy day with a couple fellow musicians of whom get mucho respecto from me. Sweet.

To top it off, in walks Jimmy Paxson. In town for an audition. He's one badass drummer. Drums with Stevie Nicks, Alanis Morrisette, Henley, Edgar Winter... everybody. His dad isn't doing good right now so he's been hanging back in Philly doing what family does. Great to see him.

The recording part was quick and simple. Cool new tune by Jenni called Sweet Talk to Me. Smooth. We migrated to the kitchen and Brad shows off his new loaf. The man's a breadmaker. Enthusiast. Professional. Fresh sourdough. I freaking love sourdough bread. This loaf was perfecto. Perfect crunch on the crust and doughy and soft on the inside. I was impressed. I had a bunch of it while him and Jenni did some vocal comping. Good to catch up with Jimmy too.

Next up was some kind of cranberry nut loaf. The unexpected parts of the day are the best aren't they? Music and food. In perfect harmony.

Brad and Jimmy.

Peyton and me

2010-02-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

I had one of those "what does it all mean?" moments while driving home this evening. I have these from time to time. There was something different about this one though. Weaving through the east L.A. traffic at a breakneck and most likely dangerous pace, I focused intently on the quarter mile of road and automobiles ahead, gauging, calculating, reacting, occasionally cursing. Not at the other drivers so much, but at myself for making the wrong decision. There it was… the fork in the road that marked the split from the 5 to the 134. Semi truck to the right coming up hard…slowing white van in front of me…brake lights…an opening to the left, but that meant I had to pass the van, then get over two lanes and make the split. The exit was on top of me. Busted a left, downshifted into 3rd, floored the pedal and my tacoma's four cylinders screamed with delight… action! My calculations were correct. The van continued to slow, the taco had just the right amount of juice to clear the two lanes and hit the fork perfectly. YEAH! At that moment I couldn't help but think of Peyton Manning. Why? I'm a football nut. Really though, it's because I believe that I see the field the way that he does. Chaos surrounds us on a daily basis, akin to post snap on a football field. Often times we have tiny windows of opportunity and merely seconds to make the decision to go for it, throw it away, or take the sack. Like Peyton, I hate taking the sack. It's just not an option.

I use Peyton as an example for numerous reasons, but he's fresh in the mind because of his involvement on the big stage last night in the Super Bowl. I have been a voracious football fan this year. Couldn't get enough. SI.com, ESPN, Sunday football, Monday Night football. There wasn't a story I didn't know about. I found myself constantly checking scores on my iphone at work. I played fantasy football, lost, and was bitter at some of my players for being injured. For the first time in my life, I truly understand the game…and I LOVE it.

But I'm a musician. I'm barely 6 feet, just clear 160 pounds, and can't touch my toes. I can't imagine being crushed daily by a 275 pound man that makes a living (a damn good one!) crushing other men. Sounds too painful for me. I would rather inflict a different kind of pain on myself. The pain of the artist.. Oh goodness.

The freeway jams up. The game, for now, is over. I see a tow truck up ahead backing towards a stopped cargo van in the right lane. Fair enough. At least I had that fresh victory back there at the fork to reminisce about, when all things freeway were flying along. I glanced down at the 9 empty bottles of vitamin water in the passenger foot well. I'm most certainly addicted to the yellow….and thought: I should probably recycle those at some point. The passenger seat is piled high with a sweatshirt, mostly eaten week old bag of mixed nuts, my sandwich wrapper from lunch, a banana peel, my white iphone headset, joey ryan cd, another stack of scratched cd's that I wish I could listen to, my girlfriends hat, unopened mail from who knows when, and two chocolate chip cookies from 7-11. Don't eat those. DON'T. I didn't.

I had a funny day. Not so much the haha kind, though I do remember laughing a bit here and there with some co-workers. Laughter is the key to life. No joke. Nope. My phone was dead by 4:30, from a full charge at 9 am. I must have spent more hours today emailing, texting, listening to voicemails, reading blogs, Lefsetz, Peter King, football afterthoughts than actually working… sadness…football season is over. Basketball? Sure. Lakers are fun when the playoffs come around. Baseball? Yawn. Couldn't care less. I think there are some other sports, but you'd have to convince me. When it comes to fanatics, I'm a football guy. Period.

My phone was dead at 4:30 because I am attempting to create a tour with 7 other musicians. No one in particular is in charge, though we all want the same thing. To travel together in one vehicle (obstacle #1), to have gigs that pay decent money to pay for #1 (#2), and to get to Austin and have the time of our lives. The decision has to be made yesterday on if we can get it together or not.

I am my own manager, publicist, writer, agent, and roadie. Yes, I actually like it that way. Most of the time, if not all, I am completely overwhelmed. I bend, but don't break. Bring it on.

Peyton Manning. Here comes the blitz, again. Fires, completes, first down. OK! , Let's see if we can score this thing. They say that when you stop thinking and start reacting, you are destined to lose. You play back on your heels. I like to see things before they happen, to predict them…and I like to be right. Like Peyton.

Yesterday, and all season I rooted for the Saints. I love the city of New Orleans. I have friends there. I have friends here, from there. I love their football story. I don't know of a more deserving city for that super bowl win. They needed it, and the team delivered. But when Peyton threw that interception in the fourth quarter, I felt for him. Sure I stood and screamed with the rest of the Saints fans around me. Inside though, I felt this twinge. Everyone knew it was over, maybe even Peyton. Though to his credit, he sure didn't give up.

In my life so far, I've thrown a ton of those interceptions. It's late in the game, and I have to make a decision. People are counting on me to deliver. Many times, I don't. I choke. I fumble. I don't see it coming, even though I'm looking right where I need to be looking, predicting, calculating….

This was my lesson today, as it is everyday. Years ago, I chose music as my path. I dropped out of college to work a part time job and write and perform my own music. I have turned down management positions, I have resisted the urge to quit the game for many years. I've been told I don't have what it takes. I've been told I'm destined to make it. I've told myself both of those things, countless times.

There are so many choices in life. We all know that it's impossible to make the right call all the time. Even for Manning the consummate professional, the man at the top of the game, the man destined to break all the records and be immortalized as the best ever, the script is not written. Predict, gauge, calculate, execute! There is no way to predict life. You must learn each lesson as it comes, and grow. Stay hungry.

That very hunger for knowledge and experience drives me to get up each day and do a great many things I do not want to do. I've picked up trash, I've cleaned bathrooms, I've packed groceries, I've developed photos, I've delivered doors, I've dug holes, I've babysat, I've mowed lawns (ok that was a long time ago..) These are all generally mindless tasks. Things with little to no responsibility, and no lingering after effects once clocked out. Where could I be right now if I had finished school and left the guitar in the case? Don't know. Don't care. I love my life.

I truly and firmly believe I have chosen the right path. Maybe it was chosen for me. Dunno. That's a whole other story. I see this life, my life, as a road. I feel at home on the road. We talk, we debate, converse… never fight. We sing together, the tires and I. I learned how to sing in the car, on the road. Years and years of driving, stereo blasting. Cornell, Glen Phillips, Steve Perry, Cat Stevens, Robert Plant, Jim Croce… the list is ridiculous long. Point being, I wasn't born a singer. Dad was, I wasn't. I willed myself to be one. I knew how I wanted to experience my life. I listened, learned, practiced, rehearsed, failed, got up, practiced, rehearsed, listened, cried, screamed because I couldn't do it, screamed when I finally could… DAMMIT I WAS GOING TO BE THE BEST SINGER THERE EVER WAS. Am I now? Nope. But I've come a long way, and I'm still learning.

Peyton Manning is bumming today. He knows he had the chance to win it all, again. He also knows he as another chance to win it all, and then win it all again and again. He's got years of good football ahead of him. And after that probably years of sportscasting, coaching, managing, owning, etc… He's a football guy, from a football family, in a football town in a football stadium that he built. He trudges on, being great, getting even better. Seeing the field. 100 yards of glory, a man who will be immortalized in the digital files of the future. (enter music business parallel here)

We're about the same age. He has millions of dollars, fans, the respect of everyone in the game. I can't match his numbers on any level at this point. Maybe I never will. That won't stop me. Doesn't matter. I'm not in his game. I'm in my own.

Ultimately, at the core of this musician is that quest for knowledge. A desire to be better than I was yesterday. To know something I don't. Yes, I do want to "make it" in the music business. Yes, I do want to have a "hit record". I won't lie and say that I don't. But I see those as just a few bright spots along my road. I see those as one Super Bowl. The big stage where one can achieve immortality. Yeah, sounds great. I'm down. Sign me up.

It's the little things though, the intangibles, the things that others don't see. I shouldn't have made that fork in the highway today, but I did, and was grinning like an idiot because of it. I predicted it would work, made the decision, executed it perfectly. Dangerous? Yup. Stupid? Nah. I knew it would work. These are the things that make me the happiest. The little victories. When something works exactly as you planned it. I may have been stuck on the 5 for another exit. I would have made it home just the same. Sure, I would have been upset I didn't time it correctly, but then there's always another move to be made. There's another Super Bowl next year for Peyton to win. Another football season….

For me? A whole lot of things I haven't done yet. Can't wait.

2010-02-01T23:09:00.000-08:00

Old guitars and gold records are good things to have in a studio when making a record. Inspiring.

2010-02-01T22:45:00.000-08:00

Got a new 3 song EP up at bandcamp. I call it the 3P. Ha... Enjoy.

click the album cover to hear

2010-02-01T22:41:00.000-08:00

This Friday @ Zoey's Cafe. We'll be doin this one without Camp O'neill. He's off to New Orleans with family. Got some from Bakersfield, L.A., and Philadelphia in the house that night. Get down...

2010-02-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

I love this photo. It's from a great time a while back at Jalama Beach, CA. Chorgfest I believe... Going through digital pictures isn't quite the same as holding an actual album of printed memories, but the feelings of seeing certain frams remain the same.

B Willing on Golf

2010-02-01T22:31:00.001-08:00

Ok, some things that I learned today on the course.

First off, the tally: $44, 40 range balls, 18 holes, 1 cart, 2 beers (coors light)*, 1 yellow vitamin water, 1 regular water, 3 pars, 1 lost ball, 2 Japanese guys, 1 Larry, 4 and a half hours, shot a 97.

* Coors light is the best golfing beer. In street clothes I won't touch the stuff. It's light, goes down super fast.

Which ultimately led to my undoing on the back nine. Namely the 17th hole. Next time I will be sure not to skip breakfast in hopes of a tasty sandwich on the 10th hole. Hopes were dashed.
The 17th hole was akin to a drunk game of whack-a-mole, where you keep pumping in quarters in hopes of damaging the mechanism and over-enjoying an NFL sized touchdown celebration. (back in the 90's when they were allowed to get down, of course)

But the rest of the game gave me hope for my future as a golfer. First hole: big drive, PAR. Sweet. Was feeling pretty good about myself and pretty much everything. After turning 30 on Thursday, I've developed almost overnight a heightened awareness of club head speed and hip leverage. Suddenly my hands line up just right, I'm not trying to smash the ball (96% of the time), and I traverse the LA county manicured grass with an extra spring in the step. When I'm not pushing the limits of my crippled electric cart, of course. I say crippled because it appears the front axle is broken, leaving it with inward sloping wheels, and a pathetic forward stance. It's designer would not be proud.

I nicknamed it Old Glue. Without a complaint, it hauled my lazy 30 year old body around for close to five hours at close to the same speed as a 30 year old horse.

I discovered for the second time in a week that I have a pretty healthy desire to learn Japanese. I played the round with two Japanese guys named Derek and Dylan. (Yeah right) I wanted to ask what their Japanese names were, but never galled up. Our conversation was limited to" Nice Putt", "great shot", and "Auuuahhhh! So close". I asked them if they wanted a beer, to which they both graciously refused. A number of holes later Dylan says to me after a bad shot: "Ohh, it's cuz you drunk!" and made guzzling motion. Ha! I love little Japanese folks. They truly make me smile.

They had some of the best sayings after both good and bad shots. I would love to be in Japan, with a group of 3 Japanese fellows, sounding off in Japanese at every turn of the game. I will do that in my life. In fact, I've made a pact with myself to be fluid in Japanese by 40. For some reason, just last week I had the same urge. Today, confirmed. I am now a student of the Japanese language. I will absolutely murder some Karaoke bars when I get over there too. Look out Rising Sun. B's on a mission. Oh, and also in the running. Ordering sushi in Japanese. YES.

On hole #14 I witnessed an amazing water landing. The course is full of geese. They numbered in the hundreds and are not afraid of you or your cart. I was nearly tempted into a game of chicken by a goose. I withdrew at the last minute in fear of it gracefully sidestepping my sagging cart, and popping me one right in the temple. Goose 1, B 0. I'm OK with the loss. ANYway. They're amazing in flight with those long necks bobbing and webbed flippers flailing behind. While approaching the water, the feet come down like landing gear, and this particular one did an entire backflip in the air to slow down right above the water, turning precisely upright at the surface. A perfect landing. What a sight. I was jealous.

To be a student of the game is to have renewable patience. Every shot requires it. Deep breaths, checklist of body positions, prayer for a straight shot, maybe let one rip. I mean seriously? I just saw an advertisement titled: Tiger Woods Farted? Click Here!! Get a life. Now, I can be a sucker. But that's an obvious flip of the bird to you and your computer if you are seduced into clicking there. There must must MUST be a better way to spend that 20-30 seconds of your life. I would bet a lot of money on it.

A golf course is a great place to think. Not always when you're out with your buddies and whooping it up. But today, I played in near silence. With our communication so limited, there was very little conversation or small talk to speak of, let alone something deeper. So I was free to speed around solo on my cart and wax cerebral about a great many things.

So I shot just under a hundred. All things considered, I'm pretty proud of that. Bogey golf would be a 90. In fact, had it not been for what can only be described as a meltdown by both mind and body on hole 17, I may have been right there with Joe the Plumber. I'm just sure he shoots about 90 every time.

I came out of that hole charged up, furrowed brow holding back a small reservoir of sweat, determined to not come limping into the cart garage for my 8 dollar deposit. I owed it to Old Glue. I owed it Larry, a guy who played the first 9 with us, for giving me a tip on where to put my back leg while at the tee. I owed it myself. Had to say it.

Straight down the middle, 290 yards. Give or take a few. Fringe, chip, putt, Par. Tiger Woods y'all!

I ended the way I began. Happy and still excited about my future of golf and as a 30-something. Excited about learning a new language, and pleasantly buzzed on two Coors lights. What's for lunch?

B Willing

2007-09-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sep. 3rd 2007

1:29 a.m.

Spilled a full beer on my laptop. I'm pretty sure I'm still in shock because I'm not that pissed off... Weird. I almost feel lighter, free from some unseen burden. Knowing full well the annoyance this will surely become. You should have seen the moon tonight. HUGE and half covered, yet super bright. Just amazing..

I was SO looking forward to that beer.. Now things could change quite dramatically.

First, I can't afford a new one.

Two, I need the information that is on there, like yesterday.

C, I'm a boneheaded moron.

So...I wrote this poem. I mean, what would you do in this situation?

Here goes.

Beer Vs. Computer

Shit
my stupid arm
again with the swinging
down it goes
a digital brother
my keeper of secrets
controls fried you died
quick,
with pain
out to dry
to drain you of your death
just let it scream out
if once
if once it would appease
Plenty O'Good
surely comes calling
in some form
such as a celebration
of new life
and full beer.

~ b willing

So after a day of airing out, it works fine, mostly. Hopefully it will stay that way, with a cleaning on the way. I'll leave that one to the pro, the one and only...

Anyone see the lunar eclipse? I took some snaps of the sunset that night night on into the eclipse. It was tough, that sucker moves slow.. They're in my photo section. Here's a sample: yup, it's a link.

Got some cool shows coming up people. All of them are co-billed by some really great artists. Ruby James, Pi, Cormac O'Brien, Michael Conway, Emily Zuzik...and... Coming up in October, a two week tour of the southeast!

Sep. 19 - Zoey's Cafe w/ Ruby James
Sep. 27 - Muddy Waters w/ Cormac O'Brien and Michael Conway
Oct. 5 - Zoey's Cafe w/ Pi and Emily Zuzik

In regards to the "Video of the Week" My apologies for slacking, it's just that technology itself wouldn't let me post them. It seems my camera no longer speaks with my computer. They must be fighting... I'll figure something out soon. Thanks for your patience. For now, I've put all the old ones up for variety's sake. :-)

Be good and be loud in what you do.

Much love,

B Willing