October 2019 Redux

NEW ENGLAND - We're getting a lot done this week. For instance, we've managed to play two shows in the past six days, but we've been fishing four times. This kind of math leads to delight, and poverty. Starting tomorrow, we'll make the gesture of at least breaking down the fly rods, and head west to play The 443 Social Club and Lounge in Syracuse, NY (10/23), and the wonderful Cock’n’Bull Restaurant in Galway, NY (10/24), and then return to play The Stone Church in Brattleboro, VT (10/25), and the Capitol Center’s new Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord, NH. (10/26), with our last show at the brand new HiLo in North Adams, MA (10/27). Our old pal Zak Trojano opens Concord, and he's a fantastic songwriter and performer. Catch us in New England while you can, we won't get back for a while.

MONTANA - November 16th we’ll be appearing at the Stapleton Gallery in Billings, as part of 'Move the Needle,' a collaboration between visual artists and musicians which re-imagines the gallery as a record store and concert venue, and musicians as people who actually get paid. I contributed a song called 'Crown of Smoke' to the project - an unreleased track from the Blood Brothers sessions - and a Montana artist will contribute a visual work reacting to that song; both the limited edition art and music will be available for purchase at the gallery over the course of a series of in-the-round sets at the gallery that night. Cool, right?

WYOMING - The word derives from the Munsee phrase xwé:wamənk, more or less 'at the great plains,' But to my mind it conjures up the fall. I was 25, and drove 1,000 miles overnight with an old friend just after the towers came down, to look after a house and four dogs alone in the ranch country south of the Crow res. Every network had their own theme music for The War on Terror, and except for Packer Sunday, when I'd hand crank the satellite dish around to get the game and cook bratwurst for me and the dogs, I just left a blanket over the television. I fished every clement day for two months, and wrote songs. November 17th Billy and I play the Brinton Museum, south of Sheridan.

COLORADO - From Wyo we'll continue south for a run of shows in Colorado, starting at the La Veta Mercantile in La Veta (11/19), and moving through Lulu’s in Manitou Springs (11/20), the Magic Rat in Fort Collins (11/21), and returning to The Soiled Dove Underground in Denver (11/22). Our old friend John Statz, whose 2015 album Tulsa I produced and played on, opens Denver and Manitou.

WISCONSIN - December 13th, I'll head home for family Christmas, and close out the year on the road again at the Cafe Carpe, sharing the stage with friends Peter Mulvey and Pieta Brown, trading songs and stories in-the-round. Tickets won't go on sale for a while, but you could call the Carpe and ask them to write you down for a seat. Pieta just released a new record in September called Freeway, and that's a reason to celebrate. I've followed her work since her her first disc came out in '02, and by my lights she's one of the best singers and writers working today.

My old Irish agent Larry Roddy, may his sweet soul repose, used to write the tour down on a single sheet of paper and fax it to my manager, containing instructions like, 'Wednesday: Drive to Grange, ask for William.' Somehow you would, and somehow it worked. At the end of the page it would often say 'NEXT WEEK = NEXT WEEK,' and these are words to live by. We'll let next year remain theoretical for now, and hope to see you out there.