MIDWEST – In the first half of May I'll embark on a Midwest tour that’s essentially a tour of Wisconsin with one show in Marquette, Michigan. Political borders are often captious. Wisconsin is the place where I was born and raised on Cornish pasties, cheap beer, cribbage, hearts, pike, panfish, an unhinged mania euphemistically called the work ethic, and an emotional reticence bordering on clinical. We begin in Eau Claire at Ume Studios (5/3) and move on to Ore Dock Brewing Co. in Marquette (5/5), and then over west to Bayfield and The Backstage (5/6), a new indoor venue run by the Big Top Chautauqua folks. Then its down to Appleton and a show at the Appleton Beer Factory (5/7). After that I'll play the historic Trempealeau Hotel (5/10) north of La Crosse, and the Cafe Carpe (5/14) in Fort Atkinson. In between shows I will fish my ass off.

KATE – May 20th I'll be a part of Sparkletown, a special concert honoring the memory of Kate Lorenz, with a great bill of old friends and her sweet family. If you’ve followed my deal at all you probably heard Kate along the way. She appeared on a number of records that I got to be a part of, including my own, and always with her unmatched conviction and soul. She was a fierce bright light. I can't wait to sing her songs with people she loved.

RESIDENCY – There are five Friday nights in June and I'm going to spend the first four of them at Floodwater Brewing Co, (June 2, 9, 16, 23) a tiny bar in Shelburne Falls, MA., with a sound system, some barstools and comfortable chairs, a few good can lights, a deck overlooking the river, and a handful of delicious beers brewed on site. I can't think of anything else requisite to the work at hand. I never get to play residencies because I move around so much, but I love the idea of playing my local once a week, and that's what I'm going to do, just sit on an amp in the corner and make noise.

MAINE – The people of Maine, three or possibly four of them, keep asking me to come play there. They say I never play there. I point out to them that I played there three times last year, and they in turn point out that I failed to alert anyone beforehand and one bar was on an island an hour off the coast by ferry. Fair enough. I will play the fifth Friday in June (6/30) at the Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick, Maine.

LUTSONG – In July I'll be part of the Friday night lineup at the second annual Lutsong Music Festival in Lutsen, MN (7/13-16), in order to see my old friends, swim in lake Superior – an experience not unlike being lit on fire – for ten to twenty seconds at a time, and catch tiny brook trout in the local rivers. Full lineup to be announced soon, but it will include Erik Koskinen, Humbird, Dusty Heart, Story Hill, and Kiss the Tiger, among others.

That's enough for now. Maybe buy some tickets?

May 2023