Meanwhile. I've been thoroughly enjoying Rabbit Songs by HEM. Not your typical band name, but not your typical band. Lush, intricate, folk melodies, and gawd what a voice that woman has, originals smoothed over with just the barest shimmering sheen of pop. Check 'em out.

::
2.24.04 Celebrate! Celebrate! Dance to the Music:
We had so much fun celebrating our second anniversary and we are very appreciative of those who came out to support us and celebrate with us! It's an honor to play for you all! We may have missed a name or two (if you were there, send us an email and we'll add you to the list!) only because we're human and because we let a couple days lapse before compiling the list, but we wanted to express our enormous gratitude to these people:

At the Klatsch: Karen and Curt and friends; Jeff, Beth and friend; Kit; Rachel and Sara; Phil and Leslie; The Terrible Ivans and their groupies and road crew; Andi; Will, Sarah and Ellie; the dad with three kids who sat in front; and special thanks to Clint!

At Pie: Aunt Carol and Dru; Jill, Dessie and Grandpa (all the way from Pennsylvania); Caroline, Chris and Emily (finally!); Bill, Sandy, Isabel and Jack; Scot and Louis; Cymry and Mom and Taylor and Leanna; Jeff Please Come to Boston; Aidan with long hair; Ukiah; Tony Totorica; Randy and Cheryl Rasmussen ...and thanks to Jason!

At Sockeye: Dorian; Shannon and mike; Aidan with short hair; Jeff; Ukiah; Laurann and daughters; Rick and Suzanne Gordeon; Dave and sweetheart; Michelle and Don and Bradon Smith; Bridgier, Alison, Morgan and Ian; Roger, Cathy, Elia, Hallie, Deana ...and thanks to Ben and Jessica!

You folks are incredible!
— MB, Josh, Mark and Daniel

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12.04.03 Heard Recently:
Finally got to listen to the EP by JAR (Jean and Rochelle). I was sitting not quite naked on a stool in the dining room while Taylor took her first shot at cutting my hair. I closed my eyes and felt her agonizing over each stroke of the scissors while these simple, dark songs swirled around my ears.

The EP has 4 original songs, each a little more ambitious and ominous than its predecessor. These are lovely, simple tunes with sparse arrangements. The voices are clear and present and deliver their message with conviction. The harmonies are precise. I especially enjoyed the echoing voices. The violin work has a biting, swooping sensuality. Kudos to Cunningham Audio for presenting these two artists with such power and clarity.

I've seen JAR live and much prefer their original work to the covers. Let's hope there's more to come.
— Daniel

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11.10.03 Synesthesia:
Walking my color-blind dog today reminded me. A is yellow, B is pink, C is red, Wednesday is brown. Music is dancing shapes and forms. Most ecstatic dream I ever had was watching the colors of music run and blend.
Remember to at least stop and smell the rain today. Go on, see if you taste its wetness!
— MB

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10.06.03 A New Axe to Grind:
Joe, DO NOT GO NEAR SCOT OLIVER! I repeat DO NOT GO NEAR SCOT OLIVER!

OK, yeah, I bought one of his guitars and it's great. In the six weeks I've owned it I've written four songs. Wrote a loud stoopid country song called "Why me?" - wrote a sweet upbeat jazz love tune called "Late in the Night" - wrote "Scarlet Runner Bean," a bluegrass ditty - and finally finished "City Dogs" which I must have begun in 1986. Recording with the Oliver has been a real joy. I put down tracks to that song you heard me play on the way back from McCall: "South of the Border". I used my Martin OOO to play the chords and the Oliver to blast that low bass riff and it really came off nice. Let me know when Becky needs something new for one of her Nashville cats because that demo is ready to roll. Every demo I've recorded with it so far sounds great, so much presence to the sound. The Heard is contributing a couple Christmas tunes to an album for a producer from Portland (an old SOC connection) and the Oliver has performed wonderfully. We do a 5/8 version of "Three Ships" and the flat-picking on the Oliver drives the song. I have been way impressed. So you couldn't really go wrong with one of his guitars, but I still say, "He's dangerous. Don't go near him."

Do you remember, when I lived in Seattle, going to Steve Anderson's shop with me? I think that's what got us both interested in one day owning a hand made guitar. I've since looked at guitars by Nolte, Ganz, Breedlove, and who knows who all else. You of course sold out and went the Taylor route, didn't even have the decency to buy a Collings. So you know I had been saving up (a process that was continually interrupted by one automobile or doctor or vet bill). I had my heart set on one of Anderson's arch tops. They played great and projected pretty decently for an arch top, plus of course I have that weakness for f-holes. Then MB introduced me to Scot. I think it was at some musik abend or another.

As a luthier, Scot always shows up at any event with three or four soft cases hung on his back. So I played a couple of his axes. One in particular really struck me. The neck was a touch wider than standard which oddly enough made my jazz chords (digit destroyers I think you call them) play easier. Plus it had range I couldn't believe. I would start playing some quiet phrase and I could keep increasing volume for 16 bars, 32 bars, it seemed like forever. So anyway, I liked the damn thing. The deviousness of the whole Scot Oliver approach is that he started calling this beast "Josh's Guitar." Whenever we ran into each other at any jam session he'd say, "hey, I've got your guitar." Or when someone else was playing it he would say, "Wow Josh, your guitar even sounds good when he plays it." He targeted me and he won.

This thing lives with me now. Everyone who hears me play it is impressed. I've penned what, four songs in six weeks. The thing's a monster in the studio. I am thrilled. You could easily do worse. But I guarantee that if Scot has a guitar that is for you, he will come up with some way or another for you to own it. I'm too embarrassed to admit what I gave him for compensation. It's almost like a Mormon mother choosing brides for her sons; he cares so much about each guitar that if you are its intended mate, God help you if you try and dally with others. So you're welcome here this weekend, it's good to hear from you. We will be out of town. Use the downstairs bedroom and try out the Oliver, you'll see it hanging in the music room. But I warn you, if you end up at that party at MB's, AVIOD SCOT OLIVER!!! Chances are damn good he's built your guitar already.
— Josh

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9.25.03 Turbo Charged:
Apologies to those of you who showed up at The Ram expecting to hear us! Especially to Chris, who actually called me because he was trying to celebrate his birthday! Yes, it said in Thrive we would play there. Yes, we were scheduled to play there. Yes, The Ram cancelled all their music for the entire month of September. Worry not, there will be other chances to hear us! Thanks for your show of support!
— MB

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9.15.03 Farmer's Market:
A close-up photograph of a horse's eye... buckets of opulent fresh flowers... sinuous curves of carved wooden spoons... the omnipresent smell of kettle corn... the pleasure of seeing familiar faces in the passing crowds: Sparkle, Graham, John, Angela, Sue, Scot, Louis, Justin... and of making new friends: Jessica, Larry, John... One of downtown Boise's little jewels.
— MB

:: 9.08.03 Postscript: I missed the Wednesday practice Mark wrote about, but I did practice on Friday with Mark and Josh. Daniel was gone this time, but we still switched the instrumentation around. I played guitar on songs for which I'd always played conga, and Mark played a lot of mandolin. I agree, it was a lot of fun! *So that's what those chords are!* — MB

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9.05.03 Dear Diary... Practice Last Wednesday:
Boy did I have fun! Daniel brought over an acoustic stand-up bass to practice for the upcoming gig at the 8th Street Market on September 13. What a hoot! I just love the sound! Since we have to play without amplification we are going to switch things around a bit and play all our songs a little bit differently. I tried a few of my songs on mandolin like It's A Secret with Josh on acoustic guitar and Daniel on the stand-up bass. It's a new song only it's still the same. We then tried Walking Shoes with Josh on mandolin and me on acoustic guitar and the song comes out with a whole new flavor. I can't wait till the 13th! I hope some of you will come on down to see us.
— Mark

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9.04.03 Alison Krauss and Union Station:
Took the family to Sun Valley to see Alison Krauss last night. I have just about worn out their "Live" CD. All of last night's songs are on that record, and I recommend it highly. She gave each member of the band a lengthy and well-deserved introduction. They are all mature, passionate musicians at the height of their careers. Her voice is the sweetest and purest I've heard. The dobro player could be the fastest and most expressive alive today. Ron Block adds very tasteful guitar lines and a solid banjo. Dan Kaminsky's harmonies and bluegrass leads are perfect.

There were no surprises, but the encore was special. They came out and gathered around a single microphone to sing two spiritual songs.

The venue was rather odd, essentially an unpaved parking lot. They built a stage in one corner, brought in a couple dozen potted aspens and rolled out an enormous artificial turf carpet. The turf was surprisingly clean, warm and comfortable but...at $40 a pop the ambience disappointed.

We arrived just 15 minutes before the show and settled for a spot towards the back and behind the sound boards. Sound guy had a very light touch, and between the low volume and the heavy chat coming from folks standing behind us on the dirt I was having trouble hearing. These days I gravitate towards artists whom I can really hear.

Taylor and I crept up to the front for a while where we could see and hear very well. It wasn't loud at the front either. The speakers had an arc which covered the whole venue evenly. Cool.

When we returned to our original spot a trio had moved in behind us and was yacking heavily. Increasing irritated, I finally turned around and asked them to please go somewhere else to talk so that I could hear the concert. The loud woman's companion branded me with a vulgar two word epithet. But they did quiet down! I was thankful for that. I think we'll just stick to the Egyptian and Morrison Center.
— Daniel

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9.03.03 Summer Is Like That:
It's when I always think I'll get everything done. Write a million songs, get that chord into muscle memory, change strings again, find just the right word for just the right note. Not to mention the garden, the bedroom, the kitchen, the file cabinet, the digital files, the letters, the visits, the quality time. What was I thinking.
— MB

::
9.02.03 Nickel Creek:
I've been kicking myself for missing Nickel Creek the last 2 times they've breezed through our fair city and finally made amends last week. This is one talented group of hard-working young folk. The licks were hot, and they unveiled some excellent new songs. Favorite: "Honest Men Make the Best Liars"

At one point the mandolin player complained that the audience was making too much noise. They were...and this is the second time recently that I've been at a venue where the crowd was not listening to some passionate music. His remark was, "You're having a very expensive conversation." Tickets were $30. Still, the real problem at The Big Easy is more the venue than the crowd. They sell many more tickets than there are seats so you must stand to see. When people stand, the folks at the bar are insulated from the show and drinking and get a little rowdy. The Easy might work well as a dance hall, but I'm going to avoid it when I want to actually pay attention to a band.

Then, for the obligatory encore, they came to the front of the stage and shunned all amplification. That took some balls, but hey, doesn't applause for an encore mean the audience actually wants to hear the band? Well, everyone shut up and it came off well even in that large room. They closed with Cymry's favorite hymn, "Be Thou My Vision." Glad I went.
— Daniel

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8.25.03 Sweet Soul:
Spent the weekend in reunion with, among others, former bandmate Alan Ames who now lives in Portland. Waking up under gorgeous skies in the high, green valley of La Grande, OR, among llamas and roosters... to the smell of good coffee and the sweet and soulful sounds of his Scheerhorn lap steel. For once I'm grateful to be a slow waker. And I'm grateful he drove all the way to be there!
— MB

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8.24.03 Thermophiliac Alert:
The legend was told of a wonderful hot spring on Gold Fork Creek owned by Boise (Cascade!?). When Cymry and I first found it east of Donnely it was shuttered and posted, "NO TRESPASSING." The new owner closed it up and let it fall into disrepair. Disappointment. Three years later, as we sat in the Trail Creek Spring near Warm Lake, a kindred soul rekindled our hope. The next day found Gold. The property is now owned by a mother and daughter from Lake Tahoe. They have put loads of work into the spring, building pools and decking and changing rooms - even a white sandy beach. They're about half finished with the soaking pools and have done everything right. Three different pools (soon to be 6) offer a wide variety of temperatures, depths and surfaces. I particularly enjoyed the low lighting provided for evening soaks.
Gold Fork Hot Springs
7 miles east of Donnelly
208-890-8730
10am to 10pm (11:30pm Fri & Sat)
Closed Tuesdays
$8 adults
$6 ten & under
No credit cards
Hot tip from the owners: "Avoid the busy weekends"
— Daniel

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8.22.03 Praise:
At a recent gig Mark and I traded "Instincts" for a CD by a lady who was there to see us. I have listened now and need to get it to Mark, as that's the bargain, but will be hoping it comes back to live with me. The lady was Karen Shirer, email art2heart@iglide.net, and I am really enjoying her music. Here is one gal who is singing about loving Jesus in her role as wife and mother, and singing about this in a way that has good depth and sincerity. So often Jesus has the misfortune of having a leisure-suited evangelist as his spin doctor, family values has the misfortune of being a string of nonsense syllables in a political speech designed to please everyone, and the evangelical right has the misfortune of leading with its club foot and forgetting its love foot altogether. These three minute revelations into the soul of a deeply honest Christian reminded of blog-site I stumbled across recently. I haven't perused its entirety yet, but http://bridgier.net/gm appears to be yet another insight into the mind of a thinking Christian. All praise be to the God who cannot be contained in pundit sound-bite-byte purchased election monalities.
—Josh

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8.4.03 Hailey, Idaho:
Enjoyed the Northern Rockies Folk Festival last Saturday in Hailey, Idaho. The drive was surprisingly easy and pleasant. The weather stayed cool. We had a good audience and enjoyed our set even if Bruce and Demi didn't show. Kit Neraas, the organizer, says he's been putting on the festival for 26 years! He cut his teeth booking bands at U of I. Master of Ceremonies was Dallas Dobro, whom I recognized as one of the DJs from KFAT radio 25 years ago in Gilroy, California. It was an eclectic, roots-country station run by hooligans. I remember one Christmas Eve the homies wandered down to the station and caroled on air.
— Daniel

::
7.21.03 Scum:
It's not a sleepy day. The sunlight is hard and bright already. The green leaves have lost their juicy look. I'm sleepy, though, fighting for focus. Fighting for a hard brightness in my own mind. Took out the draft of the wedding song again. Damn that's hard. What do you say to a person to whom you could say everything and nothing. What jumping off point do I pick into and out of the endless stream. I have to dive through that and reach that essential flow. Dive under the scum of anxieties and surface flotsam. That's what's so hard: keep the sharp edge, the alert and keen determination, but stay soft enough and flexible enough to be receptive, follow the leads decisively. Writing songs means being an oxymoron.
— MB

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