This spring is shaping up to be a busy one, starting w/ a solo show @ Karma Local Arts House on the 11th of March and ending on the 26th of May when the Brass Tacks (Brooker Buckingham on guitar, Chris Dadge on drums and Shawn Dicey on bass) and I plan on burning down (figuratively… ‘natch) the Brew Bros. Taproom.
In between, I’ll be heading to SXSW in Austin, TX where I hope to see some great shows and play one w/ my pals from E-Town: the Swiftys, Old Reliable, Shuyler Jansen and Whitey Houston. I’m also looking forward to hanging in Texas w/ my pal from Ottawa, Jim Bryson.
Speaking of Ottawa, I’m dragging the Brass Tacks out East for a few shows, including one at the National Arts Centre in the nation’s capital, as part of the “Alberta Scene”. The real Alberta scene’s gonna be at the “Alberta Sessions” (…confusing, I know…), mostly because it’s at the Epcor Centre for Performing Arts here in Calgary, and Kara Keith is guaranteed to make a scene.
I’m also really excited about a couple shows the B.T.’s and I are doing w/ Husker Du’s Grant Hart and E-Town’s The Maykings, who, coincidentally, are going splits w/ us on a 7–inch record we’re releasing in tribute to Mr. Hart. The ‘Kings are doing “Keep Hanging On” from Husker Du’s“Flip Your Wig” album,and we did “2541” from Grant’s first solo record, “Intolerance”. The folks at Saved By Radio have a bunch of cash they need to get rid of, and since Owen has ripped out his fireplace, they agreed to put out the 45, so please buy one or at least request it on your local campus/community radio station when we release it, so’s the time, love, effort, and monet involved won’t go completely for naught.
Check out the entire list of dates here.
I’ve also been really busy in the studio the last few months producing/engineering/mixing/playing on records by Stagger Lee Shedden, Jason Crocker, Randy Hutchings and Bil Heatherington, most or all of which should be done by the end of May (I hope). I have another solo project in the works, with the hope that it’ll be a split EP w/ a friend of mine who shall remain name/blameless until it’s a go for certain… it’ll be a 4-song solo EP if the plan falls through.
The Brass Tacks are whuppin my ass into some serious rock and roll shape, and we have a (VERY optimistic, I’ll admit… freely…) plan to make a live record of old stuff and a studio record of new stuff before this time next year. They are really great, and very inspiring- in fact, this band is so good, there’s no way it’ll last (quick… wood… I need to knock…), but thet are putting some serious cojones into the “Dime At A Time” tunes, as well as some of the tunes from “YSKBN” and the odd Nat’l Dust tune, not to mention the NEW stuff… yeah.
If you’re at all interested, there’s a couple OK reviews for “A Dime At A Time” here.
and an interview w/ yours truly here.
Thanks to Gabino for that. Y’know, you’d think I woulda put on a shirt or combed my hair or something… I even KNEW he was bringing a video camera… sorry ma, forgot to take out the trash… oh… right. Dawn sent me to see PW a coupla weeks ago… I can truly die happy. What an amazing show. Highlights? Lots. The best had to be “Alex Chilton” into “Left of the Dial”, though. Well, as TomPetty said on my tape deck this aft (She’s the One Sdtrk… brilliant), “I’m starting to ramble on and on…”
