There is a feeling I get from playing live to appreciative audience that's intimate with the music that I have missed for awhile. I like to see the faces, tell stories, answer questions, be honest, loose, and close. That's why I've set up these shows recently, in small venues where you can't hide behind lights, big production and a 100,000 watt sound system.

The Louisville show at headliners on Valentines day will probably go down as one of my favorite shows in 2008. I'd played Louisville for years before I moved to Nashville, but hadn't been back much since.

I was contacted by one of my all time favorite Louisville native musicians, Sam "Shake" Anderson, who asked me to do a show with him at Headliners Music Hall. Sam was in full swing by the time I hit the Louisville scene, fronting the band "Domonie" (spelling?) who, at the time, was signed to A&M records. One of the most talented dudes I have ever seen. So good, I stole some pointers from him back in the day I even used at my showcase for MCA (gotta tell it like it is).

He suggested I use some of his band (who where guys I had known over the years but not worked much with). Danny Kiley, Maurice Hamilton (who played sax in my band years ago), and Paul Culligan got the tunes an hour before sound check and ran through them a couple of times. It puts a little edge on things, wondering if everybody's going to remeber a bunch of original tunes, especially without having any previous chemistry.

They kicked it's ass. As good as ANYBODY I've worked with ANYWHERE. Here's to Louisville and it's kick ass music scene, as bad as they come.

I love the people there and I've got some plans for that town.

Thank you, all of you who came out and helped me have a damn good time.