Tour Blog - Shows 10 & 11

Show 10 The Barking Spider Cleveland, OH

Sunday shows basically suck all over.  No different in Cleveland.  Pretty empty, slow night.  Played to a small but mighty crowd of 10.  Busted out a couple of songs I have not played in a while, "Empty Apartment", "She's got a Blackeye", good response on the latter.  Martin, the proprietor of the Barking Spider, is a great guy!!  Big supporter of singer/songwriters.  They treated me really well. 

I went to the R-n-R hall of fame.  Spent about 4 hours in there.  Really cool stuff!!  6 floors of music.  They had a special exhibit on the making of the Beatles "Help".  All kinds of behind the scenes stuff.  Very cool set up of Pink Floyd's "The Wall".  They had the wall set up, with the puppets and the drawings.  Got a cool photo of that, even though pictures were not to be taken.  I'm a rule breaker, a real rebel!!.  Oh yeah, I went to the Indians stadium, that I thought was called "Jacobs field" the Jake, but now is called "Progressive Field".  Why do stadiums have to be named after corporate sponsors??  It sucks, takes all the history out of the game.  Wrigley, Fenway, and the soon to be torn down Yankee stadium, are the only ones left.  Even the new Mets stadium is sponsored by Citi Bank.  Hence the name Citi field.  I mean, Shea is a total dump, but it still has some character to it.  I hate change.  Anyway, on to Columbus!!

Show 11 The Rumba Café Columbus, OH

Slept in the car again last night.  Drove the short distance to Columbus.  Got there a bit to early to check into a hotel so I went to the library to check some e-mail.  Got a bunch of nice notes from people wishing me luck in my travels, very nice.  I think I needed a little pick me up, so thanks friends!!  Played the "Cowtown Songwriters Round" @ The Rumba Café.  Really nice room.  Played with Jason Quicksall, Jesse Henry, and a piano player, Bill (can't remember his last name), but a good player. The night was run like song circle.  Jason, Jesse, and I trading off songs.  With one person starting on a certain topic and the next guy going in a similar direction.  Example, I did "Jesus had a brother" and Jason did a nice segue into his song, "Touchdown Jesus".  I particularly liked a song that Jesse played about a "princess, who lost her crown", not sure of the title, but a great story..Great song!!  Definitely a cool night, would love to do something like that in NJ.  Playing the songs to certain themes was really cool. 

The next day, I visited a couple of spots that Joe Harvard told me about.  Used Kids records was a great store.  A ton of vinyl!!  Then I went on a search for a guitar that Joe sold 10 years ago.  Here is how that exchange went…

Location : Luigi's Pawn Shop…Time - noon

Me – "Hi"

Luigi – "How are you? What can I do for you?

Me – "I'm good"..  "Are these the only guitars you have?"

Luigi – "I have more in the back…What is it you're looking for?

Me – "Well, it's kind of weird…It's a Hoffman Box Guitar."

Luigi – (Looking puzzled) "What???"

Me – "A Hoffman Box Guitar?…It's got a headstock in the shape of horns.."

Luigi – "Horns…Did you sell it to me?"

Me – "No..well..Yeah…My friend did.."

Luigi – "I think I would remember that…We don't have it.

Me – "Could you take a look in the back?"

Luigi – "I think I'd know if I had a guitar shaped like box, with giant horns on it"

Me – "Yeah…huh..Well?"

Luigi – When did your friend bring it in?..last week?…last month? This year?"

Me – "1996"

Luigi – "2006?!?!?"

Me – "no..1996"

Luigi – "are you crazy??"

Me – "Yes..I believe I am.

Sorry Joe…I tried.