Just wanted to update folks on what's going on with me regarding music and life generally speaking.  I've been playing music steadily over the past 10 years, here in the greater Cincinnati area.  First with Second Sister, my inital original project...then with just me and Scotty "Snake" Miller acoustic...that's when I started The Rivertown Music Club.  Then when he and I finally (really) broke up @ 5 years ago.  I had a show booked (with 10 days to go), I NEVER cancel gigs, I made some phone calls and ended up completely lucking out and Jeff Boling and John "Flathead" Bedinghaus answered the call.  We've had a few different drummers; Chris Verbanic, Paulie Ellis and now Kevin Hogle...and a rotating list of bass players as well; Chris Perrault, Jeremy Pittman, Kevin McKinney, John Castetter and Ryan Malott, but John, Jeff and i have always been the core of the band.

The Pickups have been such a sacred thing to me.  Playing music should be fun and we've always had a great time at our shows.  There is mutual respect and trust between us and we've done a lot of things on the fly, which i think keeps you on your toes on stage.  We've never had any delusions about record deals, or any of that stuff that can actually bring disappointment or stress.  We've just played good solid songs and have had a hell of a time doing it.  I am so thankful for that.

I've recently written and released an EP with my dear friend, Ryan Malott of 500 Miles to Memphis.  Ryan has had me sing here and there with him at acoustic gigs and we realized we had a vocal chemistry that is rare and we gave co-writing a stab and it clicked.  We wrote 5 songs in a matter of months and quickly recorded our EP.  Overall that too has been a great experience and I am very happy with our project.

Well, we all know you have to take the bitter with the sweet.  I am certainly no exception to that rule.  It's life, it's up and down.  I feel lately like I have never stopped playing and being out and about over the past several years because maybe i'm just afraid to slow down and deal with some things that keep smacking me in the face.  I am a deeply spiritual person and I'm always trying to better myself, to be in tune to other people and all that.  I have just noticed lately that being in bars too much (which is where most music is...) seems to be taking something out of me.  It's also just been a tough few years for friendships, betrayals, disappointments and so on.  This misery has served me well on some levels, "Everybody's Darlin" is a direct result of my own heartache and sadness and I honestly love that song.  But, I know I need to reel some things in.  I just need to do some soul searching and remove myself from the company of some people and places that seem to harm me at my core. 

I can't deny that my 40th birthday looming in the next few months probably has a lot to do with my introspection.  At first I thought i wanted to never admit to being 40, but I heard some comedian say, "If you lie about your age the terrorists win".  A funny statement, but I kind of think theres truth to it...not necessarily about terrorirsts but maybe more like "the man" wins or somethng like that.  If this is what 40 looks and feels like, I'm cool with it.  But, there is a certain reality to the notion that time seems to start flying somewhere after 30.  I feel that right now and I am definitely aware that if i'm going to do certain things I better get my fanny in gear because next thing you know you're 80!  And, there's just some things I don't think i'd want to be doing at 80! :)

So for the next few months I'm going to be focusing on some things that are non-music related.  I want to learn some new stuff.  I want to jump out of an airplane.  I want to hike in the Red River Gorge. Go on a road trip to Memphis by myself.  Go to church.  Write in my journal.  Just take a little vacation from my version of "the norm".  So wish me luck!  And make no mistake, this is not a pity party.  I just need a little down time, but I (and the pickups) are by NO means out!