How is everyone?  Insert a giant collective reply and.... we are off!  So--I had the lovely oppurtunity to open for Alice Peacock a couple of weeks back in Seal Beach and I must say--I had an incredible time.  Our manager BJ, Dan and myself supported her the night before at a show she played @ Mccabes in Santa Monica and Alice was fantastic.  If you haven't had a chance yet to experience her tunes--then you simply have missed out--thankfully there is still time.  Check her out on the web and I challenge any of you to not be moved.  In particular--one song that crushed me--was a track called "I Am Mary"--which was devastatingly good.  Emotional and with glee, her tunes cross genres easily and gracefully.  Americana, pop, country and folk glide seamlessly through her melodies and her producer/writing partner Dan only upped the ante with his harmonies and impeccable guitar playing!  Alissa Moreno was equally impressive though on a more dark turn with her tunes.  We met her--as she was opening for Alice the night before I was doing the same.  She recently won a Grammy for Song of the Year 'Everyday' which Rascal Flatts covered--and she was ridiculously good.  Experimental and vulnerable are two words that would easily describe her vibe.  The following week, Dan and Mike played guest star--live--at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles for Emily O'Halloran--orginally from Australia--she rocked the evening indeed.  Certainly a female Tom Waits, she dug deep to perform some truly intense songs and stories that--that obviously were, and I can only imagine--difficult to write.  Her lyrical sense reminded me of my favorite poet and artist Bukowski--and I have no shame in telling her--being that is the truest compliment I can offer.  We live in this stoic, concrete ciudad and constantly oblige ourselves to the idea that there is no community but our friends and family.  And certainly there seems to be some truth to that.  But these artists, phenomenal as they were, had a sense of offering to them that made me rethink my negative outlook.  They opened their stories to us like a buffett, poured us a drink and said, 'take what you will--there is plenty'.  Frankly, I have much adoration for that.  Were we all more like that.  The past few weeks culminated in watching my current love--ELBOW (originally from England) play at the Wiltern Theatre.  I have had a fascination for them for quite some time and try to spread their music like the plague.  Their tunes will change you.  Just give it a chance.  Anyhow, witnessing this awe inspiring event--led me to....  hope, really.  It led me to hope.  Despite the industry and the pitfalls and the hurt (the list goes on and on)--when I heard all of these artists--I thought--Thank God I am not alone.  I thought--whatever gave me the idea, that I ever was in the first place?