Fucked Up Shit

The theme for my set tonight at Travonna Coffee House will be "fucked up shit."

First, I'm going to play NYC because it's about all the fucked up shit I saw in New York City.  Then, 1493, which is about the fucked up shit that Christopher Columbus did, like instructing people to obey his god or die in a language they couldn't understand and then recusing himself for all guilt because he had given them fair warning.

I'm also going to play one I just finished today which I haven't named yet... I'll call it... My Great Grandson.  Folks, you just witnessed the live naming of a song.  (Part of the goal of this blog that I never write is to give you a glimpse into my process.)

After that it will be time to ruminate on all this fucked up shit, so I'll play You Have to be Kidding by the Flaming Lips.  It's an excellent ode to the disbelief that fucked up shit can cause the un-fucked up among us.

Finally, we'll all have had enough of all this fucked up shit, so I'm going to finish the set with War No More, in which I promise not to sing about fucked up shit while singing about fucked up shit.  I'm sure the irony will not be lost on a savvy listener like yourself.

The fucked up shit will kick itself off around 9ish on North High between 4th and 5th.

Khananirvana

Since we started this leg of traveling, I’ve played on the streets, in the homes of couch surfing hosts, and in the common areas of a few guesthouses. But tonight we actually found the open mic we’ve been looking for. We’re in McCleod Ganj, and the place was a vegetarian café called Khananirvana, about 200 meters from the residence of the Dalai Lama.

One thing I’ve been really impressed about lately: in NYC, there were a lot of musicians and there was a lot of ego, but in smaller scenes like the open mic at The Treehouse in Columbus, Ohio or this little traveler scene in India there has been a lot more raw, humble talent.

Also on the impromptu bill tonight were Ian from York (the old one in England), who sang humorous, self-effacing songs about trying to meditate and looking at water bugs, and Crystal, whose smoky vocals reminded me of Natalie Merchant and whose simple lyrics were appealingly accessible but still poetic. They were both much better finger pickers than me.

I tried out a couple of new songs tonight: Chasing Butterflies, my newest love song for Christin, Why’d I Have to Tell Her No, about dealing with beggars and possible scammers, and a really new one I just started writing yesterday that I might call I Don’t Wanna Buy It. All these songs will probably be on my next album, and I will try to put up some YouTube videos once I get home around Christmas time.