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Old What’s New

New Orleans

December — Now that I know my way around pretty well I’m starting to explore the music scene as a performer instead of a listener a bit more. I’ve been playing the singer/songwriter night at Carrollton Station, a popular Uptown club.

Departing Boston

August — I’m moving to New Orleans. Thanks to everyone in the Boston area who came to gigs these last few years.

Redbones Wrapup

January 25 — Thanks to everyone who came to our show at Redbones. This was our second time playing the Thirsty Thursday Hoedown series, and again it was fun. We covered “A Dime at a Time” for the first time (in honor of the late Del Reeves) and debuted an original called “Rekkid Stores Are Dyin’.” Another highlight was that entertainer extraordinare Jimmy Tingle stopped in for dinner while we played.

Plough Wrapup

December 16 — Thanks to everyone who came to the Saturday afternoon show at the Plough & Stars. We had a great time, and the show got a plug in the Boston Globe, with one of Lee Kilpatrick’s photos from our Toad gig last summer. In case you can’t read it, the text is on the Press page. Color versions of the photos are on the Photos page.
sidekick

Redbones Wrapup

October 12 — We had a good time playing at Redbones as part of the Thirsty Thursday Hoedown. I encourage you to check out the Beau Roland Band, which plays there every other Thursday, or one of the other bands playing this new series. Here’s a photo from the show, courtesy of Jeremy Eagle:

Steve and Rob

Buy Critic’s Darling for $5

You can now order Critic’s Darling for just five bucks through Paypal.

Acoustic Podcast

October — Lusting Kay put together an acoustic podcast for the Noiseboard that features two of my songs.

Plough & Stars Wrapup

August 15 — I wasn’t sure what to expect, since we were playing at 11:15 on a Tuesday night. But as it turned out, there was a good crowd on hand, and Jonah Kraut and I had fun playing. Thanks to everyone who came. Also thanks to Temper for inviting to play and for treating us to an ethereal/rocking opening set.

Toad Wrapup

July 29 — Thanks to everyone who came out to the Toad show. In addition the usual originals, we covered Son Volt’s “Windfall” and the Kinks “Harry Rag” for the first time.

My Space on Myspace

Always one to be one step ahead of the latest trend, I now have a myspace account.

Photo from Tir na Nog

Check out this cool photo, courtesy of Jay Gaffney:

(Photo by Jay Gaffney)

Cover Version

The Patrons’ Jonah Kraut is playing my song “This Will All Seem Funny” at his solo shows. Here’s an mp3 he recorded at home. I love the fingerpicking and the overall relaxed delivery.

Oddly enough, jazz pianist Ran Blake is also playing this song. Here’s Ran’s version, from his performance at MIT on April 1.

Toad Wrapup

May 6 — Thanks to everyone who came to the early show at Toad, which was part of Greg’s Saturday Showcase. We had Jonah Kraut on electric guitar, Rob Huffman on bass (for the first time), and Ryan Barrett on drums. It got increasingly crowded as the evening went on, and we got an enthusiastic reception. Then we enjoyed a rocking set from Trailer Park.

Tir na Nog II Wrapup

April 22 — We had another good show at Tir na Nog. The lineup was Rob Huffman on guitar and mandolin, Jonah Kraut (of the Patrons) on bass, and Chris Harris (of Shiner Jones) on drums. We played 30 songs, including first-time covers of the Everly Brothers’ “Bird Dog” and Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice.” Plus Rob played a mini-set of tunes from his new CD, “Tone Without Tension.”

April Fool’s Day Wrapup

April 1 — Thanks so much to everyone who came out for show at Tir na Nog. We had a great turnout, including nearly 30 people from the mailing list. The band, featuring Ryan Barrett (drums), Rob Huffman (guitar, mandolin) and Alison Darrow (harmony vocals), was in fine form, as we played 35 songs over three sets. Along with all the usual suspects, we unveiled three new originals: “Wallet and Keys,” “Sleep Song,” and “Things My Daddy Used to Say.”

Hoffa’s Wrapup

September 21 — Thanks to everyone who came out to the gig with The Patrons at Hoffa’s Swiss Alps. It was a fun night, with guitarist Barry Edwards of the Burning Colonels making his debut as an honorary Egregious Typo and legendary jazz pianist Ran Blake sitting in on two songs (“Tex’s Tune” and “This Will All Seem Funny”).

Cantab Wrap-up

August 30 — Our opening set on Bluegrass Night at The Cantab in Cambridge worked out well, with Steve Latt drawing raves for his debut performance on fiddle and Jonah Kraut (acoustic bass) and Rob Huffman (mandolin) doing their usual great job. We debuted a new original, “The Country Canon,” and played a few covers for the first time: Loudon Wainwright’s “The Swimming Song,” John Prine’s “Fish & Whistle,” and the country standard “The Green, Green Grass of Home” (Rob vocal). The featured act, The Wilders, played an energetic set that included several Hank Williams songs and a rousing rendition of the Louvin Brothers’ “Cash on the Barrelhead.”

Honky Tonk Night Wrapup

July 8 — Thanks to everyone who came out for Honky Tonk Night at Sally O’Brien’s in Union Square. It was a fun night, with our stage-cramming six-piece band: me, Rob Huffman on guitar and mandolin, Alison Darrow on vocal harmonies, Jonah Kraut on bass, Ryan Barrett on drums, and Johnny Mac on harmonica. This was my first time playing with Johnny, and his harmonica blended well with Rob’s leads as well as the overall sound. The only downer was that after we had cruised through most of our set, my voice kicked out, leaving me to croak out the last couple of tunes like a wounded frog. The Dave Sammarco Band and Blood, Sweat & Gears also turned in strong sets.

Plough Wrapup

June 18 — This turned out to be quite a night, with the news that the Plough and Stars would be closing, at least temporarily, at the end of the weekend, making it the venue’s last Saturday night gig. So we did our best to end things with a bang. This electric version of the Egregious Typos — Mercy James on bass and harmonica, Chris Harris of Shiner Jones fame on drums, and Rich Piccarreto on acoustic guitar — did a great job. We played three sets with only a few repeats at the end of the night. Highlights included a stretch in the second set where a bunch of folks were dancing and my first time singing a couple of classics (Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally” and George Jones’ “You’re Still on My Mind”). Let’s hope the Plough’s back in action as soon as possible.

Cantab Wrapup

May 10 — Thanks to everyone who came out for the Cantab show. The place was pretty packed, even at the early hour, and we got a good reception. In honor of Bluegrass Night, we had yet another permutation of the Egregious Typos — Jonah Kraut thwacking away on stand-up bass, Rob Huffman on mandolin exclusively, and Josh Pierson making his debut on banjo. All three played some great solos, and they each sang a standard: “The Old Home Place” (Josh), “Hey Good Lookin’” (Jonah) and “Love Please Come” (Rob). I debuted a new bluegrassy original, “Sadder Day,” and played a bunch of my twangier songs.

Photos from the Plough

April 10 — Musician and photographer Rob Allen took some great photos at the show. Appropriately, they’re on the Photos page.

Gig/Book Release Party Wrapup

April 9 — Thanks to everyone who came to the gig/book release party at the Plough and Stars. We had a great time playing for an appreciative audience. Josh Pierson made a successful debut on banjo as an Egregious Typo. Jonah was in his usual fine form on electric guitar, and also belted out a couple of Hank Williams standards by request. If you missed the show but still want to buy the book, Healing Your Sinuses, please visit Amazon.com or your local bookstore.

Globe Mention

April 8 — The Boston Globe’s Go! section included a funny promo piece on the gig/book release party, as well as a photo. If you missed it, you can find the text at the bottom of the Press page.

New CD Reviews

March — CountryReview and The Serious Comedy Site gave Critic’s Darling favorable reviews. They’re on the Press page.

Individual Songs Available Through iTunes

February — You can now download individual songs from Critic’s Darling from iTunes for 99 cents a pop.

Plough Benefit

February 12 — As you’ve probably heard, the Plough & Stars is struggling to keep its music license, due to noise complaints from a new neighbor. On Feb. 12 and 13, they had a fundraiser to pay for changes to the building that will better contain the sound, and I was invited to play. It was fun — I played two songs (“I Think We Need to Talk” and “When I’m Drunk”) with an all-star country band that featured Stan Martin on electric guitar, Emily Jackson on drums, Johnny Mac on harmonica, and Bucky Baer on bass. Let’s hope things work out for the Plough.

Honky Tonk Night Wrapup

January 14 —Thanks to everyone who came to Sally O’Brien’s for Honky Tonk Night. Of the three times I’ve played there this was the best, since it was so packed. As always, it was a blast to be backed by the Patrons, who did a great job on several tunes we had never played before (“I’ll Take a Tuesday,” “Sing Me Back Home”), plus some old favorites (“Short-Term Romance,” “Critic's Darling,” etc.).

For their half of the set, the Patrons mostly did covers this time, including songs by Buck Owens, George Jones, and Dwight Yoakam. The Dave Sammarco Band got things off to a rocking start, and The Burning Colonels, who were missing their singer, still put on a good show, with some great jamming and fun covers (including “Route 66” and “Dead Flowers”).

Honky Tonk Night is the second Tuesday of every month, so check it out if you like this kind of music, whether or not I’m playing.

2004

New Photos

August, 2004 — Check out some new photos from our August 6 set at Yankee Homecoming in Newburyport here.

Radio Airplay for the New CD

July — The Critic’s Darling CD continues to get airplay. Most recently, The River (92.5) played “Coffee & Beer” on the Sunday night RadioBoston program, hosted by Zsid.

WHRB, the Harvard station (95.3), played the title cut on Hillbilly at Harvard, which airs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. WMBR, the MIT station (88.1), played “High on Your Love” on Troubador, which airs from 2 to 4 p.m. on Fridays.

Both WHRB and WMBR play a ton of great roots music, so it’s a huge honor. Hillbilly at Harvard has been on the air since 1957! I encourage you to check them out and consider making a donation.

Other programs and stations playing the CD include:
Soma FM’s Boot Liquor Radio in San Jose — if you listen to music on your computer, you have to check out this station. They play a great selection of the best alternative (i.e., good) country music.
KZSU, Stanford, California
Country Bear Radio, Lake Placid, Florida
KRCB, Sonoma, California
Barstool Mountain on Voice of Vashon, Washington State
Radio ATL, Bree, Belgium
Radio Alooga, Sinzig, Germany

Plough & Stars Wrapup

July 1 — Thanks to everyone who came to the Plough & Stars for this Thursday night show. It was a fun night with two honorary Typos joining Rob and me. First, Louis Kaplan ripped it up on banjo during the opening set, and then Cory Schuman delivered a fine solo performance, as well as great harmonies on “Dear Prudence” later on.

Critic’s Darling Available Through FolkWeb

June 10 — The CD is now available through FolkWeb.

Weekend in Central Square

May 7 and 8 — It was a busy and fun weekend of music, with our early show Friday night at the Plough & Stars (featuring Janine on fiddle) and then the late-night follow-up on Saturday at the Asgard, where Rob and I were still cranking them out at 1:30 a.m. We played a zillion songs, including an impromptu version of Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried” in honor of Mother’s Day. Thanks to everyone who came to either show.

Globe Columnist Plugs Gig, Critic’s Darling CD

April 27 — The Boston Globe’s Alex Beam had some kind and humorous things to say about my CD at the end of his column today. It’s also on the Press page.

Sally O’Brien’s Wrapup

April 9 — Well it’s always good to get out and play, but it’s a hell of a lot more fun when the place is packed, people are dancing, and there’s a great sound system. That was the story at Sally O’Brien’s in Union Square, for the monthly Honky-Tonk Night. I was backed by The Patrons, who learned my songs in a hurry and gave them first-class country treatment. The band features Matt Riley on bass, Cory Bortnicker on keyboards, Ryan Barrett on drums, and Jonah Kraut on guitar. Jonah played pedal steel for about half the show — which made songs like “Tex’s Tune,” and “Short-Term Romance” sound amazing — and electric guitar on the rest. It looked like this, except here you can’t see Ryan or the dancers, and my eyes weren’t always closed. The other acts — The Dave Sammarco Band and The Darlings — also played killer sets straddling the line between rock and country. Thanks to everybody who came.

New MP3 for Download

Here’s a ragged-but-right live version of a new song, She Stole My Capo (Then She Stole My Heart), recorded at the Cantab January 27. Newcomers, please visit the CD page for songs with higher fidelity.

Plough Wrapup

March 25 — Our second performance at the Plough was fun, with the expanded version of the acoustic Egregious Typos — me, Rob Huffman on guitar and mandolin, Alison Darrow on vocals, and Janine Sirignano on fiddle — playing two long sets. One of the things I like about playing at the Plough is it gives us a chance to mix in a few covers, since we have the whole night to play. Among others, we did Warren Zevon’s “Heartache Spoken Here,” Dave Dudley’s truck-driving classic “Six Days on the Road,” a bluegrass arrangement of Dire Straits’ “How Long,” Tom Russell’s “Walkin’ on the Moon,” (Rob vocal) and Hank Snow’s “A Fool Such as I” (Alison vocal). Janine did not sing but played like a pro and treated us to an inspired dance during “Just Another Person I’m Trying to Avoid.”

Plough & Stars Wrapup

March 5 — Our first performance at the famed Plough and Stars outside Cambridge’s Central Square worked out well. The acoustic version of the Egregious Typos — Rob, Alison, and me — played nearly 40 songs over three sets. We weren’t exactly sure what to expect, but the crowd was really into it, with people singing along and occasionally even dancing.

Skellig Wrapup

March 10 — A low key but fun night at The Skellig. Highlights included Rob unveiling a new electric mandolin, which sounded great, and 100% attendance by the editorial staff of my old newsletter.

Kirkland Wrapup

Friday, February 27 — The debut performance of my latest musical configuration — me, backed by Alison’s vocals and an electric band called The Patrons — was exciting and fun. Somehow we managed to squeeze six people on the small Kirkland stage: me, Alison, Jonah Kraut (electric guitar), Ryan Barrett (drums), Cory Bortnicker (keyboards), and Matt Riley (bass). We played 10 songs, ranging from blues to rock to country, plus one reggae tune. Thanks to the Patrons, not only for learning a batch of tunes in a hurry and doing a great job on them, but also for bringing so many friends to the show.

Earlybirds were treated to a fine set from the Mickey Bliss Organ Combo, which this time featured Mickey on Hammond organ, two saxophones, a guitarist, and a drummer. They played a lively set of bluesy jazz standards including “Night Train,” “Back at the Chickenshack,” and “Caravan.”

Skellig Wrapup

February 11 — This was alarmingly fun for a mid-week show. The stripped down version of the Egregious Typos — Rob Huffman and me — played a 14-song set, including two new parenthetically titled songs: “Songwriter’s Block Party (Easygoing Nowhere)” and “I Think We Need to Talk (Six Words Nobody Wants to Hear).” Other highlights included the first performance of “Love Triangle” in eons and host Tom Bianchi leaping on stage to play a harmonica solo during “When I’m Drunk.” Jordan Carp followed us with a strong solo acoustic set.

Cantab Wrapup

January 27 — Thanks to everyone who came to the CD release party on Bluegrass Night at The Cantab. Luckily, the weather gods smiled on us and the threatened evening snowstorm never materialized. It was the largest crowd we’ve ever performed for and possibly the most fun we’ve had. It’s been a dream of mine to play at the Cantab on Bluegrass Night for a long time and to have it go down so well in front of so many friends was truly a peak experience.

The band — Rob Huffman on guitar and mandolin, Alison Darrow on harmony vocals, plus our latest recruit, Janine Sirignano on fiddle — did a great job all around. Highlights for me included the accelerated bluegrass version of “New Girl at the Office” and solid renditions of “High on Your Love” and “Critic’s Darling.” Those who stuck around afterward were treated to a smoking set from the Chagrin River Band.

Tex in the News

January 23 — The Boston Herald included a Texcentric plug for the Critic’s Darling CD Release Party in its “Best of the Week” picks. It’s on the Press page. (I should point out that Tex does not seek publicity and only consented to have his photo included on the album after much cajoling and catnip. He is not currently giving interviews.)

New Look for the Website

January 17 — As you can see, the website got an overhaul, courtesy of the legendary Mercy James. The new look features artwork from the new CD, which was designed by Mary Zyskowski.

Skellig Wrapup

January 14 — The killer cold put a damper on attendance but we had fun playing nonetheless. Highlights included Rob playing until his fingers literally bled (and then playing some more), Alison harmonizing on a new song despite only hearing it for the first time in an impromptu rehearsal a half an hour before the show, and me omitting an entire verse of “When I’m Drunk” without realizing it.

2003

End of the Year Thanks

December 31 — I wanted to thank everyone who came to one or more shows in 2003. We really appreciate it. We had 14 gigs this year (up from 9 in 2002) and we couldn’t have gotten so many repeat gigs without your help. Between the gigs and airplay on WMBR and WHRB, it was a very rewarding year musically, and 2004 should be even better.

Live Radio Show

December 19 — I had a great time as a guest on Allston Brighton Free Radio’s “Rockin’ in Boston” program, which airs on Fridays from 7 to 9 p.m. at 1670 AM. The hosts, JoEllen and Laura, made me feel right at home. I was on for about a half an hour, during which they played “Right on Red,” “New Girl at the Office,” and “When I’m Drunk” from my forthcoming CD, and I played live solo acoustic versions of “Critic’s Darling” and a new tune called “She Stole My Capo (Then She Stole My Heart).”

Kirkland Cafe Wrapup

November 15 — Thanks to everyone who came to the big show at the Kirkland Cafe. It was my first appearance there, and the evening was a blast. After a hot set courtesy of The Darlings, the electric version of the Egregious Typos took the stage: Emily Jackson on drums, Kevin Quinn on bass, Mercy James on electric guitar and harmonica, Alison Darrow on harmony vocals, and me on acoustic guitar. I was a little nervous going into it because we hadn’t had much time to practice, but as it turned out things worked out well. The songs really came alive, thanks to Jim’s inventiveness on guitar (including some slick slide work on “Tex’s Tune” and “Short-Term Romance”) and the rock solid rhythm from Emily and Kevin. Other highlights included a ripsnorting cover of Neil Young’s “Are You Ready for the Country,” the goofy band intros to a Bo Diddley beat leading into “All My Girlfriends Look Like You,” and a tight rendition of “It’s Been a Very Long Day,” which got a very gratifying reception for a new song. Look for further occasional electric outings in 2004.

The Critics Are Raving ... Lunatics

New reviews of the Coffee and Beer EP in Soundcheck magazine and on the Splendid E-zine website were added to the Press page.

Recording Update

October 2 — Alison, Rob and I headed to Strong Recording in Arlington to finish the vocals for five songs we’ve been working on there: “Tex’s Tune,” “Rated X,” “I’ll Take a Tuesday,” “Elpie’s Lament,” and “Fear Factor.” Several of these feature producer Dave Rizzuti on pedal steel guitar, along with Rob on guitar and mandolin. The recording is done, so with four others already in the can (see below) now it’s on to the packaging — I don’t have the date yet, but it will be available in early January.

Skellig Wrapup

October 1 — With Game 1 of the Red Sox playoffs on TV, it was an intimate gathering. Even so we had fun playing and ended up unveiling three new songs: “It’s Been a Very Long Day,” “I Don’t Play That Song Anymore,” and a song that’s almost called “Miss Clarissa.”

Burren Wrapup

August 31, Sunday Night Singer/Songwriter Series — A fun night at one my favorite places to play and hang out. The backroom was packed all night because of the three-day weekend, and we got a nice reception kicking off the festivities. Sam Hooper joined Rob, Alison, and me midset on electric guitar for a couple of tunes, tossing off a blistering blues solo on “Fear Factor”" and some nice licks on “Methadone Woman.” That was followed by a mellow solo acoustic set from host Danielle and Sam’s rocking set with his blues/funk band.

August Studio Session

I spent the first weekend of August at Zippah Studio recording four new songs that will form the foundation of an album I’m planning on releasing in January. Zippah is where I recorded the Coffee and Beer EP in 2001. The backing band included Kevin Quinn (bass), Alison Darrow (harmony vocals), Emily Jackson (drums), and Rob Huffman (acoustic guitar, mandolin, and vocals). Pete Weiss produced and played electric guitar. Things went well all around — the musical pieces came together well, and I think my vocals came out a bit more relaxed than last time. We did Right on Red, Critic’s Darling, High on Your Love, and Doctors Today. Now I’m planning to record another batch of songs all acoustic, add in a few live tracks from the vault, and release it all as a full-length album. Stay tuned for further developments.

Skellig Wrapup

July 23 — This was The Gig That Almost Wasn’t. A major component of the sound system was blown out upon arrival, forcing host Tom Bianchi to improvise a way to get it to work. It took a bit of fiddling, some chewing gum, and extensive use of fishing line, but eventually he got the electricity flowing and things proceeded more or less as usual. We were followed by a cool set from Chris Elliott & Lisa Austin. Thanks to everyone who came for their patience and for schlepping out there in the first place.

Radio Airplay

Good news — the Coffee & Beer EP continues to get airplay. WHRB, the Harvard station (95.3), has played “Coffee and Beer” and “Short-Term Romance” on Hillbilly at Harvard which airs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can request these songs or another from the CD by calling 617-495-9472 during the show.

Way over on the left of the dial, WMBR, the MIT station (88.1), is playing “Coffee and Beer,” “When I’m Drunk,” and “The CD Song” on a program called “Jake’s Juke Joint,” which airs Saturday from noon to 2. And “New Girl at the Office” was on “Troubadour,” a folk program that airs Wednesdays from 2 to 4. The request line number there is 617-253-8810.

Both these stations play a ton of great country, bluegrass, and folk music, so it’s a huge honor. Hillbilly at Harvard has been on the air since 1957! I encourage you to check them out and consider making a donation.

Kendall Cafe Wrapup

July 5 — Thanks to everyone who came from near and far for the big gig at the Kendall Cafe. It was great to see so many old friends as well as new recruits. It was a hot set in every sense of the word: With the lights it was about 90 degrees on stage, and we played what I would modestly consider one of our best shows, with numerous blistering solos courtesy of Rob. Because there were only two bands scheduled, we got to play an extended 19-song set, our longest show to date. That included Alison belting out “Angel From Montgomery” and Rob doing a Bob Wills number, “Hang Your Head in Shame.” One highlight for me was breaking out “Short-Term Romance,” which Cousin Lynn at WHRB generously played earlier in the day on Hillbilly at Harvard.

The Jimmy Tingle Thing

In May I put together a three-week Saturday afternoon music series at Jimmy Tingle’s Off Broadway Theater in Davis Square. Boris McCutcheon, Brett Rosenberg, A.J. Crowe, Emily Grogan, Sam Hooper, Beth Boucher, and Russ Mofsky performed great sets, and Jimmy dropped in a couple of times to rev up the audience. It’s a great little space with wonderful acoustics and a range of shows involving comedy, drama, and music, so check out his schedule and go see a show sometime.

Skellig II Wrapup

May 7 — Our second visit to the Skellig Waltham was again a lot of fun. It was great to see folks from my old job and the new one, plus some old friends who hadn’t seen us play in over a year. Thanks! We played well, with Rob Huffman (guitar, mandolin) and Alison Darrow (backing vocals) doing their usual outstanding work and me remembering most of the words. The highlight for me was breaking out two new songs, “Rated X” and “Tex’s Tune.”

Skellig Wrapup

March 19 — Thanks to everyone who came out to see us at The Skellig in Waltham. It was a fun night with lots of first-timers in the crowd. We had a five-piece band — an expanded edition of the Egregious Typos that featured Kevin Quinn on bass, Emily Jackson on drums, Rob Huffman on lead guitar, and Alison Darrow on harmonies. It all came together well as we cruised from blues to country to pop/rock and back again, with occasional bumpy patches to keep us on our toes. Due to the strong turnout, it’s likely we’ll get to play there again down the road.

Johnny D’s Wrapup

February 24 — Our second appearance at Hillbilly Night at Johnny D’s in Davis Square went well. We played about a dozen songs, including the new “Fear Factor,” and then enjoyed a rousing set from Dave Foley, who’s a human jukebox of all my favorite country songs. Thanks to everyone who came, especially those who went the extra mile and rounded up a bunch of new recruits for the occasion.

Hellcountry Wrapup

February 1 — An exciting night, as the stripped down acoustic duo — Rob Huffman and me — made its first appearance in the Hellcountry Night series at the Kendall Cafe. Harmonizer extraordinaire Alison couldn’t make it, so Rob contributed some cool background and lead vocals, along with his usual prowess on guitar and mandolin. The electric acts following us — Twilight Ranchers and Cash Monies and the Jetsetter — both played entertaining sets that mixed originals with classic country covers.

Kendall Cafe Wrapup

January 17 — Thanks to everyone who braved the cold to come see the debut performance of my semi-electric band, the Egregious Typos. (Given the temperature, we should have billed it as the Flying Brrrrrrito Brothers.) The ET’s feature Jim Gerdeman, a.k.a. “Mercy James”, on drums and harmonica and Kevin Quinn on bass, plus Alison Darrow singing harmony. This was my first time playing live with a drummer, and it was a blast. We actually had a bunch of strangers dancing and singing along for the tail end of the set. Mysteriously, they left the moment the show ended, so we couldn’t even add them to the mailing list.

The other highlight was unveiling three new songs: the poppish “Just Another Person I’m Trying to Avoid,” the country love song “Critic’s Darling,” and the bluegrassy “High on Your Love.” Those who stuck around were treated to an entertaining set from Melvern Taylor and the Meltones. What a fun night ... great to see lots of familiar faces as well as a number of first-timers.

2002

Johnny D’s Wrapup

December 9 — Thanks to everyone who came out for the Johnny D’s show on such a frigid Monday night. Once we thawed out, it went well. As one of two featured acts, we played seven songs to an appreciative and attentive audience. Since it was Hillbilly Night, we stuck to the twangier side of the repertoire, playing five songs from the “Coffee & Beer” CD, plus “I’ll Take a Tuesday” and “Doctors Today.” Special thanks to Marcia for taking pictures, including the one that’s now on the home page and a bunch that are in the photo section.

Columbus Day Weekend Wrapup

October 12 and 13 — Thanks to everyone who came out for gigs at the Kendall Cafe and the Burren. For me the highlight was debuting three new songs, including “I’ll Take a Tuesday,” with Rob playing mandolin instead of his usual guitar and Alison contributing a knockout harmony on the chorus. Along with performing, it was fun meeting a bunch of new people at both shows, seeing Shiner Jones and Tom Bianchi play after us Sunday — how about those killer versions of “Little Wing” and “Me and Julio”? — and even selling a few CDs. Special thanks to Sandy for photographing the event; several shots from this show are now in the photo section.

Growth Spurt

This month I start a 12-month regimen of Human Growth Hormone. Along with helping me retain my youthful vigor, I’m cautiously optimistic that HGH injections will enable me to bulk up a bit and possibly even grow an inch or two. That way, all of you who come to the shows can tell your friends, “Yeah, I used to see him before he got big.”

Coffee and Beer CD

September — The 8-song Coffee and Beer CD is now available. It includes seven songs recorded at Zippah Studios and one live track from the July show at the Kendall Cafe. The studio tracks feature the dazzling electric guitar of Weisstronauts frontman and twangmaster Pete Weiss. Click on the CD link to listen to MP3s and read the lyrics and liner notes. Click here for ordering information. Buying a copy gives you all eight tracks in their uncompressed glory, along with the fantastic cover artwork by Mary Zyskowski.

Recording Session

August — At the end of August I recorded four tunes at Pete Weiss’ Zippah Studios, the same place I recorded three songs last winter. This time I was backed by the core of the band the Weisstronauts: Pete on electric guitar, Kevin Quinn on bass, and Emily Jackson on drums. And Alison Darrow contributed remarkable background harmonies on all four tracks. The whole thing went really well, and we managed to have fun amid the pressure that comes with recording. I can’t say enough about everyone’s playing — not just technically but also for always searching for creative touches that fit the lyrics. Some highlights:

Coffee and Beer: This was the oldest of the four tunes, so it was exciting finally giving it the full band treatment. The rhythm and lead guitar have a Johnny Cash feel, and I love the way the drums pick up again after the a capella part of the final chorus.

When I’m Drunk: This might be the best of the bunch. Alison did some cool oohing and aahing during the choruses, and Pete laid down a blistering siren-like solo that conveys the absurdity of the rhymes.

Smiles and Laughs and Dances: This is the newest of the four, and also the only love song. After some experimenting, we slowed it down, and Kevin’s loping bass line gives it a sweet feel. Alison’s harmony is exquisite, and thanks to the miracle of reverb, my vocal came out better than I would have thought possible.

Short-Term Romance: The drums and walking bass and guitar lines give this one a nice clippity-clop feel. Also, it’s four-and-a-half minutes long, a marathon by my usual standards.

New Tunes:
Kinda Quirky, All My Girlfriends Look Like You

“Kinda Quirky” is a psychedelic minor-key pop tune — “I’ve got a girl who’s kinda quirky/who dives right in where the water’s murky/who knocks me out but doesn’t hurt me” — that also includes a tribute to the respiratory system as the bridge (“she gives me inspiration / with every exhalation / to reach my aspiration”). “All My Girlfriends Look Like You” is the usual inanity set to a bluesy Bo Diddley beat (“When I’m sitting at the bar drinking down a few/It’s like an audition where they walk in on cue/All my girlfriends look like you”).

Odds and Ends

You can find some silliness here.

The Independent Wrapup

August 4 — Another fun night, at a venue ideally suited for acoustic music. It was great having the whole night to play — I think we played every song we knew, and a few we didn’t. Thanks everyone for coming out on a school night.

Kendall Gig Wrapup

July 13 — Thanks so much to everyone who came out to Big Gig II at the Kendall Cafe. It was hot — I actually sweated, and I don’t sweat — but it was fun. Rob Huffman’s exquisite guitar work added a new dimension to the tunes, and Alison Darrow’s harmonies got their rightful place in the sound mix this time, making for some great music.

New Tunes:
Crossword Puzzle Blues, I Couldn’t Have Done It Without You

“Crossword Puzzle Blues” is a bluesy shuffle about a certain type of challenge (“I know you’re playin’ hard to get / But it’s only a matter of time / I’ll find out what you’re hidin’ from me / Or else I’ll lose my mind”). “I Couldn’t Have Done It Without You” is a honky-tonker in which the narrator thanks an Ex for providing the inspiration that lifted him to the top of the charts (“Your disloyalties are generatin’ royalties / So my bad attitude has turned to gratitude”).

The Website

As you can see, stevemardon.com is up and running. Thanks for stopping by — we’ll be adding more in coming months, such as informative pop-up ads for cameras and an interactive feature where visitors are invited to guess what I had for breakfast.