#003 September 2023
A week at the Stone, shouldering the burden, and revisiting the crisp Mass air
Hello!
Big month here at the headquarters, things in the works for the future while I keep assuming, hope against hope, that the present will keep taking care of itself. I had placed a great deal of faith in the earlier version of me to hash out the details I now must contend with; mostly Early Me has done well, although some wires have been crossed. Nobody is infallible! I try my best, lift the appropriate weights, perform the eccentrics too, and still life finds a way to pull your shoulder out of joint. If you see me looking over my shoulder, it’s because I am trying to crack something. Luckily, I like pain! It’s why I am so good at life.
Here are the shows I have coming up!
Friday Sept 1 - Darlin’ (trio with Ryan Sawyer and Lester St. Louis) opens up for Elder Ones (Amirtha Kidambi’s supergroup with Lester, Alfredo Colon, Matt Nelson, and Jason Nazary) at Public Records. 7pm. Something of a showcase for Evan Welsh, my inestimably gifted, freakishly smart and gorgeously clad manager, who also works with Amirtha. Link here.
Then I have a freakin’ week at the stone! Please come.
HERE ARE THE STONE SHOWS
(55 w 13th St, NY NY, glass box)
Wednesday 9/6 8:30 pm - Darlin: Wendy Eisenberg (voice, guitar) ; Ryan Sawyer (voice, percussion); Lester St. Louis (cello, bass)
I love these people and am excited to kick off my stone week with them. We are going to be recording sometime in the fall so these are very cherished times to catch us playing.
Thursday 9/7 8:30 pm Wendy Eisenberg (guitar), Caroline Davis (sax)
Caroline and I have a duo album coming out on Astral Spirits in the spring of 2024. Maybe we will play stuff from it. Caroline is a luminary on all instruments. When I first moved to New York, we would play together almost every other week, and have such great, far reaching conversations. Our music sounds that way too. I really love making music with her.
Friday 9/8 8:30 pm Wendy Eisenberg (guitar, voice), Matt Wilson (drums), Chris Lightcap (bass)
An exceedingly rare trio. We will be playing some jazz ballads and some of my tunes and songs, to see if they belong in that tradition (like an apostle poking a wound). I am honored they are playing with me. A very rare opportunity for me to be in jazz mode with some of the best; please do not miss. We won’t.
Saturday 9/9 8:30 pm Wendy Eisenberg (guitar), David Grubbs (guitar)
Our duo is telepathic. After our first set together, David said to me, “Thank you for being so bold.” What did he mean? Come find out!
Back to regular programming:
Friday 9/15 - Editrix plays FUZZTIVAL in Boston (really the Armory, Somerville MA) - We get to play loud with the best of the Northeast. Thanks to Illegally Blind for setting up such a rad fest each year. Link here.
Sunday, 9/17 - Solo @ Clark Art Gallery, Williamstown, MA, opening for Senseless Optimism. 5pm. I haven’t been playing many of my songs solo these days; it’s a vulnerable experience, and I just have a feeling this show in particular will cut straight to the heart. I’m excited to share what’s seeming like the next true songs record (“true” meaning “resembling Auto”) with the friendly leaf-peepers of Northwestern Mass. Link here.
Monday, 9/18 - Electric Counterpoint at Barclay’s Center in NYC. A sublime hang with a zillion guitarists and two bassists, right near the Uniqlo. Also, my father’s birthday.
More coming, but already that’s a big bunchy start to the month! To say nothing of the start of the teaching year. Some rotations in the back half of the month have occurred, so maybe issue 003.5 might have to happen. In any and all cases, please join me at as many of these shows as you can, and tell your pals about them too.
On My Stereo:
Charley Pride, In Person (1969)
Air, Air Song (1975)
The Beach Boys, Today (1965)
Invunche, II (2018)
Emmylou Harris, Luxury Liner (1977)
On My Bookshelf:
Bruno Schultz, Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass (reread)
Anne Truitt, Yield
Rust Hills, Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular
Wesley Brown, Tragic Magic
Anne Boyer, Garments Against Women
On My Mind:
I’m watching Fosse/Verdon for some reason, and Sam Rockwell’s Fosse impression reminds me a lot of Arto Lindsay when he played on Night Music in Ambitious Lovers (link here.)1 The series does these funny jump cuts which I understand as an homage, but bring me to my most perpetual inquiry, which is, “if I understand something, does it reduce its effect on me?” or, “if I get what’s happening, is it bad?” (Decidedly not, “Is it bad if I get what’s happening?” despite sharing so much DNA)
So many beloved jackets huddle earnestly in wait for the crisp death of Summer to enable their return :) The one I wear now is hilariously big, mostly denim, and has these strange additions made of what feels like hot-air-balloon material.
I demo’d out nearly all the unreleased songs (or songs not yet slated for incoming release) from the past two years in a fugue state in my house and I just can’t wait to share them with you. Well that goes t' show you what uh moon can do!
I love you, the library is closing, I have no more thoughts. Keep your mind as clear as you can and understanding can happen when the air has left your sails a little lighter. Maybe you won’t be moving as far, but something will be understood. Don’t deflate entirely; I’ll see you at the gig!
A band on the precipice of success!