September 18, 2007 - Man has it been a long time since I have had a chance to update this website! One of the great difficulties of being an independent musician is maintaining the website, the MySpace, the Sonic Bids, the schedule, oh and life itself (almost like a Monty Python sketch, that last). I usually take the summer off to enjoy Alaska at its best, but this one was full of turmoil and change - -house reconstruction, best friends moving out of state, way too much travel and some great music gigs throughout! Since the last entry been to LA, New York, Pennsylvania, DC, Puerto Rico, Oregon, Northern California, Washington state, and Montana (as well as here). Continuing to do work with youth and helping communities develop strategies to prevent crime when I'm not playing music (a strange but oddly satisfying life). Also continuing to write sonnets for the February book... edits are being done by one of the finest poets I know (and, yes, I know a few) Keith Liles (he has a book ready for publication, so go to his MySpace and check him out and either publish him or pass it on!). Really, not quite the relaxing summer I'd hoped for (ergo the lack of entries). Musically, it was cool having som eof the folks from FAR-West up here for music at OutNorth -- a great venue here in Anchorage. Still hoping to continue to develop that venue. More importantly I and my friends the Holders are heading to Northern California and a series of gigs next week and the following week. Terry and Jerry Holdermoved to Olympia last month and she has moved forward tremendously on her new CD (untitled as yet) with the guiding hands of Freebo, Joel Tepp and Kurt Rieman of Surreal Studios. Our tour next week begins with Terry at the Rose Street House of Music on September 27th. I join up with them on the 28th and we head to Placerville to a perform at the Cozmic Cafe that night. On the 29th we are at a House concert back in San Francisco (e mail for more information and to reserve a seat: ninajo@redwoodrivermusic.com) and then we close out Northern California in Cotati at Ordinary Miracles on Sunday (for more information e mial: matt@atmattsplace.com). The following week (after a long-delayed visit to my Mom in Carson City) we end our tour in Las Vegas at Garage Mahall. I'll get a little respite after that -- some time to work on my own CD -- before heading for a couple of gigs and some other work in Denver and then FAR -West at the begining of the month. More on that later! Now I'm off for a break and a glass of wine. : - )