February 16, 2010 - Spent some time on the 14th at the Holy Drinker, a Clapham/Northcote venue that is high on good company, warmth and Guinness. Everyone there was dissing Valentine's Day - perfect company. Great conversations with Claire and Katerina, with liberal doses of quiet time watching it all happen around me. Feeling a bit restless here, and I have some work to do. Songs almost bubbling out, but not quite. This marks the end of the season of anti-decision making. I always call from Thanksgiving to Valentines Day a time when one should not make major decisions about your life - if you live in a Northern clime. We are, to put it simply, impaired. Cabin fever, lack of vitamin D, cold - really not the best conditions for thoughtful analysis. So, decisions to come, for sure.
London
February 12, 2010 - Back in London, where I was greeted by the perfect cappuccino from Valentina at Il Molina, a local coffee shop. What a perfect name for this weekend. She and her compatriots have a tiny outpost of Italy here - with all the drama, boyfriends (they'd be on scooters if they could), and coffee adventures one might imagine. I sit amused often as the combination of new mothers, elderly Brits and hip writer/actors file in and out. I grab my table in the back, write a journal entry, read a paper, work on projects, the book, or songs, but mostly just watch. Seeing friends tomorrow, but anticipating a quiet Sunday. Time for a little reflection on the nature of love and relationships perhaps. Working on another new song.
New York
February 8, 2010 - In New York still and the wonder and magic of this place continues to fascinate me as it always will. Some of my most difficult memories will always be associated with this place, some of my best songs, but also the constant reminders of magic here. I am reminded of the opening of the book "Veronica" by Nicholas Christopher - one of my favorites - which describes where Waverly street meets itself (it winds around and actually intersects itself at its west end in the Village), and I associate NYC with the magic of that book - sort of a northern continent magical realism. And so yesterday at brunch with friends Michael and Kyle, I mention it - the magic of always running into someone I know, or some moment (like yesterday's entry). And as I wandered the street, looking for a movie or a place to plant my seat for a bit, I look up and see a man walking my way, ear buds in but looking at me oddly. I start to turn away, but he says: "excuse me, are you Tom Begich?" Stunned, I stop. After all I do not live here. "I am..." I respond, only to have him say: "I'm Michael McHale - I knew you at Oxford." (For those who do not know, I was there from 1989 to 1990) - twenty years on, we see each other again. Admittedly we had reconnected as avatar's over Facebook, but really, the odds are pretty crazy. I do love this place. (Michael owns Michael McHale Designs - fascinating lamp structures. Take a look.)
New York
February 7, 2010 - In New York for a few short days before returning to London. Last night I went to the "Red Riding" marathon - based loosely on the Yorkshire Ripper story. Five and half hours. A woman in the line, hearing I had been in London that morning (she had just come in from Florence) asked me if I had come all the way to New York just to see a British show... The movies were disturbing, a bit uneven but good - often described as a British "Godfather" without the laughs or "haunting". It ended after Midnight and I stepped down to the subway to catch an A train Uptown, and was stunned by the sounds of a saxophone. With I Phone in hand, I recorded it. I may be able to post some of it on Facebook, but here is a link to what I am calling "Life as a Soundtrack". The scratchy noise is my jacket against the phone - can't control for that when it is as cold as it is here! Its about ten minutes - sit back and just enjoy the ambient sounds of Sax in a Subway... Life As A Sountrack
London
February 5, 2010 - London has been great - working on setting up future music possibilities. Posted new photos at Facebook, and have nothing but great things to report! Cold? Yep, but not as much snow as DC today (or so I am told!) Been visiting old friends and writing music, as well as working on a few long distance contracts.
Don't Miss it! The week of December 7 - 14, 2009 CHECK OUT YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS! I will be on Tom May's River City Folk. The show will air on XM Channel 15, "The Village" and also be webcast if your local public radio station does not carry it. This is an hour-long radio performance/interview show with a few new songs and some old favorites. I hope you get a chance to listen - e mail me your thoughts!
Buenas Aires
January 20, 2010 - Did I really let almost two months go by? Did I really not write about Buenas Aires? Or the Sitka Grind's 100th anniversary (what a great night it was - I wrote TWO spontaneous songs for them - though I have no recordings of either...) Did I really not mention that I made it back to Anchorage for a day? That I am in New York now? That I will be in Seattle tonight? Really? What an idiot. I really need to learn to blog better. London next week - maybe being away from things will help... I am building my schedule for the coming years and am open to suggestions at cwrecord@alaska.net, so let me know about opportunities for music. In the meantime, I'm still working on the private eye in Barcelona career goal. Who knows? the world is officially an oyster.
The Lizard Lounge
November 23, 2009 - Played at the Lizard Lounge tonight with Tim Mason as the Bone Collectors - nice crowd and great talent out there. I had not realized that it was a competitive open mic (hosted by Tom Bianchi) but we ended up in the final which was quite cool. Stillwater was good - mostly relatives in the show, though Mike Mayer came up from Eagan and former Alaskan Barbara Korri showed up from the Twin Cities. It was good seeing cousins Jane, Barbara and Anna (who with her Husband Gary hosted me), though I blew it and missed hanging out with them after the show as i got lost in conversations after I was done.... Following Stillwater it was a mad rush East for Boston - visited old friends Jeff and Jodi in Chicago/Evanston (great food blog that they do here) and Matt and Louisa Frank in Grand Rapids (he's a fab poet! she a charmer). Went all the way from Chi town to Boston with a four hour break in Syracuse NY. Little tired now, so this entry will have to do.
Port Townsend to Vancouver BC
November 14, 2009 - Spent some great days with old high school friends up in Port Townsend but, as the rental money reaches its end, I am pleased to say that there may be a light at the end of the car repair tunnel. Heard yesterday that the car might be done Tuesday, so I head to Vancouver BC by train tomorrow, by plane to Kamloops on Monday, bus to Cache Creek where I will overnight and ideally pick up the car and get back to Seattle on Tuesday to get my gear and head out to Stillwater by Friday. After that? The road is open and I haven't quite decided where Thanksgiving will find me. I have a bit of a worry about getting over the passes, but I think I will keep heading east. Added some March dates recently, and hope to add more soon.