First Album Rehearsal with the Band

I had the guys over to my house last night for the first four-piece rehearsal of my upcoming album. Rob Jolin was on drums, Nate Rentmeester on the guitar, and Matt Pea played the bass. On the docket were three of the more rockin' tunes--"Lot of Road to Go," "Where Are You Tonight," and "Together Alone." Nate and I had played through these tunes a few times already; tonight was really Rob and Matt's introduction to them. The boys took to the songs extremely quickly, and as the evening progressed, things actually started tightening up! Big props to Nate for making such quick work of translating my ramblings into "drummer-speak!" My favorite comments of the night came from Rob--"I can't wait to get my full kit in here and start opening up!" and "I am pleasantly surprised... I figured we'd be in here playing some Joshua Kadison."--don't worry Rob... there will be plenty of sappy slow stuff on the album too!!

I Try to Be

Let's see... It's been almost a year since I've done anything with this blog. We'll just act like nothing happened and continue as usual... Here is a song that I found while rooting around in my old Google Docs. I did a little tweaking of it today, and I think it's pretty much performance ready. I put a fun little bass part in the left hand that I'm awfully proud of (I just need to practice it a bit more!!), so come to my next solo show and request "I Try to Be" (do infinitives get capitalized? I don't know.)

I Try To Be

I don't know what to say, I don't know where to go
With all the lovely ladies I meet out on the road
It's painfully obvious each time I try to speak
I ain't no Casanova, though I try to be.

I go out to the club, I sit down at the bar
Old friends come talking at me, I don't know who they are
I smile and nod politely though I got no memory
I ain't no Merriam-Webster, though I try to be

It seems that every time I sit and write a song
Every other line starts to sound like Elton John
I'd be flattered, Lord, to keep such company, but
I ain't no Amadeus, though I try to be

I thank you all for sitting here and listening to my tune
I didn't change your religion, didn't make no ladies swoon
We're all just out here drinking, we're one big family
Cause we ain't no proselytizers, and we don't pretend to be

Come down front and have a beer, your first one'll be on me

We're all best friends tonight, 'least till that clock strikes three.