Come back soon for more and cooler stuff.
For instance check out this picture of me playing at the Baggot Inn in Greenwich Village in January of 2001. This was an open mic sponsored by the Underground Music Organization, which, much like AARP, now simply calls itself 'UMO.'
The open mic was something of a surprise. I figured 'I'm in the Village,
there will be all sorts of characters here.' Maybe I'm out-of-date, or hopelessly naive,
but pretty much I saw just regular people: 14-year-old girls profoundly voicing
middle-school angst; middle-aged men with bellies and baseball caps; scruffy x-ers
playing power chords.
The most far-out (Being generous with the term) act was a black guy with nicely trimmed deadlocks who got up and said 'I'm a rebel. I always have been.' He then proceeded to play some very competent, conventional alternative rock and, if I remember correctly, some CCR. He also wore one fingerless leather glove. That's either rebellion, or he's a bike messenger. There was also a nice suburban teen from New Joisey who sang a song about being a lesbian. Eh.
I think the open mic has been cancelled, but it's hard to know exactly. Part of the website haven't been updated in months. The most recent reference to the open mic is from January '07. You can check out their site here. This photo can be found in context here.
One more note on the Baggot Inn. I wrote the song New York City after finding out that I had missed a small, intimate show by They Might Be Giants at this venue the night before an open mic. So, while I haven't actually shared a stage with TMBG, I can at least say, "Oh, yeah... I've been on the same stage as those guys..."
Here I am with my good friend Jessee Ventura. This is us at the Capitol
Building in St. Paul on the day of his inauguration. This is not a fake.
I was really there.
Here is my quartet, Registered Harmony, standing with our good friend, Wiscsonsin Governor Jim Doyle.
We sang for the Governor's Fishing Opener on Friday, May 3rd, 2008. We sang so well that I am
currently being considered for the new Secretary of Education, Kent is looking at the
Secretary of Agriculture position, and Steve may come on board as the Tranportation Commissioner.
Jon has retired, and will thus remain as a behind-the-scenes power broker.
My wife found this whilst looking at some sample images one day. I'm sorry, but I cannot
credit the source. Who knew that the #1
shadowy figure in our government had such a charming nickname? The way the head was
photo-shopped in is a little nightmarish.