July 28 - Kill your TV
  Gigs this weekend in San Jose with drummer, Steve Nelson, introduced me to a couple of fine bass players: Bing Nathan and Aaron Cohen. Nice to be meeting more local players. Some hockey team and their groupies were in the Fairmont on Friday. A new gig for me, and a blast from the past re being a trained monkey in the corporate world. Not one, but TWO huge widescreen tvs in the lobby, bookending the dance floor, streaming cable sports-talk and highlights. TV is like heroin for me (Never actually tried H., but it's a useful simile.) The 'great save,' homeruns, and of course the big brawl. Such immaturity on the sports fields. It's still so weird that TV will show an endless loop of two steroided out, testosterone beefcakes bashing the crap out of each other, but not two guys kissing. Or even being sweet. Sick medium. Please, kill your TV.

May/June
  Vanilla, with a few bright spots, including the resurrection of Kirk's Libido, the ambient-improv thang I used to do in the 'before time.' this time with guitarist Greg Chua. Sweet textures.

5/31/08
   Way fun night at Paragon, with Carl Rosenblum, guitar. The sub for drummer was a no-show, so Carl and I forged ahead and had a great time.

5/03/08
    Fun night at Paragon with Steve N. trio, Doug Pohorski on bass (terrific player!), and some appreciative peeps in the house. Special thanks to William and Jenna for your kind comments and for listening. It was also Cinco de Mayo pre-holiday bustle downtown SJ, and the blue lights were out in force. The whole downtown area was blocked off, making it possible to leave, but not get around. Glad we loaded in early. A little too much social control for comfort.

4/26/08 - Java Beach
     Songwriter's night at JB with pal Jesse Strickman. Jesse's got great tunes and an über-sweet presentation - such sincerity and warmth. As usual, he brought along his friendly posse, and we had a nice crowd. (Check Jesse's band site.)
    I opened, premiering a couple new tunes, including "I Am With You Always," an antidote-to-emo country/gp/ballad thingy. Jesse played 'headliner,' then we closed with a couple more tunes and a version of Greenday's 'Good Riddance.' Fun all around.

2/09/08 - Paragon
    Trio with Steve Nelson, drums, and Doug Pohorski on bass. Doug is a TERRIFIC player, great time and extremely lyrical - really strong soloist. Had lots of fun. Two-for-two with the line up from Nelson (nice going Steve), and we've played enough together now to be developing a "band" sound - not just a lounge trio. Nice crowd and this time I ate the Ceasar salad (no more burgers!).

1/26/08 - Paragon Restaurant, San Jose
    Trio with Steve Nelson on drums, Glen Richmond on bass. Fun straight-ahead bread & butter. Had a cheeseburger - seems everytime I gig with Nelson, it's cheeseburger tonight. Where's the fettuccini already?

8/4/07 - Java Beach Cafe
   Smokin' gig tonight with Naim on bass. Nice turn-out of some students and family - Thanks Sean, Drew, Lewis and bros. and sis'. Great to see Michele and Alex (the biker victorious!). Naim and I have some new pre-production tracks available for your listening pleasure - my tunes, for the most.
   Working late nights to button-up the book edits. What a project... but I really believe this is going to help people, so it's worth it. Note to self - "read the time signature!" (re new tune, Pentamodo)

5/12/07 - Java Beach Cafe
   Guest, Robert Szeles (say-lesh), of Kiss The Girl on tour - I opened with tunes from Perfect Strangers, but mostly new material. Previewed bits of Metaphorasaurus, and Animals React.
   Robert performed mostly from Kiss the Girl's new CD, Touch, but also a sweet medley of tunes on two chords, including Smokey's Second that Emotion, and a cute rendition of Three, from SchoolHouse Rock. STANDING ROOM ONLY at the Cafe. Nice evening.

4/08/07 - Java Beach Cafe
   Last time it was the disposable camera - this time: a comment book. Got just a couple takers this time, but one good comment: "When they ran out of things to consume, they consumed each other." Food for thought. Maybe next time a camera AND a notebook.
    Overheard the barista, Justin, make the comment, "I think I'll shave my head then." So I composed and sang a tune on that riff on the spot. Could be the start of something...

2/25 - 3/25/07
   Cruising the Hawaiian Islands. It's a gig and a chance to see this place - my first time. Check out some pix: HAWAII
   Started out as a three-week gig, but turned into a four-week run. Most of it was cool enough, but let me say, some things are just not right. Now, I have a few rotund friends who are very cool, happy people, and I don't want to offend anybody, but: middle-aged, fat, hairy, white guys in speedo's is just WRONG. EEEEeeewwwwWWW!

Met some locals - real locals, not expat' mainlanders - who have some thoughts about the continued occupation of the country of Hawai'i by imperialist U.S. forces. Even the veteran ex-hippies are burnt out on the expansion and wreckless development. "Profit kills and capitalists eat their young."

Like many places I've visited - it's nice once you get away from the concrete and the noisy white people. Amazing air. But the towns are all becoming big, tacky strip malls. Creepy.

2/10/07 - Java Beach Cafe
Really fun evening, with a set by songwriter, Jesse Strickman, and some jamming with Colorado homie, Eric Wayne on trumpet. Good turnout and quality peeps. Thanks! Passed around a throwaway camera and invited the audience to play D.P.... check out a few of the keepers: PIX

1/23/07 - 7 Mile House
Nice turnout for the jam. Some great playing by sax man Aaron Cohen. A maiden voyage for my new Behringer pocket-mixer - worked great, and easy on the schlepp!

1/06/07 - Java Beach Cafe. Great turnout and lots of fun tunes. Many thanks to Jesse Strickman and Josh Owen for playing a set. (Check out dearindugu.com) Covered quite a few bases tonight, a bunch of my stuff of course, Joni, Lennon, and fielding some requests for Cole Porter, Rogers and Hart, including one of my fav's, My Romance. Also premiered a new version of a tune with lyrics by my pop, Don Snelling, "Poppa Saw You Kiss Me Last Night". Got a good response from the crowd - it's a 'cute' tune. Made some new fans, nice comments. Venue seemed to like it. I hope to return soon.

NYE - Lavanda Restaurant with "Pentamento" Jazz Trio. Nice folks having a good time. Haruwn Wesley on bass, Mike Bastian on drums. Swangin' and such. No fights, no falling-down-drunks, no craziness or shouting....what's wrong with these people?! (just kidding) Only a few freeway weavers on the way home from the gig. Nice evening.

12/24 - Wow. Attended the premier of my friend, Maya Dorn's new rock operetta, "Venus Christ". It was so wrong for so many reasons - really glad to have been part of it. My task was to video it. (Thanks Andrew!) Some very cool Afro-based grooves with some original and quirky earth-mother tunes. Very daring. Very daring.