Clickboo and Cynically Optimistic add their reviews of last Saturday night. Bubala and Mumi had a good time too. I am so lucky to have such cool friends to hang with at our party!

1998: Blowjob, Dot.com. Surplus.
2006: Iraq. Katrina. Deficit.

Make love, not war. Rebuild America first. Can it get any worse? Read the last line.

The Sean Show, Joe.My.God, and Copperred have written the kindest words about last Saturday night. These guys, along with many others (who are linked within their entries) add so much to the good vibes and love that is our monthly party. More pictures from Vance. Speaking of which, we are mixing the BLOWOFF album over the next two weeks. Stay tuned for release date and availability.

This little urban legend came up at a birthday dinner last night. Pia Zadora's In The Attic. How's that for an album title?

Andrew highlights this inspiring story.

Back to the hi hats.

When we were driving back from BLOWOFF last Saturday, the main drag in my 'hood was blocked off by the DC Police. In years past, it was common for the street to be closed on Saturday nights. There used to be tons of trouble at Club U - a club which was inside a DC government center!

A neighborhood bud tells me he has been meeting with our Ward councilmember about the rise in petty crime around his block. With the onslaught of gentrification, our skyline punctuated with cranes, some of this is to be expected. Everyone is jockeying for position; there's money in the neighborhood, and the new money brings petty crime and panhandlers.

Coolfer mentions the musical map of the London Underground.

This is the most sensible set of body health rules I have ever seen. I get asked about this stuff - here's the rules. When I deviate from them, and it's hard to stick to them when touring, my body goes to pot. It's that simple.

Having said that, I do love this bulking diet! Too bad I'm getting ready to cut - this is the way I normally eat. Ask anyone who's been around me for any period of time lately!

Man porn. Hot. (NSFW)

Here is how BLOWOFF looks from this DJ's perspective. The song playing is "You See The Trouble With Me (2006 Mix)" by Black Legend.



Download here. Formatted for iPod. Viewable with QuickTime. (If you're in the video, and have a problem with it, let me know, and I'll edit you out.)

What a great time last night! We had another huge turnout, and the vibe in the room was pretty special. I'm thrilled that BLOWOFF continues to be successful; there's lots of new people each month, but we still retain the casual feel of the original basement gigs. Our live set was pretty good as well. Nick's visuals are adding a lot to the event.

Thanks to everyone who is part of our party!

Saw this link on Towleroad today. Discouraging on a personal level, but possibly encouraging on this front.

BLOWOFF this Saturday night. Live set and DJ sets. Backbar opens at 10:30 PM, main room opens at 11. Looks like Joe is coming to town this weekend. Guess I'll have to play "Walk The Night" at some point in the evening.

Head to Stereogum, and check out the video at the bottom of this entry. The funniest part of the video: they had The Bravery, The Killers, and Jet in stock! That's always the irony - when the "cool" stores actually sell the stuff they hate. Hmmm.

Mindless humor at YouTube. There's a bunch of these USMC "sleeper" videos - must be a common thing.

Shin breaking kick. DO NOT watch this if you are squeamish.

A review of the Sacramento show.

House of the month.

I've been in DC for a few days, and am under the weather again. Damn these head colds! I've been spending time with friends, running into buds, and being miserable that I can't hit the gym as hard as I wanted. Mentally, I was geared up; I tried running the other day, and after 10 minutes, my throat was seizing up. I know it's not a good idea to work out while sick, but I am going batty without my physical activity. Otherwise, things are OK. I've been doing lots of advance press for next weekend's Western Canada dates. I am looking forward to the shows.

Seeing as I've been on the couch the past few days, I've been watching a lot of stuff on YouTube. Here's some of my favorites.

"OLD SCHOOL" PRO WRESTLING

I remember reading about Ron Wright when I was a youngster. This clip from 1973 is a great Southern heel promo.

This clip from 1981 is a classic: an "empty arena" match between Terry Funk and Jerry "The King" Lawler. Brilliant setup by commentator Lance Russell.

A modern day version of the art form. Jim Cornette updates the style as he defends the "pure wrestling" Ring Of Honor promotion from an invasion by "garbage" promotion CZW. I'm buying it - Corny is one of the all-time best.

I'll post more of my favorites as the month goes on.

MUSIC

Here's the band at ACL Fest, September 2005. It was 107 degrees on stage. Here's a second clip.

Arrived in Chicago Thursday evening, 11 PM. A long travel day. The bags showed up, and everything was intact, so no complaints. The hotel (one of my personal favorites) gave me a complimentary upgrade, and it was exactly what I needed. The room was huge!

Friday, I met up with Jason, and he was kind enough to take me to Guitar Works. The shop guys customized a used Rickenbacker case for me, and now the new acoustic has proper protection. The show was good, but not great. I started off fine, but the acoustic was being finicky, and the electric sounded a bit brittle on stage. Good set, though; the crowd was a tad subdued. Did I mention the -25 degree wind chill weather outside?

Saturday morning, it was -5, which put a damper on being outdoors. Last night's show was an improvement; much more consistent than Friday, and a more vocal crowd. The venue was quite formal; for this show, instead of trying to power through the room, I decided to work with it, and the result was a better evening of music. Ran into some old friends after the show, and called it an early night.

I'm looking forward to the break. This run of dates (20 shows in 30 days on 2 continents) has been a lot of work. March will be a little easier - 9 shows in 2 countries. Thanks to all who have sent notes of appreciation.

BLOWOFF this Saturday night. If you're in DC, it's worth stopping by. More great artwork by Pat.

Yesterday's drive to Seattle was pleasant, a very sunny day, and not much traffic until Tacoma. Upon checking in to my hotel, I was upgraded to a "spa suite", which meant a gas fireplace and hot tub in the bedroom area. I could barely contain my laughter - the only thing missing was the voice of Barry White welcoming me to my room. (But I enjoyed it.)

My visit to KEXP was great fun. Kevin Cole and I go way back (Minneapolis days), and we played a bunch of fun stuff for an hour. It was the debut of "Hormone Love" from the upcoming BLOWOFF album, two tracks from the upcoming LoudBomb album, and the remix of Rammstein's "Mann Gegen Mann". Tons of positive feedback from listeners (and the resident DJ). Here's the playlist.



The evening's show was so-so; my voice had been giving me trouble all day, and I had difficulty settling into a groove. It's been a long time since my voice has been shaky. Once I started playing solos on the electric, everything seemed to go better. The show ended on a good note. Thanks to everyone for being supportive and patient.

Today, I'm sitting at Sea-Tac, waiting for my flight to be cleared for takeoff to Chicago O"Hare. Apparently, there's an ice storm happening at the far end, so I've been held up for a few hours. Naturally, I joined Cingular WiFi, and am happily killing time with my very fast wireless connection. I even managed to upgrade my laptop's OS to 10.4.5. Otherwise, it's a day off for me - or, at the least, a day without singing.

A review of the LA show.

I'll be on KEXP this afternoon with my old pal Kevin Cole. I think we're on at 5 PM PT.

Yesterday was a relaxing, low key day in Portland. Another good workout - I'm finally getting back on track. Last night's show was good; thanks to everyone who chose to spend their Valentine's Day at the gig. I've had a great time in Portland, and it's a sunny day for driving to Seattle. Here's a sweet letter I received this morning.

Dear Bob,
 
I caught your show at the Doug Fir last night. I’ve been a fan for 20 years and I’ve gotta say you still do it for me. I thought about trying to get back stage to say thanks in person, but I wasn’t sure how serious you were about, you know, smelling like an animal. Next time…
 
Bless you for giving me (hell, all of us lonelyhearts that were there) a place to be on Valentines Day…that didn’t leave us suicidal.
 
I hope you had a good time in Portland. Come back soon.
 
Gratefully yours,
 
M*****

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Here are some things that caught my eye this morning.

Hot. Now I'm inspired.

There may have been a beer or two in there. And some women.

Good discussion. DC has improved in the last 3 years. NY has lost a little shine for me. Too many rich kids, not enough space for artists. Which town am I talking about? Both. Urban dwellers know the equation: franchises = panhandlers. Independent shop owners continually sweep their sidewalks, in more ways than one. Metro will never be 24 hours, as there is no "third shift" economy in DC. NY has more franchises than ever before. Anyhow - they are two separate entities. I like them both, but I enjoy living in DC at the moment. It's on the up.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. I hope you're able to spend some quality time with the person who holds that special place in your heart.

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Thursday, a decent workout and huge lunch. The show in San Diego was quite an unexpected adventure. Thanks to Continental Airlines baggage handling, the new acoustic guitar was unusable for the evening. Backstory: when I made the pit stop in DC, I opened up my travel bag to find a destroyed acoustic guitar case - it looked like it had been dropped on the butt end from about 10 feet in the air. I took the guitar out of the case, strummed it (not plugged in), and everything seemed fine. At Thursday's sound check, I found the input jack was shattered. The club (and radio station who sponsored the show) contacted a guitar repair person, and he fixed it while I played the set entirely on the Strat. It may have been for the best, as it was an old-school (read as more "punk") crowd. Everything ended up fine. Two thumbs up for Crest Cafe, a great neighborhood diner.

Thursday was also the first of three shows with opening act Curt Kirkwood. I've known Curt for many years; you probably know him as the guitarist / vocalist for the Meat Puppets. Curt is very entertaining, and people responded well to his sets every night.

Friday, the short drive to Los Angeles. I took my usual shopping detour through downtown Oceanside. Oceanside and Twentynine Palms families have been hit hard by "the war". I arrived early enough in WeHo to get lunch, a serious legs workout, and more shopping. The show was very good, maybe the best show I've played in LA since 1989 with the Pixies. Great crowd - sort of cool at first, but red hot by the 20 minute mark. I debuted some new songs as well.

Saturday, San Francisco. I usually stay in the Castro, but since the club was in SOMA, I stayed there. I love that part of town; very industrial, lots of furniture shops and charity outposts, plenty of open sky, freeways whizzing overhead. The show was good, and as usual, the bears were out in force. A bunch of us ended up at the Lone Star; it was my first time there, and it was fun! Went to my favorite taqueria; I've been going there for 25 years! It's still tasty, and it's reassuring that it has survived the various boom and bust periods of the Bay Area.

Sunday morning, I went to my new favorite gym. I called Rich and told him I had found the perfect spot for the first SF BLOWOFF. Went over to the Castro, and instantly ran into Waremouse. Here's the news flash about homos on the road: if you find the right coffee shop, you run into all your old friends. That can be good or bad; in this case, very good. John was the first friend I made in DC, and I am happy to see him enjoying his time in SF. We sat for a while at Bearbucks, and then went on our respective ways. I met up with some buds, and we spent some time watching hot men parade by chatting and discussing the intersection of bad music and good adult films. Drove over to Sacramento, and played a decent show. Kevin Seconds (another blast from the past) opened, and we chatted after the sets. (Note how terrible I look - I have to lose 15 pounds, and NOW!). Good guy.

Did I mention that the weather in California was stunning all weekend? Sorry, DC pals. Speaking of, glad to hear this guy is home and feeling better. Get some rest, bud - you're going to need it!

Monday, what an odd day. Odd in a good way, or maybe not odd at all. The sum total of the day was the 580 mile drive from Sacramento to Portland. I've done this drive dozens of times in my life, but never did it look as beautiful as yesterday. The light (maybe due to the impending full moon?) bouncing off the winter scrub, the damp evergreen, the constantly changing terrain, a wonderful experience. I shot a bunch of pocket video - I'll try to post it later this week. Arrived at my destination in 8 hours; I love this place! I had a great time last October, and so far, my stay has been very relaxing. A great meal last night, followed by 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Come to the show tonight. I'll sing some love songs.

Download here. Formatted for iPod. Viewable with QuickTime.

A few days of recuperation in DC, and here I go again. Yesterday was the long travel day from DCA to ORD to San Diego. I arrived at 6 PM PT, checked into my hotel, and went walking in the balmy air. It was 72 degrees when I landed, and it stayed pleasant all evening. I'm staying in Hillcrest, so there's plenty to see and do on foot. I also drove to North Park last night, and it seems to be an up and coming neighborhood.

Up early this morning, and the jet lag is not too bad. I've already been out for coffee and breakfast, and am now in radio interview mode. Tonight's show is sold out. There's two gyms within walking distance, and an outdoor jacuzzi in the hotel courtyard; life is pretty good at the moment. I'm enjoying the SoCal vibe, especially since it is / was rather cold back in DC.

I'm keeping track of the new Train album. 62,000 copies sold in the US during release week. I'm into people covering my songs, as it generates income for me (as writer and publisher). It's one of the few ways I still make money in the music business. It's also nice to know that the songs live on through reinterpretation. Several people have written me to say there's no accreditation in the packaging; I have no answer for that.

I'm up early this morning, and I have made the mistake of passing by some of the TV evangelicals. One of them is carrying on about "I can do whatever I want because God loves me unconditionally". Sure. He's wearing a polo shirt, with what appears to be a live band set up behind him. There is no sense of ritual or respect: it reads like an infomercial for something that can't be bought. I have decided I can invade any country I want because God loves me unconditionally.

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Tuesday's London show was OK. Of the two nights, I think Monday's Bush Hall gig was much better. Wednesday afternoon, a quick flight to Dublin. I spent the evening being shown the town by a friendly local chap. Thursday's show was great, perhaps the best of the trip. First rate venue, and a very supportive crowd. Friday, I rode over to Galway with support act Windings. Nice guys, Steve and Liam. Good music as well. The Galway show was OK, very crowded pub atmosphere, which translates to one drunk person creating a scene toward the end of the night. Sort of sad, really. Note to drunk fans: please don't touch the artist. It's exactly like "please don't pet the wild animals". You might get attacked.

We drove back to Dublin immediately after the show, and I waited around the airport for 4 hours before checking in for my flight back to America. Managed to score an exit row seat, and was able to stretch out for the 7 hour flight to Newark. Again, xanax is good for moments like these. The connecting flight to Dulles was the bumpiest flight I've been on in ages; smaller commercial planes (maybe 40 seats?) are a little nerve wracking for me when the weather is bad.

I would have taken a later flight on Saturday, but I had to be present for Hot Joe's Mid Winter party. Met lots of new and interesting folks (and family), and also got caught up with the Men of Discipline. By 10:30 PM, I realized I was becoming antisocial, had eaten too many of the chicken salad appetizers, so I excused myself and ambled on to my temporary digs. I have such good friends!

I leave on Wednesday for San Diego. Click here for more information. Thanks to all the European fans who sent kind words about the shows. I appreciate it, and will try to respond.