Thursday night, SMDF. Everyone was in good spirits, as the weather has turned much warmer in DC. A buddy of mine made his first appearance, and I was happy to explain the protocol. "No, there's where you get free beer. This station is for well drinks." A handful of us continued on to the Eagle, where the lights were lower, and the patio was full of smokers (the tobacco kind, mostly). My buddy started a dare that none of us would touch. Well, one guy touched it. That's all I'm saying.

Friday, a long work day, then off to AU Bender Arena for the rock show. Silversun Pickups were as good live as on record. I'm looking forward to seeing them next month at Coachella. I missed the middle band, as I was chatting with the boss in the back. Snow Patrol are super nice guys, and played a very well-received show. I recognized most every song - an experience I hadn't had at a show since seeing Stone Temple Pilots earlier in the decade.

Saturday, breakfast with the boys. Afternoon coffee, home improvements, a long evening walk, and dinner at Rice. I had designs to have a nightcap, but fell asleep watching TV. More on that later.

Sunday, a glorious day - 65 and sunny. Walked all over the place: Dupont, Logan, the old runway, and up to the new and improving Columbia Heights. Ran into some buds on the street, and we ducked into the new coffee shop. Fabulous place: two stories, original architectural details, dramatic balcony, and they will be serving tapas and alcohol! I see a smash success. I think I will be heading up the hill a little more often, given the rapid positive changes. The park is getting nicer, too. A late lunch at Thai Tanic, back to the ranch for more yard work, and preparing of the grill for a late dinner. The gang came by, and after some grilled beef and chicken, we all retired to the den for ice cream and Planet Earth! I am not much of a TV watcher, but since upgrading to digital cable with HD capability, I have been spending a touch more time in front of the plasma. Last night, we watched three episodes of Planet Earth (narrated by Sigourney Weaver). Unbelievable. If you have an opportunity to see the show in HD, do it. You really can't imagine the things you will see on this show.

Beyond Planet Earth, the other new part of my life I am raving about is Fitday. At the end of January, I had swollen up to 206 pounds. The number itself did not worry me as much as the imbalances in my diet - I was getting soft. I have several good buds in my life who are in much better shape than I, and they help me with good ideas and information. Fitday was an eye opener. It's a dietary tracking device, and since using Fitday (8 weeks), I have lost 13 pounds. Again, the number is not a big deal, but I am tightening up, and feeling healthier. The main things I have learned from Fitday: eating out is dangerously fattening, food is loaded with too much added salt, and breakfast meats need to be kept in check. I highly recommend Fitday, if you're at all considering a lifestyle/ diet change. It takes diligence, and will be harder to keep accurate if you eat out regularly.

Blood banks.
Tenders.
Flyovers.

I arrived in Austin early Thursday afternoon. The two days were filled with meetings, both scheduled and spontaneous. SXSW has grown over the years, and it seems that everyone in the business attends this conference. I think there are many reasons for SXSW's popularity: the drink, the food, the weather, the networking - maybe even in that order. Any available space near the Convention Center, along Sixth Street, or South Congress is turned into a performance space. I think some people, maybe more so the Europeans, believe that this is Austin all the time; if it were NYC, some of the venues would be akin to a band playing in the kitchenware section of Bed, Bath and Beyond in Chelsea. "No, this isn't really a live music venue - it's where I buy drawer organizers." Random memories:

Flightpath Coffeeshop.
Running into John Doe at Guero's.
Pete Townshend at La Zona Rosa, with Martha Wainwright, Alexi Murdoch, and Willie Mason.
My totally packed Thursday night solo show at Buffalo Billiards, with a line around the block.
Fun dinner at Hyde Park Bar And Grill, and tasty dessert at La Dolce Vita.
Friday morning, running into Wayne Coyne in the middle of Sixth Street, as he acts as a reporter for the Tonight Show.
My Friday afternoon solo show at Emo's Annex. Snowden was on the bill as well, good band.
Running into Mike Watt, who is still the hardest working man in music.
Time away from SXSW with non-music locals who are raising money for an important cause. Fun dinner at Hoover's.
Saturday morning elevator ride with Donovan, immediately followed by running into Matt Pinfield.
Time to leave.

The Old Spice renaissance is totally bizarre, especially if you're a homosexual man in your forties. Everything old is new again.
Mexican food is terribly fattening. I gained 3 pounds on my trip. Not good.

Landed in DC Saturday 5 PM. Worked on music, took a disco nap before work. BLOWOFF was lots of fun. I was dog tired, but hid it well. Great crowd, good sets, more indie rock than usual, which pleased many of the old school crowd to no end. Super sexy crowd as well. Tom posted some pictures. Jimbo had a full house. Best new songs:

"Ray Of Zdarlight (Wham vs. Digitalism)" by The Avalanches. Available for listening at Who Needs Radio.

"Dead Town" by Revl9n. Available for listening at Bigstereo.

Sunday, lazy day off. Lots of walking and coffee, followed by an obscene amount of raw fish at Thai Chef. I know we're friends when I doze off in the den, and you don't nudge me. Andrew was right: Discovery HD is awesome.

Cellos tonight. The end is in sight.

Bonus link for the men. Hot.

I will be performing solo acoustic in NYC on Monday, April 16 at Bowery Ballroom. It is one of several benefit shows for Callum Robbins.

Check the performances link on the right side for more dates.

BLOWOFF this Saturday, in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. I think it will be a wild time.

For those of you who are scheduled to be in Austin next week, I have two solo performances.

Thursday, March 15
Buffalo Billiards
201 East 6th Street
Doors at 7:30 pm
Stage time is 9 pm
ADMISSION: SXSW showcase; festival badge holders, POSSIBLE limited tickets at door
AGE LIMIT 21+
Presented by Barsuk

Friday, March 16
Emo's Annex
Corner of 6th and Red River (across from Emo's)
Doors at 1 pm
Stage time is 4:45 pm
ADMISSION: Free
AGE LIMIT 21+
Presented by Noise Pop, Lala.com, WOXY.com

I lived in Austin for 3 years, and have some strong memories from that period of my life. Working alongside my former engineer and bass player, Jim Wilson, we made lots of documented music in various studios. FUEL, Hubcap, LDAPS. Chronicles, Hot Boxing, Stellar Star Solutions. (I am certain I am forgetting someone.) I hope to have time to visit my old neighborhood coffee shop and restaurant. I am always amazed at how much the city has changed in the past 25 years. More memories of the Lunch found here.

The last two weeks have been nothing but work, working out, eating, sleeping. I have had no life to speak of, beyond the studio, the gym, and the supermarket.

Last Friday, a fun night with the guys. Our combined DC / Baltimore crew congregated at Titan / Ramrod; instead of heading to Thai Tanic for dinner, I ran ahead to Whole Foods, gathered up the goods, and back to the ranch to fire up the grill. We all feasted on chicken, broccoli, and a big salad (and carrot cake).


Micheal, Copperred, Clickboo


Ben and Ruphus.


Richie and Mr. Fluffy.


The crew.

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A big plug for two new plug-ins: Ozone by Izotope, and MasterComp by PSP Audioware.