Woke up yesterday in North Hampton, drove to East Hampton and played an open mic, and spent the night in South Hampton. (Apologies to West Hampton, if there is one). Things are definitely happening but I am not having time to record it all. Soon, very soon, you'll have all the details. One thing-- Nima got mugged yesterday in Boston, but he's okay. Troy Byker got mugged in Oakland soon after I left there, too. Hmmm. And two women I stayed with along the tour (Bridget and Jessica) gave birth to babies on the day I arrived in their towns. What does it all mean??! Maybe it's just a cosmic post-post-modern snap-shot of love and war on the U.S. frontlines.

It's a rainy day in Beantown... What's most disturbing is the dead, black cat on the sidewalk outside the gate. It's been here for the last few days and it's eyes are taking on a moony glow. Creepy. On the upside it has been a true pleasure to spend time with Nima and Amanda. I'll miss them when I leave tomorrow. Two nights ago I played at the very excellent Zeitgeist Gallery in Cambridge. An old Olympia buddy named Jeff Stern set it up and though, underattended, it went great. I did get a little sick beforehand from indulging in some cookie-batter ice-cream, but pulled through. Tonight is the big house concert so I better remove, or at least cover, the cat and it's cloudy, bulging, phosphorescent fish-retinas. Tomorrow I head West!!!

Here's a link to the flyer advertising the Northhampton show on Sunday.

My new CD, The Long Ride Home, is officially in stores across the nation today!! This is a big deal to me, because up until now I've only sold my previous releases to people I meet at shows and to friends. I'm hopeful that they will sell quickly, but nervous, none-the-less, that I'm not well-known enough yet. I guess that's what this tour's about; reviews are starting to trickle in, too. Here are a couple that I've found via the internet:

Sandman / Long Ride Home / Billed as something of a cross between rap and country, I would disagree. This is stripped down singer/songwriter music and it is haunting and beautiful. It most immediately reminds me of Lou Reed back in his bad old days. This is a really great disc that tells a story and tells it so well that you will listen to it again and again. (MK) Impact Press (http://www.impactpress.com/articles/aprmay03/musicr4503.html)

All Music Guide Review
While the release of multiple albums has made Sandman known as somewhat of a cross between hip-hop and country, don't let that fool you. Yes, there are certain hip-hop elements on this 15-song album, but anyone who is familiar with the K Records sound and their branched elements won't have one bit of trouble accepting this. That's because the urban elements are kept to a minimum and never override any one song, instead taking their place like an obedient schoolboy. No, Sandman is through and through alt-country on The Long Ride Home, with a capable croon like that of Matt Wignall of Havalina and twangy guitar reminiscent of Woody Guthrie. The big skies from which he emerged have served Sandman well, as his sound is a nice accompaniment to the atmosphere that envelops one who has been to Montana and the surrounding states. An accomplished, established album that shows a gentle artist starting to come into his own. ~ Kurt Morris

And just ten minutes ago someone from West Coast Performer called to ask me a few questions about who produced, engineered, and mastered The Long Ride Home. She told me that one of their top reviewers, Rob Thompson, really liked the CD and would love to do an interview the next time I play in the Bay area. The review will appear in the June issue.

By the way, today I'm in Boston, or more precisely-- Jamaica Plain, at my good buddy Nima Samimi's place. I arrived at midnight after getting lost for an hour. Nima and Amanda greeted me warmly and we all had a slumber party in his room. I spent yesterday mostly in Vermont recording a couple new songs with a producer named Justin Galenski who I'd met at the show. First we did "Underneath the Grief" and finished with "Thanks for the Sex". Both songs feature vocal experimentations and have multiple layers of me singing, grunting, and whistling. I plan to send these to Bret at Knw-Yr-Own for use on a new Summer compilation CD. By 6 pm I'd bid adieu to the Tomlinson family and began my drive to Boston. Tek, sent me home with a sturdy box of his Tektonic Palates Ethiopian pastes. I encourage everyone to visit his website, 'cause he knows how to make sauces and pastes.

While I'm at it, here's another link you should check out: ?!!

New England!!! I'm feeling randy in these hills of New Hampshire-- you'd have to see it to believe the beauty that surrounds this mountain farm! I showed up two nights ago (at 2 am) after my long drive from Philadelphia; Senayit and her mom, Sally, waited up. A fat, orange moon lit the dirt road to their cabin and slid me into a cozy bed. In the morning I met Senayit's Ethiopian-born father, Tekleab, who is a 70-yr.-old who looks 45. He and Sally own 240 rolling acres filled with woodpeckers, moose, beavers, and black bear. I saw a monster-sized wild turkey in a field. This is the New England people might fantasize about. (On Golden Pond was filmed forty miles away). Tek and Sally also have a family of friendly animals: two dogs, three cats, and two horses. Eventually, Senayit and I crossed the river into Bradford, Vermont and prepared for our show at The Middle Earth. By 8:45 Senayit was singing and playing on her 12-string guitar and my ears danced. I ought to mention that this venue was definitely one of the nicer places I've ever played. It was built to resemble a British pub out of Lord of the Rings. I followed Senayit and played for over an hour. The seventy or so people who came were enthralled with my unique style and I sold more CDs and received more compliments than at any other show so far. The owner, Chris, wants me to return and play an official (non-rental) show in the Fall. Most the money made at the door went to pay off the rental of The Middle Earth, but I did receive $30 after expenses. After me came the jazzy Ordinary Magic who had what it took to make the people dance and the kazoo player was rad. After them I was asked to play again and I did for another half hour.

Today I took two long walks and a horseback ride through the trails with Senayit, Sally, Sedalla (Senayit's sister), and Dan (Sedalla's friend). Andromeda, the appaloosa mare I rode (bareback), pulls to the left just like my car. She trots good, but my groin is sore anyway. Now Tek is preparing a huge Ethiopian feast with the spongy bread and everything and I'm ready to eat it.

Still in New York. I need to get back to Philly to get my car so I can drive the seven hours to New Hampshire today. Last night I stayed at the famed graffiti writer, Shoan One's, apartment. He, I, and his Serbian friend, Petar, walked about thirty blocks for no particular reason except to maybe view beautiful, ancient Columbia University at night. Earlier in the day I lounged around Mush's East Village apartment and had lunch at a Venezuelan restaraunt. Perhaps I should rewind to my last hours in D.C. where I spent the day with Heather Jones...

...and what a tour-guide she was! By day's end I'd seen the Pentagon, White House, Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, the Viet Nam and Korean war memorials, a bunch of musuems, and other famous landmarks. The museums were the most amazing as they were filled with art that blew my mind-- original statues and paintings by all of the most famous artists of the last fifteen-hundred years. To gaze deeply into one of Van Gogh's self-portraits, for example, is unexpectedly chilling. Warhol still confuses me, but maybe that's his point. After a day of this, I was zoned out; plus the temperature was over 80 degrees. I drove to Philly and arrived at Jessica and James' by 11:00 pm. Jessica had given birth to her first baby that morning: a long-limbed boy named Aiden. I spent the next day doing nothing and the morning after that I walked around with my friend Jan Brottman, who also lives with Jessica along with her boyfriend, Michael. (I'm cutting corners now since I need to run catch my train soon... In fact, I better leave right now.)

I'll try to sneak in a few words, though I'm about to hit the town (I'm in Manhattan). Gotta go.

Still in D.C... spent the morning meandering the streets of the El Salvadorean district, had lunch in a Guatemalan cafe. I'd meant to see some museums and monuments, but plans with my friend, Heather Jones, who's visiting from the West Coast, fell through. We'll do it tomorrow instead, before I head North.

Yesterday was spent relaxing with Nana, who currently has a sinus infection. We ate Thai food for dinner with her friend, Ton, who is Thai. Ton is a great, light-hearted, genuine guy and I hope to stay friends with him.

Saturday Nana worked so I spent the day with her roommates and roommate's friends. We went to the Arboretum and played frisbee next to the river. The weather has been around 70 degrees for the last three days which is a relief after the cold days in North Carolina and Virginia. Nana, who is Ghanian-American (she left Ghana when she was four), took me to a Ghanian restaraunt which was a revelation as I've never been to one. The taste of my rice, fish, and plaintains was highlighted by the dance-hall reggae and Nana's presence. I was in heaven! Someday perhaps I'll go there. At midnight we met her friends, Kadd and John, for a screening of Donnie Darko. Saturday had been the night I'd planned to go to Brooklyn, but I just could not bring myself to go; I needed rest.

Friday was the day of the show. Between 80 and 100 people showed up and deposited $254.00 in the tip jar. $100 of it went to pay for the keg and I got the rest. I also made $85 in merch sales! The show itself was a challenge as it was difficult to be heard above the roar of revelry. Those who cramped themselves into the living room to listen were all smiles and gratitude, though. I was fortunate to be able to use the amp and microphones from the band that played before me-- Nude Afternoon. They were a cool jazz/rock quartet with keyboards and stand-up bass and a singer with a voice like Jeff Buckley. For those that showed up late I played a few more songs out on the porch. These D.C. women are flirtatious, lemme tell ya; one of them almost walked off with my black hat! By 4:30 a.m. I was asleep.

Now I'm in Washington, D.C., five blocks from the White House at my friend Nana's office. I've never been to this town before, so I'm kind of excited!!

p.s. For those who read my journal earlier today, I just fortified the last entry with a couple more details.

Charlottesville, Virginia was an experience to treasure! I arrived in the early afternoon yesterday and strolled through the streets that bordered the University of Virginia and then checked out the beautiful, historic campus. Eventually I made it to the Stribling house where a house full of young adults welcomed me in and took me back to campus where we all snuck into the cafeteria for a free dinner. After a tour of some of the funky places around town by my wonderful tour-guide, Heather, I went back to the house and prepared for the show. I set up both racks of shirts and then waited until 11:30 pm before beginning. 20 or 25 folks showed up and the majority of them loved it. By night's end I'd sold ten t-shirts and seven or eight CDs for a grand total of $124! It felt awesome to have a crowd that loved my eccentric, random shirts (and songs) as much as I do; God bless you Charlottesville. : ) After two hours I had to call it quits so's I could make it to the radio station for my 2:00 am interview with Ramsey and Rich. At 3:00 it was over and after liberating 175 Krispy Creme Donuts from a dumpster Heather drove me back to the Stribling house where I collapsed in my sleeping bag and slept sweet dreams. At noon I awoke and joined Heather, Sara, and Elle for a delicious breakfast at a bustling, greasy-spoon restaraunt on the outskirt of town (they treated!). Sara and Elle are both breathtakingly beautiful, Middle-Eastern women with the warmest smiles and most generous spirits one could encounter. Sara is Persian, and Elle is Lebanese/Syrian/Palestinian. We talked a little of the ways that white gentiles use racism and anti-semitism to divide Arabs and Jews and Elle expressed frustration with people who bad-mouth Israelis... Yes!! And to top it all off, they said that my songs give them hope. Sara gave me a colorfully collaged CD of her music which I can't wait to hear. As I drove away I telepathically thanked Jonny Corndawg for talking me into coming here. Speaking of J.C., he left me a care-package of a CD, tape and wood-block-printed shirt which I'm wearing as I type this. Thanks again, Corndawg.

Now I'm in Durham and I just played two shows. The first one was in a restaurant and flopped... I now realize that I don't make the best background music. When people finally catch onto my words they tend to lose their appetites. I played 4 songs and then told them I had food poisoning and had to leave (which made them lose their appetites even more I think). I made $2 in tips. My friend Laura is the waitress there. After the show I went to her house-party where I commenced to do show #2. This one started out uncomfortably with a bunch of folks wanting to jam. In all there were five instruments: accordion, banjo, mandolin, and two guitars. A picker named L.A. Fernandez, and I, swapped songs for about an hour or so, with everyone else following behind, until he and the accordion player left. Then I played another hour or so just entertaining the remaining folks. I hit it off well with Laura's boyfriend, Al, who also raps some, and gave him a sampler CD. I gave L.A. one, too, who says he might be able to help me set up another show here in the Fall. It's unlikely I'll return that soon, but would like to if I can somehow pay off my credit card debts by then.

I wake up in about five hours.
It's cold and raining outside.
Go, li'l Joe... keep on keepin' on.

Hi. I'm in Asheville, NC. Last night I was in Black Mountain, NC for a wild show at The Town Pump. All sorts of crazy characters showed up and seemed to like me just fine. They paid me $65 and I was given a place to stay by Camo's old girlfriend, Kendra, who I've been hearing about for seven years now. This morning I slept in and eventually made it to the house of Bryan, Brigit, Stephanie, Wilde, Parker, and as of yesterday morning, Wise Emmet Freeborn, who just hatched!! He's a long-limbed little mammal with a twinkle in his eye. It was good to meet his beautiful sister, Wilde, who was born two years ago, too. My old friend, Sierra, flew out from Colorado to help out as did many of Bryan and Brigit's relatives, so needless to say it is a busy household. They're all asleep now as I type this. Soon I'll head back to Kendra's. Earlier this evening Sierra and I hit up the Grey Eagle open mic which was a good time. There's a lot of talent in these hills, that's for sure.

I played two shows in Nashville that I haven't mentioned yet. They both helped to earn me some more rent money. A special treat was running into my old friend, Matt Steinke, who played at the Red Rose Cafe in Murfreesboro before my set with Baby Stout. He's married now and creates musical robots.

My stay with Camo and Asher was a gift. I love those guys. We played takraw (a Siamese wicker ball is used as a hackey-sack), watched movies, reminisced about the Workhorses of Yesteryear, and talked about various women we love. Rapping along with Camo's beatbox was a highlight, too.

I'd better be gettin' on home now. G'night.

Joe's getting maintained at the mechanic's right now so I walked to the library. Camo's probably wondering where I ran off to. Last night we played a show at Bongo Java; and Reverend Asher joined us for a couple songs. A fellow named Jonny Corndawg, opened for me. He's a seriously crazy 19-yr-old country/punk Southern-boy who drove from Charlottesville, Virginia on his motorcycle; poetry dripped off him in every way. He wore a pink headband and a Christmas-flavored sweater. In fact, the whole audience of six people came mainly to see him. I managed to sell 3 CDs. I met Calvin's girlfriend, Kristina, at the show. She was just in Olympia visiting him. Chris Davis was there, too. Tonight I play with Baby Stout in Murfreesboro!

I'm here... Nashville. 319 JOE is running sublimely! Asher and Camo are playing video games right now. Today their band, Baby Stout, won a "Got Milk" battle-of-the-bands competition at the Opry Mills Mall; they got $200.

Southbound again... I'm about to roll out of Missouri and pay a visit to my old home: Music City, USA (aka Nashville)! My stay in Columbia was good. The show at Central Tap went really well as lots of people came and let themselves be captivated and bought my merch. I traded sets with a New York folk-singer named Greg Klymer-- we swapped road stories and found out we knew some of the same people. The owners at Central Pat were enthusiastic about bringing me back. Columbia is filled with great potential venues and is a funky, progressive town in a myriad of ways. I wouldn't even mind living there for a while. Elise, Ben, and River treated me kindly and I met many of their wonderful friends. This morning I got a much-needed massage from a healer named Ana Duff and last night had pizza with a fellow named Terry who plans to come to Olympia in June and play a show. He's just out of high-school and is in love with the K records scene.

What else? I'm a little under the weather, perhaps because the weather has been cold. It snowed a little yesterday, but today the sun came out I feel ready to drive.

Greetings from Columbia, Missouri. It's a good thing I came a day early because it turns out my show at Central Tap is tonight and not tomorrow. My stay in Lawrence, KS last night was semi-painful. First, I couldn't track any of my old friends down and secondly, the hotel walls were paper-thin and the couple next door were alternately fighting and having sex until 5 am; sometimes I couldn't distinguish which. Twice I put on my clothes, went outside and knocked on their door and asked them to tone it down.

I'm sleepy, and happy to be here; public libraries are doing me good on this tour! My friend, Elise, set this show up and I just paid her and her partner, Ben, and son, River, a visit. River's 18 months old. The library is closing now-- bye.

I'm in Wichita, Kansas; pretty much smack dab in the center of the USA. As I was driving from Oklahoma City to here it was hard to read the US map as I-35 is in the crack of the Rand-McNally atlas between pages two and three. The wind blew so hard along that stretch that it actually corrected my steering problem and at times I was able to let go of the wheel-- (cheap thrills)! I liked Oklahoma-- still lots of poverty... friendly people, $1.2499 unleaded gas! The 70-yr-old toothless maid, busted into my $25 hotel room this morning as I was watching Iraqi war-coverage and gave me her unsolicited opinion about it-- something about how George Bush, Sr. was maybe alright but how his son is an idiot putting poor people's lives at risk for the sake of making some money. The hotel advertised with a big, red banner that the owner is a war veteran. Woody Guthrie and Will Rogers' (and even Merle Haggard's) ghosts remain.

Once in Kansas I had to pay a toll-fee to use the highway. I think I'll mosey to Lawrence tonight and try to find a friend or two. (Oh, by the way-- my time in Santa Fe was titillating. I played 4 hours and made $285 at the Cowgirl Cafe, hiked and re-befriended Rachael, philosophized and had visions with J.R. and Kristina (and met her mom), slept in a lot, ate good food, and generally had a blast! What more can I say?) Thanks for everything J.R., Rachael, Randy, and Wendy!

To recount: On March 19th I played Lestat's Coffee House in San Diego with Bunky, Jen Grady, and Red Pony Clock. Due to the start of war the mood of the musicians and audience was sad. A good-sized crowd came out, though, anyway-- perhaps to avoid the idiotic media reports. (Thanks, Liz, for setting it up!!) I stayed with Jen and her sister, Erin, who lives in San Diego. Jen and I (who really do love each other) spent the next day walking around various beaches and she showed me the hostel where she used to work. That night I played on the UCSD radio station with The Blow, Angela Correa, and Anna Oxygen. There was a crowd of 20 or so who came to watch and it went well. I was especially impressed with Anna and the Dr. Groove beats she programmed!! You'd have to see it to believe it.

On the 20th I left Jen and cruised east on Hiway 10 towards Tucson. I arrived with 30 minutes to spare at the warehouse/ housing co-op called The Captain's Table. I could go on and on about this place and its inhabitants, but won't. I'll just say that most Olympia anarchists, punks, and artists would love it here. Dawn and Kee, who set the show up, are twin sisters who also play in the band, Sugarbush. Once again, you'll have to see it to believe it. They played and after them, I sang and rapped to an audience of about fifty. After me was Liberty School, also terrific. I made about $100 in merch and $86 from passing a hat. I spent the night at Maggie and Mike's 150-year-old house in the heart of "old" Tucson. They treated me to breakfast in the morning and by noon I was off to Corrales where I am still. Tonight J.R. and I will drive to Santa Fe and party with my Olympia room-mate, Kristina, who is visiting a Chinese medicine school.

New Mexico, ahhh yes... I'm in a town near Albuquerque (Corrales) in Wendy and Randy's big, beautiful adobe abode and it bodes well for my bod after 9 hours drivin' from Tucson. Rather than try to sum up the last three excellent days, I'll wait until tomorrow and now go hang out with my great, great friend J.R. Morgan. G'night o' blogspot.

I don't have a links page, but if I did-- one website I'd recommend is: www.somesuch.com. My genius friend, Chris "Goose" Kirk, has created it in the last couple weeks and it's funny, pleasing to the eye, and insightful. Please drop him a line if you get the chance give him feedback. He updates it daily so it's a good one to add to your favorites.l

Here's a quote from an old German...

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, a parliament or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

Herman Goering,
Nazi Reichmarshal and Luftwaffe chief at the Nuremberg trials.

Today was like any other day except for the chocolate-barf-contest. I awoke late and had my first meal at noon in West Hollywood with my ol' pal Andras Jones. We had yummy, cheap sushi and then drove to his movie-/rock-star comedian, ex-roommate Andy Dick's house. Andy is perhaps the most famous person I've spent time with until this date-- good guy, too. I helped him and Andras begin writing a song called "I Suck". I'm sure a web-search would come up with something on him if you haven't heard of him yet; probably www.andydick.com. Tonight I spent a little time with my former Olympia friend, Yolanda, at a bar called Akbar.

I'll now catch you up on the last few days, so listen closely with your eyes...

The San Luis Obispo show was pretty lame because I didn't have a p.a. system and thus no one could really hear me. I did sell three shirts for a total of $20, but no CDs. I slept in my car that night on a cliff overlooking a field. All night the rain pissed and the wind rocked Joe while I tried to sleep. In the morning cows were practically swimming through the pasture below-- a surreal scene. I drove back to Linnae's Cafe for my promised, free breakfast and then headed south to L.A. Once in Hollywood I was forced to get drenched to the bone in an attempt to unload my car at my friend's Andy and Sarah's house. Apparently that rainstorm was the second wettest 24-hr. downpour in L.A.'s recorded history. That night Andy and Sarah took me to two house parties. Both were small but I ended up selling over $200 worth of CDs which helped make up for the previous two shows. My friend Sharzhad came out for the second show! I love seeing old pals as I ramble 'round the World. It's especially good to hang out with Andy and Sarah as they are so loving and welcoming to me each time we reconnect. Yesterday Andy and I climbed the Hollywood hills. Later Sarah joined us and we drove to Venice Beach for clam chowder and waves and sand...

Wow, I just lost another journal entry... I hate when that happens.

San Luis Obispo is abysmal and dismal today. I'll tell more later! On my way to L.A.

Arrrghh... I just spent half an hour or more crafting a great journal entry of my last two days in Santa Cruz, ant the show and my stay with Kim and Daniella and I somehow deleted it!!!! I was inspired and had the time but now I don't. Damnnnnnnnnnnn. I'm sweating I'm so mad.

Well, check out Rjyan Kidwell's (aka Cex's) journal entry of today. He mentions a little of our Tuesday night San Fran show together. It's www.rjyan.com.

About the last night's show though, it went great and I finally sold my red longjohns.

Tonight I channelled the ghost of an old, scared cowboy who just stumbled into a lesbian whorehouse. I shyly shared 15 or 20 songs knowing full well that I would not sell a single CD by night's end. Upon reflection, though, it wouldn't have been right if I had. The show which featured four great bands was free and Cex, who just had a full-page write-up in Rolling Stone this month played to an audience of only forty or so people and hawked CDs in a corner of the hostel's cafe. I did sell two of my $2 shirts and one $1 zine which paid for the chicken teryaki I ate before the show, but better than that I traded Cex three of his CDs for three of mine and we swapped shirts. His has a picture of Eminem and Kurt Cobain shaking hands on the front. He chose one of my $2 ones-- a tight yellow cut-off with "i know sandman" across the front. Rapatron kicked off the set in style, but I unfortunately missed most of it 'cause I was preparing the merch. Next came the Gross Gang who were loud and loose and... loud, (but good). Cex followed and swiftly disarmed the audience by telling stories and doing call and response stuff and stage diving though there wasn't one. His presence is large and I was glad to see him before he's playing rock arenas. After him, I fumbled forth with "All the Things I Done Wrong". What I really felt like playing at that point were the rest of my acapella cowboy dirges, but I felt obligated to pull out my "tricks" which might have been a mistake. Being billed as a "rapping cowboy" sometimes pressures me into alternating between honky tonk and rap when all I really want to do is just moan like a coyote. I made the audience uncomfortable with my obvious nervousness, but they stuck in there 'til the end. Cex was graciously exuberant about my set and said he'd contact me. Jessica and Danilo and Annessa all said they, too, liked it. Why then, I ask myself, did so many others avoid eye contact and leave me feeling like an 64-year-old, perverted rodeo announcer w/ testicular cancer and seven months to live? I'll tell you why: they were nervous, too. Next time I will try to love them better... (either that or I will slaughter and disembowel them with a shovel).

The Universe is kind. So is the Bay Area! This tour has been surprisingly magic and it's only getting better; the two shows I just played were both so different and good. Last night was the house party. Annessa and Jolene fixed their place up and bought lots of food and drink and Troy Byker supplied the dee jay element. At 10:00 pm I began my lengthy set in front of 35 or so guests and they were clearly entertained. A fellow named Octavio beatboxed during some of the raps and a chap named Darrin played a sweet harmonica along with "I Guess I Can't Be Used". The audience kicked down $40 or so into the hat and I made another $100 in merchandise sales which is good enough. My stay at A and J's house was just what the doctor ordered as I slept a lot and took some nice walks. I visited a huge flea market and quietly admired the city of Oakland and all it's people. The house party ended at 1:30 in the morning with about five devoted listeners (all men) hanging on for one more song. It felt tribal as we talked about what we must do to make the world and our country safe again. We avoided attacking our President and chose to re-view him with new, compassionate eyes. Then I drove Troy and Darrin home and the night was over.

Upon awaking this a.m. I packed my goodies, ate breakfast with Annessa and Jolene, replied to 16 emails and drove straight to the BART subway station on 24th and Mission in San Francisco. I ate some Salvadorean pupusas and arrived a little late to my show. The first band, Two Gallants, kicked out the jams with drums and electric guitar-- they are really fine: poetic, melodic, and aggressive. They played three songs, then I did, and then another excellent band, The Fleas, did the same. We made it through only two or three rounds of this before an officer shut us down, but the timing felt okay as the sky looked ominous anyway. The Fleas were also drums/guitar but had a differen vibe than Two Gallants. They played a mixture of perfect punk and old-school country. I think they hail from Chicago. A steady crowd of at least 100 people gathered around for the whole show and many dropped dollar bills into a tip jar which ended up going to me for some fortunate reason. The crowd appeared captivated while I played and I sold 30 or 40 dollars worth of merch afterwards-- mostly the $5 sampler packs. Danilo, who set up the show and tomorrow night's too, deserves massive props. The audience and performers alike came together in such a rare, exuberant fashion because of his efforts/activism. I loved the Hispanic boy who hip hop danced throughout "Radio Works Fine" and the homeless (I think) Native American man who howled throughout "M for Montana" and gave me the warmest handshake afterwards and a hearty, "Welcome to San Francisco my Montana friend", and the tall, middle-aged African American man who asked me if I needed a flute player to travel with. (If I only had room!) I connected with a soul-singing white woman named Ivy who I will help to set up a show in Olympia in the Summer. Troy, too, was there on his way home from work. I'll tell more later.

Alright, I might just have a moment to write. I'm wound up about some stuff, but don't want to go into it... grrrrrrr. Anyways, the sun is out and it's so beautiful in Oakland right now. I'm in an old boat-hangar next to the water which has been converted into the quaintest little abode. I hear a train and a plane and some birds. Tonight I'll be playing a house-party in this exact little space with the woodstove as my prop. Last night I played on KALX in Berkely and, although I was nervous, I think the interview part went over great; the DJ Jason asked insightful questions. Now I'll recap the last few days on the road...

On the 6th I awoke early and drove to the land of $2.19/gallon gas, i.e. California! I made it to Nevada City around 6:00 pm and began my search for Jaime and Abbey who my friends at the Department of Safety had told me about. Five hours later Jaime called me back while I awaited my turn at an open mic at The Wall Street Cafe in Grass Valley. Those five hours were perfect as I had time to relaxedly explore both of those little historic, gold rush towns. Nevada City is crawling with personality; in fact many of my heroes have lived or still live there, for instance Jonathan Richman, Utah Phillips, and Neil Young. Even better, though, were my new heroes who I met that night: Jaime, Abbey, Matt, and Aaron. We crashed an all-girls party at midnight until we all got too sleepy and returned to Jaime's house. The next morning we drove a winding, dirt road to a semi-secret section of the Yuba River, which matches any of Montana's most beautiful waterways. Aaron did a back-flip off a 30' high rock into it, but no one else felt like braving the cold. I plan to return to Nevada City very soon. I was so happy to have a crew to be with for a day!

At 5:00 pm I drove three hours to the agricultural center called Modesto to play my show at the Mustang. I arrived early and almost left early, but I'm glad I stuck around. The Mustang is a gay bar, and when I walked in with my cowboy hat and mustache and saw the crowd, I felt that "fear of self" that so many fellow Montanans have been known to feel. This experience, though, liberated me from the stereotype I've associated with gay bars. By 10:00 pm the crowd became equally lesbian with another third being punk rock kids who just wanted to hear good music. I used two wireless, karoake mics and commenced. The sound was kind of tinny, but they all seemed entertained and I sold a few shirts and CDs afterwards. A real surprise came when a woman named Madigan introduced herself and gave me one of her CDs. Her band is called Bonfire Madigan and I've known of her for years, since she used to record on Kill Rock Stars, which is an Olympia label. She knew of me, too, and we instantly hit it off. She was there with her partner, Sean, who played in one of the bands after me. (Interruption: my friend Troy's here and we're going to go eat now); to wrap up, Madigan and Sean asked their friend Ian if I could stay at his pad who said yes. The next morning I met Ian's friends who were super friendly, albeit still drunk, and we relaxed on the lawn in the sun and I sold a couple more shirts and then split. Now I'm here. Bye...

Here's a note to say I'm still alive, but alas have no time to expound upon my last 3 fun-packed days. I have to go play on the radio now (in Berkely-- KALX). I think that soooon you will have the rest of the story...

Ashland, OR smells good; cherry trees are blossoming. Driving from Corvallis I saw lots of daffodils and lambs. I used to raise lambs. I used to pick cherries and daffodils, too-- one for a job and one for a girl. I'm at my friends Dan and Jen's house late at night. They're sleeping. I'm pondering the $400 phone bill that Verizon appears to want from me this month... hmmm.

Dan and I dumpster-dived a loaf of bread tonight and he fed me a salad straight from their garden. Maybe I should sleep a little as I'm getting up at 8:00 a.m. to drive to Nevada City, California.