A long vacation is nice. Breaking back onto the scene with three days of shows and traveling 600 miles in the process is better. Having gone our separate ways to find refreshing solitude in the wild and wonderful Northeast, Michael and I returned to Virginia invigorated and ready to work hard. We immediately started tearing our musical equipment apart and replacing it with better gear, which we road-tested right away at our shows in Arlington, Amherst, and Charlottesville. We had three fantastic shows and all of our improvements and replacements worked beautifully. For the most part. (Luckily, we carry spares of everything.)

Our first show of last week was also our first show at a new-to-us venue, Ireland’s Four Courts in Arlington. I loved having a proper stage to stand on (an amenity many venues lack). It’s nice being able to see the whole crowd. There were quite a few familiar faces in the audience, though the wonderful people of Arlington proved to us once again how easy they are to make friends with. They’re pretty good singers and dancers, too (thanks for giving us a break from singing, Stefani!)

If you’ve ever been to the famous Garlic Festival in Amherst (or even heard of it), then you know about the beautiful, rolling hills and gorgeous mountain vistas at Rebec Winery. We got to be a part of Third Thursdays at Rebec, a summer series of live music, food, and wine tasting, and it was a real treat for us. Our stage was set up overlooking rows upon rows of grape vines, trailing off into the foothills and peaks of the Blue Ridge, and in front of a charming and attentive audience (who were also eager to get on stage and sing. I’m getting spoiled.) We stuck around for a good while afterward with our friends Katie and Brian, two quality people who helped staff the event and did an impromptu photo shoot with us after everything was packed up. Great times were had by all, maybe next year we’ll play at the Garlic Festival?

Friday marked yet another show for us, at the unforgettable Coupe DeVille’s in Charlottesville. This time, we faced perhaps the most riotous and awesome crowd we’ve seen yet at Coupe’s. They’ve won a special place in my heart; nearly everyone on the patio helped me sing through an unplanned, unrehearsed cover of Wagon Wheel, and a table of nice young ladies took the action shot below with me during a song (thanks, Kristina!)

After that spree of shows, we spent about a week recording, mixing, and moving things to the new band compound, but returned to the stage two nights ago, at the White Hart in Lynchburg. I don’t have any shots from that night yet, (please let me know if you do!) but we played for about two straight hours to a packed house. It’s awesome to me that I could count so many people there as friends, but saw so many more new faces. I do enjoy when we get to play in Lynchburg; never forget your roots.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most since moving to Virginia are the long, temperate summers that extend into a comfortably warm fall. Sadly, I’ve grown less than appreciative this year because of the obnoxious heat and humidity, and it became apparent to me that I needed to spend some time up north.

I spent the past week traveling around beautiful upstate New York (a bit of Pennsylvania, too) which is great, because I had forgotten what it’s like to leave the doors and windows open while the sun is out. I stayed with family and friends, in the woods and farmlands between the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario. It was a relaxing week of playing guitar, building new equipment for our live show, doing more booking, and embracing my Italian heritage with big, wonderful, homemade Mediterranean meals every day.

I had an opportunity to go to a private Owner’s Club event at the Martin guitar factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, so I made the trip down for a day. Though both of my acoustic guitars were made there, I’m not actually an “official member”, so it was a treat for me to roam around the workshops and displays, tour the factory, and meet the company president. It’s refreshing to see that a company can handle worldwide demand from one factory, do so much of the work by hand, and still be relaxed enough to let people poke around their factory on a work day.

Everyone is gearing up to go back to school, and I’m steeling myself for the relentless work that fall holds for me. I’m back in Virginia now, waiting for Mike to return from Connecticut (uh, did you say you saw Rihanna? Last year it was Michelle Obama, what’s going on up there?) so we can get back to performing, starting with a show in Arlington this coming Wednesday, the 18th. Shoot me a message if you’re going, it’s a new area for us and I really want to see a lot of people at the show!

Sweet cannoli, how I miss you already.

It’s been a hot minute since I last updated, it seems. Here’s a quick account of the places we’ve been and the strange and marvelous people we saw along the way:

Longing for the ocean, Michael and myself loaded our car with instruments and headed to the Beach House Bar in Richmond. Though we had a fantastic crowd that made us feel right at home, the gig proved to be a poor surrogate for actual sand and surf, so we hit the road again for Virginia Beach. We met up with a few friends for some relaxation and fajitas before our show at the Green Parrot, on Chick’s Beach. It had cooled off slightly outside by nightfall (it was 117° when we first arrived), but the show was absolutely sweltering. We were compelled to shuck our dress attire and perform in t-shirts, adding measurably to the hotness of the room. Regardless of the heat, it was a fun excursion and it felt like a mini vacation.

Last weekend was our first show at McGrady’s Irish Pub, in Charlottesville. Thankfully, we got a small break from the heat and it was a gorgeous night for performing on the front deck, especially with the fun, talkative crowd that gathered (how do you know all of our weird covers, Charlottesville?) Thanks to Jessica for being our stand-in photographer and for feeding us after the show!

I’ve been getting more and more email through my site, which I think is great. I’m always happy to hear a critique, answer questions, give horoscope readings, solve difficult homework problems, etc., so feel free to drop me a line.

[VIDEO] The Kinks – Sunny Afternoon

It’s the morning after our Bastille day show at Big Lick and I’m fueling up on coffee for a day of tracking vocals. The show was fantastic, I was very glad to see so many familiar faces. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a few pictures from last night, but for now, I’ll post my “18th century portrait” (taken at Maya, thanks Rachel!) and a snapshot from the yacht on which I spent the 4th of July.

The night before Maya, we played in Market Square in Roanoke, at Awful Arthur’s. We were actually putting on too mind-bending of a performance to be photographed standing still, but perhaps next time we’ll slow down momentarily and pose for a picture. Later in the week, we hopped on a boat with our harmonica player/banjoist/folk musician extraordinaire Caleb and sailed around Smith Mountain Lake for the day. At dusk, we swam to shore with a few provisions, built a beach campfire, and roasted hot dogs while an array of fireworks shows illuminated the sky all across the lake. Summer has been wonderful so far, I’m definitely getting in my share of beaches and boats (ferries count, right?) and I’m excited to return to the beach next weekend, by way of Richmond.

It’s a tad strange, returning to reality after having the time of my life in the Outer Banks. We have some great memories from that trip, for sure, and our last two days in Ocracoke were fantastic. We played a fun set at Howard’s Pub, which was fairly happening for a Monday night. There was much dancing, and also we made a few new friends. Our lodging for the night was just a short walk away from Howard’s, a considerable (and welcome) change of pace from the requisite minimum one-hour drive we normally face after every show. The next morning, we had a delicious breakfast and coffee across the street at a fun little café, then searched for a bit of Blackbeard’s gold before beginning the long ride back home (we did find a bit– at the gift shop.)

Along the way, though, we found ourselves on a two-hour trip across the Pamlico Sound aboard a mostly-empty ferry. Being the last car in the group, we sat on the trunk for an unobstructed view of the ocean, and being musicians, we took out a mandolin and a guitar and started tunefully passing the time. We apparently weren’t the only ones interested in hearing some music; before long, several groups of ferry riders had found seats on the deck or leaned against the rail, and it somehow turned into a mini-show. Photographer Robert Green was on board, capturing the ocean vistas, and was inspired to snap a few shots of us as we began playing (thanks for the photos, Robert!) A very neat trip, experiences like that are what give touring a sense of unpredictable fun.

We’re playing our next two shows at Awful Arthur’s in Roanoke and Maya Restaurant in Charlottesville. Two venues with great seafood, the perfect way to ease back into work after the beach.

It’s a beautiful night and I’m sipping a drink, moments away from a bike ride by moonlight, but first I wanted to write a quick update.

I’m having a grand time at the beach, in the gorgeous Outer Banks of North Carolina. We’ve been staying in an amazing beach house with the company of a few friends, playing in the ocean daily and riding bikes through the streets at night, and ending every day with a relaxing soak in the hot tub. It’s a rough way to live, but we’ve also been able to get away and play a few shows in Nags Head.

We’re playing one more show tonight, at Howard’s Pub in Ocracoke, then it’s back home to finish the new CD and get back on the Virginia circuit. Oh, and a million thanks to the Jackson clan for their bottomless hospitality this week!

It’s been absolutely beautiful lately, I love that I’m spending so much more time outdoors. One of the greatest perks of my job is playing outside on these gorgeous, warm, summer nights. We put on six performances in the span of nine days, and we definitely kicked summer off properly with a good, old-fashioned Memorial Day cookout.

Our journey began with a stop in Richmond for a performance at Bottoms Up Pizza. The space is a lot bigger than I had anticipated, with two floors inside, a wrap-around deck upstairs, and a huge patio downstairs, where we set up. The audience was great, I’m glad that people are still receptive to a little music during dinner (and a special thank you to the cool kids who hung around at the very end.) Also, the Greek pizza is phenomenal. We’ll be back in September, and you really won’t want to miss that show, if you can make it. The following day marked our fourth show at the Cowboy Café, always a fun crowd. I really appreciated how attentive the audience was, perhaps we’re getting a better feel for the venue. We also played a supremely awesome show on the upstairs stage of the Union Jack, in Winchester. The turnout was great, floor space was at a premium, and we really played our hearts out. I’m hoping we’ll get to go back soon.

We then took a break of sorts, playing at a Memorial Day party, where food, drink, and friendly people were plentiful, followed by five days of recording and recuperation. Over the weekend, we played our third show (but our first outdoors) at Coupe Deville’s in Charlottesville, which was unreasonably crowded and just rowdy enough for my taste, and yet another show at the White Hart in Lynchburg. I think that I’ve played in that space with every band I’ve been in, but the last two shows there have undoubtedly been the best. Lastly, we put on our final Virginia performance of the month at the Village Grill in Roanoke. We did very well, even better when I consider that I was watching the Lakers/Celtics game whenever I wasn’t singing, on the big screens behind the bar– thanks for getting me through that show, muscle memory!

We’re really stepping it up this week, scrambling to get everything in order (and get some recording done) before heading down the coast to North Carolina for a week-long round of shows in the beautiful Outer Banks. I’m so excited for this, watch the site for updates and pictures next week.

We played our first show at SoRo in Roanoke recently, which was fantastic, but now I really don’t think there’s any way I can put off learning some Johnny Cash any longer. Which of his songs would be most awesome as a cover? There are so many of them, picking one to start with is going to be the hardest part. In any case, I’m already excited to go back to Roanoke next month (at the Village Grill) and we’ll definitely be returning to SoRo in the not-so-distant future.

Spring is having its final bouts of moody weather before giving way to what will most definitely be a glorious summer, but let’s not forget the all-important tradition of the Memorial Day cookout. I’m getting ahead of myself, Michael and I still have a bit of traveling and performing to do before we can kick off the season properly.

First up is a show in Richmond on May 26, at world-famous Bottoms Up Pizza, right on the James River. Actually, it’s across the river from Mayo Island, which is an unfortunate condiment to be next to pizza, but a stunning victory for the anti-Miracle Whip camp. After that, we’ll forgo our cars for horses and ride into Arlington in proper form for our third show at the Cowboy Café, final resting place of John Wayne, on the 27th. Following this, we’ll drive in the left lane all the way to the Union Jack Pub for our show in Winchester on the 28th. I’ll be excited because I’m playing in a gigantic, three-story, historic bank, you’ll be excited because their desserts are amazing. We’ll bring this run of shows to a close at a private Memorial Day party, where we’ll do our patriotic duty and play a rousing set before joining the action ourselves.

When this week of fun and good times comes to an end, the excitement will continue as we wrap up the last few recording sessions for our EP and continue booking shows. Keep an eye on the events page and stay tune for more pictures of our performances.

Gossip – Heavy Cross

Happy Cinco de Mayo! If you didn’t know, today is one of my favorite, drinking-centered holidays of ambiguous purpose and origin, right up there with St. Patrick’s Day. I’m a little worried, though, that Kraft might try to re-brand the holiday. I was really expecting to see “Cinco de Miracle Whip” somewhere, considering last year’s inexplicable ad campaign, launched seemingly in an attempt to create brand loyalty among the rooftop-dancing hipster crowd. The Colbert Report fired back a few months ago, but Kraft merely churned out more propaganda and aired it during Stephen’s commercial breaks. It was an interesting spectacle, to say the least. Enough with the history lesson, though, onward with the music!

Last weekend, we had another fantastic show at the Cowboy Café– Arlington’s only saloon with a side entrance for hippies– and a few drinks afterward thanks to our bartender, Caleb. Props to Thai Terrace for fueling us with spicy goodness before the show, and to all our friends who came out to see us– we see more and more of you every time, and we love it! The next day, we checked out the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, where we picked up some refreshments (thanks, Sherri!) and wandered around, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells… ahh, Italian sausage and funnel cake. That night, we headed down to Charlottesville and put on yet another rocking performance at Maya, where the oysters are fresh, the gin is refreshing, and the crowd knows way too many of our covers. The guy who drunkenly danced to Ben Folds was my favorite, I hope a lot more people start doing that at our shows. We’re already excited to return in July for more impulsive merriment and Ted’s excellent hospitality. I’m off for now, but we just added more dates to our calendar, so you’d better come see us some time soon!

Edit: Wow, sadly I called that one. Turns out this photo was added to Miracle Whip’s facebook page a matter of minutes before I started writing this post. Scary, huh?

If you missed our recent shows in Roanoke, Hollins University, or Richmond, I’d like you to know that we were really good, and you would have loved it. Don’t feel bad, though! We’re preparing to pepper the commonwealth with a scattershot schedule of shows, starting with our favorite Arlington haunt, the Cowboy Café, which precedes our triumphant return to Charlottesville’s fabulous Maya (where I would play for free, for the rest of my life, if I could have dinner there every night), followed by a short breather before we come galumphing back into Roanoke, to play our first show at the brand-new SoRo Chill & Grille in beautiful Piccadilly Square.

Certainly, no one can accuse us of sloth, as we’ve been filling our time between shows with recording (our new EP is halfway done!) and sleepless nights spent at the office, sourcing the best designers and merchants for our new gear. We’ve also been working toward getting some much-needed new designs for show flyers; look for the new posters and selections from our photoshoot soon.

I’m posting a song from one of my absolute favorite lyricists, Lil Wayne, whose album Tha Carter III was a mainstay of my summer soundtrack a few years ago. He’s a prolific songwriter (I’ve read that he records at least one song every day), and he’s probably released 10 or 20 albums since that one came out, but there are several cuts that regularly get stuck in my head.

Lil Wayne – Let the Beat Build