Silence of the Spirit House Studios

I am sitting in the kitchen of Spirit House Studios in Northampton, MA. It’s 1:52 AM and I have decided to write this Blog entry instead of watching another episode of Six Feet Under; most likely the best show to have ever appeared on television. It’s been so long since writing one of these. I don’t even know where to start…

Danny Bernini and I have been co-producing what I consider to be my strongest set of songs yet, which is good because regression is a bitch. That being said, something tells me many artists feel their newest work is finest, but we all know this is not the case. If it were, we would hear a lot more patrons shouting for “No Ring, No Gets” and “Complicated” at Poison and Bon Jovi concerts, respectively.

Danny has worked with acts ranging from Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy to Robert Palmer and Stryper. He recently worked with Martin Sexton, who, at the moment, happens to be one of my favorite performers. We have 14-15 songs down, so it’s safe to say something will be cut.

We’ve been fortunate to have some very talented musicians join the sessions including: Terry Adams (NRBQ), Lenny Pickett (Tower of Power, SNL), Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams and the Cardinals), and Josh Dion. The album also features performances from Omer, Floyd, and Jeremy (band members whom you’ve most likely met during our visits to your city). The album will be completed in late June with a projected release for mid-autumn.

While recording the album, I was involved in a show called Yesterday and Today. The premise of the show was as follows: a band of seven learned the entire Beatles catalogue. Audience members would arrive at the theater and put in their requests for the evening. A set list was then formed based on their requests. Preparation was nerve wracking. It’s not easy to memorize 208 songs, several of which contain similar chord progressions, stream of conscience lyrics, and varied time signatures. The outcome was rewarding. I was not the biggest Beatles fan prior to the experience. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate them, I was just not a super-fan. That has changed. Committing their incredible works to memory was a master class lesson in songwriting.
Aside from learning these tunes and having a great time, I chipped my tooth on a microphone and had a panic attack in front of 300 people.

While singing the Lennon part of “Drive My Car” I had a weird thought, “Billy (co-star) is going to sing the third verse second today.” I don’t know why I thought that. He had never done it before. Anyway, he actually DID do this and though I was prepared with the harmony, I was so shocked that I turned my head into my Shure 58 and took a hunk out of my left central incisor. This is not the first time I have had this experience. I had this tooth bonded three years ago from a similar incident involving a microphone. Damn.

As for the panic attack, I have no clue what happened. It could have been the whole recording an album, doing six Beatles shows a week, and booking a May tour “thing.” I had been experiencing these moments of anxiety during the previous week. Ever had that feeling? Like you’re going to have a heart attack accompanied by sweaty palms, dizziness, blah, blah, blah? It sucks.

So, I’m standing on stage playing “Dear Prudence” when all of sudden I feel like I am going to faint. I’ve yet to do so in my life, but the thought of my first time being on a stage in front of 350 people was slightly upsetting. The audience saw me smiling singing my favorite Beatles song, but inside my head, my brain was screaming, “Run!!!! Get off the fucking stage!!! You’re going to faint onto your Taylor guitar in front of a full theater…etc, etc.” The fact that I was up to sing lead on the next three songs was of no comfort either. Right before I was about to tell the bass player Matt he had to sing my next three songs, I told myself, “No. You’re staying on this stage and finishing these tunes and if you pass out, tough shit.” I made it through the first act and told Billy what was going on. He advised I start giving myself some down time through out the week to relax. I agreed, walked outside and called the Green Parrot in Key West, FL to see if they would be interested in setting up a show on May 9th and 10th. I deserve to have panic attacks.

We’ll be heading out on the aforementioned tour shortly. I’ll keep you posted on things as they develop. I also plan to memoir the Fall 2007 tour as soon as I get a hot minute. Trust me, there is a good tale or two to spin from that one. As always, thanks for reading.

-Jeff