Vermont

I drove from Rochester, NY through the Adirondacks to northern Vermont, and just as I crossed the bridge at Crown Point I got my first whiff of fall breeze - molting leaves and peat moss mingled with cow's breath and the cool smell of fresh-picked apples. This state is beautifully rugged, with vibrant colors that pop out in the warm sunlight and far enough north that the threat of moose crossing the road is not taken lightly.
My first stop was The Bee's Knees in Morrisville, VT north of Stowe, where I ate some incredible food and imbibed local beverages before performing a laid-back set of acoustic music in a cosy atmosphere. I know this is going to sound like a write-up for a travel company, but somehow that doesn't deter me from trying to convey the sense of homeyness and friendship that I felt in that place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DabSvfB88s

So it was natural that the girl behind the counter, on discovering I didn't have a place to spend the night, offered me her lean-to while she slept over at a friend's house. What a great night to spend in my sleeping bag out in the woods! The following morning Karen gave me a tour of the CSA (community supported agriculture) farm that friends of hers run, near Morrisville, and of course that meant meeting a bunch of great folks and eating fresh carrots, among other things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEsE3TZ66e0

They directed me to Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Cabot Cheese, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory (all just down the road), and I went on my way well-fed by a true Vermont experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZqB9-ZXJ4o

New Recording Project

The other day Matthew Monticchio and I went out to our friend George Yellack's house to record some drums for songs we are working on for a new collection of sacred songs. We wrote some of the songs and re-worked old hymns for this project, much like our last two Christmas album projects. This album will be released again under Pageant Music, and features a bunch of local musicians (Cliff Lewis, Katie Becker, Claire Battle, myself, Matt, others to be named) in a folk/pop/indie vein. You can download a rough demo of one of our original tunes, 'Communion Hymn' HERE. I'll try to keep you updated on our progress - here's a short video of our journey to George's and what we did when we got there.

Cornerstone Music Festival

I have been out of the loop for a few weeks, with good reason. I took some time off working for Math U See in order to go to Cornerstone Music Festival in Bushnell, Illinois this past week. The festival is run by Jesus People USA, an intentional community in Chicago that has been around since the early 70s. Last time I was there was in 2001 with the Wycliffe World Music Band as a roadie, and this time I just went to enjoy the festival. It was a blast!
I actually did end up playing at the Impromptu Stage to a crowd of 15 people, 8 of whom bought CDs (pretty good average since 5 of the people were friends who already had my CD), but the highlights for me were Stavesacre (back together after 6-8 years), Dave Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) and Rosie Thomas. Family Force 5, Anberlin, and Me Without You were pretty cool too. And Brian 'Head' Welch (former Korn rocker). I brought my video camera, but totally forgot to carry it around with me. I couldn't find the song I wanted on YouTube, but here's someone else's video of Dave Bazan's show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19oHHGfifgU
And in this video of Brother Red Squirrel's show you can see me dancing and clapping at 10 seconds with the black shirt on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW1103I46WU

Vlog Day 63 - Akron

I visited my friend Jonathan Crissman in Akron, where he's getting his master's degree in guitar performance from the University of Akron. We hung out, made some rice and beans and celebrated the coming of Cinco de Mayo. We're not Mexican, but we celebrate St. Patty's Day too, though we're not Irish.
Jonathan's a cool guy though. We went to college together, and besides his classical training and hymn arrangements, he recently released an album of folk tunes. He also is finishing up a project with Kendall Ludwig called Stories of Clockwork in which they both play the Appalachian Dulcimer. In a couple weeks they'll be on tour in the Northeast, so definitely check them out if they get out your way.