So here we are, in the midst (and mists) of what promises to be a most spontaneous, fulfilling, and magical new year. With a side dish of doom of course. Nah- I think we'll be here next year, but I can sense that we are all facing some challenges that range from global to personal levels. With all of the floods, revolutions, and televised frivolity, it's almost as if now I can sense and feel impeding events very deeply before they even happen. My B.S. meter is sharper than ever, and I feel as if I can sense the depth relevance of things more quickly. My gut tells me that things will intensify in the spring....after a somewhat mellower and more plodding winter.
What I also sense is the immediacy of great expansion for my music and my life at this point, despite the growing pains. Recently, NYC Rock named "Night Escape" #27 (after Rihanna of all people) for 100 Best Albums of 2011! Pretty amazing! More bragging- he also called my album "the surprise of the year." This mention, among some others, was to me a great confirmation of many things. First, that hard work and dedication to one's art and craft will be rewarded. Secondly, I feel that my desire to break to new ground with a distinctive new sound and vision is slowly beginning to manifest and become ever more clear. To a large extent my album, and my songwriting in general aims to explore, reveal, and thrill. However, despite a bit of recognition, the greatest confirmation of my work always comes with the urgency and excitement of a live audience.
And from here, it's about some enrichment, enhancement, and blasting through some roadblocks. All majestic highways and paths can be blazed, however, sometimes a bit of crude TNT is needed to blast some rock out of the way (OK, I'm generally more environmentally friendly than that). Recently, I have a hawk's eye out for laziness, fear of reaching out, and good ideas that go forgotten. I also want to look into making some videos and work with other artists of all kinds. These details are slowly being fleshed out, but there are times when I can feel the reality of future performances and I am shocked by their closeness. It's almost as if I am reaching into a deep pond that displays these hopes, and once I touch the surface to find the world, it all disappears with ripples. For now.
Of course, there are more shows brewing. I just played a cool show at Sidewalk Cafe with Danny Leonard and Pete O'Neill. 2012 seems to be a reckoning to many- that we discover our true callings and move towards them. With general instability and destruction of paradigms, it feels more welcoming than ever to walk into whatever world we wish to create for ourselves. And as I sit watching this rosy Brooklyn sunset, an airborne plastic bag/trash drifts merrily on by. 2012 Y'all!!!