So much back blogging to do¹ about what was probably the best week in my entire life.  I know I often speak in superlatives, but please take that sentence literally.  I cannot express the joy and magic of the collaboration, inspiration, love, warmth, and pure positivity of this tour.  There was not a single, solitary imperfect moment. 

Each show was fabulous, but there was something extra-special about last night's performance at the Bowery Poetry Club.  I don't know if it's because we all knew it was the last night of the tour, or if it was just that we had just internalized the music from playing it so much this past week, but there were extra sparks, beamy halos and MAN, was it super-fun!  Kris Tiner posted a recap of the night-- scroll down for some pictures. 

This whole past week was pure Living The Dream for me.  I feel like I have fulfilled some cosmic contract.  I just can't believe how great I feel.  It is a drug. 


The show was incredible.  The place was packed with friends and strangers, all of whom were supportive and enthusiastic. Darcy said he'd never seen the Bowery Poetry Club so packed-- it was standing room again.  In attendance were boutell, glaucon all the way from Seattle, Quito, mrlich with his New Yorker brother Ben and his way-cool wife Trina.  Dan Schnelle (our unspeakably amazing drummer) had many peeps in the house, most of whom he hadn't seen since the last time he was out east for the last IJG tour. 

I gave away the few IJG shirts we had left, courtesy of Sheldonde.  The shirts were a huge hit, and I'm regretting not having ones made that say "Hang Ten Through Hell" and "Why Don't You Get a Real Job?"  Maybe even "Can One Ever Have Too Many Bongoes?"  I have a few more to make and distribute, as I took a few custom orders.  Hopefully I can dash them off soon, assuming I don't screw up the spraypainting like I did once already.  (Help me, fatherbingo!)

uglyrug and I had a lot of car-time this past week.  I'd forgotten how much I treasured that... we used to carpool to our Evelyn Situation rehearsals all those years ago.  So much to talk about.  Last night at like 2am we were dropping off the tour van back to the rental place (we figured we should get it to the place before the tire's slow leak went totally flat by morning) and it was so bittersweet, you know?  I asked him how he felt now that it was all over.  He said, "I'm so happy, but I'm also really nervous.  I don't know how we're gonna top this.  Every show was awesome."  True, true. 

I can feel a wave of bummitude about to hit me.  I don't want to go back to my mundane life.  I wanna rock and roll all night, and party e-ver-y day.  And stuff.


* * *

I'll be driving back to Delaware in a few minutes.  I will get a much-needed massage at 5:30, and then life will begin again.

I am so truly, truly blessed.

Thank you to everyone who came to see our shows and who supported me here.  I sincerely cannot thank you enough.

(I sound like I should be hanging out at Cafe Gratitude.)

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¹ [EDIT: all caught up on the back blogging.]