Once again I find myself shivering between the sheets with what I like to call Post Tour Syndrome (PTS), the strange flu-like malady that sets in within 12 hours of returning home from tour, and that is characterized by a host of unrelated symptoms and the absence of any actual virus. Symptoms of PTS include (but are not limited to) feverishness (usually w/no actual fever), mild nausea (rarely resulting in actual vomiting), the lowering of one’s speaking voice by as much as an octave, and a Proustian uneasiness of leaving one’s bed for more than a 10-hour period. But I can’t complain; better to be sick after tour than on tour, and a great excuse to spend lazy summer afternoons wallowing through another 100 pages of Swann’s Way, if only to rekindle the fantasy that I may someday actually finish the damn thing.
And once again I find myself in gratitude to YOU, who came to the shows without ever hearing our music, who bought CDs, and who were so enthusiastic about the new band. Unlike our February tour, we focused more on gallery-like venues than bars, resulting in shows where people actually came to hear music instead of to lean against the bar w/one hand on a PBR, glance condescendingly toward the band for half a song, and then babble incessantly in the background. Predictably, we had great shows at old haunts like the First Unitarian Church in Philly, Schuba’s in Chicago, and the Black Cat backstage in DC. More surprisingly we had great turnouts on Martha’s Vinyard where we played with local talents Jemima James and Nina Violet, and in my home town of Harrisburg PA where we sounded off in an old German social club. But the most fulfilling part of the trip was listening to Gavin and Josh play beautifully without fail, and hearing the band continue to evolve into something unique. I can’t wait to get on the road again and hear what it grows into.
Even better news is that the Glorytellers record has finally found a home, or homes, to be exact. The Japanese label Afterhours (home to Him, Tarwater, Mice Parade) will release it in Japan in December of 2008, and my old cohorts at Southern Records will release it in Europe in mid-January, and in the US in mid-Feb of 2008. Anyone who knows me has witnessed my 2+ years of trepidation (admittedly, somewhat self-imposed) involved in getting this record finished and released, but the recording finally sounds like it’s supposed to sound, and I’ll be truly proud when it sees the light of day.
Both the Washington DC City Paper and the Pittsburg City Paper took notice of the Glorytellers tour despite the lack of a record, a publicist, and any actual recorded music outside of the three songs on our Myspace page. There’s also been a lot of interest in Engine Room Recordings’ recent release of the “Guilt by Association” CD that I share w/the likes of Petra Haden, Money Mark, and Mike Watt. The local Tab interviewed me for the upcoming GBA release party at TT the Bear’s, and Monday’s Boston Globe should also have a preview of the show.
If I can drag myself out of bed and down the street, I’ll be playing tonight at the Independent in Union Square, and tomorrow (Monday) night at the aforementioned GBA listening party at TT’s in Cambridge. I’m playing another GBA release party in Manhattan at Joe’s Pub on September 7th with none other than Petra Haden. I’ll also be playing an outdoor matinee on September 1st at the Simmons Organic Farm in Middletown RI, and I’ll be back at the Independent on September 30th. Although my normal 1st-Thursday-of-the-month show at the Plough and Stars in Cambridge was cancelled for September, I’ll be back at the Plough on Thursday Oct. 4th. But for now, back to Combray for another lazy afternoon.
