This past weekend

I thought I should fill you all in on what happened with us this past weekend, because it was half good, half bad and certainly exciting in all regards.

We played at Spilln the Beans coffeehouse in Troy on Friday. It was quite good to return to troy and play in such a nice place. Until they cut back on music, the best Cafe to play in the collar city was, by far, the Daily Grind, but seeing as they don't really have music besides the open mike there anymore, there was a great gap to be filled. Spilln the Beans has stepped up quite nicely. They have a large area they clear out for a stage, a separated sitting area that works quite well as a sort of listening room where people there specifically for the music can sit, and the blender is of a medium volume (compared to some so loud all music is drowned out while smoothies are being smoothed). Everyone there (which wasn't very many: apparently summer is slow for these sorts of things) seemed to like us a lot, including our good friend Megan and my parents. I don't know about Dave, but I personally had a lot of fun! Also, the staff is really great, and Nick, the owner, watched attentively for the entire show. Most places the booker isn't even there, and the owner doesn't watch. That's not a criticism of other venues, as I have no problem with that arrangement, it was just a happy surprise when this wasn't the case on friday.

After the show, all of us (Myself, Dave, Megan and my Parents) attended the Harry Potter book release party at the amazing Market Blcok books, next to Spilln the Beans and also on third street (roughly across from the atrium) I won't go into details about the event, but i should go into details about Market Block, because it's pretty much my favorite bookstore in the world, although i do like Lyrical Ballad in Saratoga, since the books are so old and pretty, and another place in Saratoga whose name i forget, but has an excellent tarot card selection. Anyway, they sell our CDs at Market Block, along with many bestsellers and lesser known books that the staff thinks are particularly good. There are lots of hand written staff book reviews and reccommendations around the store, and all of the booksellers are quite knowledgable and ready to help or have a lively conversation with you about whatever you or they are reading. They also have many local authors works, books concerning the area, and self-published titles from area writers. All this promoting of the store itself aside, you should also come to see us play there on the last friday of September......

Anyway, i read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on saturday, and Dave attended the bachelor party of a friend of ours who also happens to be a local musician. He lost his keys while there (falsly claims to have been wasted, really just deposited his keys on a store counter and found them today) and had to get a ride home with our other local musician friend, Maurizio. Needless to say, without the car or the PA which was in it, we were unable to play the Cambridge farmers market. It was sad!

The end.