A Two Week Road Streak

Sunday September 2nd, 2007 - Salt Lake City, UT

I’m in a laid back mellow mood tonight. Two good road weeks in a row and that’s how it’s supposed to be. I want to find FIFTY-two of them but for now I’ll settle for a back to back two week run that was fun and productive on a lot of levels. Last week was fantastic in Memphis and I got an email today saying I ‘put on a clinic of how to do good shows.’ I was really flattered to read that and they said I’d for sure be back there sometime in 2008.

I don’t know if I put on any clinics here in Utah but I did do strong shows here and also got a chance to practice and experiment with trying new things and expanding what I have already. I did exactly what I wanted to do here onstage and off and it feels like I am on the right path. I experimented with material and dress and pacing and energy and I needed this week to get things organized. I finished up ALL my emails and that alone made it worth it to come out here. I also got to visit some friends and enjoy the scenery of the mountains.

The new owner Jack really liked me and said I could come back anytime and hoped that I would. I told him I’d love to and he said he’d get it done. He paid me before the show so I could head out right afterwards and that is VERY professional and much appreciated. It was a very good week show wise but attendance could have been better. I know it’s a bad week because of Labor Day and all that but I still always want to see the club turn a buck.

This morning I had breakfast with my friend ‘Gentleman Jim’ Mickelson who used to do the midday shift when I worked out here at KKAT. He is a super nice guy and the name is perfect. He truly is a gentleman and we had a nice breakfast and talked about how wacked out radio is in every city in America. That’s just a crazy business but we both were in it for years and if the right situation came along we’d probably be in it again. Jim knows a lot of people in Nashville and said he would see if he could open some doors for me somehow. I know the country scene a little from having worked in country radio and wouldn’t mind at all opening for a country singer or band. That money is green too and I’d love to get some of it. Clubs are not the be all end all. Touring with a music act would be a very nice gig.

I had a lot of people call the hotel knowing I was in town and asked how I was doing. It was fun when I lived here and I got to know a lot of super nice people. That a lot of them would still remember me several years later is very much an honor. It made me feel great.

Another thing this weekend that made me feel great was that the University of Michigan got beat by Appalachian State University in one of the biggest upsets of all time. I am not even that big of a college football fan but something like this is a great story. I really like it in Ann Arbor and the people at the club have been super to me but seeing all those people who are used to getting everything they ever wanted in life lose a football game just made my whole weekend.

The looks of shock and disgust on the faces in the stands gave me the charge I needed and perked up the hopes that the underdog actually CAN win one once in a while. Everyone was talking about it and watching it on TV over and over made me grin each time I watched it. From the viewpoint of where I’ve lived most of my life it was what I always hoped for and to see an example of it gave me hope that I can win a big one too.