Thanks again to the new subscribers, from Sea to Shining Sea and the Land Down Under. Welcome!
Hey, Everybody! It’s been a while, but I haven’t forgotten you. I’ve just been so busy, and some exciting things have happened and are happening since the last time I wrote.
First, I want to let you know that I’m playing fewer, more selective, shows, and I’m devoting a good deal of energy to my writing, which has been more or less on the back burner since I released Perfectly Legal at the end of 2010 and then put in a lot of time touring the East Coast and exploring Manhattan where I spent two unforgettable summers based out of a lovely apartment near Central Park. I will always love New York!
After receiving the ASCAPlus endowment in the January distribution, I made up my mind to focus on Nashville in 2012, and it has been one of the most enlightening experiences yet. I’ve enjoyed this process, and have invested the better part of the year concentrating on “learning.” I’ve spent time on Music Row and have met with everyone from the VIP’s at ASCAP to the inimitable John Lomax III who introduced me to a whole group of major hit songwriters (including Tony Arata!) in a shadowy corner of an anonymous location on the Row. It’s been an incredible adventure, and I’ve been most intrigued by this new passion of mine—to write the “great American formula song.”
“Call me Ishmael.”
So I was quite pleasantly surprised to hear from someone I admire very much, Howard Thompson, the host of one of my favorite radio shows. He was letting me know that he’s planning to play one of my original songs, “Shiner Bock and ZZ Top,” on his program called PURE on WPKN in Bridgeport, Connecticut this Friday (September 21) between 1-4 p.m. EST:
http://www.wpkn.org/wp/
I feel flattered that Howard has continued to spin my music since the release of Perfectly Legal and that he even came to NYC to see me perform with Jeff Eyrich and Steve Kirkman at Hill Country BBQ in Manhattan. He is a true music aficionado, and his musical background, which is apparent in his programming, has impressed me to no end, having been with the big labels back in the day in London of all places—how cool! His show is absolutely worth a listen; you're bound to discover new musical frontiers as you find yourself swept up in a maelstrom of songs so knowingly curated by this brilliant man behind the curtain with the entrancing accent.
And before I close, I want to make sure and mention a show I’m doing here in Houston at a place called Khon’s. Some of you came out for my appearance there last summer, and I felt that everyone enjoyed this venue very much, so I booked another evening. It reminds me a lot of the little spots I love to play in Manhattan, small and intimate with a crowd of regulars who are into the variety of visual art, theater, poetry, and tasteful music that Khon's insider-scene wine bar has to offer in Houston’s popular Midtown district between Downtown and the Medical Center. Khon’s also has a spacious, well-lit parking lot, which is quite a plus in my book. Who wants to have to search and fight for a parking space? I’ll be accompanied by Greg Henkel on fiddle, and it will be a full show from 10-midnight on Thursday, October 11. I know that some of you work on Friday mornings, but maybe you could just consider this “the beginning of the weekend,” as so many people do these days, and plan ahead.
I’ll email again with a reminder closer to time. In the meantime, I hope that you're enjoying your week. The weather is certainly gorgeous here in Houston!
Now, don't forget to check out glennabell.com, and tell all your friends. Y’all come!