Hey, Everybody. It's me again. It's been a mile a minute around here, and I’ve been "in the moment" from moment to moment for some time now, which is why you haven't heard from me since before SXSW. Thanks to all of you who've emailed me and who've found me on Facebook lately! All is well, and many exciting adventures continue to unfold here on the road less traveled:
Tomorrow (Saturday, April 30), I’ll make my annual pilgrimage to the American Consumer Consortium headquarters in Houston’s breezy downtown Second Ward barrio to perform at one of my favorite events of all time, the annual puppet show by the artist, Natali Leduc, who designed the gorgeous cover that many of you have seen on your copies of Perfectly Legal: Songs of Sex, Love and Murder, also featuring the photography of Theo Anderson. Natali is an amazing, award winning artist, who truly lives the life in her East End warehouse district studio where she creates concoctions and contraptions that never fail to surprise and tickle me. Each year the puppet show is something that local art scene insiders turn out for with lawn chairs and coolers in hand. This time the show will feature live shrimp! In fact, it is a live shrimp puppet show that goes something like this: “Abierto the little shrimp is a big disappointment for his father who was dreaming small for his son. Where will his ambition lead him? One should not underestimate the repercussions that a little shrimp's decisions can have on the world. Action filled! Naked Shrimps! Madness! AND Glenna Bell with The Texas Hotdogs AND Jimmy Pizzitola!” The location and directions are posted on the calendar page at www.glennabell.com and I’m also posting new show announcements and pictures from SXSW, so I hope that you’ll take a minute to check out the site. I especially like the picture of me and the North Mississippi All Stars at Big Kev's radiothon in Austin. It was a lot of fun to play the line up with such a cute, talented young act!
To date, there are appearances scheduled for the first weeks of May in Houston, including the lovely Saturday lunches from 1-3 at historic Pizzitola’s Barbecue at Shepherd and I-10 for a family friendly step back in time, as well as a special engagement at the University of Houston on May 7 at the art school’s Cookout and Outdoor Music Festival, and some exciting full band appearances on Wednesdays during the Honky Tonk Happy Hour at the old church house-cum-juke joint called The Hideaway on Dunvale, just outside the Loop on Hwy 59 south.
Later in May, I’ll be flying back to New York for some more shows with veteran musicians Steve Kirkman (Pete Seeger, Red Molly, Hope Machine) on dobro and slide guitar, along with Jeff Eyrich (Tim Buckley, Bette Midler, Dave’s True Story) on upright bass. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our recent performances at the Living Room and Googies in the Lower East Side, and I’m looking forward to bringing another big dose of East Texas to the Manhattan house concert, Music On 4 on May 26, and then onward to the Peekskill Coffee House in Peekskill, NY for an evening with Fred Gillen, Jr. (http://www.fredgillenjr.com/) on May 27 and The Towne Crier Café, opening for Lipbone Redding (http://www.lipbone.com) in Pawling, NY on May 28. I can't think of a better way to spend Memorial Day weekend. Business is great. People are terrific. Life is wonderful. Y'all come!