what it was is all that it is/become becomes became
like catching eyes and ripples on rivers
brief is the encounter/eternal is the effect
beauty will brand your brain and forge the fork
create a contrast/give you a gauge/make one measure
will the river remember the ripple before it retreats?
did she forget my face as fast as i recall hers?
neither needs an answer/i shouldn’t have even asked

it was a glimpse
a sniff
a sliver

and now i’m
staring
snorting
and hoarding

what it was is all that it is/become becomes became

dripping springs, texas

gateway to the hills and troughs/home of the lonesome wrangler/bride to the widowed farmer/brother to the moaning bell/host of the underwater tea party/feed of the hungry hunter/breath from the deceased/range of the sniper’s scope/ride for the ramblers/bread of the land/sea shells for the tourists/birthplace of simple/food chain of the lion/inventor of decompression/bunkhouse for rebels/safe house for saints/first of the virgins/last to know/green in the garden/sand on the bed sheet/heart of the beat/creator of alone time/purpose of the people/lake trout of the ocean/key to the settlers/reason for fists/buckle on the belt/stitch in the sew/light for the blind/journey for the gypsy/destination for locals/choice of tradition/purity of poison/song with a secret/lock to the hassle/hang out for hiders/blood of the cattleman/strap for the remington/weapon of must/glue on the china/crack in the windshield/window to the plains/muscle of the mule/ship full of daggers/rhyme of the rhythm/colors under the trench/breasts on the pigeon/attack of the easy/battle for it.

this is a how i feel about dripping springs, texas

i have never been there

Before I started writing songs full time I played lacrosse for a team in Boston.  At one of my final games, as a promotion, they gave away bobbleheads that were modeled after me in my uniform…it was hilarious…and really weird at the same time.

One of these dolls recently showed up on youtube…check it out. Some kid posted this a couple of days ago and my friends told me about it.  Apparently when you retire from professional lacrosse you become part of a skateboard ramp. Haha, enjoy and Happy New Year to all.

I can’t wait for part 2.

Be proud of what you have done and be aware of what you plan to do. However, you must understand that the only thing you have control over is what you are doing. The past and the future should live in your head, the current resides in your your hands.

A couple weeks ago I played the Naked Songwriters Showcase upstairs at Dinosaur BBQ. As soon as I struck my first string to start my set I noticed that the room went completely silent. Suddenly I realized that my body was experiencing an emotion that was completely new and somewhat foreign. Were these people really there to hear what I have to say? Are they searching for something just like me? These questions went through my head numerous times during the performance as I gazed around the room to find wide open eyes connecting with mine.

I have played music in hundreds of rooms but never had I experienced full attention, not like this. It reinforced my journey and refueled my vehicle. I am not a musician or an entertainer. I am not trying to write a radio song or get rich doing this, that is completely irrelevant. I am a person just like you that just happens to be writing down how I feel in the format of song. I can’t help it. I write songs for myself and I sing them for you. I am using my songs like an insect uses antennae, feeling my way through life. My songs are me, open chested. When people let the words in, it is the most powerful buzz imaginable. It is the buzz I will continue to chase until I am in a pine box.
I ended my set with a song that I had written that morning. I explained to the crowd, “This is a song that I will never perform again. I wrote it this morning and I am going to play it now. It is a song that I want all of us to experience together, it is not for me or for you, it is for all of us and it will be forever be.” These are the lyrics…

This is a song I wrote today
It may be yours tomorrow
I only need it for a day / Cause I have more to say
And more to borrow

This is a lesson I learned today
I pray I’ll remember it tomorrow
I learned to chase after stars / To find out how far
My heart goes

I’m not gonna wait for my calling to come
I’m not gonna wait for my kingdom to fall
I’m not gonna wait cause what good is waiting after all

What are we waitin’ for
nows the time
and theres the door
nows the time
and theres the door

The ultimate goal of my shows is to present my songs like conversation. Conversation requires nothing but words and the silence in between. Bells and whistles get noisy. I want people to leave my shows looking within themselves, uncovering their dreams or questions, blowing off the dust, and marching forward with a new sense of awareness and confidence. Because that is how I feel when they listen, that is what they are doing for me. I want to display where I am currently and use that to visit my long lost relatives, my fleeting memories, and my ultimate ending. I will write songs until I die. The surface of the sea is constantly rippling and forever changing, although it is appealing to the eye, below the surface is where the life is. Listen close.

Thank you so much to all of you that listen, I can’t tell you how much that means to me. Most people have the ability to see things, we call that “eyesight”. Few people use their ability to see into, through, and beyond things…we call this “vision”. Use your vision and let the world in.

November is in motion. The weather has been excellent in Central New York, but we all know we are headed into the tunnel. I drove up to Vermont a couple weeks ago to met up with my good friends from Barefoot Truth. We played a show together at McCullough Student Center on the campus of Middlebury College. It was an awesome night. I have posted three videos in the media section of the site from this show. Also, I am waiting for the Barefoot Truth keys player, Wayne-o, to post a pre show video of Jay Driscoll (guitar) clamping a stage clip on his nipple. Painful, I bet…entertaining, I know.

This past weekend I played a Words and Music Songwriter Showcase at Jazz Central in Syracuse. I have been performing music for about five years now and I have only played listening rooms a handful of times. I love playing rooms where the audience is there to “LISTEN”, it makes me feel more comfortable and allows me to be more exposed. I had a great night and played for a great crowd. I thank you all.

Next stop is Dinosaur BBQ. This Friday I am playing with Lisa Gentile and Annie Fitzgerald as part of a songwriter showcase called Naked. My favorite kind of music is pure. Naked is a series that prides itself on providing music in its most organic form possible. Straight from the horses mouth. I am really looking forward to playing this show. The show will be recorded so I will be sure to post some video in the media section.

I have a bunch of shows lined up in Syracuse over the winter until I take off again and hit the road. I hope to see the locals out at one of the upcoming shows. Sending all the best to everyone.