Snowing hard all day but melting when it hits the ground--ending just in time
for my KLM flight to Amsterdam and then on to Hamburg. Mostly empty
plane--everyone has escaped town hoping to miss the threat of a major
blizzard. I get a whole row to myself of 3 empty seats and sleep for much of
the flight.
This is my first LJM show in Germany(I had played here once in Mannheim with
Leni Stern.) Nice small club called Lola--great P.A. run by a soundperson
named Trixie. NDR--the German equivalent of NPR in the U.S. is recording the
show for later broadcast throughout Germany. Warm crowd--a line across the
front of the stage of friendly faces all holding those large oversized German
beer glasses. How did I end up here you ask--A German fan (now friend) named
Sancho Panzer wrote me a letter after seeing something about me in Performing
Songwriter magazine. He had known about me through my songwriting credits and
from my earlier major label albums(now out-of-print hopefully)! We stayed in
touch and he connected me with a German promoter who saw my show in New York.
When they saw that I was playing in Holland they lined up an opening slot for
me as the support act for another New Yorker, Gary Lucas. Gary co-wrote the
song "Grace" on Jeff Buckley's debut album and was a member of Captain
Beefheart's band.
Had a day free in Hamburg and got to see the club where the Beatles had
played in their early days. Stayed in the Bergedorf section of town which is
a beautiful old neighborhood with old mansions and trees and was so quiet
that compared to New York it was eerie. Hanging with the Germans talking
world politics. Everyone should be required to travel and live in foreign
countries. How else can you know how the rest of the world sees things--or for
that matter to gain a perspective on how we see things. P.S. The American No
Smoking concept hasn't yet hit Europe. Very tough on a singer's voice.
set list 1. Richie 2. Folksinger 3. Long Drag Off A Cigarette 4. I Love To
Wake Up In New Orleans 5. Why's Your Skin So White 6. Chain Link Fence 7. I
Love To Watch A Woman Dance 8. Nobody's Girl 9. Love Is Everything 10. Just
My Imagination 11.(encore) Love Is A Ruthless Thing
Drove to Utrecht, Holland (maybe 4 hours) with Sancho and the German promoter
Stefan. No speed limit on the autobahn! Telling stories and listening to
great music. Beautiful countryside--long green fields--rows of bare winter
trees. It is mild--almost Spring weather and the flowers are staring to pop
through. We check in to The Hotel Smits in Utrecht and walk to dinner through
the cobblestone streets of the old part of the city. Lots of shops along the
canals--really magic. The Dutch seem to not believe in window shades and you
can see in to the most charming apartments along the water--makes you feel
like, yeah, this is a place I could live! Postcard perfect lifestyle--old
buildings restored--lots of cafes, record shops, restaurants, out door and
indoor markets--everything you need in walking distance.
In many ways, Utrecht is my hometown in Holland. It is where it all stared
for me here. I ran into my friend, Leo Kramer--long story short, Leo used to
manage a record shop here, found my "Vibrolux" CD--sold around 500
copies out
that one store--brought me over for a concert at a venue here called
Tivoli--hooked me up with a Dutch label who put Vibrolux out in Holland and
brought me over for a tour with my trio--and the rest--well it's history--mine
at least--and all the richer I am for it (in spirit anyway.)
Showtime! The Blue Highways Festival--mostly Americana acts from Austin &
Nashville--Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Buddy Miller, Dave Alvin , etc. Two stages in
one beautiful hall--lots of cool music--a great time for me on and off
stage--warm enthusiastic crowd--lots of friends and fans floating around.
set list: 1. Richie 2. Folksinger 3. Nobody's Girl 4. I Love To wake Up In
New Orleans 5. Chain Link Fence 6. Why's Your Skin So White 7. I Love To
watch A Woman Dance 8. Love Is A Ruthless Thing 9. Love Is Everything 10.
Just My Imagination
