Gig Roundup + WBEZ Session Pics on Facebook

Two gigs and a 10 hour recording day in the past two weeks, so lots to read today. A teaser: I'm about to get really snarky.

• Thanks to everyone who came out to the Martyrs' show last Monday. Usually I go for quantity over quality when a venue gives me free drinks, but there was no way I could perform, walk, carry 40 pound pianos, or drive a vehicle with the size of the bar tab I was given. So my new favorite thing at Martyrs' is Cotes du Rhone. I'm afraid it's not very rock 'n roll of me, but I guess it is extremely gay.
  
  
• Milwaukee PrideFest was a reminder of how spoiled musicians are in Chicago when it comes to summer music festivals. Chicago musicians: do not take for granted that our festival organizers usually have their shit together.
  
  It really should have been a red flag when the entertainment coordinator asked me if I was driving to the festival. It was clear when I arrived they still thought I would be -- oh, I don't know -- carrying my two keyboards and amp through the Summerfest grounds on a camel? Or a rickshaw? The closest they would allow my actual car to get to the stage was somewhere in Kenosha. I'll spare you the saga of the entertainment staff haggling with the security staff to get "the big" golf cart.
  
  
• Kyle, Matt, and I went to WBEZ on Saturday with our engineer, Ted Cho, to record all of the grand piano tracks for the new Canasta album. Pictures are up on our Facebook page.