:: mike errico diary ::

:: Saturday, April 8, 2006 ::

So, I've had to pass on the upcoming Lesley Gore tour in order to keep all the plates spinning over here at home. That's a rare moment - I don't think I've ever said no to a tour in my life. So it took a little time out and reflection on my part. But it's right. They got a great guy (who also has glasses) and that's important.

I'll be focusing on artwork while they're gone. I think we have the cover photo, and I am totally psyched about it. We'll work backwards from there. On the other side of the fence, I have interviews with lots of musicians, and upcoming plans for festivals. Oh, yeah, and a solo show in New Hampshire. Jeez. It gets awful complicated over here sometimes.


post a complication.
:: mike 10:07 AM [+] ::

Gorillaz: Live

The world's first virtual band rises above technical glitches to exceed a whole new set of expectations.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 12:30 PM [+] ::

Such sad news: some of you may know about the time I played at the Sandtown School in Baltimore. It was one of the true high points in my career. I just recieved word that their funding is being cut off (ironically, for being too good at what they do), and they may close.

READ THE BALTIMORE SUN ARTICLE

THE KIDS' REACTION TO THE ARTICLE

NEW SONG's BLOG

MY PHOTO GALLERY WITH THE KIDS









:: mike 8:05 AM [+] ::

BIG GUITARS ARE NOW ON THE PLATE: Big guitars for Girlfriend Weather, Run, and OK to Go are done. More today - I'm ready. I got my bottomless cup of coffee. We got a:

Gretsch Silver Jet
Gretsch Country Gentleman
Epiphone Casino
Ibanez AR-500
Danelectro wacky nonsense guitar
Epiphone flying V

Plus whatever we need to borrow. I'm playing loose, and strong. Feeling it. Digging it.

Artwork: The more I think about the original cover of "Skimming," the more I like it for this project. Just starting to look at that now. But I love the direction.

Hell yes.

post a root/fifth.
:: mike 7:47 AM [+] ::

Head-spinning week. OK, so what happened? Let me try to piece it together:

Thursday: Bates College, Lewiston, ME. The Silo is a performance space of theirs, and just sounds phenomenal. Got some requests for "Strawberry Song" and "Free," which always makes my night. I am also letting the new songs fly, and they are really surprising me. I don't know why, but they are. They are touching on deeper territory, and even though they aren't fully recorded yet, they are already pointing a way towards the next work I have to do. I'm really interested in what's next.

Friday: Massachussetts College of Liberal Arts. Great show, great students in a small college nestled in the Berkshires. Some of the most beautiful driving I've ever done - a clear, almost-spring day winding along hairpin turns through the mountains. I stopped several times just to get out and look at the valleys and brooks. Only four hours from Times Square, and it felt as remote and expansive as anyplace I've ever been. There is just more oxygen out there. I don't breathe as hard. I sleep well, and sing well.

The college had an interesting light show - it was a standard light tree, but somehow connected to a Clapper that sensed sound. So if I played a chord, the lights would change configurations. I played a couple of really fast chords, laughed as the lights strobed along, and asked them to turn the Clapper part off. I'd never seen that before.

Saturday/Sunday - drove like a freak back to NYC just in time to pick up Blake and Carolyn and head out for a two-night engagement with Lesley Gore at the Queens Theater, which sits in the shadow of the 1964 Worlds' Fair in Corona Park.



The shows were strong, and Lesley always lights it up. It's inspiring.

post a communication.
:: mike 7:23 AM [+] ::

BEASTIE BOYS: VIDEO

Awesome! Mike f*in' sat down with Beastie Boys to discuss the concept behind their innovative new concert film, Awesome; I F*in' Shot That!

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 7:18 AM [+] ::