Through These Eyes

Let Me Redirect Your Attention

2010-11-11T14:06:00.003-06:00

There is really no excuse for my massive slacking with this blog. But thankfully it's because I've been super busy! For the last 6 months or so shanetutmarc.com was gathering cobwebs... but let me now point you that direction as the best place to keep up with me. It's going to have a blog on the front page that I will maintain, while the rest of the site was beautifully designed by my brother Brandon Tutmarc.

Go check it out, folks!

http://www.shanetutmarc.com

Coming Up

2010-08-23T20:06:00.027-05:00

September is shaping up to be the busiest musical month since moving to Nashville. I'm very excited to be hosting two Tuesdays in September at the 5 Spot. Local songwriter, and friend, Derek Hoke started a weekly series at the 5 Spot called "$2 Tuesdays", where he brings together 3 or 4 bands to play short sets, introduces them to the crowd sometimes collaborating with the bands, and then plays a short set of his own. It's a big undertaking to book a new show every week, trying to keep the bills exclusively "Nashville", so he's handed over a couple weeks to me. At this point, it looks like I'll be hosting every other week, alternating with Derek.

In addition to the 5 Spot hosting, on Sept 1st we're playing a show at FooBAR.too which is put on by Blood on the Bluegrass, featuring Hoots & Hellmouth (from Philadelphia), Barnstormers (Alabama), and local Nashvillians Wess Floyd & the Daisycutters.

In late September, my whole family (mom, dad, brother, and sister) are coming out to Nashville for the first time! My brother, Brandon, was with me the first time I came out here in June of 2008 for a Southern tour with the Traveling Mercies, but no one else in the family has ever been here before. I'm looking forward to showing them around a bit, and hopefully squeezing in a day or two in Memphis.

They should be here in time to see me playing at Douglas Corner on Sept 22nd, with Derek Hoke and the Clones sharing the bill.

Finally, in recording news. On Saturday I layed down vocals for When You Found Me, So Hard to Make an Easy Getaway, and Southern Pines. Being that I had already recorded I Know I Should Know Better (since I did the guitar and vocals live), that leaves only What is this Love? left. Starting with When You Found Me might have been a bad idea, as I sing that song very gravely, and it left my voice a little raw for the others - but I trust that Nathan Thomas can either make something good out of it, or that he'll be honest and tell me I need to re-record them. Hopefully, we can find some time in the next week to get What is this Love? finished then we can start mixing. When we first started these sessions, our goal was merely to have polished demos to pass off to labels, producers, managers, etc... but with how everything is turning out, it's gonna be a real challenge to not release this stuff in some form. I'm looking into various ways of getting this music out there, whether its in video form, vinyl, or a limited-time download. Let me know if you have any ideas, OK?

Until next time, stay classy.

And now a message from the Justice League of Americana

2010-07-31T17:58:00.007-05:00

Today marked my debut performance with a full band at Robert's Western World. Featuring Zach Shedd, Grant "Big Smokey" Johnson, and Steve Latanation - I've dubbed the band, The Justice League of Americana.

Although we had never played together before as a group, Steve, Zach and Grant had all played together supporting different artists over the years so there was a natural chemistry.

Here's a few clips that capture the raw energy of the set.

Waking Up On Stage

2010-07-30T21:54:00.011-05:00

Just woke up from a long nap. After being out way too late last night, I woke up early again to play a solo shift at Robert's Western World. There was a decent flow of people that came through the door, but they were a generous bunch so they made it worth it. In many ways it was a warm up for my first full band show at Robert's tomorrow morning. I have Zach Shedd (while not on the road with HANK III fills in with many bands around Lower Broadway) on bass, Grant "Big Smokey" Johnson (a fellow Seattle native, who plays with Derek Hoke and has been a player on Lower Broadway for years now) on guitar, and Steve Latanation (who played with Orange County punk band Agent Orange before relocating to Nashville, he also plays with Derek Hoke and is a mainstay on Lower Broadway as well) on drums.

Here's what I played to the best of my memory (with clips from past shows):

1 I Heard that Lonesome Whistle Blow (Hank Williams)
2 Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams)
3 I Can't Help It (Hank Williams)
4 Lost Highway (Hank Williams)
5 Ramblin' Man (Hank Williams)
6 Singing the Blues (Marty Robbins)
7 Six Days on the Road (Dave Dudley, covered by everyone)
8 He'll Have to Go (Jim Reeves)
9 I Really Don't Want to Know (Eddy Arnold)
10 I'll Cry Instead (The Beatles)
11 In the Pines (Leadbelly, via Nirvana)
12 I Gotta Get Drunk (Willie Nelson)
13 Early Morning Rain (Gordon Lightfoot)
14 Country Heroes (Hank III)
15 Big Boss Man (Jimmy Reed)
16 House of the Rising Sun (Traditional, via The Animals)
17 Little Sadie (Traditional, via Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Mark Lanegan)
18 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Bob Dylan)
19 You Ain't Going Nowhere (Bob Dylan, The Byrds)
20 Meet Me in the Morning (Bob Dylan)
21 Cryin' Time (Buck Owens)
22 Waiting Around to Die (Townes Van Zandt)
23 Black Widow Blues (Townes Van Zandt)
24 Man of Constant Sorrow (Traditional, via O Brother Where Art Thou?)
25 Sea of Heartbreak (Don Gibson)
26 I Can't Stop Loving You (Don Gibson)
27 Oh Lonesome Me (Don Gibson)
28 Love Me (Elvis Presley)
29 That's All Right Mama (Elvis Presley)
30 Little Sister (Elvis Presley)
31 I'm Movin' On (Hank Snow)

Being that I was playing solo, I didn't have the luxury of being able to extend songs with guitar solo, etc, so even with 31 songs I still needed to sneak in a few of my songs to pad out the 3+ hour set...

My songs/songs I've recorded:
32 Fair Warning (from Hey Lazarus!)
33 Since You've Gone (from Hey Lazarus!)
34 I Know I Should Know Better (I'm Gonna Live the Life)
35 Let Me Down Easy (Shouting at a Silent Sky)
36 Idle Hands (Shouting at a Silent Sky)

So there you have it. I will let you know how tomorrow goes. Hoping to get some video, or at least photos to document this historic event!

Living on Borrowed Blues

2010-07-19T17:49:00.008-05:00

Last Friday I was awoken at 11am with my phone ringing and ringing. I had worked til 3am the night before, and probably didn't drift off to sleep til about 5am, so I was not about answer the phone for anyone. Well, almost anyone. When I saw it was Jesse Lee Jones, owner of Robert's and leader of the infamous Brazilbilly, I cleared my throat and mustered a "Hey Jesse, what's going on?" He was in a panic, the artist that normally played the Friday morning shift wasn't available and he needed someone. While I had recently been invited up on the Robert's stage to sing a couple songs with The Silver Threads, I really wasn't prepared. But I told him I'd be right down. I quickly woke up Meagan, printed out the lyrics to 4 or 5 old country tunes, ate a banana and off we went.

As many of you know, I love old country and blues music, but I really hadn't rehearsed for a two hour set of traditional country music. Once I got down there, I grabbed some coffee and some Red Bull and went at it. There was a surprisingly good crowd for an early afternoon in Lower Broadway. While in the past I felt like I really needed a band to get my point across, as the set went on I felt more comfortable with just a guitar and microphone. The two hours really flew by, and I got a better reaction on some of my originals than on the covers (probably because I knew my songs better).

Here's the tunes I played , with links to video clips...

covers:
1 Sea of Heartbreak (Don Gibson)
2 Can’t Get You Off My Mind (Hank Williams)
3 I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight (Bob Dylan)
4 Love Me (Elvis)
5 That’s All Right (Elvis)
6 Baby What You Want Me to Do (Jimmy Reed)
7 Little Sister (Elvis)
8 Lost Highway (Hank Williams)
9 Oh Lonesome Me (Don Gibson) *we did this on the first Mercies album*
10 Your Cheatin’ Heart (Hank Williams)
11 Country Heroes (Hank III) - by request!
12 Ramblin’ Man (Hank Williams)
13 Black Widow Blues (Townes Van Zandt)

originals/songs I've recorded:
14 Fair Warning
15 Honey I Choose You
16 Since You’ve Gone
17 Ain’t No Grave (traditional)
18 Angel Face (Bonnie Guitar)
19 Next Best Thing
20 Across the River
21 Let Me Down Easy (Mark Pickerel)
22 Mortality Blues
23 Death & Texas
24 Idle Hands
25 Never Turnin’ Back

After my set, I gathered my tips (!!), and Jesse told me he'd need me again next Friday. As far as I know, the normal Friday morning performer will be back the following week, but I am looking forward to expanding my repertoire for this coming Friday. I'm getting Travis Terrell to join me on the keys. One of the things I was really missing at that first show was solos. Having Travis there will allow the songs to breath more, and I don't have to sing verse after verse. I'm not sure where this opportunity will lead, but it's cool to be on the other side of the glass at Robert's for a change.

A Brief Intermission

2010-06-28T23:46:00.023-05:00

It's been a while since I've written on here. And not for a lack of things to talk about. There's been a lot going on. Let me give you some of the highlights of the last month or so.

Nathan Thomas, my bassist and main go-to-guy, and I have started pre-production on what will eventually turn into the next album. Since moving to Nashville (and a little before) I started demoing ideas on GarageBand. From simple acoustic sketches, to full-blown homemade productions, I've gathered around 20 songs now. Nathan and I have choosen 5 to focus our attention on.

* So Hard to Find an Easy Getaway - the oldest song of the bunch. I originally wrote this song in the Spring of 2008 while visiting my cousin David in Texas. We briefly played it during the last days of the Traveling Mercies. It didn't seem to fit the mood of "Shouting At A Silent Sky", but I kept the song around. Recently, I've revised the lyrics a bit, and we've brought it back into the last few shows. The song has a Chuck Berry style narrative about a troubled flight from Seattle to Texas, and has a Stones-eque loose rock feel. "Well, Austin might as well have been Boston / San Marcos might as well have been Spain / I left the clouds hoping for sunshine / but the dust bowl was flooded with rain / Yeah, the world is so strange it's so hard to make an easy getaway."

* Southern Pines - I started writing this song in the Fall of 2009, and it's gone thru quite an metamorphosis over the last few months. There's a time-change on the chorus, which I kept going back and forth on, but I think it'll be an interesting record when it's done. Like, "Easy Getaway", this song has a storyline narrative, but there are more layers to the lyrics. I originally wrote it as a sort of jazzy tin pan alley tune, then it became more like an Irish Folk song, and now it's going more riff rock. So we'll see where this one ends up. "You took me in under your spell / You clipped my wings and I could tell / Your ivory tower was now my prison cell / I plead my case and I rebelled / Your love letters were all misspelled / And I escaped without a word of farewell."

* What is this Love? - This song burst forth over the Summer of '09, and I've hardly changed a thing since. It's got an almost Latin groove to it, and it feels really fresh to me. Songs about love can be the most challenging since there have been so many great songs (and plenty of crappy ones) written about the subject over the years, but this one comes at it from a unique angle. It's more about the mystery of love, with contrasting sensual and spiritual themes. "What is this love that is spreading / What is this love like a virus / My heart pumps it to my brain and I keep waking up everyday / Just when I think I've had enough / What is this love?"

* When You Found Me - This was the first song I wrote as I settled into Nashville. Again, it's always nice when a love song presents itself and it's not a complete throwaway. The song revolves around a repeating blues riff, with a hypnotic groove, during the bridge it switches between minor and major in a way that hopefully wakes the listener from their trance. instead of focusing on how great life is with this new lover, it focuses more on how bad life was before. "When you found me I didn't believe in love / I'd been burned and I'd been bluffed / Wasn't a woman I could trust / I was blind I could not see / When you found me."

* I Know I Should Know Better - It's ironic that this is the title of the first song I'm re-recording. I originally wrote and recorded the song for the Mercies' first album back in 2007. But over the last couple years, I've felt like I could re-approach this song and breathe new life into it. It's always been an important song to me, and where we are taking it now should be a whole new experience for the listener.

So these are the first batch of songs Nathan and I will be focusing on once he gets back from his Honeymoon.

Honeymoon? On Saturday, June 26th, Nathan married his long-time sweetheart Leslie at a beautiful ceremony in Dickson, TN. They are now off to Mexico for the week. And the rest of the band has been busy as well - over the last month Aaron Tosti has been sharing his drum talents with Run Kid Run, The Almost, and will soon be on the road as a drum-tech for Underoath. Eric Newcomer has been on the road playing bass with House of Heroes, and our most recent addition to the band, the amazingly telented keyboardist Travis Terrell has been driving a bus for Peter Frampton. Yes, Peter Frampton!

So all that to say, progress is gonna be a little slower than I'd like, but hopefully we can find a day or two when each of these great players can add their magic to these tracks. The goal from there is to get these pre-production demos into the hands of people that might be able to take the project to the NEXT level. Whether it's a producer, a label, or whatever - we should have some good tracks to pass around.

So what have I been doing with my downtime? Well, I'm still working three days a week at the best honky tonk on Lower Broadway - Robert's Western World. And lately I've re-discovered my love of painting. I've started a series of "Heroes", and I've almost completed my first two - Hank Williams and Elvis Presley. For Nathan's wedding gift I painted him a portrait of Prince (who is his favorite artist).

As always there is more to talk about, but I've said enough already.

But you'll be hearing from me soon, I promise.

Basement Tapes

2010-05-16T10:32:00.015-05:00

Everything seemed to fall into place at last Monday's Basement performance. No longer does this feel like "Shane with his Nashville pick-up band" - we ARE a band. After the show a few people asked me if we all moved out here from Seattle, assuming we'd played together for years. Aaron Tosti, Nathan Thomas and latest addition, Eric Newcomer have really taken these songs to new places. They are not doing note-for-note recreations of the recordings, I wouldn't want them to anyways, they are making these songs their own - and we're forging a new sound.

Super-fan, Meagan Mays captured the energy and electricity of the night with these video clips...

"So Hard to Make an Easy Getaway", which I've been kicking around for a couple years, made it's full band debut, and it's fast becoming the "feel good" pinnacle of the set.

After our impromptu cover of The Beatles' White Album rocker at last month's 64-Ten show - we've refined it and now it's one of our favorites to play.

"Ain't No Grave" is one of those songs that relies almost completely on the groove, and Aaron (drums) and Nathan (bass) reached a new level with this performance. It's also liberating to have Eric (guitar) filling in some licks so I can focus on my preacher-man delivery. I can't wait to get this band together again.

Next up... May 26th at the Family Wash...

All the News That's Fit to Print

2010-05-08T15:51:00.016-05:00

Life has gotten a bit busier the last couple of weeks. I've started working at my favorite honky tonk in downtown Nashville - Robert's Western World! The very first day we drove into town we stopped into Robert's. Seattle-native, and my girlfriend Meagan's lifelong friend, Sammy Barrett (who moved out here a couple years ago), has worked at Robert's for a while now and she helped me get the job. Most of the crew at Robert's has been working there for years, so I feel lucky that the timing worked out for them to hire on a new employee. For the most part I have been the "door guy", but I've also served as cook, and tonight I will be bar-backing for the first time. On my first night at the door, my neighbor and local photographer, Mickey Bernal shot this picture of me. It's been a great job to make new friends, and a good chance to meet some of the local heavy hitters - whether they are playing our stage or just quenching their thirst at the bar.

As I said in my previous entry, Meagan and I were very lucky that the recent flooding did not affect our home or our work. But to show you how bad some people got hit, here is a photo of Aaron Tosti, my frequent drummer, "fishing" in his normally lush, green and dry backyard. Tosti owns the place and has a few roomates rent from him. This gives me the chance to introduce Aaron's roommate and the newest member to my Nashville Wrecking Crew - the appropriately named, Eric Newcomer. Eric's main gig is playing bass with House of Heroes, but with lots of free time between tours, I've really enjoyed having him involved. Eric played bass for us at the 64-Ten show a couple weeks ago when my regular bassist Nathan Thomas was out of town. With Nathan securely behind that bass again Eric switched to lead guitar at our recent show at the Basement. This brings me to my next item...

The other personal headline of the week is that we are playing a *real show* this Monday night at the Basement. After a well-received short set last Tuesday for their "New Faces" night, owner Mike Grimes has asked us to return for a two-band bill we are sharing with Chelle Rose. He's hoping we can bring 25 people out, so I've been posting about it non-stop on facebook and twitter. If you are in the Nashville area, come on down, it should be the best show yet!

How High's the Water, Mama?

2010-05-05T14:04:00.005-05:00

Witnessing the greatest Nashville flood since 1937 has made for a heavy week. This Seattle boy had never seen rain like this. I feel so fortunate that our house is on a hill, so Meagan and I came through unscathed. But many of our neighbors and friends across the city were not so lucky.

I will go more in-depth with photos and stories of the week when I get a chance... But for now, I wanted to pass along this info:

You can text 'REDCROSS' to 90999 to donate $10 to disaster relief. Please donate if you can!

Hot Springs

2010-04-29T00:39:00.017-05:00

I just returned to Nashville from my first out-of-town show since relocated to the Southern portion of this here United States. Hot Springs, Arkansas - the childhood home of Bill Clinton - and one of the coolest clubs I've ever seen - Maxine's! And this is all thanks to the great Paul Sammons.

I first met Paul, a native of Arkansas, when he was part of a duo called the Antiques. He had recently "moved" to Seattle, and we both had a weekly gig at the Can Can in the Pike Place Market of Downtown Seattle. When my girlfriend Meagan and I found out they living in their car, she invited the Antiques to stay at her place as they settled into Seattle. But within a few months, the band dissolved and Paul returned to Arkansas. Fast-forward a year and half, now we are living in the south and I reach out to Paul. Within a couple days he has me booked in Hot Springs playing an amazing club where he is the "Artist in Residence."

This club reminded me a lot of the Can Can, with its seated audience of little tables and it's everything-black-and-red, "French Quarters" decor - but it was much bigger venue. And the sound was amazing, thanks in large part to their wonderful soundman, Jake.

For my set, it was just me and my acoustic guitar. Jake let me use a guitar pick-up he had, so I didn't have to mic the acoustic (which is always awkward, and usually results in quite a bit of feedback). In Nashville I've been used to playing shorter 30-40 minute sets, but to fill the hour set, I pulled out a few covers.

HERE'S THE SET-LIST (w/ clips from various solo shows)

1 Fair Warning
2 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Dylan)
3 Honey I Choose You
4 Next Best Thing
5 Oh Lonesome Me (Don Gibson)
6 Idle Hands
7 Let Me Down Easy (Mark Pickerel)
8 Never Turnin' Back
9 I Gotta Get Drunk (Willie Nelson)
10 Death & Texas
11 Black Widow Blues (Townes Van Zandt)
12 So Hard to Make An Easy Getaway
13 Little Sister (Elvis)
14 Across the River
15 Country Heroes (Hank III)
16 I Know I Should Know Better

It was a chatty crowd, but a very responsive crowd. For the last song, Meagan brought our dog Boris on stage. I sang, "I Know I Should Know Better", to Boris as my closer.

Next up was Paul. I was immediately blown away by how much his music had evolved since I last shared a bill with him. With the Antiques, he had an interesting mix of classic country, originals with both southern and Seattle (grunge/folk) influences, as well as more gyspsy/vaudeville leanings. Now the music seems to come from a purer place, there is still the blues and country influences, but there is a positive force behind his music that wasn't as apparent before - and not in a sappy or cliche way, but very raw and inspired.

He is a very self-contained solo performer, using a very cool homemade "bass drum" (made with two pieces of wood around a pick-up that he stomps on), he alternated between acoustic guitar, and a hollow-bodied acoustic lap-steel that sounds amazing, and he also incorporates a didgeridoo, which adds texture and depth to these solo productions.

Being that he was the main attraction of the night, he broke up his 2 and half hour set with an intermission. During this break, the club owner Agnes (who incidentally was celebrating her birthday) encouraged Paul and I to collaborate on stage. I'm always up for something crazy, but Paul wanted to make sure we didn't make fools of ourselves - so we quietly strummed thru a few old songs then hit the stage together.

We kicked off with Hank Williams' classic, "Your Cheatin' Heart", which I sang lead, Paul added harmonies and took a few solo breaks on harmonica and guitar. Then we did "That's All Right Mama" which was still fresh in my mind from a recent Hootenanny at the Family Wash. And for good measure, I suggested we end our collaboration with Jimmy Reed's great blues song about trying to please, "Baby What You Want Me To Do." With that I handed the show back over to Paul and he played another hour or so, keeping the crowd happy til after 1am.

Paui was a great host as well. His mom lived only about a half hour away, and had an extra basement room (Paul's old room) so we had a free place to stay. We woke up around noon, and Paul lead us to a great local BBQ joint. We went back to his moms's, introduced Boris to the Sammon's family dogs, Babe and Lulu. What a great trip! I can hardly wait to get back to Hot Springs, explore Little Rock and see what other wonders this great South has to offer.

PERFECT SONG: JOLENE by Dolly Parton

2010-04-08T13:15:00.029-05:00

For the second installment of my "Perfect Song" series I've chosen Dolly Parton's 1973 breakout hit, Jolene. Like the previous song I focused on (The Beatles' Help!), I'm not choosing an esoteric song to prove to you the depths of my music appreciation. I've chosen a song that for all intent and purpose has probably gotten all the attention it's deserved. It was a #1 hit on the Country Billboard charts, it's been covered by everyone from Olivia Newton John to the White Stripes, and Rolling Stone includes it on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

(click HERE to watch a clip of JOLENE on YouTube)

I like to choose songs that I think about when I am writing a new song. Sometimes I'll look at a favorite song to study it's structure, or examine how the writer got out of a key-change during the bridge, or sometimes simply to figure out what I like about it. With Dolly Parton's Jolene, we have a perfect song. Like The Beatles' Help!, Jolene begins with the chorus. It throws us right into the fire of this housewife's jealousy. After she hooks us with the chorus, the first verse is pure poetry as she describes her competition, "Your beauty is beyond compare/With flaming locks of auburn hair/With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green."

Unlike Loretta Lynn's tough talking, You Ain't Woman Enough (to Take My Man), Dolly's protagonist exposes her fear and insecurity, "And I can easily understand/How you could easily take my man/But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene." It puts Dolly in a very vulnerable place, which makes the song all the more relate-able. And it's haunting, almost "House of the Rising Sun", chord progression adds more to the allure of the song.

During the first verses, you might picture the lyrics being sung in solitude, but the last verse reveals that this has been a conversation with Jolene the whole time, "I had to have this talk with you/My happiness depends on you/And whatever you decide to do, Jolene." And she puts her fate in whatever Jolene's next move is. Often there is the temptation to write a story with a beginning, middle, and end - but great songs like this show us that it can be more effective to just throw the listener into the middle of the chaos, and not try to wrap it up tidy in the end. The song ends the same way it begins, with that great acoustic guitar pickin', and the desperate chorus begging Jolene "please don't take my man." We know more about this woman Jolene, and we know that the protagonist fears for life after her man, but we are left in the dark as far as what happens next.

I've been focusing mainly on the lyrics, but its the combination of the words with the music that make Jolene a perfect song. I love that its in a minor key, still a rarity for commercial country. The chorus and the verses are basically the same progression, but the melody changes and creates beautiful tension, so you are never tired of the chord pattern. And I love the eeriy, almost middle-eastern final chant of "Joleeenne" at the end. The drum beat, though, has probably been the biggest influence on me. With it's almost country-disco "four-on-the-floor" feel, it uproots the traditional folk chords, and gives it a fresh shuffle that drives the song. I've opened my last two albums with songs using a Jolene-esque beat, and I've got a song or two in the works that employ more of the Jolene charm. I can't get away from this song!

My brother, Brandon Tutmarc adapted that beat for "Fair Warning" which opened our second family band album, Hey Lazarus!

And, Mark Pickerel used a similar beat on "Mortality Blues" which opens my latest album, Shouting At A Silent Sky.

Through These Eyes

2010-03-31T14:13:00.006-05:00

As I've been posting for a few months now, I'm getting a better idea what this journal is all about. At first it was about the journey from Seattle to Nashville. Then it became a place to share my personal reviews of each show I played out here. And since then it's developed into a more all encompassing diary of my thoughts on many facets of life. With the scope of the journal expanding, the point of view stays the same: Through These Eyes. The title comes from a song off the second album with my family band, The Traveling Mercies' Hey Lazarus! album.

Here's a YouTube clip to welcome this journals new namesake.

Man Up to the Man

2010-03-27T14:10:00.010-05:00

Over the last few weeks, a few realities have come to my attention.

I need a job. My dreams are still intact, but I also have rent due. Between savings, and having my folks sell off more and more of my stuff that I left behind, I’ve been able to make rent work. Until now. My only hope for this month’s rent is my tax return. Although, Meagan and I moved out here with the dream that she would get a rad music business job and I would be able to focus entirely on my writing and performing – as the eloquent Spinal Tap line goes - "Money talks and bullsh*t walks." Meagan’s been working as a receptionist for a car dealership (which has inspired her very entertaining Receptionist Diaries) for over a month, and I suppose it’s time to man-up and start paying my dues to the man.

Another reality that really hit recently is that Nashville is not the town I should be spending all my energy trying to entertain. I knew this, vaguely, when I was planning the move, but now I see it more clearly. There is more than enough fish in this pond to go around. Nashville is a perfect location to live, so one can easily access many major cities within a day’s drive. Memphis, Atlanta, Little Rock, Chicago, Louisville, and the list goes on.

Also, I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to write as much as possible. And while, it’s never a bad thing to be prolific, in reality all my songs are brand new to most people in this region. So again, getting out of town and sharing my trunk load of songs with fresh ears is what I should be doing.

So these are my goals of the moment. Get a job (a part-timer or a flexible full-time) and start booking quick out of town gigs. No brick wall, just a few forks in the road.

I’ll leave you with a song that have been on my mind as of late…

R.I.P. Alex Chilton

2010-03-18T00:24:00.003-05:00

I used to cover "I'm In Love With A Girl" by Alex Chilton (from Big Star's second album Radio City) during my Dolour days. He left us many great songs, and inspired so many great songs from all of his musical disciples. R.I.P. Alex Chilton

HOW ROCK (ALMOST) DIED WHILE ELVIS WAS IN THE ARMY

2010-03-17T14:10:00.040-05:00

When asked to reflect on Elvis’ passing, John Lennon famously said, “Elvis died in the army.” When Elvis entered the Army in 1958 rock and roll was viewed as the soundtrack to rebellious youth. Churches organized public burnings of records, riots happened in nearly every town Presley and his fellow pioneers went. But when Elvis was discharged in 1960, rock music was in a very different place, and “It’s Now Or Never”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and the film, G.I. Blues – were seen as the death nail to many teenagers weaned on the raw power of Elvis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and Jerry Lee’s early records.

What I want to attempt to do is suggest is that it wasn’t Elvis who died in the army but it was rock and roll that (nearly) breathed its last.

The years of 1958-1960 were filled with blows to the head and heart of Rock. In January of ’58, Little Richard enrolled in Bible College, denouncing rock and roll and his large contribution to it. This further supported the idea that “rock and roll is the devils music”, that preachers and mothers across America had been saying for years. It’s well known that Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, and Johnny Cash had a real struggle making peace with their Christian upbringing and their leadership in this new revolution. With Little Richard off the scene, by the time Elvis entered the army in March of ’58, the rock world was already unraveling. While Elvis was away in the Army, the main contender for his throne was Sun Records’ latest star – Jerry Lee Lewis. With huge singles like “Great Balls of Fire”, and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”, it was obvious he had the voice and the charisma, and something even Elvis didn't have, virtuoso musicianship. But in May of ’58, while on tour in Germany it was revealed that he had married his 13 year old cousin. While this may have been something he could have kept quiet in the States, especially in the South during that period of time, European press had a field day. The tour was cancelled and his career never fully recovered from this public condemnation. So that is three big stars all out of the public eye before 1958 was even half over!

February 3rd, 1959 has gone down in infamy as the “day the music died”, thanks to Don McLean’s “American Pie”. It was the day 22-year-old Buddy Holly died in a tragic plane crash. More than any other early rock and roll star, Buddy was showing how rock and roll could evolve. Holly was one of the first artists to write, arrange and produce his own records. He was already incorporating string ensembles and choirs, combining teenage and adult music into a more sophisticated version of rock and roll. But his plane crash caused a major stunt in Rock and Roll's growth.

The early days of Rock have often been criticized as little more than white singers stealing black music. One of the few black artists during the first wave of Rock to have hits with his own recordings was the true “architect of rock and roll” – Chuck Berry. From 1955-1959 he put 10 songs in the top 40, and everyone from Gene Vincent to Pat Boone used Chuck’s material to fill their albums and singles. And it wasn’t just America listening; nearly every British Invasion band that came out in the mid-60s had a cover or two of Chuck’s. But another near fatal blow to rock and roll came in December of ’59, with Berry sentenced to serve five years in jail. A former employee of his was arrested on a prostitution charge and with a trial that was fueled by racism, Chuck somehow ended up in jail. Although he was released early in 1963, Rock's first great poet was silenced during this fragile time in its infancy.

Losing this many leaders during the first 5 years of any movement would surely cause most revolutions to lose steam. The final blow came on April 16, 1960 - just a month after Elvis was released from the army - when 21-year-old Eddie Cochran was in a fatal car crash. Cochran was another visionary, writing his own songs (including “Summertime Blues”, and “Twenty Flight Rock”), and experimenting with overdubbing years before the Beatles perfected the craft.

It’s no wonder that in the absence of all of these vital visionaries, the record labels had to create more “reliable” stars like Frankie Avalon, Fabian, and Annette Funicello. Elvis stated in many interviews during his early days that he believed Rock and Roll was a fad, and that he would have to change with the trends if he wanted to keep his job. So when he was released from the Army he cut an album called “Elvis Is Back!”, and a string of singles that included more variety than any of his early material. This was not the recordings of a dead man, or worse a "has-been" (as Lennon’s quote suggests), this was rock’s greatest interpreter expanding his (and the whole movement's) vocabulary. But now without Buddy, Chuck, Little Richard, or Jerry Lee to give him a run for his money, he settled to compete with chart-toppers like Del Shannon, Chubby Checker, Dion, and Brenda Lee – not exactly leaders in a revolution. Rock lost its momentum for a number of years, nearly suffocating in Beach Party movies and AquaNet, until those four lads from Liverpool showed up.

Although the Beatles went down in history as the saviors of Rock, their early songs (“I Wanna Hold Your Hand”) were much more clean-cut than the early records of Elvis, Chuck, or Jerry Lee. The early revolutionaries had already laid down the groundwork, so the Beatles were able to attack from different angle - they put on their best smiles, wore their suits, won America’s heart - then were given free reign by their label and manager to revolutionized the rock world from within. So there you have it, the story of how Rock almost died while Elvis was in the army.

PERFECT SONG: HELP! by Lennon/McCartney

2010-03-15T10:43:00.013-05:00

This song is frequently referred to as one of John’s earliest examples of autobiographical songwriting. While it is still packaged in the up-tempo, “Buck Owens meets Motown” early Beatles sound, just beneath the surface there are real tears of desperation. I love when a song can work on two levels, and you hear more with each listen. It’s a “coming of age” tale of growing up and realizing you don’t have all the things figured out that you thought you would. In hindsight it’s easy to see this as Lennon’s cry for help as the first thrust of Beatlemania grinds on.

(click HERE to watch a clip of HELP! on YouTube)

Structure-wise this song has been a huge influence on many songs of mine. First off, it starts on the very startling chorus, which is still not very common with pop songs. Typically you get some sort of musical intro, followed by a verse or two, and usually a pre-chorus before you get the pay-off (the chorus), but this song starts right with the hook. So when the first verse hits “When I was younger, so much younger than today…” it acts like a cinematic flashback. While Lennon was the force of energy behind this song, it’s Paul contribution that makes this song a pop masterpiece. Paul and George sing a counter-point melody “when… when I was young… I never need” throughout the verse that helps the listener forget that this is a serious cry for help, and contributes to the masterful arrangement.

The other structural device that I’ve borrowed time and time again, is the “break-down” final verse, which repeats the first verse, but with limited drums, it gives John a chance to be more intimate with the listener. Gradually the band joins back in, and they end with another great surprise – an A6 chord, which leaves it on a more mysterious note than just a traditional solid A chord.

Off the top of my head here’s few songs of mine that borrow from this mighty song (click the title to stream the song)

• Cleopatra Eyes – this was one of my first stabs at writing a “traditional Beatles-esque pop song.” I start with the chorus, I break down for the last verse, and I end on an A6 chord - the song is even in the same key!
• A Billion Odd People – Again, this song starts on the hook, has a break-down during the last verse, and ends with a “maj7” chord (slight variation on my part, but the same effect).
• Death & Texas – This is the most recent example of the good ole Help! structure finding its way into my writing. The broken-down last verse is there, and the odd last chord (this time ending on the “relative minor”).

Everyone Knows Nobody Knows...

2010-03-11T23:08:00.002-06:00

Tonight in Downtown Nashville...

2010-03-10T13:21:00.003-06:00

George Strait, River Phoenix and The Bluebird

2010-03-08T16:27:00.029-06:00

Since we've moved to Nashville, Meagan and I have sought out as many "country" movies as we can. Aside from the recent Crazy Heart (which I found to be an enjoyable Hollywoodized take on the quiet, brooding Tender Mercies) we've discovered a few overlooked country flicks from the early '90s. "Pure Country" stars George Strait as a modern country-pop superstar, who leaves all the lights and glamor to seek out his roots. Meanwhile, his tour continues on with a look-a-like lip-syncing to his records while the band mimes along. Eventually George finds a girl out in the country, and to really seal the deal he re-joins his tour and sings directly to her in the front row. The girl swoons. Done deal.

The other movie we watched recently, with a more direct Nashville connection, is "The Thing Called Love". I was pretty excited when I saw Peter Bogdanovich's name listed as Director. Being a huge fan of Last Picture Show, I was disappointed at what a flawed, cliché of a film this turned out to be. It follows a young songwriter (Samantha Mathis) as she moves to Nashville to try and make a career for herself. Focusing around the legendary songwriter's hub, The Bluebird Cafe. She faces stiff competition with bad boy River Pheonix, nice guy Dermot Mulroney, and southern belle Sandra Bullock. Not a great movie by any standard, but I enjoyed watching these movie stars take on the persona of hard-working songwriters. The main problem was they make a love-triangle out of Samantha, River and Dermot. Boring. Plus the songs are mostly really cheesy novelty tunes, even though they all act like they are trying to be the next Townes Van Zandt.

We took the soonest opportunity to check out the real life Bluebird Cafe. With Meagan's mom in town, we took her there last night. While it didn't look exactly as it did in the 1993 film, it did have a lot of the same vibe that they put across in the movie. Ten nervous songwriters of all age groups (I'd say 25 - 65 on this night) each perform three songs. I thought it was cool that most of the songwriters played their most recent material. Some of the dudes with a larger resume relied on their biggest hits (or closest thing to a hit). One of the highlights came from a gentlemen who's lyrics all came from newpaper headlines. "The Nipple Caused A Ripple on the #10 Metro Bus" (about recent breast-feeding on the bus scandal), got a lot of appreciation from the audience. I have nothing against a novelty tune when done right (ie early Randy Newman or Ween's country album). After the "Bluebird approved open mike" section ended we caught a couple songs from the nights main attraction, Tony Haselden. The second song he performed was surely one of his proudest songwriting moments, "You Know Me Better Than That", a song that he co-wrote with Anna Lisa Graham, that none-other-than, "Pure Country" star, George Strait took to #1! And with that our entry comes full circle.

Recapitated

2010-03-06T14:19:00.013-06:00

Last night was a break-through. Not that our first weekend show in Nashville was an overwhelming success. Given the last-minuteness of the show, and GhostFinger cancelling, there was not a large turn-out, but it might have been my favorite show so far. Having a stripped-down power trio last night - with Nathan Thomas on bass, and Aaron Tosti on drums - I felt more free to crank up the guitar and get a bit rowdy. At rehearsal before the show, Tosti reminded me of how wild those Traveling Mercies shows were back in the Spring of '08 when I first came to Nashville. It spurned me on to get a little sweatier. While my songs are my pride and joy, I feel a renewed commitment to putting on a real show.

It was also great getting a chance to talk with local songwriter Derek Hoke. After Jacob Jones finished his set (which was great, by the way), Derek and I chatted til the bar closed. We've already made plans to get together soon to write a tune together. How Nashville!

Although we didn't get any video last night, you can really feel the energy in these photos Meagan took.

After we played, I snapped a few photos. Here's Jacob Jones soaking in the spotlight, and we have Aaron Tosti and Nathan Thomas looking at something really cool on Nathan's phone.

I'm gonna try to make this blog more than just show reviews in the future, but I've been lucky enough to be pretty busy lately. I promise to make more quality time with you, girl.

Tonight...

2010-03-05T13:15:00.003-06:00

Home Away from Home

2010-03-04T13:05:00.015-06:00

Tuesday was the best show I've had in Nashville thus far. We played to the fullest room yet, and the band sounded great. It was the first show with Ethan as utility man, switching between guitar, baritone guitar and lap steel. Here's a few clips from the night. My buddy Lonnie from Seattle was in town for a business trip and made it out, so it was great to play for someone from back home.

"Across the River" from I'm Gonna Live The Life I Sing About In My Song

"Idle Hands" from Shouting At A Silent Sky

"Ain't No Grave" from Hey Lazarus!

So it turns out the 5 Spot is my latest "home away from home." After playing our second show at the 5 spot in less than a month, l was pleasantly surprised to find an email waiting for me at home asking us to play the 5 Spot again this Friday (tomorrow)! We are opening up for Jacob Jones (who really impressed me when I saw him at Dino's a couple weeks ago) and GhostFinger. It's a sort of "East Nashville Neighborhood Party" so it's great to be included, and with our first Friday night show, it should help establish us a bit more around town.

Joey Sanchez won't be able to do this last minute gig, but we are lucky enough to be joined by our good friend Aaron Tosti on drums. Aaron, or as he's more frequently known as Skwid, played my first show in Nashville with me back in June 2008 before my brother joined me for our Traveling Mercies southern tour. Looking forward to playing with him again. I'll let you know how it goes (or if you're in town, join us)!

Just Our Luck

2010-02-25T16:06:00.008-06:00

We booked a last minute gig at The 5 Spot this Tuesday (3/2). This is the second time we've filled in for a band that dropped out of their Tuesday obligation. And, including the Family Wash show, every full band show has been on a Tuesday, apparently somebody up there doesn't want us home watching LOST :)

With this show, we will be introducing our newest member, the multi-talented Ethan Luck. His main project is Relient K, where you can see him pounding the drums. But in our band, he acts as the glorified utility man. We got him switching between lap steel, regular and baritone guitar. We had our first rehearsal today, and I already know I'm gonna miss him when his schedule with Relient K picks up in the spring.

I took a few pics at our rehearsal today.

And here's Mr. Luck with his classy lap steel.

If you are in town on Tuesday, come on out to the 5 Spot, it should be a great night of music.

My Life In Pictures

2010-02-21T15:59:00.029-06:00

Just before leaving Seattle, I got a new cell phone. It's no iPhone or anything, but it takes color photos! Here's a few highlights from the last couple weeks...

As we were setting up on stage at the 5 Spot, a couple weeks ago, I took a pic of everyone in the band. Here's Nathan's letting out some steam before the show.

And here's the famous Joey, who played drums with me during the Suburbiac and New Old Friends days of Dolour. He moved to Nashville three years ago, and was my only friend out here the first time I came, almost two years ago now.

Here's Josiah. Although he is a new friend, we have a bit of back-story. Around the time I was working with Aaron Sprinkle on Suburbiac (2001-2002), Josiah was simultaneously working with Sprinkle on the first Holland album. We met briefly in the studio at the time. I can almost picture the LOST-style flashback.

I took this photo of Stephen Sebastian and Co at his acoustic show last week at Ugly Mugs. If you look closely at this low-res phone capture you will notice that the-hardest-working-man-in-Nashville, Nathan Thomas, is on the upright bass.

I've had a lot of quality time with Boris since Meagan started her new job. Yesterday afternoon I tried to get a good pic of us on our front lawn during this recent sunshine. I couldn't hold the phone and get Boris to pose, so I ended up with this. But you can see the cool veiny trees from our front yard.

Yesterday Meagan's manager sent steaks home with everyone, and he gave her an extra one for me! Life is good.

On our third day of consecutive sunshine, Meagan had the day off so we took Boris on a big long walk. He's still recouping from more exersize than he's had in months, but I captured this moment as he took one of his many breaks this afternoon.

Hope you enjoyed this photo journey of my last couple weeks. As ever, there is more coming soon...

I got the blues sewn in to my jacket sleeve

2010-02-19T15:40:00.007-06:00

Here's a clip Meagan filmed last night at Drifters.

A cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Black Widow Blues"

Standing Near the Shoulders of Giants

2010-02-18T11:20:00.005-06:00

It's getting harder and harder to break my excitement down to bite sized journal entries. Especially when I don't write on here everyday. One of the things that has kept my brain buzzing the last couple weeks is that I've recently found myself one person away from all of the still-active Nashville A Team. Through my buddy (and bassist) Nathan Thomas, I've gotten to know local producer Kurt Storey who frequently works (and hangs out with) Musician Hall of Famers like Bob Moore, "Pig" Robbins, Charlie McCoy, and Buddy Spicher. All of whom have worked with legends like ELVIS, DYLAN, George Jones, Patsy Cline... need I go on? A few of them also worked on Ween's 12 Golden Country Greats (1996), and Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Sings Greatest Palace Music (2004), two of my favorite more recent Nashville albums.

So now I feel inspired to try and write my best material, and get as many of these guys on board as I can. I'm considering doing something like Bonnie "Prince" Billy's album, and gathering some of my better songs from the past, combined with some new songs and doing a "Shane Sings His Greatest with the Nashville A Team" kind of record (but hopefully with a better title). This might be a purely self-indulgent concept, but I can't let an opportunity like this pass me up.

On the home-front, Meagan got a job! She's working as a receptionist at a nearby car dealership. Today is her first day, so I am at home rehearsing for my solo show tonight at Drifters BBQ (the place that gave me my first show in town). I'm gonna play a couple new songs, and some new covers as well, but over-all hopefully just a better version of my last set there. If you are in town come out!

About Last Night (at The 5 Spot)

2010-02-10T11:50:00.002-06:00

Despite the fact that we were the only band scheduled last night (due to an emailing mix up) we had a great crowd (quality not necessarily quantity) and a full night of music. Our friend Stephen Sebastian was there and so we had him play a few songs to get the night rolling. I love his voice, and he's one of the rare performers who doesn't need a band behind him to get people tapping their toes and feeling the groove. After his short and sweet set, we took the stage. Our band has expanded since the Family Wash show, we now have Josiah Holland playing keys with us. He's most recently been seen playing bass with The Lonely Hearts and keys with his brother Will Morgan Holland. At our first show, last week at the Family Wash we introduced ourselves as Shane Tutmarc & the Oceanic 2 (since it was the night of the big LOST final season premiere) but last night we were Shane Tutmarc & The Enablers. I kinda like the sound of that, might use that one again. Here's a photo Meagan got on her phone's camera:

Our friend, local photograher, Emjae was also on hand to capture the night. Here's her gallery.

We played a 10 song set, pulling songs mainly from Hey Lazarus! and Shouting At A Silent Sky. After laying off of the Mercies stuff in Seattle for the last year, its been fun pulling out those songs again. There is a freshness to them that is undiminished. Here's the set-list (with a couple random video links):

1 Fair Warning
2 Honey I Choose You
3 Idle Hands
4 Across the River
5 Next Best Thing
6 Never Turnin' Back
7 Lost Myself Again
8 Mortality Blues
9 Death & Texas
10 Ain't No Grave

Next up, I have another solo gig at Drifters on the 18th. We'll keep ya posted with more going on here as we get settled in Music City!

The BIG Catch-up

2010-02-04T19:35:00.001-06:00

Alright, the day finally arrived. Internet at home!

So let me catch you up on some of the highlights of the week.

First of all here's our house...

Loving our house. I recently wrote a song called "Double Paned Windows", somewhat inspired by our Home Sweet Home.

So Tuesday was the big day of the week. Our internet guy came and set us up, then we headed out to the Municipal Auditorium to be extra's in the Gwyneth Paltrow/Tim McGraw movie, Love Don't Let Me Down. Not nearly enough people were there to fill out the seats, so they put dummys in most of the seats. But Meagan and I were on the ground floor only 15 feet (or less) from the stage, so there is a good chance we'll be seen as Gwyneth is strutting down the catwalk of the stage singing the movies closing song. It was so much fun I almost hated to leave, but I had a rock show to play!

That night, instead of huddling around my TV or computer watching the season premier of LOST, I was playing my first show as a local with a full band. It was at The Family Wash for their "short sets" night. We played 6 songs, had a great time, and got a good reaction from our friends, the club and its patrons. I had Joey Sanchez and Nathan Thomas backing me up, so what could go wrong?

Here's the setlist (w/ live & studio clips from various sources):

1. Lost Myself Again
2. Honey I Choose You
3. Idle Hands
4. Across the River
5. Death & Texas
6. Ain't No Grave

Meagan filmed most of the show, and once we figure out how to get the video and sound synced up on iMovie, we will post a clip. But for now here's a picture that Joey's wife Brynn took.

Next Tuesday (will I ever get to see LOST when it's new) Joey, Nathan, and I will be joined by Josiah Holland on keys to round out the band's sound when we play The 5 Spot. We will be playing a full set, so be prepared for more video clip threats, and rock shots by the wives and girlfriends :)

State of Emergency

2010-01-31T13:04:00.001-06:00

A surprise snow storm has slowed me down the last couple of days.

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen declared a state of emergency!

I'm hoping this doesn't affect the Family Wash show on Tuesday night.

Thanks to those of you who are following this blog. And thanks Elizabeth, Mary and Arthur for the comments. Another thing I hope the snow doesn't get in the way of - our Comcast guy showing up to install internet at home on Tuesday morn!

Once we get that installed, expect this page to be full of all the bells and whistles you've come to expect from your favorite blogspot journals :)

The Family Wash

2010-01-28T15:00:00.002-06:00

Getting internet installed next Tuesday.

AND... that night I have my 2nd show in town, and my first with a full band!

Nathan Thomas (who played with me on my first trip out to Nashville in Spring '08) on bass.

Joey Sanchez (who played drums with me in Dolour, until he moved to Nashville and became my lone connection to the town) on drums.

We are playing "Short Sets" on Tuesday, February 2nd at The Family Wash 8:30pm.

Got some more gigs in the works. I'll keep ya posted.

XO

Drifters in hindsight

2010-01-24T16:54:00.002-06:00

Still don't have internet at home. I know, what's my problem, right?

Sitting at Sip Cafe, my closest coffee shop.

So the first show is behind me now.

Got more people out than I expected. Luckily, its a smaller place, so my 9 or so friends (plus the patrons) actually felt like a lot more.

Without much time here to write. I will leave you with the set-list. It was nice to dig deep into the my "cannon" and pull out a few surprises. Here's what happened last night.

Set I:
1 Black Jack Mama (Townes Van Zandt)
2 Oh Lonesome Me (Don Gibson)
3 Fair Warning
4 Next Best Thing
5 I Know I Should Know Better
6 Lyin’, Hidin’, Cryin’
7 Ain’t No Grave
8 The Basement in Nashville
(song I wrote for my first trip out here in Spring of '08)
9 Running Forever
10 A Billion Odd People
11 Across the River
12 Hesitation Blues
13 Honey I Choose You
14 Since You’ve Gone
15 So Hard to Make an Easy Getaway
(rarely performed 2 year old song, I've yet to record)

I took a short break. Quenched my thirst, then went back at it.

Set II:
1 Can’t Get You Off My Mind (Hank Williams)
2 Mortality Blues
3 Eliot
4 Idle Hands
5 Suspicious Minds (Elvis)
6 Death & Texas

I had more songs planned for the 2nd set, but with my late start (I left my capo at home and had to retrieve it), these 6 songs took me to 9pm perfectly.

Alright, what's next?

Driftin' Cowboy

2010-01-21T18:05:00.000-06:00

Getting internet at home in a matter of days!

If you are in the Nashville area, come on out...

CREMA

2010-01-18T13:22:00.001-06:00

We moved into our new home.

Don't have internet yet.

At CREMA.

Green Tea.

Free internet.

Booked my first show!

Saturday January, 23rd at Drifters.

East Nashville BBQ joint.

I play 7pm - 9pm.

If you are in the area please come!

Working on getting internet at home.

(the 2nd Fleet Foxes song, since I've been here, is now playing)

More soon...

Seattle Shane becomes Tennessee Tutmarc

2010-01-09T09:03:00.001-06:00

Hey friends - despite the fact that I already have a Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, ReverbNation, NoDepression, iLike, and ShaneTutmarc.com - I feel like this "journal" (hate the word blog) will be a better place to share my thoughts, personal photos, and hopefully keep you up-to-date on my recent move across the country.

I was born and raised in Seattle, WA 28 years ago. On January 1st 2010, my girlfriend Meagan and I started a road trip that took us across the country to Nashville, TN. We got into town on Elvis' birthday (January 8th) yesterday, and now begins the search for a place to live, putting together a band, and a temp job. I don't have much time to write right now, but I will be writing more and sharing photos soon!

Through These Eyes

Let Me Redirect Your Attention

Coming Up

And now a message from the Justice League of Americana

Waking Up On Stage

Living on Borrowed Blues

A Brief Intermission

Basement Tapes

All the News That's Fit to Print

How High's the Water, Mama?

Hot Springs

PERFECT SONG: JOLENE by Dolly Parton

Through These Eyes

Man Up to the Man

R.I.P. Alex Chilton

HOW ROCK (ALMOST) DIED WHILE ELVIS WAS IN THE ARMY

PERFECT SONG: HELP! by Lennon/McCartney

Everyone Knows Nobody Knows...

Tonight in Downtown Nashville...

George Strait, River Phoenix and The Bluebird

Recapitated

Tonight...

Home Away from Home

Just Our Luck

My Life In Pictures

I got the blues sewn in to my jacket sleeve

Standing Near the Shoulders of Giants

About Last Night (at The 5 Spot)

The BIG Catch-up

State of Emergency

The Family Wash

Drifters in hindsight

Driftin' Cowboy

CREMA

Further Reading...

Seattle Shane becomes Tennessee Tutmarc