Damion Wolfe

CROSS-COUNTRY 2009:

I've been back home for over a week now and the tour seems like a big blur now. These things are always important for me to recount because there really are some magnificent and subtle moments that paint the landscape of each tour that I never want to forget.

My last show in Nashville at Richard's Cafe was blessed by some nice folks that were into it, but I didn't really feel like that was the venue for me. I decided to skip the Georgia show because it was outside and there were inclement weather concerns. So I headed home. When I got home I think I slept for about 14 or 15 hours. Crazy!

Here are some of my highlights and pet peeves of the tour:

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

-Shows @ Arefa's, The Ugly Mug, Meadowlark Cafe, Chai Spot, C&P Coffee, Insomnia Coffee, Empyrean Coffee, Paddy's Coffee House, Kashtan's Bistro.

-Seeing old friends on the road.

-Seeing some of the folks that I saw at last year's shows.

-Eating Pork Schnitzel at Kashtan's Bistro

-Meeting tons of nice and generous people. One of the sweetest things anyone did on this tour came from a homeless man sitting out front of a cafe I was playing in Portland one night. As I was packing up I saw him attempting to hand me a bottle of vitamin water saying, "I can't afford to give you any money but would you like a bottle of this?" Oh man, how sweet is that?!

-Knowing that one of your songs is getting across to someone in a way that you know moves them somehow.

-Knowing that someone as far away as Seattle is listening to one of my cds or a downloaded song.

TOUR PET PEEVES:
-When someone goes, "so, do you just show up in each town and try and find a show or....?" This always makes me laugh and irritates the hell out of me at the same time because it seems to imply that they don't take me serious enough to think I have a tour planned out, nor to understand that these tours are slaved over and scheduled months in advance. Or when someone goes (in a subtle but demeaning way) "wow, that's a lot of driving". I usually respond with, "that's why it's called a tour".

-When someone goes, "hey, at least you're getting a vacation". RRGGHHH! Wrong response again. Between driving time, attempting sleep, practicing and getting situated there's not a lot of time for much. I'm trying to be nice....

-When you show up to play at a cafe, whose business is booming, yet they still expect you to play for free. AND, when one of the employees comes up to you and proudly says, "you can sell your merchandise and we don't take any commission on that". Gee thanks....

-When a venue doesn't put the posters up you sent them either because they forgot or the post office never got it to them on time.

One of the many cool things as always that happens during these tours is the incredible amount of cool people you meet! I've been speculating for the last 2 years now that it seems that once you hit Pittsburgh and head Westward, everyone seems to mellow out a little more and drop the pretentious East Coast attitude that seems so pervasive, especially from Virginia on Northward. The amount of posturing seems to be traded in for more laughing, open arms and a lil' less uptightness. True, there are assholes everywhere, but in my very subjective experience there seem to be less West, although I ran into some there too. Honestly, coming back has been a bit of an adjustment.

It's time now to start focusing on writing some more (and getting some more work). I was really happy and appreciative of the response some of my old material still gets with new crowds. Still I'm restless to write more and better songs. One of the great things about touring and being able to play whatever you want is doing exactly that....not having to play covers over and over all night, but getting the chance to re-connect with and expand upon my own material. And, change it up nightly. It was challenging yet rewarding at times too!

I really want to thank everyone who was out at the shows, bought cds, and made downloads of itunes, amazon, emusic, etc. Also hats off to webmaster Mike Horn for keeping the site updated. And, thanks to everyone who joined me on facebook and myspace (www.facebook.com/damionwolfe and www.myspace.com/damionwolfe). I really hope I'll see you all again in the next year. Maybe even with a brand new CD.

Thanks for reading everyone. It was a great tour!

Damion

ONWARD HO (OR IS IT HOE?)

I've been on the move so much I honestly haven't had time to update the blog For Notes From The Road recently. When I last left off I was getting ready to rock out in Santa Rosa at Last Day Saloon....well indeed I did rock out, although it was only to a few but very amiable folks. It was a cool live music bar in downtown. Thanks to everyone there-Jim and Beth who had just moved out from VA, Rob and Annette visiting from England and everyone else. Wednesday I rolled down to Silicon Valley area where I performed at Paddy's in Union City. I really enjoyed the show and the crowd was very supportive. Thanks to Paddy, Justine, Jonathan and Jonathan, Mark, Ani and everyone else. After chowing down with old friends I zeroed in on San Diego and made the 8 hour run. LeStat's West is a beautiful music venue in San Diego run my great guy and soundman extrodinaire-Lou Brazier. The problem is this, the last 2 times I've performed there I always leave feeling: a. terrible about my performance and b. seeing people leave in the middle of my set...now even though we only had 4 to 6 people there all night, it was still discouraging. Nonetheless I'd like to thank Lou for having me back and Stephanie for coming down from L.A. for the show...and to Tokyo Jim who stuck around for everyone's set. Friday night at Kashtan's European Bistro and Deli was a saving grace though. I LOVE this tiny little cafe in North San Diego run by Thomas Trzos. Thanks to everyone who came out: Sean, who was there last year, drove all the way down from Anaheim with Alana, also Kristin and Marcelo, Earl, Stephanie, Alex, the East Coast Crew, Heather, Rob and everyone else. It was a great night...topped off with some great pork schnitzel! Yes, I have been eating like a savage the last few days...alas it must be quelled-starting tomorrow! Saturday I headed up to hang out with my buddy from Baltimore-California Bob, who happened to be in San Diego for a few days. We had a great time!

Tomorrow I'm playing at Richard's Cafe in White Creek/Nashville TN. My first show ever there...a little intimitating. The show for Wednesday in Clayton is indefinite right now because of weather concerns. Stay tuned.

Oh, and one more thing my friend Katie Riley from D.C. introduced my "How I Love My Maryland" song to a blogger who somehow turned it into a competition. Although the other guys' song is probaly more aprapro for the O's cause, if you feel like supporting my song please visit the blog and vote for it:
http://roarfrom34.blogspot.com/ .

Thanks for reading everyone! Be home soon,
Damion

- LeStat's

- Stephanie @ LeStat's San Diego

- Backstage @ LeStat's San Diego

- with Alana @ Kashtan's San Diego

- with Earl, Stephanie, Rob and Heather @ Kashtan's San Diego

with Kristin @ Kashtan's San Diego

- with Sean @ Kashtan's San Diego

- with Thomas, owner of Kashtan's San Diego

- with California Bob in California

w/Annette and Rob at Last Day Saloon-Santa Rosa, CA

w/Jonathan AND Jonathan at Paddy's Coffee House, Union City, CA

old friends-NoCal

GREAT PEOPLE, PLACES & ONE WACKY SONGWRITER

Wow, these last few days have been a whirlwind of travel. I left Portland Sat. night to start making the trip to Spokane (5 hours), then left Spokane to make the extensive, but beautiful, beautiful venture down to Ashland, OR (10 hours)....someone please remind me to fire my booking agent when I get back home!! When I start dreaming about cleaning trash out of my car....I know I've reached a milestone (I'm just not sure what to call it!).

Saturday night in Hillsboro, OR was fun. Everyone there was extremely cool-Debbie, Adam, Kim, Bethany and everyone else. Wasn't a big crowd and my engines were coolin' but thanks to the good vibes I kept the energy alive. Insomnia Coffee was a really cool place on the edge of Portland. On the drive to Spokane the next day I arbitrarily pulled off to a place in the middle of beautiful nowhere (Mosier) on I-84 for breakfast. Ironically enough the restaurant was owned and run by the couple that owned the original Bicylce in Baltimore (for those who don't know, The Bicycle was one of the better known culinary establishments in Bmore). Talk about small world! And yes, the food was awesome!

In Spokane I rolled into the Empyrean Cafe early, then roamed around town for a while catching up on missed t.v. via Hulu and did some practicing. I have to admit that I haven't felt totally happy with my performances the last few days...I don't know if it's just road fatigue, or if I'm losing focus, but more on that in a few. I shared the bill at Empyrean that night with Liz, Pat, Stephanie and another woman who's name I can't remember (I hate saying that because i usually remember names). Of course all of these guys were amazing! And, everyone brought a distinct style to the table that made it a well rounded evening. Of course I was definitely the "old guy" out as I think everyone there was all in their early 20s. Nevertheless they were very, very gracious to me and thanks to all of them! Thanks to everyone: Michelle, Sam, Britt, and all the other crew. There seems to be a really tight scene for acoustic music in Spokane and hopefully I will get to explore it again soon. I wish I could have hung out but I had to start the run to Ashland that night. BTW my set was:

WAITING FOR ROSE
OPTION OUT
SOME MORE
TREASURE
MOUNTAIN

When I got to Ashland (after an amazing drive through rural Oregon) I settled in. Oregon is beautiful as is Washington State....these parts of the states I'd never seen and just blown away by the architecture of Mother Nature that is eclectically pervasive throughout this part of the country. Ok, so now I'm going to have a Stewart Copeland moment where I give a bold elocution about how I absolutely sucked last night at Liquid Assets!! This place was a beautiful wine bar staffed by Lucy, Tom and Denise -- all great folks. But man, I was so pissed off with my performance last night...it was my worst for me this tour yet-it was like my voice disappeared and I had no clue as to how to be a performer...I was livid with myself!! Fortunately the crowd was very nice to me...but honestly, it was one of those shows I left thinking "God, I f*&kin sucked tonight, so why were these people so nice to me?" Nonetheless, one of my life lessons is to learn to except kindness and graciousness in spite of my own shadow. So in doing that I really want to say thank you to all of them who hung out and contributed. Dave and his lady from Santa Cruz, CA as well as Don, Jim and their ladies from Santa Barbara, CA, and everyone else. We got some great pics!

Hopefully tonight will be better! (gotta go before I stay over my check out time).

Thanks for reading everyone!

Insomnia Coffee Crew-Hillsboro, OR

With Debbie and Adam @ Insomnia Coffee-Hillsboro, OR

w/Liz @ Empyrean Coffee-Spokane, WA

w/Lucy@ Liquid Assets-Ashland, OR

w/ Sam, Liz, Pat, Stephanie, Britt-Empyrean Coffee-Spokane, WA

w/ Don, Jim and their ladies @ Liquid Assets-Ashland, OR

Dave and his Lady-Liquid Assets, Ashland, OR

TAKE A SHOWER, SON

....I can hear the remnant repeat of my father's voice saying that as I contemplate how grateful I was to finally be able to shower Friday afternoon (and this morning too!). This life on the road is definitely a momentuous ride of soaring with the clouds and skirting the treelines. Thursday in Tacoma I had to find time to occupy myself so I spent most of the day goofing off at local cafes, practicing in the park and then finally it was show time. As has been the order of the week, my show at Mandolin Cafe was not one of abundance, nor did I feel that I really found my groove until the 2nd set. I will say though that I met some very nice folks and Chef Dawn fed me an excellent meal! F#@kin A! After days of Subway it was nice to chomp down on something other than bread, turkey and potato chips!
I know that I keep saying I've met some nice people in almost every update, but it's really true...the people out here just seem generally a little more friendlier and relaxed. They've also been very gracious to me about my music. The cafes though have been generally sparse in abundance...seems it was that way a lot on my last tour as well. Oh well, it's still been fun.

Last night I got to play in West Seattle, a really funky little nabe. C&P Coffee was a stand alone house that Pete and Cameron had converted into a coffee shop. It was awesome! Nobody was there at first but then Aimee and her beau, Casey and Adrian showed up and actually sat down and listened to the whole show...it was great! I was admittedly nervous at first just from my usual relegation of being the background music, dominated by computers, earphones, conversation, alcohol, or whatever sports game du jour is inhabiting the t.v...I'm know I'm drifting off here, but even though I'm not making shit for money on this tour, it's so freakin' nice to be out of the bars for awhile.

Ok, back to the show....Dorothy and another gentleman (and his daughter) also showed up for awhile. They were just a great crowd and a great bunch of people!! We all sat around and chatted for awhile after the show and they even laughed at my jokes...I can't even get my mom to do that! I really fell in love with Seattle this time around...it's just got so much amazing stuff going on and I really felt like people were receptive to my music and message. Thanks guys!!

So today I am super grumpy....I just scarfed down some gummy bears in hoping of getting an insulin boost. I'm looking forward to tonight's show in Hillsboro...a suburban neighborhood of Portland.

Thanks to all who've been staying in touch and reading!
Damion (aka grumpy)

w/Dawn and Hanna @ The Mandolin Cafe-Tacoma, WA

-Tacoma,WA

-w/Dawn and Hanna again

-w/Barista Tasha @ The Mandolin Cafe-Tacoma, WA

-w/the crew @ C&P Coffee-Seattle, WA

-w/owner Pete @ C&P Coffee-Seattle, WA

We have an enormously huge country, and it's awesome!! I just wish I wasn't on such a tight timeline going from point to point that I could stop and enjoy it more. After the show in Lincoln Saturday night I hit the road and didn't make to Portland until Tuesday, 12pm PC time. I did stop to meander and smell Boise, ID since I had never been there before and I got to sleep under the stars atop an Idaho mountain....that was pretty cool. Seems like a great little town. Overall though I think so much driving and so little play makes me a grumpy boy.

Years ago I had a chance to visit Portland and I remember loving the vibe of the city. Because I was on foot I didn't get to see all of it, so I was glad that when I pulled up to Muddy Waters Tuesday night I was able to see yet another side of the city. It always struck me how nice people are out there and it's a refreshing change...though the whole amicability subject I will broach in another blog...I have much to pontificate on regarding this subject.

I was very happy with my performance on Tuesday night at Muddy Waters...mainly because I was so tired and ragged that I was proud that I pulled it together for the show. Unfortunately not too many people were there but the ones that were beamed of tre-cool and kind. Ryan, a friend of my buddy Curtis Earth from Orlando, recently moved to the area and he was gracious enough to swing by.

This morning I did my "on the road" grocery shopping (water, nanners, almonds and some sort of wholesome fiber or grain bars) and then hit the road for Seattle. I do declare that Subway should be sponsoring my friggin' tours as much as I eat there. I arrived in Seattle in time to do a little warming up and was psyched to see that The Chai Spot was located in the neighborhood of Ballard...a very artsy, urban nabe within the city limits that I had visited before once on vacation. The cafe was not packed by any means but again I met some very nice folks that were hanging out and sold some cds. It ended up being a good night! I'm a little zoned out right now so I'm not posting the sets only because I don't remember them. One thing that I really like about Portland and Seattle is the plethora of cafes. I saw almost more cafes within a 2-3 mile stretch of road in Portland than I think Baltimore or D.C. have alone.

It's hard to get a full vibe on the music scene out here because my visits are so patchy, but there is a ton of talent here for sure. I'm listening to an improvisational 6 man group right now...

Off to Tacoma. Thanks everyone for reading,
Damion

with Aloe at Muddy Waters Cafe-Portland, OR

with Ryan @ Muddy Waters Cafe-Portland, OR

with Anthony and Lauren @ Mr. Chai's Spot-Seattle, WA

THE HEARTLAND HAS A BIG HEART

Hello from Cheyenne everyone. I just finished up week one of the tour and hit the road last night for Oregon. I decided that this would be my "bad eating day" so I took a break from the road to swirl about the midst of downtown Cheyenne for a root beer and some fried food. I've been having such a great time on this tour so far. Even when the shows have been lacking for whatever reasons I'm still glad to be here and meeting lots of great people along the way.

Friday night in Des Moines was a beautiful no-show! Yep, no one was there except me and barista Tony and then later barista Rachel and her boyfriend. Still, I had a great time...treated it as a practice session and really enjoyed the ambience of the Amici Espresso. Also Tony and Rachel were super-duper cool. Thanks guys! I don't really remember the set that night but I still rocked out. Des Moines reminds me of a nicer version of Richmond, VA where I grew up...smaller, perhaps even less diversity yet with an urban frontage. That night I got an awesome hook up from my pal Beverly Brown, at The Hampton Inn in Des Moines! Beverly rocks...a truly dear soul who out of the kindess of her heart is helping me with some amazing discounts on Hampton Inns for part of this tour. Thank you Beverly! (There's a jaeger-bomb coming your way upon my return!).

Saturday I did the 80 drive over to Lincoln, NE for my 3rd appearance at the Meadowlark Cafe. Nathan (owner) warned me that it had been a bit slow there as of late. It was true...it was definitely the sparsest show I had performed there...yet again I had a great time and a few surprises! Roy and Kendra, who I met last year, came out again and so did my old buddy from Dover, Tim White. Unbeknownst to me he and his family had just been stationed at the airforce base up near Omaha. The crowd that night was also very receptive and appreciative. It was a great way to end over a week and a half of straight shows in a row. Oh, and dibs to dancing Kendra....who shuffled her way thru over half of my set. Be still my aging heart!

This was the set:

1st Set:

GET UP GET OVER
OPTION OUT
BE YOUR MAN
HERE COMES LOVE
SALVATION
DO THE MATH
97
WRAP YOU UP/SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY/WRAP YOU UP
FORBIDDEN LOVE
TREASURE
CARRY ME
FREESTYLE/SIR DUKE

2ND SET

WAITING FOR ROSE
ITTY BITTY SONG
CHOOSING MATTER
SOME MORE

This up and coming week will be a venture into new territory for me as I perform throughout the Pacific Northwest before heading down to California. Having never played here before I won't be afforded the opportunity of seeing familiar faces as I have been spoilt by this past week. So a brand new adventure agains (I just hope they like me!!).

Thanks to everyone who's been keeping up with me. For everyone who requested a postcard they're on the way. Also for everyone I met this week remember that you can download any of my published songs at ITUNES, NAPSTER, AMAZON, EMUSIC, RHAPSODY, etc. Oh, and please remember the check out the pics I've been posting. Lot's of cool dudes and dudettes. Thanks to webmaster and pal, Mike Horn, for keeping the site updated.

Thanks for reading,
Damion

w/Tony @ Amici Espresso-Des Moines, IA

w/Kendra and Kaiya @ Meadowlark Cafe-Lincoln, NE

w/Dover Tim @ Meadowlark Cafe-Lincoln, NE

w/Nathan @ Meadowlark Cafe-Lincoln, NE

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE LINES....

.....are the remnants of my brain. The rest has been ransacked by the onslaught of pervasive sleep deprivation. The last couple of days have been a-rockin though! Having a great time out here on the road with my time divided by privacy in the Yaris and meeting new kindred spirits and seeing old friends.

After leaving Indianapolis Tuesday I glided down to Memphis. It was a rainy day with a hint of yuck, but still cool to see Memphis. When I rolled into the club for early check in across the street, literally, Lamb Of God and GWAR were loading in for a big death metal fury. On top of that the band that I was opening for that night (awesome, awesome group out of Charlotte called Sugar Glyer) was much more in the power pop category. So, I knew that I would be the odd man out that night...nothing new, you all know I've been there, done that. Regardless, amidst the smoke and the noisy pool tables, I had a great time and what I considered a good show!! Heard one guy say, "well, it's not my type of music, but he did a good set"....honest, and damn good enough for me. To top it off my ol' buddy Scott Jackson and his wife came out and we ended up formenting good times and re-shuffling old memories at IHOP until 3pm. God bless his wife, Joanne....she is the most patient woman I've ever met. I'm calling the Vatican right now and nominating her for saint-hood. Scott took some pics that he posted. As usual, I abhor 95% of every live photo of me performing. I'm always thinking things like "gee, my head is really that big" "do I really make that face" and "gee, is there anyway we can photo shop this?", etc., etc. It's not the photographer's fault, just my lack of proportionate stage pose and grace.

This was my set for the night...at least some semblance of:
BE YOUR MAN
WRAP YOU UP-SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY
DO THE MATH
LOOKIN' OUT MY BACKDOOR
CHOOSING MATTER
MOUNTAIN

After again, another night of no sleep I crawled up to St. Louis. When I got to Abi's place I felt like King Kong had slapped me in the face and then used me for a wash cloth. It ended up being another great night in St. Louis though! My second time playing here, and I must say Abi always provides a great venue. I was with Abi Robbins, young bluesman, Andy Hyland and Fishwater Buttons (awesome name!) an awesome duo who had great songs and harmonies. And the sickening part of it is that it was their first official show! I think these gals have a lot of promise if they decide to ride it out. I was dead right before it was my turn to play and thank God I caught my 15th wind right as it was time to do my set. I had a great time!! Before I list my set I want to give a big shout out, bowing down and kiss the feet of.., round of applause to Abi Robbins. Not only is she a frickin' great songwriter and musician, she has the hostess heart of gold! Her natural propensity to reach out to connect and support other musicians is refreshing....something I've seen very little of on the East Coast in years. It's really great to be around her and watch her magic at work. And also dibs to her boyfriend, Sean, for helping out too. If you get to see them on tour, check 'em out! Thanks Abi.

This was my set: WAITING FOR ROSE
WRAP YOU UP
97
DO THE MATH
ITTY BITTY
CHOOSING MATTER

As always, thanks for reading. Feel free to drop me a line and say hello if you'd like. I always appreciate communicae from the road-damionwolfe@hotmail.com

Damion

w/Joanne and Scott @ P&H Cafe-Memphis,TN

w/Brandon and Zac @ P&H Cafe-Memphis, TN

Fishbowl Buttons @ Bird's Nest-St. Louis, MO (these gals are awesome!)

Bluesman Andy Hyland @ Bird's Nest-St. Louis, MO (Great songs and energy!)

Post Show Remnants @ Bird's Nest-St. Louis, MO (Photo Courtesy of Abi's Left arm)-St. Louis, MO

jammin' @ P&H Cafe-Memphis, TN Photo By Scott Jackson

FEAST, FAMINE AND SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

I hit the road for South Bend, IN on Monday morning. I'd never been there before and was excited to be making the trip. Riding up through Indiana farmland is a really surreal and peaceful experience. I guess some would say that it's boring yet there is something poetic about the string of farms and tilled Earth that are the decor of the Hoosier state.

When I got to Ugly Mugs Coffee there was a miscommunication about the gig....they didn't know I was coming, and it just so happens that the South Bend Tribune had done an article about the show. The managers were graciously apologetic and even paid for my hotel room. They were going to close in 50 minutes so I asked if i could just bring in my guitar and play a completely unplugged acoustic set. They agreed and it really ended up being a great short set of music. Some folks actually came out who saw the article and they were very personable. We had a great time! My short set was:

-ITTY BITTY
-3 AGAIN
-WAITING FOR ROSE
-SALVATION
-BE YOUR MAN
-97
-WRAP YOU UP

Here is a link to the article from South Bend Tribune. I don't really agree with the "Lonely" statement but other than that it was a decent article.

On Tuesday I realized that I was only 10 minutes from the Michigan state line. Since I'd never been to Michigan I got in my car and drove over the state line...yay! Even though my feet didn't actually touch the Earth I was there (does that count?). Then I headed down to Indianapolis for my show at Lazy Daze. I must admit that of the three times I've played here tonight was disappointing. Almost everyone sat miles away from where I was playing, there weren't many people there and the people there seemed a bit apathetic, although some did tip. One of the most humbling things about these kind of shows is having to walk around and ask people for tips (since a lot of these venues I don't get paid, I just play for tips and cd sales). It's always a bit uncomfortable, especially when people say no, but I'm working on trying not to take it personally. Regardless though, I still met some nice people and treated the night like a practice session. One guy-Corky-was jammin' out on "Some More" and had some kind words, so that definitely helped make my night (it's the little things sometimes that you have to grab onto). Joanie, barista girl, was very friendly and helpful as well. Otherwise though I was fairly happy with my performance and treated it as a practice session. I hope you guys don't mind my bluntness, but I strive to be honest and not over-romanticize the realities of being on the road. Sometimes it's feast...sometimes it's famine and whatever lies in between. My set was something along these lines:

-ITTY BITTY
-BEAUTIFUL BETHANY BARISTA GIRL
-GET UP GET OVER
-3 AGAIN
-SOME MORE
-97
-FREESTYLE/SIR DUKE
-CARRY ME
-FORBIDDEN LOVE
-TREASURE

So from here it's onward to Memphis. Each day is an adventure and despite the dips I'm really glad to be here! Thanks everyone for reading!

Damion

with the gang at Ugly Mugs Coffee in South Bend, IN

with Barista Joanie at Lazy Daze in Indianapolis, IN

WESTWARD BOUND

I kicked out of Baltimore Saturday with that feeling of "did I forget anything?" and "am I ready for this?". Playing late nights and running around getting everything ready for the tour put me in the surreal zone as I finally hit the highway. The synapses were mis-firing saying, "you're really on tour yet are you?...oh, but you are and you better get yer butt in the game!" So reality kicked in somewhere between the Sheetz Shmetzel and Animal Crackers I was devouring on the way to Pittsburgh. Got there in time to get a few minutes of warm up in and then headed over to Arefa's-a very fine cafe in the Squirrel Hill section. I was so impressed by how friendly Christy, the barista girl, was as well as the owner, Andre! I had a great time there as many of my friends came down: Pat, Lacey, Quinn and their friends Guillermo, Jenn and David as well as Mergl and John (who was up for the weekend from Lancaster). It was great to play a night of original music and begin the reconnection. Over all I was pretty pleased with my performance. Although I don't quite remember the order, this was the set:

BEAUTIFUL BETHANY BARISTA GIRL
FREESTYLE
CARRY ME
ITTY BITTY
GET UP GET OVER
SMALL MUSEUM
SOME MORE
BE YOUR MAN
HERE COMES LOVE
FORBIDDEN LOVE
TREASURE
BESSIE
OPTION OUT
WRAP YOU UP
MOUNTAIN

I stayed with my buddy Mergl (and feline Penny) last night, and then we headed down for a great lunch of around 1800 calories before I hit the road. Yummy equals big tummy, therefore it was my only meal of the day! I returned to Sitwell's in Cincinnati where I played last April. They were gracious enough to work me in just a few weeks ago because the other venue I planned to play stopped doing music. I must say though that I wasn't as satisfied with my performance. I started off strong, then seemed to start losing some of my finesse and energy in the last few songs. Needless to say the crowd was nice and I met some cool people: Sanjay, Sky, and Howard (who there last time), Jason and some other good folk. This was the set:

BEAUTIFUL BETHANY
FREESTYLE (broke string, changed string, then....)
3 AGAIN
ITTY BITTY
CARRY ME
BE YOUR MAN
SOME MORE
97
CHOOSING MATTER
WRAP YOU UP

I'm posting pictures again too, so I hope you will take a glance, a gaze...a gander.

Thanks for reading,

Damion

First CD Purchase of tour: Beautiful Barista Girl Christy @ Arefa's

Lacey, Jenn and Quinn-Arefa's

Pittsburgh Boys Choir: Pat, Mergl, Guillermo, David and John

W/Arefa's Owner Andre

Sitwell's in Cincinnati with Sanjay and Sky