Catching Up....Wednesday, 4/6

I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up with this. It's been night after night: driving, setting up, playing, tearing down, crashing in a strange house or hotel....and repeating the same process the next day. It's been crazy and hard traveling and I am running from some sort of allergy monster. But...it's all been worth it. The shows have been good, I've been making new friends and influencing people. The good news is that there are music lovers everywhere.

After my great stay in New Orleans, I headed to Orange Beach, Alabama to play a couple of gigs. I sat in with Cowboy Johnson on Thursday night at the North Shore Grill and we played until we dropped. Next day, April 1st, April Fool's Day, I took some time to walk on the beach....then headed up to Birmingham, where I played a cool club called, Moonlight on the Mountain. Bob Dylan showed up and jammed with me at the end.

Saturday, it was onward to Georgia! My first Georgia gig was a house concert in Atlanta hosted by James Locher. Sunday, I was on the road again, this time to Athens. I played a great concert series hosted by singer-songwriter, Caroline Aiken. Caroline's home is on the Oconee River, a beautiful backdrop for music. She sat in and played some songs and Coleman Barks did a Rumi recitation over some 12 bar blues. After the show, we heard that a river monster left over from April 1st abducted the only 20 year old virgin in Athens, GA.....she still hasn't been heard from...

Monday, 4/4, I was back in Atlanta; 'Live and in person' on WRFG, (Radio Free Georgia). The highlight for me was when host Marc Miller surprised me with a song from my son Tucker's CD, called 'Ship Without A Sea'. (I skyped Tucker, who is living in India, and let him listen to it over the phone.)

Last night, Tuesday, 4/5, I played at world famous, Eddie's Attic, in Decatur, GA, right outside of Atlanta. Tomas Ramirez, the Jazzmanian Devil sax player from the Jerry Jeff/ Lost Gonzo days sat in on the last few songs and blew the roof off!

Today...on the road ....I'm on my way through the mountains to Johnson City, Tennessee. I've got a show tonight at a club called the 'Down Home'. I'll keep you posted....

It's Wednesday. A 'mini-hurricaine' hit New Orleans last night. The Quarter was flooded, but the music went on. Hear a cajun band and a rocker. Wish I could remember their names... I sat in with Kim Carson and Jason Bishop at Kerry's Pub on Decatur Street. Jason's a good picker and singer and plays country music in the Quarter 7-9 gigs a week! Kim is a really good country singer and bass player; she playes every night somewhere in the Quarter and hits the road a lot too. A tour of Europe is coming up. Thanks, Kim for showing me the ropes.... There are thunderheads outside this morning for my drive to Orange Beach, AL - yikes! I'm playing with Cowboy Johnson over there. He's a really great singer and writer, the "real thing!" I've felt real tired and under the weather most of the time out here. Bad dreams, not sleeping much. But the gigs have been fun. When I walk on stage, everything seems to melt away and I'm in another world....

Ok, I'm starting a new blog out here on the trail... It's Tuesday, March 29. I'm in New Orleans staying at Ken and Karen Triche's house. There's Armidillos rooting in the gardens, Kamikazi Mosqwuitos at dusk and alligators in the back yard... This is the beginning of the Southeastern Pilgramage Tour. 26 shows in 30 days or thereabouts. I've played three shows so far: Chickie Wah Wah on Friday 3/25, the Triche House Concert 3/26 and Banks Street Bar on Sunday 3/27. The shows were good and we had a lot of fun. Next is Orange Beach, Alabama on 3/3- & 3/31. I'll write some more soon, but for now, I'm going down to he Quarter and do some street singin'. Always wanted to do it. For compleat tour info see www.BobLivingston.org. See ya later!