Milford-

The new CD has been plagued by every concievable demon. There have been long lulls followed by in-fighting and explosions, breakdowns, land sales, huge staff shakeups and disappearing data. None of this, however, suprises me e ven slightly. I already knew it was going to be like this. You lie to yourself at the onset in hopes that it won't come true, but it always does. Nothing is easy. There is danger lurking around every corner. Ah yes, but you still tell everyone and anyone who asks about the project that it is "almost done....very soon...won't be long now." This response is mostly for me, so that for one brief second I can truly believe that the end of the road is near and that I am far enough away from the black hole of lost time that wants to suck me in. This hole threatens every recording project in the land. It calls out: "COME TO ME......SPIN AROUND...DOUBT EVERYTHING...NOTHING IS GOOD ENOUGH...WHY NOT BREAK FOR A LOVELY SANDWICH...RYE BREAD IS NICE...GIVE UP...DON'T FIGHT IT....SLEEP...SLEEP......

"NO!" I say. "Do not give in...must not look into the hole...skate the edges..loosing power...Wheat bread is nice with crisp lettece..NO!...must finish CD.....!" So, you press on and navigate around the empty space , flying blindly without radar, white knuckle riding, just hoping you get through the dark space and home again with something you can be proud of. Then you relax, take all the credit and backslaps, give in to hunger and have a nice sandwich and start planning the next CD.

In the meantime I ocasionally unplug from the process to remember what it is I enjoy doing with shows like the one I just did in Boston (Namaste Cafe-July 25). What a big night full of great music. I had a lot of fun on the air at Emerson College Radio WERS and also at breakfast with Mark Nicolas and Kevin So. A whole day of laughs. All gigs should be this easy and fufilling. It was a Beatles tribute so there was a lot of great Beatle songs. I had fun with Kevin So doing "Ticket To Ride." Really felt like the old Moptops themselves for a moment there. Lots of great original songs too, as all of these folks are very heavy songwriters. You must check these artist out:

Mary Sue Twohy (sings like a bird-Mary Sue's new CD The Risk Involved is stunning.)

Mark Nicolas (Reminds me of Tom Waits. Mark can make you feel what he is feeling in his songs.)

Kevin So ( He is a special talent who really has his own sound. R&B meets James Taylor in the parking lot in front of Motown Studios.)

Rachel Cross (Sincerely moved me with her cover of U2's IN THE NAME OF LOVE. A sweet voice)

Jenny Reynolds (Her songs are always smart and moving and wonderful.)

Thanks to the Namaste Cafe for a great night in a perfect room and to Mark Nichols for putting me up in his very cool , surround sound pad in Allston. I had so much fun that when I blew a tire on the Mass Turnpike on the ride home, I figured it was just the Yang to the Yin of the whole experience. It just didn't phase me.

Ok. I hope you keep checking in. I am working on a CD release party for November (just to be sure that the CD is done) at the Acoustic Cafe' in Black Rock, CT with my old friend Nicole Mckenna. More on that as it develops.

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Now, in the immediate future, I hope you will attend the next TRAVELING SONGWRITER'S SHOW:

Sat-Aug 17
Greenburgh Nature Center
99 Dromore Road
Scarsdale, New York
914.725.6599
w/Eric Balkey, Artie Tobia, Trina Hamlin
9:00pm

Here is the press release:

July 22,2002

" If you are in need of a little Americana in your musical diet the Traveling Songwriters Show should assuage your hunger." Village Voice (NYC)

Traveling Songwriters Show and Greenburgh Nature Center a Natural Thing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Traveling Songwriters Show is coming to the Greenburgh Nature Center in Scarsdale on August 17, 2002 to help raise money and awareness for the center in a Twilight Concert outdoors at the center.

"Acoustic music and the Greenburgh Nature Center is a natural thing." says Artie Tobia, the founder and one of the performers of the Traveling Songwriters Show. The show promises to combine two experiences that people love!

Beginning in the fall of 2002, the show has "traveled", doing performances, selling CD's and raising money for different organizations. " The idea is to create a win/ win situation for all involved," said Tobia. "Money is raised, the artist's meet new fans, sell some CD's, and the audience gets an affordable high quality show for all ages."The show is an all acoustic concert, where individual songwriters perform their original songs in the round. They offer a little story behind the songs and share some laughter with the audience. The show was originally conceived to showcase the talents of local singer/songwriters. It has fast gained a reputation among audiences and performers alike and is now attracting local as well as national artists. The line up for the Nature Center show will feature:

Trina Hamlin who played the Newport Folk Festival last summer along with Ani DiFranco, The Indigo Girls and Dar Williams. While touring acoustically across the country she has played shows with Paula Cole, Duncan Sheik, Ricki Lee Jones, John Hiatt and many others. This summer she will be on the Mainstage at the Faclon Ridge Folk Festival. She has just released her third CD Foundation.

Marc Douglas Berardo was the winner of the legendary Suwannee Springfest Folk Festival Songwriting Competition in 2000, and was chosen to perform in last year's New Artist Showcase at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. He is currently putting the finishing touches on his third CD for Hayloft Records entitled "As You Make Your Way."

Erik Balkey who according to Dirty Linen magazine, in their review of his CD Negotiations and Compromise is "a singer-songwriter who has faith in himself. His confident vocal delivery and sparse arrangements frame songs with uncommon poise." He tours nationally and has been heard on radio stations across the country.

Artie Tobia, is emerging as an artist to be closely watched. His 2001 release The Parade has enjoyed great success. A recent review by Alternative Country said, "This man can write some stories....he has the expressive qualities in his voice that can only come from knowing he is doing his songs his way." He has begun working on his next CD The Sun, The Wind and The Moon.

Join us on the lawn with your favorite chair or blanket, listen to some great original music and take in the natural beauty of the center. The show will begin @6pm until just before nightfall. T shirts and CD's will be on sale throughout the evening and there will be an acoustic guitar raffle.

For more information contact:
The Greenburgh Nature Center
99 Dromore Road
Scarsdale, NY
914.725.6599 ....

OK for now. I really hope to see you out there. Avoid the Black Hole.

mdb

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