joe squared

it doesn't take
much to be
nice. it doesn't
take much at
all. thanks to
everyone who
came out...
tim heaney took
pictures...
here are some...

awake in the forest

mind numbed tunes
practical bird song
tear away runes
and bottle wrongs

moon to earth
magnet poles orbit
strayed into dirt
transformed from myth

long way under
beneath tidal seas
barely blue hunger
rattled by degrees

skip rope words
played under ladder
children laughed verse
later than rather

succulent nebraska

emerging from mucus
haze drifted away
cleared head lifting
the bug vanquished
throat soothed renewed
passion's pilot light
lit open primed
melodies plans lists
who is the
best unsigned band?
who is the
best judge of
the best of
the fighting and
swinging and hopeful
and desperate and
sad and underrated
and lonely and
busy and unawares.

grimm

bertha's

the van took
a misstep the
other day. unfortunately
i was attempting
to change a
flat tire and
manage to wrench
off the lug
nut and the
bolt it was
fastened too. grinding
noises on the
passenger side also.
hmmm, i wonder.
my father says
it may be
time to say
goodbye to the
van. i think
he's jealous that
i have one.
yes that must
be the angle
he's taking. jealousy.

bertha's was fun.
loose... i didn't
play very well
and apparently we
were too loud.
they were right.
we were... no
pluggies in my
ears and a
ringing they were.

mah wife took
some pictures of
the show. here
is one... yeah!

closing bell

the closing bell sounded
torn ticket confetti
under our feet
poker face smiles


more later?

saluting to people

ellen cherry was
playing in the
early evening hours
at the baltimore
book festival. rhythm
and beer for
me. i saw
her previously at
the artscape place.
very well done
and smart. she
and i have
logged some time
on the road
and in the
baltimore. she has
been doing very
well as of
late. climbing the
hills that have
adequate surface but
ever shifting traction.
i'm happy for
her and the
success she has
been building. we
first met when
i had a
solo show at
mum's and needed
an opener. i
had been obsessively
going to baltimorebands.com
and sifting through
local music, a
precarious activity when
it comes to
quality and i
happened upon her
site. i read
through it a
while before the
show came up
and when pressed
to find someone
to open i
thought... why not?

it was a
good night and
i was happy
to hear someone
playing and thinking
about music... she
plays with ownership
of the music....
that was... 2004ish
2005ish... and i
hear her now
i'm really impressed.
she's found found
her voice and
her songs are
taking a form
outside of arrangement
and rehearsal. good
things for sure.

also... for giggles...
the other night
i googled for
a song i
taped off the
radio in 1988
or 89... 99.1
whfs was a
different radio station
then... the type
of station that
would play a
song once and
you wouldn't hear
that tune for
another three days...

anyhow... i taped
a song by
the jack rubies
called, "the book
of love" because it
had some great
acoustic guitars, which
i was into
at the time...
seein that i
had just started
playing... but anyhoo...
the song that
came on after
"the book of
love" just rocked...
real country and
raw... english country.

i always wanted
to know who sang
it and every
once in a
while i would
google a couple
of words... from
the tune to
avail... but last
night it showed
up... "going back
to Coventry" by
the men they
couldn't hang. then
i found them
on itunes... can
you believe it.

shocking, just shocking.

chapter closed for
me.

grimm

Hood to Hood

hey there... quick
note to let
you know about
wtmd's fund drive.

wtmd has been
really kind to
us and has
played our music
both solo and
band! to say
thanks, i have
signed up to
hopefully get some
donations rolling in
their hood to
hood challenge... please
click on the
links and check
it out!

june star fund raising page

grimm