catching the fever

june star news: none... except look at all the freaking dates we've booked... holy sugar... look at 'em... yowza!

album release: Oct. 26th
cd release show: Nov. 6th @ Patterson Theatre/Creative Alliance

blog stuff:

the true measure of whether "anything" is worth anything can be found by how quickly the low subconscious impulse to acquire matches the passion that created said "anything." musically, dj's used to know this secret. spin the record and kids go crazy... kids go dancing... kids go buying. funny to think our tastes hinge on the choices or impulses of kids. we come to believe that anything purchased en masse by a younger generation reflects the quality of any product.

what a disaster to be reduced to a demographic and not even know it. someone much older and much smarter lays out the clothing, music, political ideology, and socially acceptable for younger more "independent" generation.

i remember the label generation x... then generation next... now, i know i'm behind the curve..., but generation text? pretty funny, pretty sad. that's what they said about my youth collective... cycle cycle, right?

the funniest,saddest thing i'd seen was when my brit. lit. class read 1984 and i posed the question about whether or not the basic premise of the novel was a possibility in current times... over half of the class said, never. this is america... we don't do things like that... the gov't. wouldn't allow it. insert shivers here.

gov't. isn't bad. conception and execution however, that could use some tightening up. right? several times, on television mind you... characters will mention the importance of senators... a high office and that always seems to strike me as odd... i've been conditioned to believe that senators are either criminals or incompetent rubes that can't get their jobs right... or maybe, they figured it out... whatever, my cynical chip is engaged... at all times.

so, i've also been reading Time Life Home Blogging Books on how to connect two seemingly disparate topics... how trends are formed through youth shopping sprees and gov't. control. on page 47 of the Time/Life series... it says, "To connect between to seemingly disparate subjects can appear difficult. However, with some patience and trust in your audience, the common ground will make itself apparent."

so, okay. it will make itself apparent through the crazy conspiracy theorists... lady gaga is really a republican stooge meant to distract us from the real issues... gaga stands for... Girl Agent Grievous Amusement.

okay... i've gotten bored with this... i shall navigate the blogging topics slowly... metaphorically... perhaps... but i will not navigate a ship... through murky waters? tough rapids... treacherous waterfalls... no... i will navigate a my vessel... actually... i'm beached... i'm stuck... mired. so i guess i will be pulling that vessel... thereby becoming some wonderful quasi-vessel... a cyber tugboat. what was it thoreau said? "we do not ride the railroad, it rides upon us."

so true.

grimm

posts for the post

So… blogging bloggers… here we go… the run down, the skinny, the how do you do!

Mum’s… fun time interesting lineup… june star was fabulous… we played some spirited versions of new and old tunes… thunder from the new album… spectacular in its simplicity and swelling pedal steel… some rockin’ versions of hard working miner and saint reaffirmed our status as baltimore’s most incredible rock band in Baltimore, according to the City Paper’s 2014 Reader’s Poll.

Sound in Stone snuck on in to Federal Hill towing a 12x8 trailer to their 8 passenger van… seems more like they were planning to live on the road and never go home… their set was lively despite few folks in the audience… some sort gypsy rock and roll three part harmony tuba stuff… strange and good…

Healing Hearts were playing their first show… some jitters aside they closed their eyes and played well… they got through it… important with that first show, right?

I’m on the road right now with Mark McKay… we’re in Hamilton, NY… the home of Colgate College where Mark matriculated and graduated… quaint joint for certain… two kind of main streets… two theaters… we played the palace theater… and as I type… I’m looking across some sort of lake… staying at the white eagle hotel… a series of cottages and great big lake… pleasant weather… good times… when we checked in last night we heard this music coming from one of the bigger cabins here… and curious we slinked on in to take a look…

The entire staff of the hotel were dancing and haing a great time! Man… it was cool… they were dancing so close… well… I’d never seen anything like that before… so sweaty and dare I say… suggestive in a dirty way… I happened to be standing next to this younger looking woman… I mean… almost a child as far as concerned… when I noticed she’d locked eyes with one of the dancers… he motioned for her to come closer and they disappeared into the crowd all entwined and pulsated… I hope they had the time of their lives.

Oh… our promo shots are done… here’s one…




See ya…

grimm

the game and its pieces

the game is called "booking a tour" and it's hours and of fun.

Object:

align 5 shows together in both a chronological and regional sequence.

Obstacles:

you are relatively unkown, people lack imagination, you are relatively unknown

Directions:

1. Gather your materials (press kit, contacts of venues, patience)

2. Roll the dice (email the venue) if talent buyer emails you back (this could take 1 day to 4 weeks) move forward two spaces. If there is no response, role again.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 at least 30 to 40 times a day.


Seriously... booking cd release tour for October and it's starting to come together...

Tue. October 19 @ the Town Pump Black Mountain, NC
Wed. October 20 @ Snug Harbor Charlotte, NC
Thu. October 21 @ the Cave Chapel Hill, NC

Trying to fill in the 17th and the 18th... Monday and Sunday night... yikes... not much fun at all... but i'm getting back into the spirit of the whole thing... I've been working on November and now, today! I begin December... January... we're going to back to the South... whoo hoo...

status of the album,

master, complete
artwork, near complete
photos, wednesday

shows coming up... this Friday at Mum's... you bums... get out there... twil be fun.

grimm

rare earth

so it's hot out... oppressive and rending... what rough beast slouches towards bethlehem? big ol' heat index it what. that ringing in my ears turns out to be an air conditioning unit.

summer lurches on.

we are at the middle... the end becomes reality, and our priorities kick into gear for fear of not accomplishing them.

the fall awaits.

cool weather... the stereotype television reporter will say, "Relief is on the way!" because the heat is extreme... but then they will retort in a few month's "Relief is on the way with spring time coming around." As it is too cold... i dislike stereotype cliched acting.

probably why i never liked teachers all that much... talking about sitting on a tropical beach with their toes in the water and a waiter bringing them some fruity mixed drink... pathetic.

the same teachers who complained about students and how important teaching is to the world and their salaries were too low... it makes me sneer. venemous.

i think i'm happier where i am, now. of course i send emails to talent buyers who never respond... which makes me think that perhaps those people don't exist... and someday... i hope to meet them... they are harper lee... they are jd salinger... they are howard hughes... without the money or literary credibility...

funny.

grimm

new freedoms

mobility.

movement in circles and allowing yourself to breath. everyone eventually wakes up. i am convinced of that. some folks just act, "okay" about who and where they are. it's true. let's link it back to denial, you and I, eventhough there's not enough ether for a surgery this big.

nope.

pick a vein, any vein, and you could follow it to the source of the problem. that beating red thing. almost impossible to think that it could stop pumpin' ain't it? but there it goes, blip, blip blip... it only skips for three reasons... trauma, love, and cardiovascular disease...

reversal.

time move up and out. stand the ground. place your feet firmly. (watch out rob brezny, i think i'm getting the hand of your job) explore your sense of denial to the fullest... see where it takes you... when you are bored and feel the thrill of discovery has lessend, all you have to do is accept the truth and i guess you'll be free to move about the cabin.

grimm.

a long time ago

i used to sleep well... i'm not kidding... i could sleep for hours on hours and not think much of it. these days, however, seems like a few hours is all i can get. i'm not nervous about anything. i'm not too concerned about the inevitable socio-economic collapse of my country. i'm dreading the scorching summer heat and destructive humidity that accompanies it. so why am i not sleeping?

probably cause i snore like it's my only outlet of creativity.

this isn't some sort of musical insight as to how i write or create, is it? nope. it's just a thing. just who i am, i guess. i do like sleeping... maybe i grab a nap later.

these days have been spent emailing and updating and getting into a routine... which is good... but man i need to start doin' other things... maybe record somehting in my basement...? my lists of things to do are out of control... they mostly deal around the blogging, the booking, and the updating... right now i'm booking a tour for October!

we have our first confirmation... Thursday Oct. 21st @ the Cave, Chapel Hill NC. woooo hooooo...

no shows lingering on the horizon locally until august 3rd and 4th... those will be much fun... yup... you know.

the coffee is ready in the kitchen and i'm thinking about oatmeal... dreaming with one eye open... the other is half closed.

grimm

last night's show...

good times... excellent vibes... the 8x10 was fun,as per usual... although the sun was still out we seemed to play just hard as were it midnight... why is it rock n roll should happen after sun down? The uber excellent Tim Heaney was on hand snapping photos... so throughout this olde blog you'll see some of his handy work. we were well recieved with applause in the right places which is cool... or at least better than having molotov cocktails thrown at us... timmy wore the appropriate rock outfit... little know fact but that is the same t-shirt worn by Bryan Adams in the "Cuts Like A Knife" video... i'm not kidding.

mike ward really beat the shit out of keyboard as well... here's a pic of us discussing how much harder he should slam his equipment... er, the keyboard.



and mike ross focused his energy and attention on playing drums... wow

thanks to everyone who came out! we really appreciate all of the help and support! y'all are the best...



grimm

almost with you, i can sense you wait for me

much administrative happenings have been keeping me busy here at central command... my days start usually at 5:30 am, although today i was little late in getting started, a workout at the gym, a walk home, and then a lil' breakfast. i know, what a rock and roll life style for a teacher. but no longer teaching am i. resigned, finished, left the building... amscrayed, if you will.

feels good. feels strange. kind of like my prom. the weirdness will really set in september when school begins and i don't. the comforting smells of a freshly buffed school hallway speaks of new leaves being over turned before being re-over turned and patterns once thought to be left behind renew themselves, the cuts in the canyon that river water has no choice but to follow. the inevitable decline into routine and sense of person and place we all seem to gravitate back to, once again.

yeah, i won't being seeing that. instead, i click on the keyboard in some sort of digital hustle. book my band, yeah, book it... we're really good... we'll be pleasant for you... we have this new album, it's going to be awesome... it's going to make sense... you will love us... no, we don't have an audience... yet. but we will soon... oh please please please... book us now... you won't regret it...

gotta make some money. somehow.

andrew

recording days 3,4,5,6,7,8

where did my posts go i wonder?
i know i posted a couple things
but suppose they became lost in digital ether.

all recording for the album is finished...
we trekked up north with mike ward
to put some keyboard parts on the disc.

it sounds great... without any real touch up
to begin with... the raw straight up tracks.
by the end of the week i should have
some more proper mixes from mr. rubal.

the edge of something new
slightly emerges from the east
illumination tentative, imminent.

the show at the eastport street festival
was really really really hot. in a literal,
"I could have kissed the sun" kind of
way... i shed 5 pounds just standing
on stage... i've broken out in a sweat
just thinking about it right now...
yup... not very pleasant...
but we sold some discs and made some
friends.

more digital upgrades to happen soon.

grimm

recording day two... part II

studio day two

day one was a success... i arrived at
10:45
and by 2 o'clock we zipped through
thirteen songs... scratch vox and
scratch axe recorded...
today jason butcher records his drums...

i'm picking him up and buying
him donuts and coffee...

labor is cheap sometimes.

more later... from said studio... pics too.

i swearz

studio day one

heading up to harrisburg with studio stuff
to be done... scratch guitar and vocals
are to be recorded... tomorrow, drums,
wednesday, bass... and so on...

wanted to chat for a moment about william
blake. he seems to keep entering my life,
especially when i'm not paying attention...

5 years ago he popped up in my master's thesis
just recently i taught songs of innocence and experience
and then a friend brought to me, a 1942 manuscript
of a blake criticism.

blake, or god, or whomever is pushing me
to look at blake again... which i guess i will.

grimm

the roots cafe last night
fun to play and explore that
solo side... new interpretations
sold some cds and made a few bucks...
good for us.

ellen cherry certainly has
made her voice quite clear
she plays with pitch and slides
around with words... her guitar
sounds really good as well... it's
fun to play with her in these shows
because there's that interaction
that we have... maybe back and forth,
give and take, push and pull, heckle and
jeckyl, mallory and alex keaton type of thing
thought neither of us is alex nor mallory.

updates: album starts monday
scratch vox and guitar...

tuesday: drums
wednesday: bass
thursday and friday: bake sale

grimm

you can have it all; you can lose it, too

one of my students used
a semicolon properly. tears
and silent joys burst from
my brain, my mind. semicolons
bind our ideas, making room
for tone and voice. remarkable
in their hybrid personalities and
troubled by teenage abuse, semicolons
should be used wisely. do not
frighten said punctuation marks
with sudden movements or paranormal
threats. let them be who
they want to be.

tonight: roots cafe @ the common ground
in hampden

7pm ellen cherry, geoff himes,moi.
i will discuss why jay farrar
and i are two different people,
spirits, writers, musicians, and
punctuation marks.

grimm

the little stuff

waterfront was good last night
a lot of fun... i, being tired,
limped through part of the set.

now, as we go into summer
i dream of sleep, awake by
habit, shuffled and slurred.

cold club soda sipping straws
and melting cold cubes
manage to tickle the throat.

the ring of cymbals, waves of
metal vibrations, microscopic
attenuators shake imperceptibly

faster than you can hear.
someone's finger is pushing
on my cochlea. i swear it is so.

grimm

to all my friends

mickey rourke played a drunk
the drunk revealed a poet
the poet became a sensation
a sensation underrated
the rated poems slipped
beyond our periphery
into unconscious hearts
through the veins
clicked by valves
oxygen heavy
blasting
life
now

grimm

spinning slower than usual

i remember hearing an article on npr about how the older you get, the faster time seems to pass. this concept rears its face, to me. to me, this school year has sped faster than any year preceeding. there are no brakes. even breaks went fast. two and a half days with students, teaching? laughing? warping? shaping? what?

my days have become a series of short episodes linked by spells of driving.

at no cost to myself or to the people around me. i look forward to the next step. wearing a guitar. shoving my face into a microphone, and squawking.

back to memory... because the wealth of experience carved into our brains, as we age fewer new impressions burn into memory. that last 15 minutes of driving you don't remember... now alert, you look to the left and to the right and think? "God I hope there weren't stop lights I missed."

now you know, maybe.

grimm

a few words

Bumble bee wonders am I
his flower?

-Ron Silliman

just a quick note to log in
for the blog... i am thinking
to set up a paypal link to take
donation for the this recording
coming up... i have had one
generous offer to help fund the
project, which means much to me.

when people want to offer their
legal tender, the imaginary or tangible
dollars they have earned by sweat and or
endurance in order to get music
i haven't recorded yet... based on
who is playing on the disc... based
on songs i wrote, really touches
the fragile deep part of me.

thank you.

more when i get there.

grimm

time as an abstract

I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change, the difference between
What you want and what you need, there's the key,
Your adventure for today, what do you do
Between the horns of the day?

-Michael Stipe

haven't thought about REM
in a long long time. eons it
seems...

i started listening to rem in 8th grade
when jeff marzen taped the replacements, tim
and rem life's rich pagent... the phase of intense
teenage listening was beginning.

we had a two piece band
called the metal cicadas... our specialty
was rewriting lyrics "a la" weird al
yankovich. i didn't think about it at the
time but it was probably fairly
important as i was learning rhythm and
wordplay. such was my youth.

now here we are... again and again...
the future written in pencil and
foreign languages i'm learning to speak
each day...

grimm

new music and such

june 14th starts a new album project with jason rubal of harrisburg, PA. the role of the producer is essentially for him to be all ears during the recording process. we've taken in a few pre-production meetings to play the tunes and measure out the dynamics. completely exciting. players on this disc will be:

jason butcher
ryan finnerin
dave hadley
burke sampson
andrew grimm

already a mood has brewed.

songs are old songs from my solo albums... i'm making a stab at a more serious, substantial musical voice in the universe. so i'm going to spend some money... right?

songs:

without you now

if you leave
local 48
somehow
breakdown
arrows and rocks
declare
sweet division
pope of mexico
slow hours
wolves
inside
thunder

we should be wrapping up the tracking by the 24th of june... excitement

grimm

the process, as we know it

assemble some thoughts
form some words
link some notes
breathe some stops
loop some drums
thumb some bass
shred some shred
convince some guys
re-play some songs
push some buttons
wait some time
sell some discs
make some money
pay some taxes
assemble some thoughts

no news... of the sort

hey there... been out dah loop..

wif mah blah blah blah...
does it matter?
nah nah nah
ke$ha? nah nah nah
civilization will implode
as she becomes the model
of artistic value.

sheesh.

new drummer in line...
yes.. wow... good...

great.

clicks and clunks.

shows? look to your right...

there they are...

the time between

never really seems to be as much time
as one needs to acomplish the simpler tasks...
tuck in this
update that
rearrange those
snip them...

you know... will try to make better effort...

shows and songs don't promote themselves...
things are going in the right direction however,
my computer is de-virused... yes... am working
on websites now... maybe will some kind of
new news for you soon...

did the fawm...

you can download some songs to hear... here

see you around

grimm

short time short break

audacious and firm
i have paused from my
grading to say, "hello."

hello

end of the semester has
appeared and the kids will
change in a couple of
my classes... fresh start
for some... old hat
for others... oh brit lit.
what will we do... we will
explore the rundown alleys of
chaucer i suppose...
get ready for beowulf and
more vocabulary.

music music. we play tonight
at waterfront hotel. cortez
mission... the alter ego.

hey baltimore you are a real
cute town. the denizens of fells
point will filter to the hotel
to say hi. we will play some
songs about stuff. maybe love?

maybe love.
maybe love!
maybe love?
maybe love...

what rough beast slouches towards Bethlehem?

grimm

new year

it slipped by me... not by
accident... but i looked up
and there it was... the first
month of 2010 is fading fast.
no fireworks here. all is
quiet and we have hunkered
down underneath our quilted
covers.

fawm is coming and i will
be doing that... with much
more technology at my ready
i am texting my muses and
downloading my chorus. we
will bounce ideas into
songs.

i haven't written a damned
thing in awhile and thoughts
have bubbled gurgled shifted
risen quaked trembled pricked
pointed tightened relaxed...
they are ready for breath
pushed by anticipation.

ramshead live show. big stage
small, beautiful crowd.
lawrence was there. good to
see him. he liked the show... especially
the sound... i guess
i could get used to playing
on a stage that size...

oh, ej is leaving the band...
i'm done trying to replace people...
we'll soldier on mike, ryan, jason, burke, timmy, and eye.

grimm

Merry Xmas from Antietam

video?

the wind up

tonight we play
the windup space
more and more
i want to
believe that this
is the venue
i want to
play in baltimore.
russell, the owner,
is attentive and
working on the
the room to
get a good
sound dialed in.
i'm thinking i'd
like to set
up shop there.

we are playing
ramshead live in
january. strange how
that is. big
place. balt. country
festival... all day.
i suppose we'll
have to get
out our more
country material. i
don't think we've
been sounding as
country as we
used to. but
then again, my
banjo has been
making the rounds
into the mix.

chuck prophet, i
don't think i
talked about him.
he's not a
very amiable fellow.
for sure... for
certain... a shame.
but i think
that adds to
his success as
an artist. he
complains and makes
awkward moments adversarial
especially with soundmen.

he wasn't very
polite to us
which was good...
my friend waiting
list is pretty
long and i
cannot edge anyone
out just because
prophet wants in.

the guy can
play guitar though.

see you tonight?

maybe maybe maybe

grimm

that old familiar feeling

it had been
some time, since
i stood in
front of persons,
all sounds emitted
were lost in
conversation, smacking of
lips, semiotics swirling
meaning in two
way communication, the
intruder that i
am... without a
ruffle, the audience
clapped anemically after
i fizzled plainly.

grimm

the long recursive road

since i've been away from the blogosphere... school has been more of a priority than i normally let it be... so sorry for that... not feeling creative to do my normal formatting... just a quick note to say i'll be doing some solo acoustic stuff soon... i miss playing in that mode... it's fun... i've kind of gotten out of practice with carrying tunes by myself... no one can blame me... the current june star line up is really incredible.

tonight i'm playing solo at the windup space in support of my wife... she's giving a presentation and the group wanted music... so here we are...

for more info... click here

later...

grimm

waterfront 8x10

hello... i've been
gone again, haven't
i? well to
not fret over
my void, i'm
here to chat...
each "show" we
play allows us
to get stronger.
mixing up set
lists... playing songs
we haven't rehearsed
these are good
things. for certain.
last night played
new jordan on
banjo with harmonica
long time since
that has been
attempted for sure.
acetone with baritone
look out! people
clapped, people took
pictures... people danced
my in-laws were
satisfied and i
felt good about
what we had
done... didn't even
play all the
songs
on the set
list. how about
that.

grimm

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

shows and thoughts

whoa there... slow
down. we have
shows going in
the near future...

we return to
the mum's oh
the mum's how
much fun. the
loud the evil
the easy load-
in the not
too late curfew.

all six of
us will be
there... for now.
usually i make
such promises and
and do not
follow through as
someone falls ill
the swagger of
the evening is
too much temptation
and they cannot
make the show.

hopefully we will
have perfect attendance.

but we'll see.

just got my
martin back and
man it plays
well. it sounds
fantastic... loose and
straight. it is
a straight shot.

sweet.

been listening to
the tenderhooks album
as of late...
lots of good
stuff on there...
some lyrics that
take their time
and seem to
fit more perfectly
or at least
concisely than one
would think possible.

yay music.

grimm

back? again?

operations are back
underway... to type
and to reclaim
my cyber pad.

sorry to be
away... teaching has
taken the reigns
but i have
wrestled them into
my grips. whoa.

music music music
golden west tomorrow
night... with e.j.
mike and timmy.

patrick hughes has
left the state
to settle or
scuttle around portland
oregon grounds much
luck to him
he was one
the best drummers
we played with.

album inching along
we are playing
bunches of shows
and hope to
see you soon.

oh, 1984 is
a seriously scary
novel. i'm on
my third re-reading
and it becomes
more sinister if
that is even possible.

grimm

the outer party

school is dead
on tomorrow morning.
we will see
who is who
and why we
are we and
just what it
means that the
strongest will survive.

brit. lit. for
the first time.
no sweat, i
got it... 1984
is the starting
point. the anti-
universe, the upside
down world where
nothing seems to
make sense... if
you believe the
society is insane
you must be
made insane to
understand it, to
love it. yup.
poor ol' winston
smith. for sure.
i've done my
reading i've made
my bed. i've
gotten up early
and eaten a
bowl of cereal
and drank coffee.
i drove here
without hitting anything
on the road.

these are good
things.

music: same ol'
same ol'... a bunch
of shows though...
testing the new
line up and
making sense of
new instrumentations, voices,
and energy. rehearsal
remains crucial... yup.

yup.

grimm

district 9

one of the best films i have ever seen.
i held my breath the entire time
what a well developed and told story.
oh my god.

wow... like wow.

more later

grimm

in preparation

the new school
year shifts on
its haunches. curious
and frightened it
is awaiting a
signal, a gesture,
a reason to
move forward. the
hunter reads his
books and formulates
his gun, loaded
with words, assertions,
and goals. taking
thorough aim at
the year, he
pauses and concludes
that this will
be his year
to do something
new and good.

master newspeak double
plus good he
will say to
the students rapt
in oldspeak delirium.
in pouring through
the text a
third time, the
hunter becomes keenly
aware that this
forest is no
longer wild and
predictable but deliberate
and controlled. conspiracy!
some folks would
say and thusly
marked as whackos.

but sometimes there
is truth mixed
in that accusation.

orwell is right
and time to
prevent has already
passed, slipped into
the past while
we watched dancing
with the stars
or megan wants
a millionaire or
whatever reality we
wanted to believe
was real on
the HD portal.

the old guard
is dying and
the new guard
is airbrush and
glucose. here are
some words i
put together a
year ago...

when the choices are few
and there's one way to go
television telling you
everything you know

from the back of the line
on the tips of your toes
you're still guessing shit
you should already know



something to remember
i am just
as guilty of
passivity as anyone.

grimm

Fall Cleaning Con't.

Fall Cleaning

this was at
el rancho last
year... it found
shelter in my
school computer but
now i must
make space for
more digital preparations.
ellen plays it
in a different
key and i
really screw it
up. but it
was fun to
play, anyway. exciting.

items of newer interest

june star makes another shift in a line up. patrick hughes, drummer and nice guy, is moving to another state... westward ho! he goes. i'm sorry to see him go... in his place will be e.j. shaull-thompson from caleb stine and the brakemen. we're all looking forward to the new addition. rehearsals have been going well, smart and well thought out... the new songs from the double album are gellin' swell.

we're not sure about our september show it was supposed to be on the 18th at the metro gallery... but the date or the venue might change... but look for a great poster coming up soon...

so... the town meeting thing is getting weird... people are out of their minds... they're bringing guns to these things? really? nothing gets a party started like a group of angry/frightened/goaded people and a loaded handgun. not only that... but yesterday i read someone complaining about democrats saying that their voices were unamerican... to which the writer/blogger/protestor/triggerman said, "Since when is giving a dissenting opinion un-patriotic? I have the right to free speech!"

well, it's the same issue just five years ago when those same people told me that "a vote for john kerry was a vote for the terrorists. if you don't vote for Bush, the sitting president, you're unpatriotic." freaking whatever. that's what i'm reduced to thinking... this seems to be a dark summer... guns, misinformation, and katy perry is now the arbiter of talent? "shut up and put your money where your mouth is/that's what you get for waking up in vegas/shake shake the cradle." look out bob dylan.

tired, i should get back to my book

grimm

8x10 show

been too long
good friends since
my keys have
been pushed, greased
from butter fingers.

8x10 show was
grande... sparse... electric...
small but happy
crowd, sold cd's
and made new
friends. yes. success.

made me re-think
the whole sense
of stage volume
loud and piercing.
some more shows
coming and looming
in the distance.

i'm looking forward
to this year.
busy year... buzzy
nights... many shows...
many bar gigs
three hours of
chugging through material
honing and chopping
the songs and
the tunes. promoting
and hoping. management
lurks in our
near future eh?

putting together the
tour schedule for
next year and
looking at certain
goals... email addresses
electronic hello's and
goodbyes... our van
will drift into
many parking lots.
i suppose. it's
true... all this
while teaching full
time next year...
hmph. looking at
a new amplifier
today, the mesa
boogie express 5 25
maybe it will
happen and then
again, maybe it
won't.

hearts and stars

grimm

such a slug

am i that
i do not
do not do
the things i
absolutely must do.

work out... get
on that contraption
that i will
travel four invisible
miles to reach
healthy city, a
rumor at best.

will listen to
marquee moon while
being tortured... that
should let most
of the other
stuff go by
quickly eh? tonight
at the el
rancho i'll be
playing with some
cool folks. my
first solo acoustic
show in a
while... i'm playing
some deep cutz.
stuff i don't
normally play, nor
june star. should
be a challenge.

predictions of the
crowd size? Fourteen
is my estimate.
maybe less, probably.

here's john cooper clarke's
song... heart disease called love:

one kiss became a weapon
and i don't want to bleed in vain
the clouds collide in the heavens
and i surrender to the rain

the death bell lit up so red
like madness from above
i'm going out with a bang
and a heart disease called love

99 below zero
and it seems like fever now
you know me i'm no hero
don't even ask me how

i'm down in the deep deep freeze
what was i thinking of
in the painful breeze by the frozen trees
with a heart disease called love

after dinner mints and new lovers
and the coffee is so bitter and black
your fingerprints they cover
this knife sticking out of my back

you overlooked the fine details
you should've worn your gloves
and now i've got a girl in jail and a house for sale
and a heart disease called love

the return

hey folks... now
i'm back... the keys
the keys were hot
and sweaty... oppressive
dare i say... read two books
pride and predjudice and zombies
and the road
funny and scary
in that order.

imminent collapse of society?
go for cannabalism... seems to
always bee the trick right?

cormac has got it
going on for sure...
tight succinct phrasing
seemingly unconnected images
attached to previous and post
actions serving as
commentary. good stuff.

ugh... music... getting
back onto the
bronco whom bucks.

i'll be rehearsing
today for friday's show
at el rancho... and
trying to get e.j.
up to speed for friday!

the band will be a
four piece on july 24th
as opposed to the six
piece... small issues on
that...

The keys

Sunny hot and
sweaty for sure
I am blogging from
my new iPhone
ooh ahh I'm so
up to date it's ridiculous ...
Seriously.
Let's see if I can upload a pic
nope not yet.

Grimm

sir thomas browne

yes lawrence... more
reading and more
in depth have i traveled
into the browne stuff...
chapter 2 of
urn buriall... yes.
now i understand
rings of saturn.

do you want
to be buried...
or burnt on up?

i think cremation
for me... i like
the notion of being
scattered... perhaps
moved by elements
in nature rather
than our human impulses...
of course i'm
writing this on the
fly without thinking
too much about it.

lawrence, sorry i
singeled you out
at the wtf the
other night... hope
i didn't cause
you too much
trouble. you know
what june star needs...?
new songs... new life...
i'm getting tire of
playing the same old
songs at bertha's
and ye wtf. i'll
have to talk to the
guys about that...

tour coming up... three
days out... if you have
friends in the philly, ny, boston
area... please alert them!

album coming along
nicely... almost done tracking...
a few things to add...

but otherwise it's
pretty cool stuff...

grimm out
but not down.

grimm

lightning and other things

wiped out the stuff
we did yesterday... foolish me
i left the external hardrive
on and the power went out and
i hadn't saved my work... ah... i'm
such a nerd. i swear i swear
i swear. july will be a stretch
for a release... timmy is on his way
over and we will commence
recording at the completely
un rock and roll hour of 8 30 am.

so much to read... so much to do...

lawerence... i am reading your books
i swear it... kids i am reading my
brit lit. getting ready for the storm.

iran. holy cow. can you believe
that... can you believe the distrust
being riled up in america about
obama not being "tough enough" i guess
people are campaigning early this
time around... what do the people on
the teevee want us to do? storm iran
and overthrow the gov't.? ultimately
that's what they'd want obama to do, probably
it would end in failure and folks with
opposing view points can aim their
arm chair lasers at him and fire.

i think i'm done reading about these things...
it makes me sick... upset and just when
i was feeling better about my country these
opportunistic wannabe-machiavellian charlatans
step up to the digital plate and spew
conjecture, hot air, doubt, and panic.

although we feel entitled... we are not.
patience is important... i suppose.

grimm

senor dylan

the dylan tribute show was a success...
i must confess my sights were set a bit low...
as they may be for many reasons...
the patterson was packed and the audience set...
the venue was concerned that the june star
would be too loud for those folks... pish posh...
i joked that we were the dylan gone electric variation...
the audience laughed... i figured, they'll be cool.
they were...
something clicked for me... the divine guidance... and
i remembered all of the word to positively 4th street.
i didn't think it was possible... i crammed and crammed
back stage... when it came time to sing... the words were there... all
over the microphone... i don't think i took a breath
the entire time i sang.

june star tour coming up... july 30th through aug 2nd... two more
dates to book and i'll be good...

woohoo...

later

grimm

follow me if

you can. ha...
i'm in the
mood for music
slept well and
have eaten oatmeal...
not that instant
stuff, but the
real deal... quaker
oats looking prim
and proper... maybe
even a workout?
lemme see what
needs to be
done today... laundry
recording album... update
websites... practice...
grade a late
final... practice... you
see we have
this bob dylan
tribute show coming
up and i
must learn those
words... yes i must...
oooh... summer clean
up is here.
will post mortem
later

grimm

simply interesting

to see who
reads this blog...
from time to
time i run
into folks who
say they were
checking it out...
funny.

played a show
with wussy on
saturday night. good
times to be
sure. we were
loud but good...
comfortable playing songs
with the new
line up. patrick
was on vacation...
:( but butcher
filled in valiantly.
switching guitars swiftly
was fun too...
felt a good
pace was set.

friday night dylan
tribute... come see
us butcher the
rock poet laureate's
favorite tunes... although
i'd say that
i don't which
tunes he likes
best... but whatever.
here we are.

grimm

the devil went down to hampden

last night there
was a buzz
in the air.
you could not
escape it, it
was as if
it were your
breath. inside you
and so necessary.
palpable the cliche
would say, probably.
the buzz was
about june star.

it was june
star. emanating grandly
from the speakers...
tickling every cochlea
in a fifty
foot radius. shocker.
timmy noodled while
i emoted. sweetness.
the buzz grew
louder until we
were all intoxicated
by its rhythmic
simplicity.

while singing about
love, two things
occurred to me.

1. why call
it a humbucker
when the hum
was not bucked.
in any form.

2. why is
it that dimmer
switches produce a
sixty cycle hum?

grimm

sitting with dad

i'm off from
the schooling today
sitting with father
he has heart
stuff done yesterday
i oversee him
today. good talks
computers click coffee
hot. i'm missing
final exammies with
two classes. i
will, however, be
grading all day.
if i can
just get done...
that'd be great.
working on a
dream indeed springsteen.
holy frijoles tomorrow
night. are you
going? wussy on
saturday. hot stuff.
was listening to
their album "left
for dead" on
my way to
father's house. really
like the mood
and the texture
of the songs.
boy, they've gotten
some good press.
spin magazine to
note. welp. that's
what i have
so far. maybe
more later, maybe.

grimm

short timing

school is all
but finished... i
have had some
of the nicest
students in my
classes this year.
man, i'm going
to miss them.
i think about
my past 14 years
in public school
and i find
that i have
been quite fortunate
with my students
and so-called career.

this year was
easy in terms
of student interest
and academic commitment.

thanks students, you
are the best.

now on to
other things, the
church are coming
to rams head
tavern on june
30th. and i
am giddy... also
gonna see them
at the state
theater on june 28.

huzzah. what's so
great about the
church? I can't
figure out how
steve kilbey writes
his lyrics... where
he goes and
what he taps
into... "mechanical
bird of prey,
sing! for your
emperor." "in the
space between our
houses, some bones
have been discovered."

rad...

grimm

underscored

quick notes to
say i missed
you while on
my bloggity hiatus
i have a
quick minute to
exercise the typing
fingers and let
you know that
we expect you
at the shows.

fun is more
fun with you.
singing to you.
singing for you.
you know. i
bought tickets to
see the church
later this month.
anticipation is creeping
into my bones.
it's been some
time since I
have felt that
way. at all.
about seeing music.

do you feel
that way about
us... we'll see.

grimm

a month beyond

hello friends... i
have come back
from the dead
to tell you
all that i
am not really
anything remotely
kind of close
to being hamlet.

j alfred prufrock
truly needs a
hug. and some
rubbing, apparently. sorry
to be absent
so long. i'm
winding the school
year down and
there is an
awful lot of
grading that needs
to get done.

june star is
rolling right along.
ep is out...
it is fantastic
and super awesome.
you should buy
two dozen copies.

you should come
to our shows
scream for our
new hot songs...
you should go
to a lynyrd skynyrd
concert and yell
"Sugarbird!" you should
tell your friends
about us... fun
shows abound ahead.

thursday night, timmy
and me will
be playing at
holy frijoles @ 10pm
get a quesadilla
and listen to
us tickle yer
ears with acoustic
versions of songs
you normally hear
super loud...

saturday june 13th
we at mum's
with Ohio's Wussy.

it will be
a party for sure...

full ep uploaded
to the myspace...
go listen and
weep for why
you didn't go
to the cd
release show and
buy your own copy.

grimm

the tendencies (blahg #41)

inherently we all
try explain ourselves,
contortions and rationales.
twisting and bent
just to reverse.
this is not
what i meant,
says the women
yapping about michaelangelo.

funny but true.

we're sent into
this hurlyburly with
pathetic gear. our
tongues flap and
sputter between our
teeth and yet
it feels like
we're not heard.
for all of
the screaming and
yelling, one's voice
is a pitch
below a whisper,
when you really
think about it.

sometimes that's how
i feel about
the june star.
recognition and art
are not the
same thing, desire
for compliments fished
are not real
compliments after all.
are they? so.
here we sit.
e.p. ready to
go? must call
tim about that.
andrew grimm solo
effort ready for
deployment. must rehearse.
must must must.

grimm

tales told twicet from some memories long since past (blahg #40)

"get caught up" she says.
there's no catching up with her talking

teeth and tongues clicking and clinking.


seriously, if she ever took
a moment to just breathe she'd
find god and maybe then she'd shut up.

the yap, the trap,
it is open for giving me
the business. like i
had thought before, "Why not
give in, stop calling the fouls and
and the unnecessary roughness and fall
limp. possum dead. she would sniff and
scratch a little and convinced you're not
worth it she could scuttle on."

but it doesn't work that way. nope... she was
named after saint tenacious. terror and treachery
were gifts grafted on to her by her mother.
out of control, a career in firing up careening emotions.

mother means thorough
mother means deliberate
mother means permeate
mother means absolute

she did her job on that daughter.
the other daughter too, she meant to warp them and
water damage takes time. the single drop every few minutes
that pools eventually and seeps deep into the grain.
expand and contract... wet then dry then wet again.
yup. that's the stuff. right there, that's not a
twinkle
in her eyes... but a twinge... a reaction the well conditioned
emotion muscles that weigh down the lips, forms the crease above
the brow, taking the reasonable straight line to glorious new
angles. each lift marks or beeps a new stage of disappointment.

at some point i need to pause, or block out the talking,
to ask,

"has anyone ever done anything right?"

grimm

welcome (blahg #39)

i've been keying
in the wrong
passwords? all this time?
the memories i've kept
tied up in a glad handy cinch
sack, that thing you probably
call your mind, yeah that thing,
it's funny what you find at
the bottom. at the bottom of the
patch of leaves you raked months
ago and there they sit. browns and
dull yellows. and at the bottom,
moist funk. waiting... for the you
to dive into and release the
air and damp. as the early
morning approaches and creeps.
the yes to the no
the right to the "sort of"
warmth is all that i long for
no matter what no matter what
every picture i see from when
is now digital and hasn't lost it's
glow.
not
one
bit

grimm

jpeg (blahg #38)

some slips of pink seem
brushed in, someone's
hand, a moving
humidity, holding delicate swaying
ribbons in layers.

there are no lies nature.
contracts are concrete, petrified.
deception is only for survival
there. the purpose is not
sheer meanness but preservation.

that sky, a polaroid developing...
being waved so the chemicals
mix with oxygen and
a lasting document, is made
like a memory or a dream
you can't shake. no matter what.

defragmentation (blahg #37)

music stuff, artwork
for solo disc
complete. uploading to
digital music site
today for 100
dupes. some say
i aim too
low, i say
i'm being realistic.
will not be
sending discs out
for review. no
sirreeee. but will
get the moutain
halo, palace to
palace, and wolves
on the itunes
and other outlets.

"almost home" is
getting to the
itunes as well.
thank heavens. cd
release show on
may 8th will
feature dave hadley
on pedal steel.
i started rehearsing
last night in
the basement. the
show should be
good.

"june star" just
picked up another
show... april 16th
@ the talking
head with our
nyc friends, the
dig. this should
be a solid
night of fun.

nothing intellectual for
now... just the
basics. see you.

grimm

posting again (blahg #36)

indeed another posting.
my friend in
paris, maybe? taking
in the french.
plodding their streets
making marking moving
until they are
his. a knight
with anne by
his side. i
think that is
how it goes.

grimm

from the black out (blahg #35)

i have under
estimated time. truth
certainly will make
anyone give in.
anyone with a
heart, soul, or
mind. to catch
you up short.
andrew grimm solo
album is completed
and will be
shipped off for
duplication today. yes
today. cd release
show is may
eighth at el
rancho grade, with
timmy bracken and
mark mckay. should
be a fun
evening. june star
update: double album
has had major
gains since my
last email and
we are certainly
on track to
finish...well tracking
in the next
couple of weeks.
the e.p. is
close to done
and will come
out first. to
let people know
we're still around.
school has been
busy... i have
smart teenagers in
my classes... some
who read this
blahg. hello students.

feeling creative and
i must clean
the basement, now.

grimm

hungry times (blahg #34)

after repeated delays
the compact disc
digital download ready
forthcoming rock effort
is reaching the
middle of the
process. tim and
i were in
the thick of
chords, conversation, and
conducting. back on
the recording treadmill.

solo effort nearly
mixed. one remix
of a song.
i think i'm
doing the artwork
this time out.
will be posting
more about the
songs and when
they will debut.
i'm thinking, may
11th at el
rancho. tim has
booked a show
there with our
good friend mark
mckay. it will
be good to
see him. you
know. i do
have a track
listing for the
disc. it is:

losing
turn around
pretty lies
all i see
beautiful shot
all my heart
so low
waiting time

will let you
know more when
i know more.

grimm

up and up (blahg #33)

heads up, the
show on sat.
has been cancelled
someday the new
six piece band
will make its
debut. perhaps
may 15th at
the windup space.
timmy and i
may be playin'
the pie shop
that night for
an acoustic thing.
we'll see. there's
not much else
to say. I'm
not really recording
anything new and
the songs have
dried up for
now. check back
later? maybe i'll
try to write you
something. later ya.

grimm

secrets in the dirt (blahg #32)

i have stolen
many minutes this
morning. the purpose
is the direct
communication to you,
friends and friends.
where haven't we
gone wrong. with
seconds ticking narrowly,
dots of sweat
trickled quickly filling
the lines, the
wrinkles, the canals,
the trials and
grooves, we wait
until "til" it
is time to
move to motivate.

everything is better
under immense pressure.

the songs and
the muses are
tickling my dreams.
burst sudden words
not so fluid
as rounded or
coaxed. maybe someday
soon the fluttering
will slow enough
to hold in
my hands, freely.

grimm

now we are here (blahg #31)

so long time
has been stagnating
without any time
to spare. i'm
now writing as
quickly as possible.
new solo album
to be completed
during this week.
the work was
slow but has
been somewhat rewarding.
new june star
dates... new june
star sounds and
players. we're a
six piece sometimes.
full keyboards from
mike ward, and
guitar mastery from
burke sampson... primary
drums to be
jiggled by patrick
hughes. we sound
immense and excellent.
full throated and
throttled. my wife
will read this
later and find
out more about
me. ha ha.
anyhow. will let
you know when
cd release show
will be. enough
for now. one
must ease back
into the blahgging.

oh... new church
album coming out
too... oooh boy.

grimm

Canceled Show (Blahg #30)

show tonight has
been canceled due
to flurries and
windies. some day
we will play
again, and on
that day may
you be there.

grimm

professionalism.... (blahg #29)

spent 13 hours
at the school.

going to bed
now, going to
bed now, going
to bed now.

need to go
back and do
more work. bad
grimm. kitty cat
on my lap
says, "purr." i
have not lost
my mind, merely
resting it for
the moment. ciao.

grimm

snow to ice (blahg #28)

another day off.
saw rodney henry's
new band, the
cold cold heartbreakers.
they opened for
scott weiland of
the stone temple
pilots. they sounded
good... rodney seems
to be at
home most when
the amps are
loud and the
drums were crashing.

ramshead live was
huge as usual.
scott weiland went
on, i stayed
for exactly 15
seconds. was heading
with rodney and
crew to some
sort of "lounge"
and was stopped
cold by the
security guy who
asked, "where are
you going to?"

"with them." pointing
to rodney. "no
you aren't." "of
course I'm not."

so i thought,
maybe i should
get out of
here. i took
off and got
text from rodney,
he had gotten
backstage pass for
me... but alas,
i was already
in the parking
garage. he's a
good friend, that
rodney. eat pie.

john updike died.
that was surprising.
i read rabbit,
run in college.
i don't think
i got it.
i'll have to
go back and
re read it.

here's a site
with Updike poetry.

grimm

the patience pays (blahg #27)

this is a
day where we
don't have the
school. reprieve? maybe.
still, i must
continue to gather
the plans for
script writing and
video production. a
class i'm not
sure what i'm
doing with, exactly.
it will come
to me eventually.

i will, however,
be online today.
timothy is scheduled
to come over
today as well.
record record record.

last night i
purchased a neti
kettle. my sinuses
are horrendous and
i snore like
some prehistoric sub
creature. a dose
of mucinex D,
salt water in
my nose and
a breathe right
strip and i'm
sleeping a lot
quieter. and better.

yes!!!! take that
nose. i'll catch
y'all later. grimm.

in truth i (blahg #'s 21-26)

should be working
but here i
sit at the
computer tickling keys
whose top have
letters printed on
them. they are
well worn and
greasy from my
fingers and food.

in truth i
am a slob
i am a
dreamer i am
now certainly lost
and drifting, treading,
reeling, hoping, wishing,
sinking, praying, lurching,
sliding, searching, and
kidding my way
to the top.

some days i
feel like j.
alfred prufrock's little
brother, younger, more
successful but genetically
coded with doubts.
i think about
music ninety percent
of the time.
i envision myself
playing and writing.
some mornings i
do. some evenings
i don't. balance
is some strange
country i'd like
to visit someday.

albums and guitar
strings, wires and
hard drives coupled
with RAM. digital
notes and real
emotions? i haven't
written a song
that relied on
my real experiences
for a while.
the songs, the
voices that creep
out are not
so much cinematic
as they are
public service announcements.


here's a tip
for you kid.
be yourself, sure
it hurts a
little but there's
less you have
to remember than
if you're living
a lie, and
if it's just
a dreamworld... you
don't have to
wake up... like
a certain prufrock
i read about.

i was talking
to sharon adedijgiieedk
this morning, she's
my department chair
at the school.
i was explaining
this concept from
borges, the existential
argentinian, about the
aleph. the aleph
is the single
point from which
you can see
the entire universe.
borges' unsuccessful writer
"friend" discovered the
aleph during a
childhood accident. if
you lie on
your back, in
his basement, and
you stare at
the 19th step,
the aleph makes
itself apparent.

something very interesting
had occurred to
me as i
went through this
explanation... i'm now
entering a separate
stage of who
i am. evolution.
i have been
reading more, striking
out in new
territories... undiscovered places
curiosity is not
an impetus in
this case. in
truth it is
a broadening, a
re-calculation of my
facts and psyche.
who i want
to be as
opposed to what
you might see
me as. i

do think people
see what they
want to see...
members of the
faculty see me
as some curmudgeonly
bitter, mean elitist.
others see me
as a professional
and others, i'm
quite sure don't
even see me.

now the process
of murdering and
creating the faces
i prepare to
meet the people
who come and
go talking of
real housewives and mojitos

lyrics from forth
coming andrew grimm
solo disc...

the things you
thought were right
were all against
the rules.

when you lose
yourself you can
laugh out loud
or laugh alone.

the last time
i felt i
was anyone was
in you arms.

and how we
start to how
we end is
nothing new.

all i see
is smoke.

show me your
hands show me
your smile i
want to see.

where you go
where you've been
where i want
to be.

breathe in clouds
cigarette smoke
is catch
release.

you can't lose
a game
if you never
play.


i hope this
makes up for
time spent away.

take care and
talk to you
tomorrow. Bye now.

grimm


"Truth cannot penetrate a closed mind. If all places in the universe are in the Aleph, then all stars, all lamps, all sources of light are in it, too." Jorge Luis Borges "the Aleph"

history's motion (blahg # 20)

naysayers ratchet up
beckon screaming and
kicking rants against
the president elect.
funny, when you
lose... you lose
hard, eh? blog
posts talking about
his dangerous nature
and that we
have been scammed
we won't be
so happy in
three months time,
nay, three weeks
time, nay three
days time. he
will apparently destroy
our country. that's
too bad, because
i was ready
to become reaquainted
with the old
u.s. but apparently
i will be
sorely disappointed. however,
i don't believe
those angry bloggers
pounding their keys
with insolent fury
and dire expressions
twisted and contorted
on their faces...
one eye bulging
as if it
may "pop" at
any moment, shoot
across the room,
and up rolling
underneath the coffee
table. when taking
a broad view
of the election,
i saw the
choices with macro
lenses. obama: smart
young african american.
mccain: bitter old
white man. hmmmm...
most folks wanted
a change in
politics and to
my surprise they
voted for it.
they got it.
for the first
time in my
voting career i'm
enthused to do
something, to take
heed and pay
attention... i may
even listen to
the weekly radio
address. wow... who
knows... here are
some final words
on this topic...

so deep under
water counting seconds
and pressure on
the outside matching
the pressure within
light trickles through
the murk and
makes a promise
"air is abundant
on the other
side, i swear.
all you have
to do is
float up to
the top." the
promise becomes desire
and the weights
others have tied
to either ankle
can no longer
pull downward silently.
that first breath,
drawn in full
makes good on
any unspoken promise.

grimm

disenfranchised (blahgs #16, #17, #18, and #19)

i have left
you for dead.
not even turning
my head, i
logged into my
computer and glazed
my eyes to
not log in,
to not blahg
out. apologize mean
zero when multiplied
by the original
effort. it is
true. you can
look it up, but
we've all been
in similar circumstances.
we ask people
to be honest,
we let them
in, and they
do terrible damage
to us. greg
brown says, "I
can't believe your
hands and mouth,
did all that
to me..." truth
doesn't need to
wash its hands,
ever. this weekend
my wife and
i went to
see barack obama
speak at city
hall. we didn't
get into the
plaza but we
ended up in
harbor place ampitheater
watching a big
screen... i guess
i'd rather be
somewhere warm, but
it didn't matter.
i felt like
crying the entire
time. at a
couple points my
tear ducts did
fill up. to
summarize how i
feel about obama,
as it gets
closer to his
inauguration i feel
like i am
getting my country
back... that may
be a bit
dramatic so maybe
i can see
it as a
renewal of dialogue.
a re-introduction, yes?


"Andrew meet the
U.S. U.S. meet
Andrew. Play nice."

something like that
i suppose. the
energy where we
were standing was
good and positive.
when bush's name
was mentioned there
was no overly
loud booing or
name calling, just
a collective sigh.

the sigh is
probably the most
underated form of
communication by the
way. i don't
think most people
get a good
read on a
sigh because of
its subtlety its
sneakiness, ducking and
hiding its meaning
behind non-confrontational communication.

i plan on
the inauguration at
school. i'll try
not to cry
too much. just
a little. right.

june star played
at the ol
bertha's saturday night.
fun times. but
man, time dragged
on. we ended
up playing three
sets and limping
over the finish
line. for no
practice, we did
alright. album work
is coming along
slowly. it will
happen. but what
to do about
FAWM? i'm not
entriely convinced that
i can do
it this year...
so many things
happening. so many
things left undone
at this point.
kind of like
starting four novels
and wondering if
there is something
wrong with you...
there's nothing wrong
with me. i
guess... kind of
like james mcmurtry
when he says,
"if anyone can
say they're alright,
so can i."

grimm

my missed blahg (blahg's #14 and 15)

i am sorry
a missed appointment
trajectory not accounted
drifted from focus
out of view
obscured without lenses
purpose and dedication
slacked and ridden
promises folded, burned.
nearly forty-eight hours
and no statement.
sorry apologies shame.

june star is
a magical band.
i write and
play with the
people who communicate
clearly. some new
satellite additions
to the band
are coming up.
will post their
names at some
point... but most
folk'll agree that
it is good.
the tim and
the grimm duo
shows are sounding
great. tight, expressive.
times when we
play i feel
invulnerable and immutable.

emerson... you said
"no harm could
ever befall me..."
that is how
i feel when
playing live. i
don't always feel
in control but
i do feel
like an authority
an archivist and
a commentator. these
roles bound and
wound into tight
lines percussing off
of the microphone.

see you soon

grimm

wtmd (blahg #13)

june star rides
the airwaives tonight
wtmd.org 89.7
at 8 o'clock.
excitement

grimm

lonely (blahg #12)

joe squared pizza
sits on north
avenue. it looks
out on urban
retooling. hipster. MICA.
excellent and new.
their pizza is
square. get it?
it's hip to
be square, once
sang Huey Lewis.
although last minute,
i had a
good time... playing.
rodney henry gallivanted
in and played
some songs. like
usual his guitar
skewed a bit
out of tune
and barked to
his command a
a well used
instrument will do.
fun times, indeed.
i played while
sitting in a
chair, which was
new to me.
got some new
friends who were
sitting in the
back. doin' their
pizzas. I was
able to talk
about House, the
doctor, you know.
funny. the night
was recorded, we
got a free
pizza, free national
bohemian beers and
twenty dollarinos. whatever
domino's... i'll never
go back to
you, i swear.

grimm

rolling on and on (blahg #11)

oooohhh... joe squared
is back on.

me solo playing

last night was
fun, in gettysburg.
josh of booker
lee was way
friendly and a
fun room. timmy
and i didn't
joke around nearly
as much as
usual. i will
be posting something
i recorded there.

yeah.

tonight at 930
pm soon, excellent.

grimm

in the morning (blahg # 10)

the early morning
hours are about
my most favorite,
i suppose. i
am my most
creative as well.
it is unclear
as to why
but it's true.

the cold morning
air patiently slipping
under the door,
the coffee pot
gurgling to completion.
my wife breathing
sleepily under covers.
these are the
sounds that accompany
my typing and
my thinking.

if the moment
is broken with
the ring of
the phone or
a knock on
the door, momentum
may never return.
it does not
seem to be
a muscular concept
does it? momentum
is not merely
exercise. it is
will and physics.
emotional physics perhaps.
yes, that's the
jaunx. emotional physics.

makes sense, right?

grimm

the late (blahg #9)

oh consistency here
is the mistress
we all need
portable muse who
speaks when not
spoken to... she
is the magic
the mojo, the
whatever. the detail
and the cracks... the
devil and her
best friends forever.
the sunday night
show is not
going to happen...
speedbumps are playing
the metro gallery.
good deal for
them... baltimore on
a sunday is
not conducive to
live music, period.

so take that.
gettysburg here we
come... tomorrow night
we delve into
history and weed
out the civil
war tunes... we'll
let our ancestor's
know that we
love them with
our special sounds.

grimm

the tooth fairy (blahg #8)

the parking lot
was behind me
and my foot
teasing the gas
pedal. root canal
here i come.
first one ever.
got my evaluation.
yes sir, you
need one, let's
schedule you for
later on, down
the line. lights
out. pay with
plastic? yes, plastic
indeed!

grimm

focus and clarity (blahg #7)

let me direct
the course open
but decided, consistent
today the blahg
will focus on
"tired," "hopefulness," and
"dreams unfulfilled, diminished."

"Tired"

on waking today
my body ached
i coughed and
rolled out of
bed. i slunk
down the steps
creaked to the
computer, hunched behind
the keyboard and
began to type.
each key stroke
an effort, true.
i'm 36 and
should not be
this tired. my
alarm went off
and i clicked
it's switch to
silence the urgent
persistent beeping and
i realized i
could sleep forever.

"hopefulness"
not a favorite
word or concept.
i believe that
hope indicates desperation
and that, in
some capacity, the
person who hopes
either has two
issues he or
she must confront:

a. the situation
is dire and
urgent, failure imminent

b. the ability
or the option
in self confidence
is not available


"dreams unfulfilled, diminished"


it feels as
though i am
dreaming, day dreaming
about stuff out
of my reach?
as my unfulfilled
dreams morph from
"dream" to "goal"
to "scheme" to
"fancy" to "oh,
someday it'd be
nice." i would
like to think
that recharging to
charge ahead is
in my nature.
defeat is initiated
only by self
acknowledgement, dream suicide?
when others doubt
i suppose, homicide?

today i will
twice as many
push ups, that
will show them.

grimm

wintery mix (blahg #6)

ice forms somewhere
atmospheric tension shifts
droplets plink deftly
shining pavement crystalline
asphalt slides glimmer
brakes tires lights
warm bed dreamed
blanket wool cat
sleep heavy lids
good mornings too
good nights abandoned
until tomorrow, farewell.

grimm

quick notes (blahg #5)

woof, the school
appeared from the
corner and my
foot, booted in
leather and tied
with a bow
knot, pressed the
pedal that makes
me go "forward."
thirteen days after
leaving the building.
thirteen days of
sleep and imbibing.
thirteen days of
eating, sleeping, rejuvenation,
writing, recording, singing,
laughing, remembering, fleeing,
watching, reading, reading,
reading, reading, and
sleeping. new rules
are created for
my path and
speed. full steam?
why not? don't
you fear burn
out? Mr. Grimm?
i will give
you my best
my all, my
effort, my sweat...
maybe not my
soul... that i
own outright, no?
rarely do we
feel "okay" and
i'm feeling "okay"

grimm

the show (blahg #4)

hello all, last
night i went,
with my wife,
to the caleb
stine show at
the ram's head
live. huge venue
crowd of 100-
150? maybe, i
didn't do a
head count. but
ellen cherry opened
the show and
she sounded good,
as usual... after
playing with her
over the past
four or five
years she's become
more comfortable with
her voice and
her playing. so
it was a
solid set. caleb's
set was good...
he was battling
a flu type
thing, but he
was able to
pull it out...
chatted with him
for a while...
hadn't seen him
in a while.
good times had
by all. now
to the basement.

grimm

the history of things (blahg #3)

here's how it
goes. it is
relentless and moving,
sleep may be
induced to a
minimum. the transparent
second hands sweep
clockwise, of course...
why wouldn't they.
or at least
clockwise on this
plane. history writes
itself, we're just
part of the
cogs spinning along,
even if we
think we're spectators...
baby, no, obligation
is our middle
name. even a
coma patient, delicious
pun eh?, plays
his or her
or its part.

slink slank slunk

june star has
26 some songs
sung slow and
fast for the
new album. recording
lurches slowly and
dangerously. my solo
disc will have
ten tunes on
and it is
nearly done. will
work on it
in a few
minutes. yes, begging
time. we have
some shows coming
up and would
like to invite
you to the
places we play.
gettysburg... i can't
believe it... my
great great great great
grandfather's fought there.
one made it,
one did not.
they fought on
the same side
union union union.
venerable wesley is
buried there somewhere.
maybe i'll go
early and connect
with the history
that set forth
my own path.

grimm

test this (blahg #2)

yes, here is
the spririt, the
hutzpah to stay
consistent. day two
and my blahg
is out of
control. watch
me write, click
and muse. recording
today with timmy.
maybe i could
post a video?
shows are coming
up and i
will be playing
soon. funny, el
rancho is coming
up on a
year's worth of
life. will be
playing their party
with other local
luminaries. hoorah. great.
have been reading
jorge luis borges,
a gift from
lawrence... he, borges,
has some great
stuff in there.
including a couple
poems titled, limits.
here's a taste:

I imagine, in the dawn, I hear a worn
murmur of multitudes, faltering, fading away.
They are everything that has loved me and forgotten;
Space, Time, and Borges now are leaving me.

take that, universe.

grimm

the new year begins (blahg #1)

so let's see
if i can
make this happen
everyday i will
attempts i will
make to contact
you on a
more consistent basis.
punctuation may suffer
however, the cat
to my right
will purr awesomely
she is this
little moon, satellite
in constant orbit
around me and
the couch, the
couch is a
stable, comfortable, almost
human. a good
friend. no work
out today. not
lazy, but the
gym is closing
at one pm.
will continue recording
the album, i've
been working on.
written last year
the songs are
good, the music
sounds great, the
vocals need some
tweaking, for sure.
what is it
about recording my
voice that bothers
me. it never
sounds how i
envision. compressed and
baritone. clear to
eq. i think
i will be
mixing the album
on our stereo
compact cd player.
if that works...
wow.

grimm