1. Learned songs (Mon. 3/31), rehearsed (Tue. 4/1), and performed (Wed. 4/2) for David Nagler’s Oracle Show at Sid Gold’s Request Room: sang and played guitar on “Talk Talk” (The Music Machine), “Lover Lover Lover” (Leonard Cohen), and “Radio Radio” (Elvis C.), plus a fragment of The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar.”
2. After working all day Thursday, submitted second draft of chapter on copyright and music publishing to Eric Weisbard Friday morning, before heading to the airport. There will be further edits, but this was a huge load off my mind; I didn’t want to postpone it until coming back from “tour.”
3. Performed w/ Tsunami and Ida in Detroit (Fri. 4/4) and Chicago (Sat. 4/5); guest performers included “The Electric Bear” (Chicago), Sally Timms, Geoff Farina, and Bob Weston (Chicago). Played keyboards w/ Ida for Sally’s “Ghosts of American Astronauts.” Compared cardiac notes w/ Bob; also got to see Mark Greenberg.
4. Participated in a small benefit for Steve Albini and Heather Whinna’s charity Letters to Santa at The Hideout in Chicago, which involved teaching Karicke, a version of Liar’s Dice, to a table of newbies, and playing a few rounds. Met several nice people, including an Indian-American woman whose parents recently moved to Upland, blocks from my dad. Also did a few card tricks.
5. Visited Art Institute of Chicago w/ my old friend Robert Vodicka, a longtime labor organizer, currently for a teacher’s union. Saw a show tracking Frida Kahlo’s time in Paris, and a lot of impressionist/modernist/“American Wing” greatest hits. Talked about rock aesthetics/econcomics, a few mutual friends, and our respective writing projects over lunch.
Bonus: Saw revival of Love Life (Weill/Lerner 1948) at NY City Center. Cardio 4 of the 5 days that I wasn’t traveling. Weighed slightly less when I left for tour than when I came back from previous leg.