jazzheads experiment @ franklin + marshall college

well it's been awhile, since the jazzheads have played their brand of music...the original idea for this gig was to have a reunion and see if we still have something to say...some chemistry...as it turned out bassist ben bocardo couldn't make it...so we decided to do it as an experiment and as a trio. the verdict from the bandstand is this is an extremely exciting trio and we're hoping to continue with this lineup and explore its incredible musical possiblilities....the night was made up of some tracks from 'avant wot not', but also lots of new stuff w/ chris cuzme doubling on bass and saxophones, myself on guitarBass, guitarsynth, loops, keys, and ari hoenig just pulverising the drumkit with mathmatical mutations.
from my end, a joyous reunion that we hope to take over to europe in 2004...some recording will certainly have to happen sometime in there too...prayers to the promise.

bluespot festival in oporto, portugal

it's a sad day...still raining...we fly to portugal from paris...it's a very turbulent flight as the plane sways from side to side and at times drops rapidly...crazy...looking out i view the portugese landscape below, hold on tightly, and think of my father who is passing slowly away on the other side of the world in hamilton ohio. one more show and we will return to the states where i will then join my family. they believe he will gently pass sometime tonite...ursula and i say our before show prayer to lou w. motzer and dedicate our show to him...a passionate performance and final 16th show of our eurotour....after our show peaches takes the stage for some stooges style crotchNroll...she's cool...a wind down with friends backstage and then back to ipanema hotel where upon entering my room the phone is flashing and ringing...i can't answer i know what the call brings...i will call home tomorrow.........................

transmusicales festival - rennes france

a new day...slept too late...overslept, in fact!!! with ursula telling me the driver is waiting for us down stairs...missing breakfest...a quick italian expresso will do...and we're off to the venue...but when we arrive the ac converter isn't there...and the sound guys have to order one...so we wait...and wait...and wait...eventually, it arrives after an hour and we do check...everything is cool...fantastic crew here...on point!...off for brunch of more crepes (unbelieveable!)
then to press area where ursula had a press conference, radio, and magazines to contend with...myself, i wondered around checking out various bands playing at the fest: most notably mix city...which i saw the previous nite...great!....
showtime: show starts ok...some minor gawaffs on my part...in get ready...weird...then the mpc freaks out on This and changes programs...fucking hell...
set me off balance...ahhh...i hate that...but c'est la vie...so we continue ....show gets better and higher...with 2 encores...incredible audience...of listeners....finale with song for billy...my favorite...!
so a wind down...then to see gangstarr and beth gibbons...which insued a crazy party hanging backstage with beth gibbons, kaziah jones, and other 'star' types until 5:30 am...one of the best parties i've ever been a part of...then run to hotel just in time to check out and get in the van to paris for our flight to portugal....along the way...i'm told my father is dying...the 3 hour ride to charles de gualle is bitter suite...it's raining.

transmusicales festival - rennes france

after a few days sleeping back home in philadelphia...ursula and i are once again flying back to europe - this time transmusicales fest - an amazing fest featuring gangstarr, beth gibbons, cody chestnut, dani siciliano, and so many more...we're excited about playing here and visiting this cool city.
upon arriving in paris, i find once again that TSA our us security team at airports has broken a latch off my new suitcase...left it open gear hanging out taped into a clear plastic bag...what a drag. this is not a good way to start the day...then we find out our drive to Rennes is 3 hours...ahhh...oh well go with the flow...within minutes we find we will be sharing our van with leela james a gospel/soul singer from LA...this is not a problem except she comes on the van with a superstar attitude to match her massive afro...oh well...that's america fo ya...3 hours was enuff. it's all good...we're all just REAL tired.
finally into our cozy hotel...then off for some lunch of crepes......later, at the fnac if found a dvd of pink floyd at pompeii...and jonny greenwoods album bodysong..then sleep...walked down to liberty to see what was happening...just a punk riot...smashing door glass etc...a kinda flashback for me...walk around the city...a wind up at small pub elsa where mix city was playing jazzfunk organelectronique style...great...back to the room for more sleep...more tomorrow...

reggio emilia, Italy @ maffia club

today we traveled by train from rome with our friends from 2Blue...a most enjoyable ride...thru the beautiful countryside of tuscany...florence...bologna...and on into reggio emilia. luggage was handled by maffia crew giving gintus and myself a much needed break. on to soundcheck...after some minor problems with pa things seem on...and! thankfully, my line 6 is now working! hurrah! an incredible meal at la tortuga ristorante...our favorite in reggio emilia...unbelievable! pizza, pumpkin ravioli, anitpasta, salada, red wine, and lemoncello...!!!
a meal like this means a great deal when you are out on the road...so we are energized once again for a great show...and it is!!! audience is happy and dancing and digging ursula and the music...our last show of 14 with drummer gintis janusonis...they'll be more i'm sure...as this group has a wonderful chemistry and vibe together...tomorrow back to philly for a few days before ursula and i leave out for transmusicales festival in rennes france...more to come...time to hang with our new friends and drink some italian wine...cheers!

rome, Italy @ la palma

a pleasant flight into rome from lisbon...airport was no problem for a change, although we had to run around to a few windows to find our e-tickets....we were greeted by our friend paulo who took us to the hotel and then on to soundcheck...once there we found out the show would be recorded for italian public radio, and that our friends rocca and enrico of 2Blue would be opening for us. our show was real high energy and happening but virtually no response from the rome audience...we were never sure...why. this was the most quiet crowd we've played to...very strange...i had a few continuing problems with the line6 (tomorrow on the train i'll have to take it apart a see what happens)....after show...back to hotel for some needed rest...

lisbon portugal @ lux nite2

after a refreshing sleep we go out into lisbon to check out the city before soundcheck after sorting out airline issues...lisbon is so beautiful...one of my favorite places in the world...so gorgeous...and the people here are amazing...soulpower...soundcheck is odd...as everything is differnet from last night...weird...showtime: sound has def changed...not as fat and bottow oriented...sold out again tonite...audience is feeling the show...but i'm not - a real struggle - with looper giving me trouble again tonite...ahhh....still a good show (filmed and recorded)...some wind down upstairs at the disco with miguel and kika...

frankfurt germany @ nordisk club

day 9 of 9 shows.
train from brugge to brussels then driven by peter to brussels airport - then flight (more overweight chrges) to frankfurt - we haven't really eaten today...jusst crazy traveling on train, car, and plane - with all this luggage (13pcs in all) we are really draggin...show is at a big theatre space - sound is loud and hollow like a hockey rink - so it is a hard one tonite plus a strange vibe as the 500 or 600 people kind of do their own thing during the performance - talking in groups, smoking, walking around, etc...a bit distracting for ursula - during what a woman must do the loudness of talking was crazy...but again the people loved it anyway...we do 2 encores...a day off tomorrow finally...we will sleep deep deep deep deeeeeepppppp.....

brugge, belgium @ cactusclub

train to brugge-beautiful scenic city - small tiny hotel room reminds me of being in a submarine - soundcheck is a nightmare! unable to get ursula's sound sorted out - her vocal simply would not cut through - couldn't figure it out - play 5 songs at show before leaving the stage for them to try to correct this - large appreciative audience waits for us - finally sorted we hit the stage again and lift the show high - it was all about not giving up - and giving a little bit more - afterwards a meltdown with cactus crew next door at a pub over delicious chimays and talk of music and belgium...i love belgium.

http://www.urgent.fm/beyondjazz.net/viewtopic.php?p=5729

liegge, belgium @ soundstation

we are fried. no doubt about it. day 7 of 9 shows...brain is starting to breakdown...tonites show is in a converted subway station...soundcheck yields a battered drum kit and no ac converter for me...so we wait around for 2 hours (when we could have been sleeping)...oh well...finally things get sorted out...back to hotel for 60 minutes of sleep then to show...sound is pretty good...and we have a great nite...played well and felt good about our performance...2 encores...wonderful audience again! afterwards hung at lounge compliments of promoter fabrice - we drank chimays and munched on dark belgium choclates to a wonderful dj mix. i love belgium.

cologne germany @ stadtgarten

back to stadtgarten in koln felt great to return to after 2 years...although i'm totally exhausted tonite...a good show for us, but i'm shot with little clinkers here and there...4 minutes of fun has become one of the highlights of the set along with q + a...unfortunately my line6 looper has begun to act up...and is becoming unrealiable...wish i had a second one...but it came off...i was out of my mind...bernd friedman was there...and we are hoping to do an album project in 2004 with drummer jaki liebeziet (can)...this would be incredible...backstage dinner...then off to bluenote for latenight winddown with amazing dj set of 60,70,80,90 mix....perfect.

berlin, germany @ quassimodo

this is more like it!! sound is superb tonite! an audience hollering and clapping for us before we even hit the stage!! i was on tonite - we all were - our best show thus far..gintus and i were really connecting and ursula's mix was superb - audience of berliners + k7 crew packed soldout show - 3 encores tonite...it felt good after last nites disappointment...afterwards to cookies for dancing to techno until 6am-chinese dinner earlier hooked us up...

hamburg germany @ fabrik

trains planes vans and autos - tonite show was in the huge warehouse like fabrik....very loud...and terrible sound issues on stage for me as guitar lost its body 2 songs in, never to really return...so for me it was like playing the show literally on an acoustic guitar not the sub bass oriented sound i normally have...so a dissappointment tonite...good show otherwise...and 2 encores...an appreciative crowd...latenite dinner at an italian restaurant with k7 and electric chair crew...

lisbon portugal @ lux

started our day at 9am leaving Munich to get to airport early - so as to keep things not rushing at checkin - as it turned out, it was good we were there early as we continue to accrue overweight baggage charges - this time 100 kilos overweight and the fee was 14euro/kilo!!! 1161 euros!!! finally an hour later k7 was able to pay this for us so we could move on to portugal...really getting jacked on this tour...never in my professional touring career have i encountered this kind of issue. every airport we go to is a major dilemmna...flight into lisbon is cool and on to venue for soundcheck....everything is great...
show: after an amazing sushi dinner, we hit stage around 11:30pm to a packed house. amazing focused energy tonite...the audience is beautiful...2 encores - tremendous - immigrant song coda ---

lisbon portugal @ lux

started our day at 9am leaving Munich to get to airport early - so as to keep things not rushing at checkin - as it turned out, it was good we were there early as we continue to accrue overweight baggage charges - this time 100 kilos overweight and the fee was 14euro/kilo!!! 1161 euros!!! finally an hour later k7 was able to pay this for us so we could move on to portugal...really getting jacked on this tour...never in my professional touring career have i encountered this kind of issue. every airport we go to is a major dilemmna...flight into lisbon is cool and on to venue for soundcheck....everything is great...
show: after an amazing sushi dinner, we hit stage around 11:30pm to a packed house. amazing focused energy tonite...the audience is beautiful...2 encores - tremendous - immigrant song coda ---