About two weeks ago I sprained my ankle. I felt a pop in the top of my foot (likely a torn ligament) stepping off my front stoop and I yelled a couple of curses before Krissy came out of the house to find me on the ground. After realizing I could still feel my toes and move my foot, Krissy helped me hobble back into the house where I iced my foot as well as my pride. I had a couple days to try and get better before tackling a week’s worth of gigs. Suffice to say I made it through them all even though I’m still feeling residual pain regularly.

But this past weekend was certainly a tale of two gigs. Friday, I played on Long Island. Mind you, it was the border of Queens and Nassau, however we’re talking about an area where the lines of liberal and conservative start becoming more visible. Now, I grew up on Long Island, so I know what to expect; but I’ve been more outspoken lately due to… (gestures everywhere). And my songs have gotten more pointed. So, there were a few moments before a couple of songs where I thought, “I don’t know how this is going to go”. It ended up ok. I’m not sure if the crowd was listening intently or not, but nobody threatened me after, so I’ll take that as a victory.

On the other hand, Saturday in Brooklyn was a dream. It felt like home. I was able to be myself, on an incredible bill, with the queer community filling the room, and the audience was willing to hear what I had to say (chef’s kiss). The warmth in the room was palpable. I even played one of my new ones that I’d been keeping close to the vest, and the response was incredible. I felt on top of the world.

There’s things on the horizon, and I’m trying to manage my expectations. I’m meeting with my producer in a few weeks to start tackling the songs that will make up my solo album. I’m about to launch a Kickstarter to try and fund that solo album. I’m asking for more than I’ve asked in the past when I was making The Locksmiths album. This is going to be my biggest swing to date. Am I scared? Of course! I worry the songs aren't good enough, that I won't get funding, that these chances we take as artists will only be in vain. But I do believe that I am good enough, that I have something to offer, and that I can see this project come to fruition. I'm not afraid of failure, but I do worry about disappointing people.

So if you're reading this, I want you to know that if you put your trust in me, I promise that I will do everything in my power to create something that will be worth your time. I want to create something real. I want to be able to make music to the best of my ability and not half-ass it. I didn't intend for the end of this blog post to be a mission statement, but I guess it is. I may have sprained my ankle, but I'm ready for the road ahead.

See you on the journey.

The Rain in Sprain...