Back from Nashville / Videos from the Basement Show!

Just got back from a 10 day birthday trip to Nashville thanks to my amazing girlfriend, Nicole. It was really great to get back there after all the time that had passed. So much has changed. I was surprised at the airport by my parents disguised as an uber pick up. Nicole had been planning to have them join us for the weekend all along and I didn't see it coming. What a great surprise!

We really had a chance to get to know the city this trip. Nicole and I went out to see music every night and checked out different music venues to see what was going on. Nashville is a much easier city to get around and you don't feel like you're bleeding money like you do sometimes in LA.

I strangely ran into people I knew daily along with all of the other friends I had planned to see. Makes you realize how small a town Nashville can be. It was kind of nice in that way. Our favorite venues were The Basement and the Family Wash. Both had great sound and good artists booked, which I appreciate.



Valentine (w/ Zack Smith and Rosa Pullman)

Played a show on the 19th at the Basement that was really fun. Zack Smith from Smooth Hound Smith sat in on some killer swamp guitar and Rosa Pullman joined me on vocals. Saw some more old friends and had a good set. Luckily, my old friend Justin Bryan filmed a few of the songs! I'm posting them below for you to enjoy.

Good To Be Bad (w/ Zach Smith)

 

PRINCE... 
Last Thursday was a very sad day felt around the world. We lost one of music's biggest talents and personalities, Prince. Wow. Hard to believe he's gone. What is the world like without Prince? I guess we'll know after the shock wears off. 
Now, Bowie is gone. Merle is gone. Lemmy is gone. This past year has been brutal. 
Then you think about MJ being gone. James Brown is gone. Ray Charles. So many legends. 

Prince was special all his own. Like the other legends that broke the mold, he was an example of greatness and the best of the best. Just watch his Super Bowl performance or him playing the end solo to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with Tom Petty, Dhani Harrison and Jeff Lynn. He was a living and breathing rock star. He wasn't just an exaggerated story that put him on a pedestal. He was an exaggerated story and persona and talent in real life! You could watch him embody rock n roll and masterful showmanship with your own eyes every time he performed a song. 

An now he's gone. Man, what a blow.


We got tickets to see Alabama Shakes that night at the Ascend Amphitheater that night. It was a beatiful night right on the river, despite the threatening rain. That day, I didn't care about the rain. It could've come pouring down and I don't think anyone would've cared. I just hoped it would've been Purple and the Shakes gave us an epic tribute to Prince by getting the whole crowd singing Purple Rain to end the show.

They started off blasting "Let's Go Crazy" through the sound system to get everyone dancing. Then, they came out and gave us a powerful full show of Shakes new and old material. They gave a small tribute to Prince and played their song "Gimme All Your Love", which he once sat in and played with them. Unfortunately, that was all we got for a Prince Tribute. The show was awesome, but I really wanted to go home singing Purple Rain. Oh well.


All in all, we had a very nice trip to Nashville full of friends, music, history and southern hospitality. AND, I got to see my dog, Maci for the first time in 3 years!
I look forward to going back. For now, it's good to be back in LA recharged and inspired.

NEXT SHOW: Thursday, May 19th at THE HOTEL CAFE SECOND STAGE - 10pm    
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