Leaving for performances in New York for the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest people, as well as a screening of the latest cut of UNITED IN ANGER: A HISTORY OF ACT UP.  And then the day I return to LA, we have one last band rehearsal and then the full-band show October 25.

I’m a little overwhelmed, but I’m also a little shocked to realize how much more I like my music when I’m engaged with other people, both in the playing and in the performing.  Rehearsing alone in a room, it’s easy to stop listening to what I’ve written and lose contact with how it impacts other people.  It’s why I’m often thrown when people have strong reactions to the content; I’ll forget that a couplet like “They’ll never forgive us/for what they did to us” gives some people an emotional jolt.

And it’s made me remember that for most of my career I’ve been primarily a writer; I’ve never toured longer than two weeks.  In other words, the thing that most compels me about art is the thing I’ve done the least.

So for everyone even remotely curious about my music, help me change that in 2012:  after the new album comes out in March, I want to get as close as I can get to wall-to-wall houses concerts, church basement concerts, art gallery concerts, community center concerts — hell, even music club shows.  Whoever has a living room and at least a handful of interested friends should take the dare — I know I will.  If you aren’t sure how to go about it, just write me and I’ll send you some pointers on how to do it.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?