Sunday in Santa Monica

I think I didn’t sleep at all! Oh man, this is going to be hard. I jump up doa little kitty wash, grab my guitar and off it goes

It’s actually a little chilly before the sun comes up.

We arrive a little early and grab a cup of coffee on the way. This is my seconc time in that church and I’m looking forward to do the duo...

After the church we drive back to Redondo Beach. I’m surprised to see white mountain caps in the distance, I wasn’t expecting that so far South.

We’re starving so we drive down to the beach and grab a bite in a nice old Thai restaurant.

Oh was I looking forward to a cold one!

After that we go back to the little house and hang low all evening. I have to get Myra to Union Station in the morning and need to catch some sleep for sure.

Backstage Altadena

It’s just as pretty a day than yesterday and driving along the Bay is just wonderful.

It’s going to be about 5h - 6h down to L.A. if the traffic allows it. So we hang in there and just cruise along.

Finally we’re getting closer.

Bob is not there yet so we settle in and get everything tuned up. Then we have a little soundcheck.

The show is really well attended and we almost sell out - I’m soooo relieved because it’s my third time there. We sound great and blow them away! Some of my L.A. friends show up. Rosendo being one that supported me from the get go!

Here is another shot with some good friends of mine - it was so cool to see them come out and support us!!!

After the show we all hung out in the cafe.

Then we decide to go for a late dinner down the road. Here’s Larry in heaven.

Tonight we stay at my friend Samantha’s and Roman’s house in Redondo Beach. They both had prior plans and could not come, so we have to find the place ourselves. It’s going to be a couch and floor scenario for a couple of nights.
Here’s my humble bed - later I forget to close the valve of my matte and pretty much end up on the floor.

while Myra disappears totally in the couch.

It’s way too late and we have to get up short after 6 am to drive to the UU Church in Santa Monica.

The first Car booboo...

Well, this morning I have an appointment for the muffler & a new tailpipe. I got to get up at 7:30 am. Darn! it’s a long time since I got to sleep in...

After that I’m driving back to the house and have breakfast. Then we leave for Cayucos and Morro Bay. It’s a wonderful drive and I’m excited to be on the road. After about 4h of cruising we reach Morro Bay and drive on Highway 1 along the shore.

First thing we do is to take a stroll down to the beach and walk Judy’s dogs.

Then we go back to the house, it’s such a wonderful day

The house concert is at a neighbors home and we have a great performance. Too bad that I left the camera but, oh well, more to come.
We get back around 11pm ans sit until the wee hours and chat before the girls go to bed and I to couch.

Back in Santa Cruz

Tonight we’re back in Santa Cruz and play Georg and Veda’s GREEN HOUSE CONCERT. we get on the road early and as soon as I start the car I realize that the Muffler is done! It’s so loud! Oh well, whatever. Got to smile...

It’s a two hour drive and after we arrive I go and get an estimate - It’s going to be around $200 include a new tail-pipe. I make an appointment for the next day and drive back to the house to stuff envelopes - I have to send out about 20 CDs to various djs in the US, Australia, and Germany:)
After that it’s time to get ready and people start showing up. It’s a great concert and Myra and me sound very tight! After the show there’s party time, my favorite thing to do:)

Here are Jesse and Margo, both artists, she’s from Darmstadt so we chat a bit about old times in Hessen.

After everybody is gone I still talk on with Georg until the wee morning hours. Oh darn, I forgot that I still have to write some letters that need to go out with tomorrows mail...

The official first concert:)

Today Myra and me play our first concert together. Due to the cancellation last Saturday this is the also the first concert of the tour. After I get up and have breakfast I put away the bed things and get ready to practice.

Time flies and in the afternoon we go over to the place where the concert will happen. It’s at Myra’s old house on Asby Ave. It’s a real nice area of Berkeley and I remember taking walks there years ago

It’s a great space with good acoustics and I’m looking forward to the evening but first we rearrange the living room...

It’s a small turnout but a very nice appreciative crowd. My old friend Jon Jackson comes and brings some friends. There are also some more folks from Sweetsmill like Kevin Cloud and Will.

After that we drive back to the house and I crash almost instantly. I’m soooo tired.

Day in Berkeley

I get up late and Myra has already made some coffee. So we sit down and chat on

Then the pancakes

The kitchen looks just like the one I had in Frankfurt when I was in my early twenties. Wow, that’s long ago:)

They have this really cool picture of the Bushclan on the fridge - It’s during the New Orleans flooding.

Just kiddin’ it’s photoshopped - but then again it says all!
During the day Myra has to teach and I hang out with her housmate Jason and his friend Hava. I know both from Sweetsmill and we have a good time. Later on I practice a little and start writing a new thing. When Myra comes back we work on the program and after a couple hours I’m ready to put my guitar to sleep and go to bed or to chouch.

But not before I work my way through a Newcastle

Monday Workday

I’m going to stay at Phil’s until late afternoon and work on the computer. This way I’ll get a lot of stuff done and put off some weight. I have a late breakfast/lunch with Kristine and after that she’s driving me to an electronics store where I get a bluetooth headset for my cell phone.

They started to crack down on calling without a handsfree unit - quite understandable. Around 6 I start the drive to Berkeley where I’m going to stay at Myra’s house. She’s sharing the place with several friends and it reminds me of my old WG’s back in the motherland... We chat a little and then I crash on the couch:)

San Francisco...

This morning I have to get up early and leave for San Francisco. I play at the First Unitarian Church right downtown. As usual I miss a couple of turns but finally get closer and am excited as always to drive into my favorite West Coast City.

The church is easy to find and one of the most impressive I have played in.

The acoustics are fantastic and I decide to go unplugged. It works out very well and people just love it and are touched. Then it’s time to drive back to Phil, we still have to do a lot of talking through biz. I wish the weather would be a little better but...

I’m glad to have a nice place to stay and good company. Phil is watching football while I answer tons of emails

After that we start writing on a new song and Kristine comes by with a bottle of Baileys - that helps tremendously:)

Poweroutage and a cancelled show

This morning I get a call from Laurie telling me that the power at the Community Center is out and that they don’t expect it to be back soon. Another cancellation - oh my - well, there is nothing that I can do about it. I was a little mad that Bob didn’t call and tell me about it, after all I dealt with him all the time. Today I’m going to Santa Clara to meet with Phil and stay with him for a couple of days. I’m lucky that Highway 17 is still open but the drive is horrible.

I’m going to meet Laurie and her family for breakfast at a nice Cafe in Campbell. Phil is going to meet us there.



After that I follow Phil to his little apartment where we hang out and chat all night long.

Flash Flood Warning and a breakthrough!

At 6 am in the morning I got a call from KSCO that they had to cancel the interview. The storm took down power all over the county and with a Flash Flood warning they interrupted the program constantly. I didn’t mind too much staying in bed while hell broke lose out there. Around 11am Georg and me drove out to a site where he builds a house and I wish I had brought my camera. Streets were closed left and right and the water was coming down. For the first time in my life I heard the emergency warning where all radio stations stop and you hear a nasty tone before a message. Now I wonder if I get out of here to Los Gatos tomorrow for my show - lets see. On the way back to town they played “Tell Me Why” in the radio and I was going nuts!!! I was always dreaming about how cool it would be to hear your own song in the radio while you’re driving around - there it was! I was dancing and yelling in the car and felt that this was a breakthrough! We drove to the beach and watched huge waves break in, even at low tide - Man, in a couple of hours they have to close the whole beach.

After we come back I start working on the computer until the evening. Georg and me watch a fantastic German movie (The lies of others)which got an Oscar in 2007 for the right reasons! We both are completely taken and keep talking nonstop until 1:30 am. Oh my it’s late and I wanted to get up early...well...
I go to bed but my head is still spinning so I work on some radio promotion...

Major Storm

Today’s the day! I’m leaving Fresno and start the tour. I’m excited and ready to jump after wonderful holidays and a great concert with Lyquid Amber. Now it’s time to say good bye and get going...

They predicted a major storm front coming in from the Pacific with wind gusts up to 60mph. Short before I reach Gilroy (The Garlic capital of the world) it starts and all over sudden is black! Wow, not bad!

What a trip - it takes way longer to get to Santa Clara where I have an interview with Jackie Loken at KKUP. The place is hard to find and the wipers work off the scale. I finally get it and have about an hour before the show. Phil calls and we meet for a little dinner.

After that it’s show time. What a lovely little station with wonderful folks. The only one here in California that is completely funded by it’s listeners! Right on!
Here is Jackie in action.

Bev & Greg Barnett come visit me at the studio. They host the Truewind Concert Series, are wonderful musicians, and very active in the community. We chat a little after the show and have a good time before I take off to drive to Santa Cruz.

I have a radio show at 8:30 in the morning and stay with my friends Georg & Veda. Georg is from Germany as well and builts houses that are completely green. He’s the only one in CA that does that and people like Mell Gibson or Brad Pitt want him to built for them, but he loves his community and rather works on making housing affordable again! We have a long talk and share a Weizenbier from the motherland!

Then it’s time to go to bed...