Savannah my beautiful

Darn it’s early! I have to get up at 5:30 am. I have a TV show in Macon and have to be there at 6:30 am. Luckily Cassandra is coming with me - otherwise I would have not been able to find it in the dark.

Oh am I tired - and it’s a freezing 18 degrees fahrenheit! Finally I’m on and we’re having first an interview and then I play a couple of songs.

Here is Cass and me still waiting for some coffee.

After the show were heading out trying to find a breakfast place. It could not have been more complicated to find something and I’m amazed that there is almost no place out there!
Around noon I’m on the way to Savannah. It’s a four hour drive and it’s a sunny day. When I get into the city I’m greeted by palm trees:)

Wow that is the most beautiful place I have seen for a long time and I know that someone has to drag me out of here next week - I wanna stay.........

The Sentient Bean is a very nice coffeehouse and I have a great show. They set it up as a listening concert and I have various friends from myspace that showed up.

I have also a great review in the local paper which draws in several folks.
After the show I chat a little but all over sudden everybody is gone and I have to head out looking for a Motel. It’s hard to drive to the Mall after being in such a great place! There is no room in a 20 mile radius and I’m getting frustrated. Luckily I’m able to turn it around by singing out loud “It’s a wonderful day - It’s a wonderful day...” Shortly after I find a place that has one room left - no heating but cheap, so I go for it and cuddle under the sheets.

Georgia on my mind

I wake up early despite the Yeti Imperial Stout. I take a quick shower while Bootsy is answering some emails.

After that we both take in direction Georgia. She gets to drive first while I take a nap.

On my turn I see a sign for a lake and think about recreation - actually for the fist time! I turn right onto a dirt road - wow it’s going on forever!

I have to leave the car at a barrier and do walk another mile to get to the lake. I was expecting some blue water but....

Nobody is there and it is nice anyway. I sit down for a second and let my eyes wander...then I’m on the road again. Warner Robins is just a big Mall and if there were no air force, there would be no WR. The Drip Drop Cafe is like a little oasis and Cassandra the owner welcomes me. I actually have a nice little crowd and enjoy the evening.

After that Cassandra, Mattie (a local songwriter) and me are going to a pub. There is a bad Southern Rock combo playing and we have to shout to converse. What a scene! I’m happy when we finally leave and I get to bed:)

Welcome to the dark zone

After a morning on the computer I’m ready to leave and say goodbye until we see each other in Memphis at the Folk Alliance.

Off I go on my way to South Carolina. I play in a Coffee house in Mauldin.

It’s a nice place but there is no one there and the few people who show up just check their email or are simply not interested. It’s a $12 evening.

I must say that despite the nice barristas I have a hard time playing on and enter my dark zone. Usually I don’t go there but can’t seem to avoid it. I’ll stop at some point and simply pack up, get in the car and start driving. No idea where I’m going - just any highway will do. After way too long I cross the border into Georgia. A couple of attempts to fins a suitable Motel fail and I’m sure it’s the dark zone that got me slightly off groove. At some point I find a Motel 8 and just go for it. I reaslize I haven’t had any dinner or lunch for that matter and the only thing around is a Wendy’s drive through - oh my, well I feel just like it.

Jamie gave me a bottle of Imperial Stout that I kill right away, well Bootsy is helping.

Asheville Party

I’m staying one more day in Asheville and start working early in the morning. Well I get a lot of help from “Bootsy“

Ashley, my computer buddy sits across the table working hard as well...

In the afternoon I drive around and get some pictures done. After that I find a nice grocery store where i get some food for tonight. Adina is coming for dinner and we gonna party with several bottles of Belgium beer. I cooking some pasta with seafood while the gals chat...

After a great dinner we play some music and party on...

Oh man, it’s time for bed.

Childhood memories

It’s a rainy, freezing cold day and the walk downtown leaves us as icicles. After a great breakfast and a most chilly walk back we all work on computers. I have an early show at 6pm at the Root Bar and leave around 4:30pm.

It’s gonna be a nice evening and I’ll be reunited with my niece Sybille that I haven’t seen for more than eight years. The venue is a real beer bar with some of the best Belgian beers. Max the owner is a very sweet guy and plays a song for me.

He tells me about his fathers guitar that he inherited.

The show proves again that it’s not about the quantity but about the quality of the audience

It’s so great to see Sybille and a lot of childhood memories start to come back instantly.

After the show Sybille and her husband Mark go to a mexican place, eat dinner and chat until late before we part again. This time it won’t take eight years before we see each other again!

On the way to North Carolina

I leave Vicki and Stephanie early in the morning.

It’s a beautiful drive and I’m glad I’m in the mountains.

It takes all day because I do the scenic route but it’s worth it. I’m glad though when I finally arrive in Asheville at Jamie’s and Ashley’s house:)

I haven’t seen them for a way too long.

After a nice dinner and some chat it’s time for me to lay down.

Another Day in Chattanooga

I wake up and my voice is about 2 octaves lower than usual- I probably should not have partied that hard but it was just too funny...
The church is very pretty and I feel very good about this show.

It’s a great crowd and people are very attentive and love what I’m doing

I sell a lot of Cds and saved the week!!!
Well, the rest of the day is just one long conversation back at the house first with Vicki and later in the evening with all three of them again. What a treasure! I found some real good friends and within one day Chattanooga has become another oasis on this continent.
Then it’s time to crash!

I should slepp right away but get pulled into email again and work another hour.

Choices and Chattanooga

Before I get on the road I drive back into Johnson City to give Kim a couple of CDs for the massage. This morning it looks different just because the sun is out - life can be simple after all.

Kim is already working and just comes out for a little to say goodbye

Back on the highway on and on. There are all these choices...

So where do I have to be again?

When I get to Charles and Myrtle’s there is a sermon going on - over the telephone. It’s on a speaker and the folks listen to a distorted voice talking about the bible.
I need to sneak out fast - wow that’s going to be an interesting evening. I call Stephanie, another myspace friend. She invites me over for a coffee. She and her roommate live close by and we instantly connect and are sitting in the living room chatting up a storm. Then I have to go back and set up - well, not a lot it’s like a house concert and all acoustic. I have a small and appreciative crowd. Here is Andrew introducing me.

After the show we chat a little before i say goodbye.

Stephanie and Vicki invited me over for the night and I’m looking forward to some more good company. I have a ball and haven’t laugh as hard for a long time but those gals just crack me up!

We party hard and I get to bed way too late for an early UU show tomorrow!

The edge of Eastern Tennesee

It’s cold and probably will start to snow - brrrrrrr. I get in the car and crank up the heat. And yes! just as I get into Eastern TN it starts snowing lightly.

After several hours I arrive in Johnson City. I’m not sure about the vibe but I think it’s the dark weather that effects me.

It’s easy to find the Cafe and I sit down to do some work again.

My myspace friend Kim who has a massage therapy studio offered to work on my messed up back, so I drive over and get a massage before I head back to the Cafe to set up.

It’s a strange show though people seem to enjoy it but it’s also a place for people to talk and chat and not a listening room. I reach a couple of folks and be grateful for that. After all I really can’t expect a thing. This is another Motel night and I’m a little sad and tired and end up watching stupid movies until 3 am.

One more day on the road

Today I’m gonna drive through Memphis and later through Nashville.

It’s the second day of straight driving and must say that I like it. I do my one hour vocal training and then work on some lyrics:) Ok, Memphis here I come!
Just a short glance - well I’ll be back for five days soon. When I finally reach Nashville it’s dark and the city looks like magic.

I need to go at least a little bit further today, so I squeeze in another hour before I stop and get a motel. There is a restaurant close by and I indulge in a nice Steak and some beers - nicely decadent, well, just some soulfood after a long drive. When I sit down at the bar the man next to me is cussing on the phone - in my German home dialect!!!! I can’t believe it but stay put and just observe. At some point he’s starting to talk to me but I can’t admit that I’m German too and so I let him believe I’m american. It’s a little strange but I’m not up for cussing today.
After a great dinner I go back to the motel and work a little while checking out several movies on the TV.