We were invited to play an acoustic duo set as part of the Coyote Arts Fest in Wicker Park last night. We ended up doing a “passionate” set in a really cool artist’s studio. It had a nice old wood floor, with a tin ceiling, and the acoustics were great. There was a small, friendly, and enthusiastic audience. It’s great when people actually sit and listen.  And it’s great when you bring it. We brought it last night. Yes, you need songs, and you need to be tight, and you need to get the sound right.

But what you really need is the invisible, intangible things: passion and energy. And those things can’t be bottled, or manufactured. Or faked. Not really. I mean, I guess you can try to fake it. But I think it shows. So yes, we brought the passion and energy. The Lovely Carla put her whole body into her performance, and I flailed away on my old Hohner guitar with total abandon. Sweat was flying. During “Sad-Eyed Prophet,”  I busted a string (of course!), but I’m getting really expert at re-stringing in the moment, and it didn’t seem to kill the vibe or momentum of the show. We just plunged back in without hesitation. We totally committed ourselves to the moment. And that’s the world baby! – Jammer