Yesterday afternoon, a gorgeous, late summer day in Chicago, everything clicked. You can’t expect it, or plan for it, or want it too much; best to just meet the day with eyes, heart & head wide open. We were lucky to be on the main stage at the corner of Belden & Oakley, playing a set at The 38th annual Bucktwon Arts Fest. It was the perfect place to be, at just the perfect time. Blue sky, blazing sun, puffy white clouds, enormous, leafy-green, sweetly-looming trees providing a bit of shade. A professional stage setup, a bold, enveloping sound coming from a massive array of old-school speakers. The sound-tech, a no nonsense, total pro, expertly dialed us in. There was a rollicking, happy, partying crowd, a gathering of the beautiful people. An amazing cross-section of humanity. The six of us played our set with conviction & fire. It was all very satisfying & gratifying. What to say? The best feeling in world. – Jammer

Story time. The Lovely Carla Hayden and I were sitting on a bench, sipping cool drinks, talking about everything under the sun, admiring the sky, the looming trees, the to-ing & fro-ing of folks on the lakefront. Suddenly, seemingly from out of the sky, there appears Daniel Connolly, looking like the Jesus of Folk; cool, calm, floating into our vision like an apparition. He is just walking around with his guitar, strumming and singing when he feels it. He has his mahogony Gibson acoustic with him, of course, he is the ultimate troubador, and he asks us if we want to hear a song. He plays, he sings, everything comes to a complete standstill. Gorgeous, beautiful, inspiring, sort of sad too. It’s like the most incredible moment. His voice, soft, and hushed, puts us in a trance. He was singing this astonishingly gorgeous song called “Low Season.” Is this the most beautiful song we have ever heard? We are silent, captivated. Did that really happen?! Yes. It did. – Jammer

The Bucktown Arts Fest at Holstein Park 2200 N Oakley Avenue, Chicago, IL whitewolfsonicprincess will perform a full set at 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday August, 23, Main Stage. Hope you can join us. Summertime fun! – Jammer

I decided to re-watch “I’m Not There” (2007), an experimental biograhpical film about Bob Dylan. It was Chris, my bandmate in the Telepaths, who reminded me that Todd Haynes’ film was a freaking masterpiece. So post-gig, in a heap of brokenness, I sat on a plush couch, clicker in hand, and streamed it.

And little Black Woody hanging with Hobos & Kate Blanchett playing the r&r outlaw Dylan of the “Judas” years really does take the cake. Box cars and press conferences. The press conferences were probably more dangerous & funny; hostile journalists trying to put the rebellious, mercury-mouthed r&r wunderkind in a hole.

A deadly business for any working artist. I thought to myself, “Dylan, interviewing Dylan,” that would be fun.

In that spirit, not that I am comparing myself to Dylan, the idea of interviewing myself popped into my fevered-head. Recently someone asked me: “What’s with all the black in the middle of summer?”

Ha. Funny you should ask. Let’s get Jammer to do a little Q&A with Jammer!

Q: Is it to conjure an aura of r&r decadence?

A: Ha. r&r decadence or sweat maintenance? On stage, spontaneous combustion is a certainty. All that black is necessary camouflage.

Q: The bandana? Hippie cool?

A: Sheesh. Keeps the sweat from my eyes. And, of course, every day is a bad hair day. “Put a bird on it!”

Q: The shades?

A: Oh, come on, man. Eyes are mirrors of the soul. Don’t you know anything!? – Jammer

A moment of intensity from last night’s whitewolfsonicprincess show at Evanston SPACE. How’d the gig go? Hmmm… hard to put into words. If you were there, you know, if not, well, what can I tell you? – Jammer

Yes. Bringing the whitewolfsonicprincess big band to the big stage at Evanston SPACE this Wednesday, July 23. It will be a treat. A few reserved seats still available. Hope you will join us. Tickets here: https://www.ticketweb.com/…/honey-whites…/14375753 – Jammer

There is something about being forward-looking. Over here our eyes are pointing to July 23. A Wednesday night at one of the finest music rooms on the planet. Yes. Tickets on sale now: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/honey-whites-whitewolfsonicprincess-space-tickets/14375753

Hope you will join us! – Jammer

Some folks probably turn to the Bible, or the Koran. Dip their toes into some inspiring or humbling line or verse. Me? Hell no. I turn to my r&r. Early morning, sun just breaking across the lake, sipping my coffee, watering the outside plants & flowers, dipping into Neil Young’s album “Rust Never Sleeps.”  (1979). So, I find myself spraying water into the air, vibing off  the line: “Welfare Mothers make better lovers…” and all seems right with the world.

It could have have just as easily been Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers.” (1994), “No one knows what it’s like to be me…”  or the Stone’s “Exile on Main Street,”  (1972), “I just wanna see his face…” or Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited,” (1965) “Tell me, great hero, but please, make it brief, Is there a hole for me to get sick in?” or the Who’s “Who’s Next” (1971), “I once heard a note, pure & easy…”

Whatever. You know, the r&r canon & gospel. 

My partner & I finished off the 4th season of “The Bear” last night. Oh, man. What to say? Love the series. What is it about? Grief, depression, suicide, family, yelling, business, machismo, success & failure, deep anger, loss, loneliness, death, Chicago, great food, great music, gorgeous film-making, friends, enemies, the great unsaid, and the deeply confounding unsayable.

Seems like the most important things in Life happen to be invisible, and hard to pin down. Funny.

We had a long, rambling, heartfelt conversation afterwards. It opened up some new avenues, deep pools and silent places in our beings. I suppose that’s the power of great art. – Jammer