Back at it for a quick eight shows in the North East. We have never played any of these venues before, which is always a plus. New venues, new towns: you’d think after twenty years we would have played them all.

Pete’s back has healed enough to get him back on the perch. Spinner is back behind the sound board. We have a new guitar/stage tech, Trevor, and Jason, who was out with us last summer, is back behind the monitor desk.

Peekskill is your classic town on the Hudson: once proud and prosperous, but now, very, very nasty. There is a lot of money in the surrounding hills, but down in the city, life ain’t so grand. It probably doesn’t help that there is a nuclear power plant sitting a mile or so down stream. Gentrification does not look to be in this town’s future.

The gig tonight was at the Paramount which is a beautifully restored old theater. The acoustics were great and we had a pretty good first night; a little tentative at times, but overall, pretty good. We debuted four new songs (Blue Eyed Saviour, Shrike, Cutting Board Blues, Spiral Down) and they went as well as could be expected. It was exciting to be back on stage….onwards to the Ivy League.