11-16-08 LA CA: 1418 hrs. It’s Sunday afternoon. I know it’s been a long time since I did one of these. Thanks for your letters prompting me to write, really, it’s very cool of you. I have found that it’s hard to write entries while on the road. I know that makes no sense, that’s where things are happening, it’s not like I am not spoiled for material. The further along I go on a tour, the harder it gets to think of much besides the show that night. By late afternoon, that’s all there is. Post show, it’s hard to sit and write something as I’m just tired of thinking. None of this makes for a good excuse but there it is. Now that I am off the road for a little while at least, I will try to do better.
Last night, I did my first ever live shift in the Saturday night slot for my radio show on Indie 103. My shift got moved there several weeks ago and I was on the road the whole time so the shows were pre-taped. Last night I went in and did the show with a different engineer that Engineer X and while she was a good enough board operator, it’s not the same without Engineer X and it’s not all that great taking all of Saturday night to do a radio broadcast that you know isn’t being heard by all that many people. I must say, it really guts me that my show got moved. It is a shot to the morale. It’s not my station and so I have no say at all but all the same, I really wish I had my old slot back and that the station valued my show more than it seems to. I like doing the show but it’s a lot of work and it’s starting to feel like a waste of time to devote so much effort to something they don’t seem all that interested in. It’s great knowing that people do in fact listen, that makes it worthwhile, just to get a few letters during the broadcast is great.
I wanted to thank all of you who came to the shows I just finished up. It was so great to see you all out there in spite of how things are in America and Canada these days. Thanks for giving a damn and taking time out to show up, that’s really great of you. I know it sounds a bit cloying but it’s true, it’s great to have an audience, something to look forward to and an opportunity to put it out there.
I have one last show to do in Seattle WA in several days. As much as I look forward to it, I wish I was still out on the road with another month of shows. The tour took about 15 months and will come in at 188 shows. To be honest, I wish the whole thing was starting all over again in January.
There is a lot to do here though so in order to get out the door and back into the world, I have to get all the stuff here completed first.
Thanks for watching the shows on IFC the last two Fridays. I am glad you liked them. It’s a lot of work getting those things done. No one gets out of it easily, from myself to all the crew, it’s one hell of an effort but from what you have written in and said, it seems that it was worth it. You can work as hard as you want on this kind of thing, doesn’t mean that anyone’s going to pick up on it, so thanks. I’ll try and write later in the week. Thanks.