I’ll be entirely honest, since last friday, it’s been a hell of a lot of week, for a number of reasons which I won’t burden you all with, but I’ve been kind of on edge and in a low-grade threat posture all week; it’s been tough to relax and let go. Taking Friday off to stretch the already long weekend out another day (and give me time to pack for paragraph #2) is going to be enthusiastically welcomed.

I am definitely looking forward to this weekend, as it’s Marscon, a welcome escape from the “real” world where I get to indulge some nerdy passions, spend time with good friends, and pretend to be a rock star for a couple of days, which is generally pretty good for my self-esteem.

As you’ve probably already seen from the pinned post, I’m going to be pretty busy, playing something like half-a-dozen sets as myself and as part of various ensembles, as well as sitting in on a couple of panels, and maybe finding some time to eat, sleep, and have somebody buy me a drink (hint hint). It’s going to be a working weekend to be sure, though I’m trying to build in some time for relaxation (Saturday afternoon/evening looks promising at this point, but we’ll see). I’m also hoping to sell out my initial print run of CDs (which feels likely, as this event is the largest concentration of “fans” of my stuff you’re likely to see) and make this weekend a profitable one as well.

This week was also Open Mic week, which was quite successful after a few months of steady, but smaller crowds. We had a lot of great performers and few divas, and we ended up running a bit past regular ending time (as long as people keep drinking, Karl’s happy to keep the place open). This was a relief, since a good friend was running a competing open mic across town (don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for all of us!), and I was worried about splitting the audience. Also, my set was actually pretty great, which felt good, because I purposely built it from the tunes that I’ve been struggling with nailing in my rehearsals this week. This bodes well for the weekend.

I’ve also, of course, been watching the news, what with the impeachment articles being sent over to the Senate (along with the potentially damning new evidence that’s come to light), this past week’s debate, which had a lot of nice substance (which is being ignored in favor of largely overblown drama), as well as the really cool news that my adopted home of Virginia has become the 38th (and last necessary) State to ratify the Equal Right Amendment, which is long past due, and I’m confident will beat the various legal challenges about timing (which are interesting to look at in themselves from a history/govenment nerd perspective) and become the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution.

Anyway, that’s probably more than enough promo and small talk; let’s get this wrapped with some tunes spit out of the Spotify. Surprisingly Canadian this time out, but sure, why not:

1. “Love Is All Around” – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
2. “And if Venice is Sinking” – Spirit of the West
3. “Dead Skunk” – Loudon Wainwright III
4. “Nobody Smokes Anymore” – Robert Ellis
5. “Rock N Roll Girl” – Paul Collins, The Beat
6. “Rush” – Big Audio Dynamite
7. “Having an Average Weekend” – Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet
8. “Hannah Jane” – Hootie & Tghe Blowfish
9. “Bedbugs and Ballyhoo” – Echo & The Bunnymen
10. “Sing to Death” – Prima Donna
11. “Nothin’ Feels Right But Doing Wrong” – Sarah Shook & the Disarmers
12. “Chancellor” Gord Downie
13. “West Coast Town” – Chris Shiflett