Thanks so much for everyone for coming and packing the place for my first show back from hiatus. It was so much fun to be back. Extra special thanks to Jamie Dull, Brad Roll and Marshall Miller for stepping up and helping me rock out full-band style. That's the most fun I've had in ages, and I'm truly lucky to have such great friends on both sides of the stage.

Hopefully there will be video posted soon! And stay tuned for something interesting in the coming days!

Just a reminder to come on down to Coffee Amici in lovely Findlay Oh-hi-ya next Saturday, the 13th. There will be some very special sekrit guests, including a full-band ROCK set!

Oh, and I've been working on an interesting little project that will be unleashed that day, as well. ;-)

Hey, local-type folks! Tune in to 88.3 WLFC tomorrow (Tuesday the 12th) at 1:00 pm. I'll be doing a live interview, and maybe even sneaking in an acoustic performance of a song. It'll be spifftacular.

It's been the better part of a year that I've been taking a break from gigging. My battery's recharged. It's time to hit the stage again. You should come to Coffee Amici on September 13th, and bring a hardhat, because I'll be delivering a year's worth of stored up rock.

I may sneak into an occasional open mic before then, just to relearn how to play.

Very sad news for the local foodies: Satang Thai Cuisine will be serving up its last batch of Rama in Jacuzzi this Saturday. :-( They'll be open from 11:30 until 9:30, and have a 10% discount that day. Findlay was never the ideal town for a dedicated Thai restaurant, but for years they brought amazing food to a town with more steakhouses than citizens. It stings to lose them, but best of luck to Ai and the gang in their future endeavors!

Thanks to everyone who's emailed me today - I should probably post a quick "I'm ok" message. Around 1:30am last night, a tornado spent about 15 minutes of quality face time with northern Hancock County. Luckily for me, it was a couple miles away. Unlucky for others, it looks like about 10 houses were destroyed. No injuries, at least.

I guess it's better than earthquakes or hurricanes...

I try not to get overly political here, but tomorrow, we here in Ohio (and you in Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island) have a critical decision to make in the primaries.

I'm supporting Barack Obama, and I just wanted to say why:

• Obama has been against the war in Iraq from day one. I truly doubt that Hillary would have handled the situation much differently than George Bush.
• His limited amount of "experience" in Washington is an asset to me. He's taken the high road and hasn't fallen into the pockets of lobbyists.
• He truly understands technology issues, which is important to me, and will be critical to the nation in the coming years.
• He has liberal values, but has shown an ability to reach across the aisle and appeal to both parties. This will be critical in getting elected, and in getting things done once in office.
• His positions have been consistent and from the heart. It seems like Hillary doesn't sneeze unless a focus group tells her to.
• I believe he has the best chance of beating John McCain, who looks like he's going to be a tough opponent. For better or worse, Hillary is divisive to the party.
• Obama is, well... likable. This is the factor that ideally wouldn't be important, but it's important for a President to be able to rally the nation behind a given cause. Hillary says that oratory doesn't matter - I have to disagree.

No matter who you support, please vote tomorrow. I hope you'll consider voting for Obama. Thanks, and I now return you to your regularly scheduled rock and roll music. :)

A brief aside for the Findlay readers:

I've been developing a system for snow prediction over the past few months, and I'm happy to announce that I have an almost fool-proof method for predicting the actual snowfall amount we'll get:

1. Find the National Weather Service forecast for snowfall the night before.
2. Take the low end of the range that they give.
3. Divide that number by 4.

As an example, if they're calling for 4-8 inches of snow, the low end of that range is 4, so divide that by 4. When you wake up the next morning, there'll be one inch of snow on the ground.

Sure, there are occasional exceptions. The massive snow earlier this winter almost actually hit the low end of their prediction. But the past 4-5 storms have followed my formula exactly. I'm sure I could find a way to make a profit from this formula, but I think I'm going to go grab a broom and dust off the driveway instead.

If you happen to dine at Revolver this week (and trust me, you should), be sure to listen to the house music. I hear the featured artist this week is a swell guy. ;)

PS: Order the Kung Pao Sweetbreads. :)

Just a quick reminder that I'll be playing at the Ritz Theater tomorrow (Friday the 7th) night as part of the First Friday series. The music starts at 7:30 and also playing are Chavar Dontae and Jim Gill.

I should also mention that this is probably going to be my last show for awhile. I'm taking a break from gigging to focus on my studio work, and also to search for a new direction in my live shows. So come on out for a special set!

So Brad Roll will be rocking the stage at Coffee Amici on Saturday. He puts on one of the best live shows I've seen there. I'll be joining him for a few songs, but don't let that scare you away.

I'll probably be playing tonight at OMN, as well. I'll have to print out directions to make sure I remember how to get there. :)

Hey, Findlayites! Just a reminder that tonight's the night for the Red Cross benefit concert to raise money for flood relief. It features myself and two of my favorite live acts: Ellery and Brad Roll. The music starts at 7pm, with doors at 6:30, at The Dock at St Marks UMC (800 S. Main St. across from Little Caesars). It's a pass-the-hat event, so bring a friend or three, and donate what you can to help a really great cause while listening to some fancy music!

If you're not local and still want to help, consider donating to the Hancock County Red Cross or United Way.