spring!
It has been a long time since I wrote anything here. A lot has been going on – mainly the new Dolly Varden album, “For A While,” which I’m quite happy with and which has been getting some really wonderful reviews. Here’s one from Blurt that was particularly nice. The album was released January 22nd with a big sold out release concert at City Winery in Chicago on January 19. In early February Diane and I traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland and Belfast, Northern Ireland, for a handful of shows. Here’s a video of us singing “Saskatchewan to Chicago,” one of the songs from the new album, in Belfast. I recently played a show with Alton Smith and Colby Maddox, two of my favorite Chicago musicians. We did a bunch of 3-part harmony songs. It was great and we’re gonna do it again soon. Below is a video of us singing The Band’s, “It Makes No Difference,” shot by Jim Summers using an app that makes it look like an old home movie. Thanks, Jim! It just might be my all-time favorite song. Look, I know I’m not Rich Danko, but what a joy to sing this song with these two amazing musicians. Not a lot of songwriting has been going on through all this activity but I am slowly but surely moving back into writing mode and do plan to record new songs in the next few months.
Next up: Dolly Varden plays a show at one of our favorite places, Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn, on Saturday, March 23rd. Dolly Varden will play first at 9pm. AND I will be back at Simon’s for the annual birthday show – this year it will be Sunday, April 7th. The line-up will be me, Frank Rosaly on drums, Jason Roebke on bass, Alton Smith on keyboards and vocals, and Diane Christiansen, too. It’s free and it starts at 9pm.
I hope to see you soon!
Steve