Last night was the result of big, big efforts to complete a project. Mike put together a live recording session with Drew's help at Aubergine's (755 Main/After Dark) in Sebastopol. We've had original tunes floating around for a long time, but doing a recording has always been out of reach. In the olden days, J.S. Bach could just ask "Prince Somebodyoranother" to sponsor his musical projects. We would have to spend lots of time explaining ourselves (and the name The Thugz) to any potential benefactor - so we tried to just do it on our own for the past few years - setting up a ProTools session in my living room, setting up again in Andre's living room, setting up in Mike's little music room, doing a mini-session at Zone Recording, setting up mini recording devices at gigs - oh my, oh my, we have tried to gather recorded material with very limited funds for a long time. Then Mike and Drew hatched a plan! Drew has worked as the sound tech at Aubergine's for a while and knows the system well. We trust Drew absolutely - he understands our "sound," loves our music, and knows how to gently prod us along, with lots of love and humor. So there we were last night, doing a live recording of a few tunes, on Aubergine's stage, with the best of the best...our most wonderful, loyal fans who generously put a few bucks in our tip jar to defray costs. They became our "Prince Somebodyoranothers," and we gratefully played our hearts out. It's always a struggle to avoid small glitches when you record live, but we did pretty well. The best part was the fact that we were free to jam, and jam, and jam. All kinds of magical moments emerged. We are all so thankful for our "Fearless Leader," Mike. He took care of rounding us all up for rehearsals, making check-in phone calls, and crafting a set list that had a flow. We are also so thankful for Drew who created the perfect sound balance. And, of course, our wonderful Thugette, Stephanie, who opened the show with her own great tunes and glorious voice. What a show! Thank you to everyone, and please take care. I send you love, Sylvia