You have to love springtime - flowering mustard, bird song, green expanses, warmer weather. We unloaded at the River Theater last night and didn't have to fret about opening doors and letting in cold air blasts. When we got there, Lee and Judy were busy with a new Jerry purchase - a towering, fancy heater. At that point, it didn't feel like we needed it after such a warm day, but it sure came in handy later. The heater was a good sign that Jerry wants to promote our weekly gatherings and keep Thugz fans comfortable. There were plenty of new faces last night too - along with folks who have enjoyed our journey for many years. John Schneider arrived, and Mike had to greet him on the mic officially. He worked with us at the Blue, the Pink, and at Northwood - where he's holding down the bar. It's so great to know that he's still in the Thugz Booster Club! And then there's our Drew - what a guy. Last night he decided to expand and enhance the Thugz experience with a light show! It was his first try at projecting, but he soon mastered it - with oozing, colorful blobs swirling behind Mike's head. But the big springtime story has to be Ian and Cristy's new baby - a boy, born March 12th, healthy and still unnamed. Ian's maternity leave will end soon, but meanwhile we have Bradley, an incredible drummer and generous spirit. We tried some crazy jams last night with Bradley. My favorite was Mike's idea to do "Birdsong," go to the minor and jam, then morph into another key and begin a new rhythm that led us into "Beat It On Down the Line" and then back to resolution for "Birdsong"..."don't cry now...". That was a trip. The whole musical night was like that - experiments and expansions - very fitting for the season! On our drive home, the sky was clear and full of stars - we tried to listen to a crazy radio account of the Roswell alien landings on KPFA, but decided to chat and wax philosophical about the Thugz instead. Mike was pleased with the sound we got that night - me too. It's encouraging to know you can always get better and always progress. Everything's lookin' up!
Take care. Love, Sylvia