My guitar.

In June someone went into my car and stole my guitar. I reported it to the police, and went out and bought a new guitar and got on with my work.

Yesterday I got my stolen guitar back.

Here's what happened: it was graduation weekend at Plymouth State University, and there were a lot of college kids partying on (and near) the street where I live. I got home after midnight, having played a show with No Limitz at the Crazy Gringo. I had a 1pm show the next day, so I was in a hurry to get some sleep. And in my haste I forgot to lock my car.

The next morning I went out to the car to grab something and I saw a microphone on the ground. Uh oh. I opened the car door and discovered the guitar (and my gig bag, with all the mics/cables/etc.) missing. The glove box had been opened, and its contents strewn across the passenger seat.

I went downstairs and dismantled the basement studio, scrounging for enough cables to recreate my live setup. I was able to gather enough gear to get through that day's show. (I used an older guitar that I can't bear to part with, although it's in really bad shape.)

Detective McCarthy of the Plymouth PD took my police report. I stopped by the Vintage Fret Shop in Ashland (where I bought the guitar) and told them about it. They said they'd keep an eye out. There wasn't much to do beyond that, so I broke out the credit card and got myself another guitar. I replaced a couple of the lost cables, but couldn't justify the expense of a complete rebuild. So the studio has been on hiatus since then.

About a month after the theft, Ben from the Vintage Fret Shop called to tell me I would be getting another call, this one from the PD. Apparently a young guy had come in to sell a guitar, and they recognized it as mine. They matched the serial number to my sales invoice and had the kid arrested. The guitar was taken in as evidence at the Ashland PD. The kid went to Plymouth, where he confessed to the PD there. A few days after that, he turned over the gig bag to the Plymouth PD. I went to both PDs and identified the gear. The stickers had been removed from the guitar case, and the box for my wireless headset mic was gone, but the gear itself appeared intact.

The courts move slowly. On September 13 a guilty plea was entered and a fine was paid. I've been following up with both PDs about the release of my gear. I'm still waiting on the gig bag in Plymouth (it requires some injunction paperwork to release it, and apparently things are extremely backed up), but Ashland was able to release the guitar to me yesterday.

And that's pretty much that. The whole thing was a pretty serious economic blow, and a significant inconvenience. But at least I'm getting my stuff back. Detective McCarthy has been nothing short of amazing in his efforts, and everyone at the Ashland PD was friendly and helpful too. And while it is not the job of the Vintage Fret Shop to confront and apprehend criminals, they did exactly that, and I could not possibly be more grateful.

Song Spotlight - On My Mind

A rare collaboration. I asked Stacey Lucas to write some lyrics, just to see if a songwriting idea might come out of them. I got these lyrics in the mail, and to my surprise, I was able to set music to them quickly and without any major editorial changes. The recording on Onward To Yesterday features congas that I bought in Asheville, NC the day I played the song live for the first time.


On My Mind

They say everything happens for a reason
And what will be will be
But I won't see you 'til next season
Heavy pending on "we'll see"

My eyes wander 'round the space in here
Smoky haze and cheap beers and dim light
There's people laughing, people dancing
The room is full of you tonight

Chorus: Beyond any shadow of a doubt
It sure was my time to go
There's no way to deny
The winds of change as they blow
But tonight - tonight, oh
You're on my mind so

Bluegrass plays out to the crowd
As I set my glass for one last brew
It's getting late, the crowd grows scarce
As the band plays to the last few

The bartender wipes the tables
And sets the stools upon the bar
I think of you and I just smile
At thoughts of where you are

(Chorus)

Please don't mistake this all for sadness
'Cause I am grateful for where I am
I just can't shake this sense of wonder
At what's to come and when

(Chorus)

I'm more than alive - these times, they aren't tough
I know in this world I've got more than enough
I'm satisfied - and I'm glad to do this
To do this on my own
But tonight - oh tonight
You're just - you're on my mind so


This song (and the others on Onward To Yesterday) can be heard on the mp3 page on this site.

The music scene.

The prevailing opinion among those I talk to about it is that the music scene here in NH is pretty nonexistent. I submit that the scene is what we make it. We have our share of musicians, and no lack of places to be heard, and even plenty of people who want to listen. The problem is, each of the three (musicians, venues, patrons) generally wants the 'scene' to be kickstarted by the ambitions of the other two.

There are exceptions on all three counts, and these are the trailblazers that are making the scene what they want it to be. Some examples:

Musicians - Linden Mazurka has been working hard for 2+ years, hosting an originals-only open mic in Meredith NH. Sky King hosts an open mic in Warren, and writes the Mountain Beat article for the Northcountry News, reviewing music and interviewing musicians here in the North Country (for which he is not compensated, to my knowledge).

Venues - Tony's Italian Grill in Thornton NH hit the ground running as a great venue for original performers. Giuseppe's in Meredith and the Sunset Grill in Campton have had open mic nights every week for as long as I can remember. Each of these venues recognizes the importance of regularly scheduled entertainment that people can count on.

Patrons - Speaking from my own experience, there are a few locals who really enjoy live music and can almost always be seen at my shows. They come out to have a good time, and they buy food and drink while they are there. (A personal shout out here to Mike B and Sara, Susan, Raf, Sabre, Harry, and everyone who goes out of their way to hear me do my thing. Thank you all so much.)

Each of these lists can go on, for sure. But the point is, we are the scene, and the scene is us. Let's not waste time wishing things were different or easier, and get to the business of being awesome.

Song Spotlight: The Blitz

The scene is a moderately busy city street. A small group of men huddle together against the cold and spontaneously break into song, offering the tale of an ex-footballer and his struggles with addiction at the end of his storied career. The motivation behind this song? NO IDEA WHATSOEVER. Except for the fact that I was in the Nur Ein songwriting competition, and the song title came up, and I felt like doing some a capella. And somehow, the bizarre content/setting/delivery combine to make something with an undeniable truth to it, at least to me anyway. It's too weird to not believe it.


The Blitz

If I saw you today I don't know what I would say
Because I don't like the way you live now
You're not completely to blame 'cause it's the fault of the game
And I know nothing's the same once you're out

You were the heart of the line in 1979
Before you ruptured your spine blocking down
There's more than one quarterback who never saw the attack
Until he's flat on his back wondering how

You made a business of fear for your entire career
When you would blitz from the rear and take 'em down
But soon enough came the day you couldn't play through the pain
You had to give up the game and walk out

It didn't take very long for you to see what was wrong
With all this freedom you suddenly found
You lost the glory and fame that goes with playing the game
And it's just you and the pain hangin' 'round

So pretty soon you will meet another man on the street
Who spends exactly an hour in town
You may have damaged your rep, and yeah you lost half a step
But when you want to you still get around


This song (and all the songs from Onward To Yesterday) can be heard on the 'mp3' page on this site.

Live at Woodstock Station.

Tonight I'll be at the Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery in North Woodstock NH. I'm playing a solo show at 8:30pm, and I intend to webcast the show here at jimtyrrell.net. You can watch it on the 'video' page. Or you can come up to North Woodstock and have one of their fine beers and see the whole thing in person. That'd work just fine too.

In other news, I was interviewed recently by a NH paper called The Northcountry News, and the article will appear in this week's issue. This can also be read online, and I'll post a link when it's available.