On Monday December 19 I'll have a limited quantity of the drinking songs CD Time For Another Round (Gold Edition) in stock. A lot of people have expressed interest in a copy, so I'm putting up a PayPal button today. I will ship/deliver CDs as soon as they arrive.

Time For Another Round (Gold Edition) contains the 10 drinking songs on the original TFAR album, plus the six from the Three Pints Irish EP. It's never too early to start getting ready for St. Patrick's Day!

The Jim Tour - Part 01

The 2011 Tour - a work in progress.

Things are taking shape, and I'm long overdue on updating, so here we go! First off, the tour is going to happen earlier in the year than originally planned. I'll be hitting the road on Memorial Day weekend, and playing shows through the first two weeks of June. This is a slow time for shows here in New Hampshire, so it fits well with the rest of my schedule. And here is the rough itinerary, as it stands: May 30 - Fleetwood, Pennsylvania June 1 - Asheville, North Carolina (at the Anam Cara Theatre Company) June 3 - Fort Meyers, Florida (if I'm crazy enough to drive that far south) June 6 - Austin, Texas June 11/12 - New York City (for Song Fight Live NYC) There are still holes to fill and connections to make, but it looks like I'm off to Texas and back. Suggestions for stops along the way are certainly welcome. (Suggestions accompanied with couchsurfing offers will be considered more heavily. Heh.)

Sidewalk Cafe, NYC, 2009.

I played a set in 2009 at the Sidewalk Cafe, as part of the Song Fight Presents: NYC show. I'm working on making this room a stop on the 2011 tour. Fun!

Jim Tyrell_ Red Zero from Glen Phillips on Vimeo.

Jim Tyrell _ I Know My Rights from Glen Phillips on Vimeo.

Jim Tyrell_ Hey Ruth from Glen Phillips on Vimeo.

Song Spotlight - Courage

I wrote this song for Song Fight (http://www.songfight.org/). The demo was a simple guy-and-guitar version; the full arrangement on Onward To Yesterday fills the song out nicely. This song was the first test of the recording facilities at my house; I had to move everything back home after the flood at the Ashland studio.


Courage

You've seen the vision
The course is charted out
Made your decision
But still you fight the doubt

Can't lose another minute waiting for help
You won't get what you need from anyone else
You've got to look for the courage to convince yourself
You've done the good thing - you've done the only thing

You sent the message
You had the bridges burned
No time for guesses
No option to return

Can't lose another minute waiting for help
You won't get what you need from anyone else
You've got to look for the courage to convince yourself
You've done the good thing - you've done the only thing

(instr.)

And now you're all alone and looking for help
A thousand miles away from anyone else
You better look for the courage to convince yourself
You've done the good thing


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

Oh, it's on.

Thank you. Thank you so much. My Kickstarter project has met its minimum, and is on its way to being declared a success on December 26! I am so grateful for the people who have stepped up to help make this dream come true.

There are still 26 days to go, and I got to thinking: what can I do for the backers of my project as the thing continues to grow? Well, I've been spending some time in the studio recently (by myself and with a couple friends), and here's my idea:

If the project reaches $3,000, then EVERYBODY who backs it will get a copy of a new album of previously unreleased original material. That's right, I'm putting together an album exclusively for my Kickstarter backers. The only way you can get it is to be a part of the project. If you pledge $25 or more, you get a physical copy on CD. Less than $25 gets you a mp3 download of the full album.

I'll put up a full post about this upcoming album soon, but for now, I'll just say that it is a wholly lipogrammatic work. That is to say, its lyrics do not contain a particular character. In fact, this character is not found in this paragraph. (I was writing a lipogramattic book, but I found it too long a form; song lyrics suit my writing inclinations, though.) As I said, full information about this bonus album is forthcoming.

Thank you once again. I could not possibly be more excited. :)

God Hates Penguins.

My old friend and screenprinting buddy Keith Morrissey showed up at my show on Saturday (I was playing at the Sunset Grill in Campton). He brought me a shirt he had designed and printed, inspired by my song God Hates Penguins. I think it looks pretty fantastic.

The song appears on the Onward To Yesterday album, and I almost didn't put it on there. I felt it might be a little out of place. But a lot of people told me they liked it, so I went ahead with it. And now there's a t-shirt! I'm working on making these available if anyone wants to get one. Interested? :)

About last night.

Good times at The Country Cow last night. It wasn't real busy in the restaurant, but the online crowd added to the mix nicely. I tried out a couple new songs and they went well enough. I'm off tonight, and I think I'll head right back to the Cow; The NC Blues Co. is playing there tonight, and that's sure to be good.

Tomorrow (Oct 30) I'm playing a solo show at the Sunset Grill in Campton. That show will be watchable online as well.

In other news, my Kickstarter project got a huge shot in the arm last night. A generous backer put up $500, which entitles them to (among other things) a live show in their very own home! Really looking forward to that one. I've still got a long way to go for my project to be a success, but it's off to a better start than expected. Onward!

Kickstarter Project, Day 2.

It's day two of my Kickstarter project, and at the time of this post, it's already 10% funded. I'm humbled by this early support, and I'm excited to send out all the goodies my backers are going to receive! If you haven't yet done so, please take a minute to check it out:

In other news, I'm playing a solo show tonight at The Country Cow in Campton, NH. There's no wifi available, so I can't webcast this one, unfortunately. But it's worth the trip to Campton; tonight is pizza night! The show starts at 7pm. :)

About the 2011 tour...

I'm taking my act on the road in the late summer/fall of 2011. Where is it headed? Well, that's where you come in. Earlier this month I pitched my idea to the folks at Kickstarter, and my project proposal was approved! So I've put together a way for you to help me get my act out on the road. I've got between now and Christmas to make this happen. Take a look, and if you can be part of this, then I'm excited for both of us!

Local Outbreak.

Back in April I did a radio interview. It was for the Local Outbreak program on The Planet 100.1fm. I rode down with Annie (from The Planet) to Rage Rock Studios in Manchester to do a one-hour Q&A with Matt Connarton. They did a nice job of putting the piece together.

The episode aired on Sunday, April 11. You can hear an archive of the show at www.soundcloud.com/jimtyrrell.

Weekend recap.

This past weekend featured a nice variety of shows. I was at Tony's Italian Grille & Pub on Friday night, playing an originals-heavy set. On Saturday afternoon I played Employee Appreciation Day at Freudenberg NOK in Bristol, which was a really fun time. And that night I headed over to The Black Cat Cafe in Laconia to play a show with No Limitz.

Sunday was a day off. I got caught up on a lot of around-the-house stuff, and I got to sneak down to the basement studio for a quick little recording session. Things are going well there, my friends. I have recording capabilities to a degree that I have never enjoyed previously. Things, as they say, are happening.

October is a busy little month. I don't have a show on Halloween night (for the first time in years). I might actually get to go out; maybe I can watch someone else play for a night. ;)

Permanent Record.

The 2007 CD Permanent Record has been out of print for a while. I'm excited to announce that it is about to become available again! This CD was originally released in conjunction with my 2007 Second Stage performance at Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion (I 'opened' for Weird Al), and it features the songs I Know My Rights and House Of Hodgman, which can be heard regularly at my shows. It also features the notorious hidden track 'Asshat'. (Okay, it's not a hidden track if I tell you about it. But it's been three years.)

And all you savvy online folks get the first crack at it! You can preorder a copy right here for just ten bucks, and that includes shipping! The CDs will ship out in late October.

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.

What's new?

Man. What a summer! And things aren't about to slow down too much in September. Let's recap a few of the more notable events:

• I played the Margate Beach Bar twice a week through July and August.

• I played more than 50 shows in those two months, all right here in New Hampshire.

• I did a live radio segment on The Planet (WPNH 100.1FM).

• I met REO Speedwagon at Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion.

• I played at a midsummer Mardi Gras party that I can't even show you any photos of.

• I fit in a mini-vacation at York Beach.

• I walked up the train tracks to Livermore Falls and tubed home.

• I took the boys to Six Gun City for Shannon's birthday.

• My web site went down because the traffic allowance was exceeded for the first time ever. Thanks for listening, gang!

That's what comes to mind, but lots of other stuff happened too. Now I'm back at the day job, and playing shows at night and on the weekends. Someday I'll be able to be a full-time musician. Next year, maybe? Until then, I'm gonna keep plugging away. You can help by coming out to a show! The next one is this Thursday at the Woodstock Station. If you can't make it to North Woodstock, you can watch the show online (on the Video page on this site).

Song Spotlight: Sister Cocaine

A few years ago I was playing a show with Chris Downing at Clarkson University. A girl came up between songs and asked me to guess her name. What? I said I didn't know, and she said "Crystal Cocaine". Of course, I made her prove it, and she showed me her ID. Sure enough, that's her name (spelled a little differently, but still).

Some time after that, I found myself in an online songwriting competition called Nur Ein. The song title Sister Cocaine came up, and having only five days to write and record a song, I penned a fanciful story of the difficulties that such a name might present. The version of the song on the Onward To Yesterday CD is a slightly reworked (and remastered) version of that original demo.


Sister Cocaine

I knew a girl named Crystal Cocaine back in school
And I remember thinking her name was pretty cool
But twenty years of jokes and jeers had left her offended
And she thought that getting married was a good way to end it

She wasn't very choosy when she found a fiancee
He left her for a floozy who was built like Beyonce
Another year alone and she had finally decided
Her name was all she owned and she was foolish to hide it

But with a name like Crystal Cocaine
She aimed to live a life of humiliation and pain
No matter what she did or what she'd say
All that they'd remember was her name

She told her priest her sorrow was as deep as the ocean
He suggested that she follow a life of devotion
A better way was waiting there for Crystal to grab it
'Cause maybe all she needed was to take up a habit

So she hid away her beauty like a pearl in an oyster
And she did her sacred duty with the girls in the cloister
Soon it came time for her to do her missionary service
Even though the Reverend Mother was admittedly nervous

'Cause with a name like Sister Cocaine
She aimed to bring the nunnery nothing but shame
She could save a hundred sould but at the end of the day
All that they would ever remember was her name
No matter what she did or what she'd say
All that they'd remember was her name

(instr.)

'Cause with a name like Sister Cocaine
She aimed to bring the congregation nothing but shame
No matter what she did or what she'd say
All that they'd remember was her name

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