Labor Day Weekend

The Art Works/ Downtown Akron Partnership folks know me well. They had me a part of the Summit Art Space festivities for the Art Walk. The Summit Art Space was also the space where a vegan pot luck & Meet Up were happening, and Courtney had her living wall sculpture piece on display on the 3rd floor. It was definitely the building I wanted to be in.

The pot luck was delicious, though I had little time to eat and truly sample all the dishes. There was a spicy wonderful zucchini slices pizza (with a salsa sauce) and a rightly amazing apple pie. There were also cookies, brownies, a green bean in tomato sauce (Courtney and I made), a falafel wrap, several salads, and more than I can't recall. As I said, I had little time to really sample everything.

The set went well. Several fans stopped by from the Riverfront days and requested a few Face With a View tunes. Of course they sang along wonderfully to Hello and Chase Me Away. Then they asked for Hitchhiker Joe. And a very young girl came up and asked for Psycho Killer. For the latter, a dance troupe was in the room and was improving some great dance!

We ended the night at Luigis, where I haven't even been since the last Civic show, almost a year ago.

A second pot luck was scheduled on Sunday. This was a movie themed pot luck, and by far the coolest dish was a tempeh version of the Hollywood sign, complete with little broccoli trees! The tastiest dishes were a veggies in peanut sauce and a butternut squash dish that my friend, TM Gottl, made. Also, there was a Men in Blackberry cheezecake. I've never been much of a cheesecake person, but this stuff was really good. Good job Chad and Libby! The night ended with a fun round of Apples to Apples. I won three cards, and it's jokingly said that those cards describe you. If that's the case then I am hot, devious, and dead & gone. Though I am still very much alive & here!

Labor Day itself was a day of laboring... it seemed to be the perfect day to clean out the basement. Said chore has been on my list for a while, and so I gave the day to clean it up. And clean I did. The basement is like a totally new place! It's hard to let go of stuff sometimes. It has some sort of memory, however minor, and holds such a power that someday I'll need it again, though it's been packaged up for decades. I couldn't throw out old school papers and tests and notes, but most of the rest is now gone. Finishing an all-day task is a wonderfully rewarding experience as well. After reorganizing my vinyl and some Chinese veggies and Tofu in a garlic sauce, I had a wonderful night sleep.

During the clean out, I found several old mix CD I had made, and subsequently put them on as I worked. My favorites from the late 90's - early aughts. Neil Young's Change Your Mind, Nirvana's Lithium, several Nine Inch Nails, Our Lady Peace, Sarah McLaughlin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Doors, Bonnie Raitt, and some other tunes I have't listen much to since. All good songs still!

What are some of your favorite songs from your high school or college days?


 

I Want a Future Too

The first time I heard about fracking, I was pretty appalled. Then I attended a meeting with Doug Shields as the speaker. The point of that meeting was to bring local electeds together to hear how the City of Pittsburgh banned fracking. Mr. Shields made a great presentation and highlighted many facts I had been unaware of. Yet, most of the electeds walked away confused and have not used any of that information to work to stop fracking in their wards, city, and our state.

So, I wrote this song, I Want a Future Too. I've also taken a number of actions, including the Tour de Frack, contacting local and state representatives, and working on planning committees for more fracking events.

This song will be available for a free download soon. I will let you know.

The Bright Lights and I recently recorded a moving full band version of the tune. Here is a powerful video Katy Robinson helped us put together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgr3-sJFkzo

I hope you share this with many folks.

Even more than that, I hope you write to our electeds and tell them we don't want fracking. At the very least, we need to return control back to the local governments and citizens. As of right now, the state has taken away our democratic rights to decide whether we want gas wells in our town, and where those gas wells go, if we did want them.

We need to change this. It's gonna take a lot of voices and marches to demand our employers (the government) work for us.

Teachers

I write this letter with a heavy heart, because I fear that my community is losing not only its mind, but more importantly, its heart.

A community is a collection of people, and like any family, contains conflicting opinions and attitudes. Many a parent has said to a child, “I don’t like your actions, but I will always love you.” Yet, I watch as we turn on our neighbors with unprecendented levels of anger and vitriol.

Many nations of the world realize the importance of education, sacrificing everything for their children's schooling. Many children walk miles or hours to get to school. Recently, I watched a story about a small Himalayan village where children walk several days through glaciers, mountain passes, and inclement weather to reach a school where they stay for months.

Yet, I hear members of this community attacking our teachers, the very people working tohelp our children become our future society. Every one of us has been deeply influenced and inspired by a teacher. I cannot say the same about doctors or lawyers.

If you have concerns about our educational system in this state or this country (as you should), write to your officials or visit the Ohio Board of Education. If you are concerned about the unconstitutionality of how our education is funded through property taxes (as you should), then write to your officials, march on Columbus, or come up with a better idea. But teachers are not ideas and concepts; they are people, and all members of a community should be valued as the important human beings they are. Has our privileged Brecksville community lost its mind such that it cannot discuss opposing viewpoints in a civil and rational manner? Has our privileged Brecksville community lost its heart such that it must denigrate members of our community rather than search for understanding?

Attacking our teachers doesn’t improve our children’s education. Attacking teachers doesn’t fix how schools are funded. Attacking teachers doesn’t encourage others to moveto our community. Attacking teachers doesn’t lead to a solution. Solutions are born of understanding, of working together.

I hope that our hearts still beat and that our community can come to value the worth of each of its members far above that of money or any other concept. I hope that we can fight for our teachers, even while we fight to improve education for our children.  

Tour De Frack

This Sunday marks a huge event for me.

I have been working this year on doing things that stretch me, things that take me out of my comfort zone. Sometimes it's something seemingly small, like fording a river.

Other times, it's a 5 day bicycle ride.

Ever since seeing the movie, The Way, I have had interest in a long, or at least several day excursion of some sort. It went up on my someday list. At the same time, I was hearing more and more about fracking, and frankly, none of it good.

Fracking, if you don't know is a process of drilling for gas. It involves fracturing the layers of shale that the gas is in, usually with a toxic chemical concoction.

It posed major threats to the environment and the lives of the people who live near fracking, but it's bigger than that. It comes down to basic democracy. The states are giving over their rights to the Oil and Gas Industry. And they're giving the rights of the towns and cities to plan their cities. This is a pretty basic right and function of local government that is now virtually taken away.

The idea of fracking has perturbed me since I heard about it, and the more research I do into it, the more I am disturbed.

So when I received a phone call to be a part of a 5 day bicycle tour/rally to raise awareness about fracking, I couldn't say no.

And I stepped a big leap out of my comfort zone.

I did not have a bike. Nor had I really ridden in over 17 years. I did not have any of the gear or stuff I would need.

But I couldn't say no. You have to take the first step, even though you don't see the whole staircase.

After asking around, I was lent a bike, and a couple of shops donated a helmet, gloves, emergency kit, and a tune up. I still need a lot of things. A lot. But I have been riding on and off since May, and I can pretty comfortably do 25 miles, (a little over half of what my daily riding will be).

Every day, I think, what have you got yourself into?

But life is about the living.

As each day passes, bringing with it a greater clarity of what the actual biking will entail, I have begun thinking about the rally side of it all.

The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness and education about what fracking is and the truths of what it does. There are events each night along the way, culminating in a big rally in DC called Stop the Frack Attack.  I have had many misgivings about several of the various protests I have been a part of. While I believe in the cause, I frequently disagree with the tone of the protests. Dehumanizing the other side is never going to lead to a solution. Calling the other side names does not lead any way to a lasting solution. All direct actions (such as protests) should be done to cause negotiations. And focusing on the individuals instead of the overall issue, allows no room for negotiations.

The last week has opened my mind to several illuminations. It will be interesting to watch these protests and events from this perspective. Regardless, I will not be participating in any sort of verbal violence.

I'll keep yall posted.

 

Spring

All the cliches run through my head this time of year. It's hard for them not to. As tired and worn as they are, they hold truth. And in the sunshine, they all sound so right on.

There is no better time of year. The sun calls us out of our winter hibernation; the birds sing brilliant songs for us in their joy, and Nature begins flowers in all its pastels and watercolours.

The frogs croak and romp in the ponds.

The bears yawn, and come looking for dandelions and ants.

The trees reach out to me in greeting. And everyone feels like they are 12 again.

Though I think of the mountains on most days, this sunshine gives me a reprieve on the longing, and becomes my dance partner, as we teach each other new dances and new beats.

What am I sitting here at a computer for?

The day beckons. Life calls. My soul yearns for the enlightenment of a forest, or at the very least a stand of trees.

So if you hear some whistling and see the trees swaying, know the party has started. You are invited.

I hope you join us!

SXSW Part One

Everyone goes to Austin's SXSW for different reasons.

At least, I'd like to think so.

Though at the base of it all is massive networking. Constant, massive networking. That much is guaranteed. 

So, when the opportunity called me up and asked me to perform in Austin, I couldn't say no. Yes, networking was my main goal, but I was itching for the experience of the festival, the experience of Austin. These moments are chances at great growth.

And Austin is the 8th most vegetarian-friendly city in the US. 

The road to Austin is a long and mostly dull one. Two new friends and musicians carpooled down with me. A Kia Soul was rented for the ride. It was bright red. Even the papers for the car called it "bright red." On a level beyond the reality of it, driving to Austin in a Soul was perfect.

Overall the car was fine. Though it was not made for tall folks. And hours upon hours in a yoga pose I've never tried before, one with my knees situated at head level, does wear upon one.

Our one highlight was sometime around 4 or 5 am, pulling into some random gas station someplace in Arkansas or Texas. Disrepair in not enough of a word for the state this building was in. Surly this establishment had been vacant for at least a decade ... I was quite surprised it was actually still in operation. 

It was called the Sweet Pea.

And it was under new management.

I decided to try my luck inside for restrooms, which were surprisingly not that bad. Beside the check-out counter was a box of incense, marked at "Perfume Wands."

The driving wasn't bad as the three of us rotated. Sleeping was still difficult though when not driving, and I might have gotten a good thirty minutes, or an hour at the most.

But before you know it, and then 20 hours after that, we were nearing Austin.

Traffic was horrendous and delayed our arrival by a good hour or more. 

Austin is about the population of the Greater Cleveland area. That fact surprised me because there were people everywhere. Granted, this festival brings in hundreds of thousands of people. Even on the busiest night in Cleveland, there wouldn't have been as many people as there were at 4am in Austin.

The hotel was a something I had been looking forward to since I found out about it. The host of the showcase was putting me up in the showcase room - the Presidential Suite!

I'd never been to a Presidential Suite before. Actually, I think I've only been in a suite room only maybe two or three times. As we loaded in, the porter took us to the elevator and was quite impressed when we told him what room we were headed to. "Man, who are you guys?" he asked.

The elevator was made of glass on the backside so you could look out into the hotel as you went up and down. We, of course, got to go all the way up to the top floor. (Which had roof access I was told, though I couldn't exactly find out where ...) 

The showcase room was being set up when we arrived. Pictures of instruments and music were all over the walls, naturally.  It was a perfect fit. And the view wasn't bad, either; looking straight down Congress, over the river to the Capitol building. A large gray metal sculpture was positioned on the intersection of two streets below. It looked like a boomerang. I was told it was a bat.

I still couldn't really see it, but said, "Oh."

What does one expect in a Presidential suite? Perhaps a plaque stating which president(s) had stayed there? Even presidents of companies would have been acceptable. 

But no.

It was Presidential in name.

Though the staff was saying if any President could have stayed there, it probably would have been LBJ. Nevermind that he died before the place was built. The ghost of LBJ is actually kind of cooler than the real thing.

A friend of mine from Sacramento was in town for the festival and was also volunteering at a soup kitchen some friends of his ran. I was to meet up with them shortly after I arrived.

We were meeting up at an outdoor showcase on the same street as the hotel, but about 10 blocks South. The walk was an answered prayer after the long drive. The showcase was also a benefit for the soup kitchen. It was crammed, but everyone was quite friendly. As I caught up with my friend, we listened to two singer/songwriters who had played at his venue in California. They were good country-blues-singer/songwriter types. 

The sun was shining and gorgeous. Sunshine and music is pretty much as good as it gets.

I'll leave out most of the networking I did, because I was meeting folks and networking everywhere. So, let's leave that as a given.

This is about the experience.

Several people stopped me, complimenting my mustache. I was told over and over again, that is was quite important in Austin.

The self-proclaimed Mayor of South Austin was introduced to me. Nothing was told me about the self-proclaimed part, so I spent the first half of the conversation thinking that perhaps she was the Mayor of South Austin. Until she dropped a few casual f bombs. But she was a wonderful character, and I'm sure that anyone who's spent some time in South Austin knows this delightful soul.

My show wasn't until 10pm, so we had some open time, and I wanted to take in the festival as much as possible before I needed to be back for sound check. We walked up to the main drag, Sixth st. 

In our walking, we apparently just missed the world's largest urban bat colony taking flight from under the bridge right by my hotel. Sixth St was a glow with music. Even at this point in the afternoon and this early in the festival. The streets were filling up, and several of the main drags were shut down completely to cars and such. Ben Kweller was performing in the window of the Stage. A band called Hordes and Harems was rocking out a small bar rooftop. A bizarre experimental girl and guitar player droned in and mostly off-pitch from one of the stages.

No time for dinner; it was back to the hotel for my set. I did nibble down a few delicious apples, and a small handful of Brazil nuts. 

And took the stage.

My music sounded pretty great in this Presidential Suite. I'll have to remember that. Perhaps I was feeling more regal and performing as such. Perhaps it was just the many wooden surfaces. 

Ignite the Soul really shined. Sparkled and dashed out to the audience to connect and flush over them. I could see it light each person up. Amazing just begins to describe it. Manifest, as well, was more special than usual. 

Maybe the ghost of LBJ was realizing that RFK was right all along ...

Maybe it was just the deep state of tired I was in.

Kyshona Armstrong was up after me, from Athens, Ga. She was a soulful powerhouse, just her and her guitar. Her friend said that my music made her night. 

Then Mike June and his bassist and accordion player sang his style of Texas singer/songwriter-alt-country-Springsteeny songs. His set was great; the accordion was a brilliant addition and was right on all night. The accordion in more pop music is a big "yes" in my book. 

My friend, Brent Kirby played next with his pedal steel extraordinaire Al Moss, and guitarist Andy. It had been a few minutes since I had last heard Brent, and he has grown a lot into his writing and singing.

Also that night were Meganne Stepka and Anna Vogelzang, who sounded a lot like Ingrid Michaelson and played the ukulele, banjo, guitar and little hand-bell-plucky-sort of thing. 

Thus ended the first day in Austin.    

        

SXSW

After hearing about this music festival in Austin, Texas for most of my career, I have been asked to perform this year as part of Veronica's House Concerts' Sweet Spot Series Showcase! (that's a mouthful , i know!)

As most cool opportunities arise, this one was last minute. The first 3 months of the year, I spend planning and booking my summer and fall tours. So, my mind was on June-August - budgeting, booking, creating venues and opportunities in the Western US. And then I got a call about performing at SXSW.

Next week.

There's a lot to organize for such a festival performance. CDs, business cards, merch, travel, etc.

So, i started up this page if you'd like to help with my costs so that I can afford to make this opportunity happen:

http://zach.chipin.com/help-me-get-to-south-by-southwest

The excitement for this event is bubbling over. I'm not usually excited about going to or through Texas, but this is the 8th most Vegetarian Friendly City in the US. Plus, I will be carpooling down and flying back. The carpooling event will be fun; it's me and 2 other musicians. The flight back is a something that gives me a little pause. Flying with my guitar has been the subject of nightmares for years. This will be my inaugural flight with my guitar, so I'll need all our your prayers.

The funny part is that I have no fear of the flying itself, just what airline personnel like to do with guitars ...

But I'm sure it will be fine.

(knocking on wood ... )

At the moment I am swamped with amazing proposals that I am writing for the Akron Peace Project and a truly fulfilling and euphoric idea dealing with my tour for next year. This is quite an exciting time!

Smile often.

Z