Sonoma, California October 30th
A cool little venue with great beers, terrific food, and a cozy vibe right in the heart of downtown Sonoma, CA.
So, I gotta admit that I didn’t plan this stop all that well, today! I was in San Luis Obispo, CA last night (oh, about six hours or so south of here), wrapped up a little after 9:00pm, then got to chatting with people, then packing up, then eating, then hanging out with an old room mate now living nearby in Los Osos, CA, then… Next thing I knew, it was 12:30am and I was STILL about six hours away from Sonoma with a plan to start setting up and sound-checking at noon that same day! (Ack!) So, I did the only thing I could do and sucked it up, grabbed a Coke, turned up some tunes, rolled the windows down, and began the long, lonely drive in the wee hours of the morning up 1 from San Luis Obispo to the 41 in Los Osos to the 101 in Atascadero towards the San Francisco Bay Area. Now, I know my mom is not going to like this (she freaks out when I tell her about how late I drive around after gigs while nodding off… ESPECIALLY after she watched “Crazy Heart” where Bad Blake falls asleep at the wheel and ends up in a ditch!), but I probably almost drove off the road no less than 25 times this morning on my way north while struggling to stay awake and make forward progress. While I’m not proud of that, I am happy to say that I made it within 1.5 hours of Sonoma before finally giving into the sleep deprivation and pulling over to an area Motel 6 for a few hours (4 hours to be exact) of sleep in a bed with a hot shower waiting for me when I woke. It was a brutal, brutal drive rolling solo like that on very little sleep to begin with, but I haven’t missed a gig yet, and I don’t plan on starting now. So, after waking myself up, showering up, and filling up my tank, I embarked on the final leg of my journey north to wine country to play Hopmonk Tavern from 1:00pm until 3:00pm.
A cool outdoor stage at Hopmonk Tavern in Sonoma, CA. This spot sounds good for an outdoor beer garden!Â
While it was debatable as to whether or not I’d actually have a voice at this point, I set up, warmed up, and upon sound check, was delighted to realize that, yes… I could still sing after my epic road saga earlier in the morning! 
I played straight for two plus hours with only a short break to replace a broken string (you know you’re jamming when that happens, right?). I covered off on my favorite originals and a few choice covers to spice things up for what was to be my last show on this little run of California and Oregon over the last two (and then some) weeks. Some good friends swung by, I met a ton of great folks who stopped in to check out the music, sold a number of CDs, ate an amazing burger, drank a delicious glass of wine, smiled lots, played my heart out, and enjoyed soaking in the warm sun and a cool, light breeze for a few hours in this little oasis of a venue. To be honest, after all the running around, all the shows, and the crazy drive the night before with a couple close calls, I couldn’t think of a better way to end my musical travels this time. BIG thanks to the gang at Hopmonk Tavern along with KC Turner for providing the opportunity to perform on such a wonderful day. HUGE thank you to everyone who came to listen and hang out, too… you made my day!
NEXT UP: two days/nights off before a big, BIG show back home here in San Francisco, CA at the one and only Bimbo’s 365 Club opening for Yael Naim this Wednesday, November 2nd. I’m so pumped for this performance, and I can’t urge you to check it out enough… so, do yourself a favor, listen to Yael Naim’s music, then go buy your tickets for this one of a kind, seated performance at one of the oldest standing clubs in San Franciso here. [21+ Only, Seated Show, $28.00.] See ya soon, everybody! Be well, be safe, and take care… Thanks to all of your along the way these past few weeks for you support. It means more than you can ever know.