I'm in a cold club in Baltimore MD.  I got a ticket for turing right on red on my way here. $90!  Tonight is night 2 of 2 nights with Neil Halstead and his lovely band.  I'm gonna drive home to Brooklyn tonight after the show I think.  Want. My. Own.   Bed.  After being home, even for just a little while, its hard to start traveling again.  Saturday is Nyack with Chris Brokaw.  My good pal.  I am told that I'm going to want to live in Nyack once I visit there.  Then home for a couple of weeks.  Then some shows with Robyn Hitchcock and then the Indigo Girls.  Separately, of course.

Today in the car ride from Pittsburgh, through the mountains and tunnels and rain, I listened to Pema Chodron talk about true happiness and the root of happiness.  Alternately calming and terrifying.  I also listened to an NPR piece on jazz vocalist Abbie Lincoln.  Made me want to get her records.  She just made a new record at age 77 about the positive and beautiful aspects of life.  Feel I could learn something from a lady like that.

Songs that played on various stations today that I did enjoy:  Stay (Far Away, So Close) - U2, Neko Case - We Are Animals - or something about animals...., something by The Broken West - really liked it, hadn't heard them yet, We Belong - Pat Benetar, Love Sex Magic - Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake (though I feel a little weird about it being so closely named to that Red Hot Chili Peppers record).

Last night after the show, I went to the bar next to Club Cafe called Jack's with Neil and his bandmates.  This bar has a neon pink and green sign and I always wonder about it when I play there.  I'm glad I went it finally - It was quite a scene.  Blondes with big eyes in low-cut shirts and short skirts.  Everyone is smoking. $1.50 Michelob Ultra.  Free popcorn.  Hotel California on the jukebox. I had a Corona and some burnt french fries and went about finding my room at the Extended Stay America.  Just another night on tour.  Or on this particular short jaunt.