11.30.11: Bowery, Buckfest and other Surprises

Bowery Electric

Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3 | New York City | Friday, December 2 - 9pm

Yes, I'm writing my own concert preview. It must be the retired rock critic in me (--granted, I haven't been a rock critic since I was 19, but you have to stay in shape). Nonetheless, the Miracle 3 and I don't play nearly enough, especially in our own town, so if you're in the neighborhood this Friday, you should drop by. We'll most definitely be revved up and bursting at the sonic seams. Also, it will be our first gig at the Bowery Electric, my favorite new club in town. It's just a stone's throw from where CBGB's once stood and is doing a good job of carrying on that club's tradition of delivering raw cathartic rock in a no-nonsense, great sounding room that's made for our brand of shenanigans. Hope to see you there. Bowery Electric—327 Bowery (at 2nd Street), New York, NY

Buckfest

And if you're NOT going to be in the neighborhood, you could do worse than to spend the first days of 2012 in the warm climes of Todos Santos, Mexico (right at the bottom tip of Baja California) with The Baseball Project as we kick off a 3 week festival that continues with Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 and then concludes with the Minus 5—yes, all bands that contain my band mates Scott and Peter. You can go here for more information. Swimsuit and suntan lotion not provided.

Finish Line

Yes, 2011 is wheezing to the finish line. And what a year it was. I released new albums with both the Miracle 3 (Northern Aggression) and the Baseball Project ("High and Inside" as well as the limited edition "Broadside Ballads") and toured most of the year, playing about 100 shows on either side of the Atlantic with both bands as well as various acoustic combos. What's in store for 2012? More of the above, for sure, but also some surprises both new and old. And it's the 30th Anniversary of the release of "The Days of Wine and Roses" so expect some nods to that occasion as well. In the meantime, may you have chestnuts roasting by an open fire and Jack Frost nipping not too hard at your nose. A very happy holiday to you and yours, thanks for all of the support this year and all the best for 2012.

Steve

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8.25.11: Battling the Elements--The Road to New London

It's easy to talk about The Baseball Project using metaphors from the game itself. We had a Spring Training tour last March, a regular season tour in May and now it's time to embark on--what else?--our Pennant Race tour. Yes, six months after the release of "High and Inside" and about 60 gigs into 2011 and we're still in the running, trying to take it all the way, giving 110%, stressing the fundamentals and...okay, sorry about that. The long-lapsed sportswriting in me was rising to the surface once again.

But we are a team and we do, in fact, have one of our players on the Disabled List. As you might know by now, Peter Buck injured his back a month ago and is going to be out for our summer touring season. We brought Miracle 3 bass guitarist Dave deCastro over to Europe for shows in Holland, Italy and Croatia (they just love baseball in Croatia!) and now we're in the van and on our way up to New London for a 10-city run with Sal Maida on bass. Sal has toured with Roxy Music (I actually saw him play at the Hollywood Palladium as a wide-eyed high schooler back in 1976) and Sparks and is a current member of Cracker. Oh, and he is a lifetime, hardcore Yankees fan.

Much like most of the East Coast (and this includes many baseball teams), we are being thrown a curveball by Hurricane Irene and tonight's show has been moved from it's original outdoors location to the indoor and much drier Crocker Music Hall. We are also crossing our fingers for Sunday's show on Cape Cod as that location and that day are set for a home plate weather collision. We'll just have to see what happens. My fingers are crossed since I never like losing a gig and also know that the Beachcomber is a blast and that the Spampinato brothers (with Joey from NRBQ) will be opening. Rain, rain go away, etc

But enough about that. If you live anywhere between Virginia and Maine, you'll have your chance to see us battle the elements and maybe even play a Roxy Music cover or two. Oh, and baseball songs. So, pack your poncho and come on out and join us for a night or two. We're taking it all the way to the post-season

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6.10.11: The Road to Madison (first pitch, final shows)

There's nothing like celebrating a birthday on the road. The party is right there and waiting for you. You're with your pals, you're in a bar, you get to play some music and strangers will make a fuss over you. And that was the story on Wednesday for Linda as she rang in a new year in Ferndale, Michigan--just a few miles outside of Detroit--at the Magic Bag, a fine club that I was playing for the first time although Scott had been there a few times before with Robyn Hitchcock. Our man McCaughey raved about an old school Italian restaurant next door called Como's and it was the perfect place for a celebration--various items covered with red sauce, provolone cheese, garlic--all items guaranteed to be filling, comforting and celebratory. And how does one follow up such a celebration? Well, in Linda's case it was by throwing out the first pitch at a Quad City River Bandits (single A league for the St. Louis Cardinals) the following day. Just check out her form in the accompanying photo and video. This hurler just gets better and better.

And the birthdays just keep on coming--today we get to celebrate with our tour manager, buddy and superstar guitarist (Apples in Stereo, Dressy Betsy) John Hill. And his wife Tammy (singer in Dressy Betsy) is here with us. Les Bon Temps Roulet. I sure hope I spelled that right.

Last night was a full circle of sorts. In a literal sense, we have made a complete loop, starting in Wisconsin, moving through Detroit to the east coast and then back again. And in a musical sense, we were reunited with Kevin Dutcher who played keyboards with us at our first gig in Minneapolis two weeks ago. Ah, the rotating corps of excellent keyboard players in our band. Let's recap--our first guest was none other than Mike Mills who played with us at the very beginning of our 2011 tour back in Atlanta and Athens (before moving to the bass spot on this tour). And then there was Josh Kantor who joined us in Austin at South By Southwest as well as at three shows this week. We thank the Boston Red Sox (something I rarely do) for letting us borrow his services. And how about Robert Lloyd! He laid out the template, playing most of the keys on our new album and he worked his way up the West Coast with us. Love that Robert! And Andy Burton was there for the one night stint in Cooperstown. Not everyday you get to play with someone who has backed both Ian Hunter and Peter Noone. And then finally our buddy Kevin who zipped down to our show last night in Rock Island (a city made famous by both Leadbelly and the Blues Brothers, not to mention the groovy website DayTrotter) before returning to his day/night gig with the Minnesota Twins. Gentlemen, rise up from your piano benches and take a bow.

And now? It's the final stretch. A show tonight at a game in Madison (we are actually playing between each and every inning--a series of 2 minute gigs!) and then tomorrow in St. Louis at Twangfest where we'll be on the bill with Marah and some combo called Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3. What a way to wrap up the tour! Stick around and join us Monday for the post-game show.

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6.07.11: The Road to Pittsburgh

All of this baseball has gotten in the way of our non-ballpark eating. Anyone who has read this diary regularly in the last 15 years knows that dining adventures get covered right up there with music, van travel, friends and roadside attractions. Remember the last Baseball Project tour in March? It was all Mexican food, all the time. If it's true that you are what you eat (I mean, what DOES that mean?), then the six of us were all various shades of carnitas and refried beans by the time we ended up in Portland.

This time it's a different story. Sure, we had the occasional good meal at a club and we certainly had a plethora of hot dogs and peanuts at the games. But nary a Mex meal to be found, rare lunch stops and breakfast bonanzas. And, to be honest, the stadium food hasn't been as dazzling as one would hope. I mean, we love dogs. You love dogs. Must love dogs.

But last night at the Phillies vs. Dodgers at Citizen Bank Park in Philadelphia? I think I ate the best food item I've ever had at a ballpark. The Tony Luke's roast pork sandwich with provolone and broccoli rabe? An award winner in my book. And it definitely put us in good spirits to sing "Take Me Out To the Ball Game" at the 7th inning stretch before hustling over to the North Star Bar for what was most likely our best show yet. Best ballpark food? Best show? And a really good acoustic band session at WXPN to boot? Well, thank you Philly

Then again, you may want to check out the enclosed photo from today's lunch at John's Diner somewhere along the highway in Philadelphia. Sometimes there are some food items that can't be explained in words and taste alone.

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6.06.11: The Road to Philadelphia

I rarely have the chance to stop off at home during a tour. New York City is usually a starting and finishing point, not a pitstop along the way. But last night's show at the City Winery (my favorite Manhattan club, by the way) came right at the midway point of our two-week journey and allowed me and Linda (as well as our very special house guests, Scott and Mary) a whopping 10 hours at home. Is this a good thing? Well, the chance to wash clothes, rotate wardrobe, open mail, grab some books and magazines and reorganize the iPod is always good. On the other hand, you just know you're not going to get any sleep as you find yourself checking off a domestic to-do list that consumes all of your hours. It's all about efficiency, dear readers. So, what did sensible people like us do when we got in at 1am, buzzed by the gig and freshly fed on tamales from our local taco truck (96th and Broadway--highly recommended)? Did we dive into chores? Get some sleep with the alarm set for an early hour? No, not us? We ended up watching a two-hour special about Game 6 of the 1986 world series (the very game discussed in Scott's "Buckner's Bolero," while sipping on various liquid souvenirs from recent gigs). And that's why we went to sleep at 3:30 and why we're a little crunchy today as we motor along the New Jersey Turnpike for a day that will include a session at WXPN, a pre-game interview on the Phillies network, 6 or 7 innings of the game against the Dodgers, a rendition of "Take Me Out to The Ball Game" from the field of Citizen's Bank Park and a return to the North Star for our gig. Sleep, be damned--we're on a mission.

I haven't written one of these diary things in about five days so there are lots of details to be revisited and recapped:

--Taking in a game in Toronto between the Blue Jays and Indians, enjoyed from a very plush luxury box thanks to the legendary Canadian announcer Dave Hodge and the fine folks at TSN (thanks, guys!) followed by one very wild and incendiary show at the Horseshoe, a place that always seems to bring out the punkest sets. Don't know why--maybe because all of the best bands have played there over the years and you just feel the absolute need to raise the stakes in a battle of the bands against combos whose dust settled long before you arrived

--A behind-the-scenes tour of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown (thanks to everyone at the HOF!) with Tony and Dennis of our wondrous management team. I got to hold the actual bat that Ted Williams used to hit a home run in his very last at-bat the year I was born. Scott proudly held one of the albums that Denny McLain recorded for Capitol (as discussed in "Past Time.").

It was Mike's first visit and I saw him gawking at the Hank Aaron exhibit, looking much as I imagine he looked as a teenager when Hammerin' Hank was in his prime. The baseball pilgrimage was followed by a show at the Ommegang Brewery. Man, they have some good beers over there and we were happy to share our backstage bonanza with pals Brigid, Josh (our fearless lawyer), Rebecca and Karen among others.

--A gig at the Foundation Room at Boston's House of Blues, just across the street from Fenway Park. You could actually see the stadium over our shoulders as you watched the show. We didn't get to see the Sox against the A's (it was a 1pm game time and we chose sleep over baseball this time) but we did manage to get the stadium's organist, our pal Josh Kantor to come over after the game and join us for the gig. We were a mighty five-piece and trotted out all of our many Red Sox songs.

--Last night's aforementioned City Winery show. Josh worked his day job, another 1pm game against the A's, and then hopped in a car and then barreled down the highway to NYC just in time to catch our opening act Simon Kirke. Simon Kirke. Do you recognize that name? We certainly did when he was offered as a support act. Simon was the drummer for Free and Bad Company and he ended up playing many of his hit songs ("Can't Get Enough," "Shooting Star," "Bad Company") on guitar and piano as we watched from the side of the stage. And he made Linda's day by telling her how much he loved her drumming. We were feeling great, a hometown show for 40% of the band and a fine venue besides.

And then we were indeed on our way home. But you know the rest of that story by now, bringing you up to date. John Hill is manning the wheel, as always, I'm riding shotgun and Josh is regaling the rest with Red Sox insider tales while Scott, Mike and I retool our fantasy baseball teams. Philly, here we come

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6.02.11: Just across the Canadian Border

Well, that was just about the easiest Canadian border crossing that I can remember. Maybe it was the late hour or, more likely, it was the commanding voice and presence of our tour manger, John Hill. Man, I saw him talk his way out of a speeding ticket in Athens a few months back and wanted to take notes and write a manual based on his approach. He's that good. Anyway, it's 10:30 pm and we're only about an hour from London, where we'll be spending the night before the next gig at the Horseshoe in Toronto.

We all know about touring marathons. Last fall, the Miracle 3 and I played 30 shows in 31 days (with the one day off being a 17 hour drive from Oslo to Deventer). What does Mike Watt say? I think it might be "A day off is a day not rocking." Or maybe it was " A day off is a day you're not making money." Whatever, it's good to keep busy and keep moving. But this particular tour has upped the marathon ante just a little bit as we are not only playing nearly every night but also seeing baseball games nearly every day. We just had a rare day off--"day off" meaning a leisurely drive from Chicago to Toronto--and realized that our path put us right in line with a Twins/Tigers game at Comerica Field in Detroit. And as none of us (outside of merch guru Mary Winzig) had been to the park so we had to go.

And that, my friends, made it 7 ballgames in 8 days. And we're seeing three more in the coming five days. And that, of course, is why we're the Baseball Project. Or maybe it's the other way around. Take your pick.

At this game we were off duty--no "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (which we sang in Milwaukee on Sunday), no first pitch (that would be Scott in Milwaukee and me in Chicago), no parking lot performance (in St. Paul)--nope, this time we were just catching a good game, eating some dogs and having a few beers.

We've been certainly blessed by good friends in the baseball world who have showered us with free tickets and promotional love. Many thanks to Tyler Barnes, Len Kasper, Bob Brenly and everyone at the Cubs, Twins, Saints, Brewers and Tigers.

And for those of you who just don't care about baseball, please don't despair. There has been plenty of music as well and a whole lot more to come. I mean, just imagine the energy that we'll have stored up from the hours that we didn't spend at the border. Just imagine.

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5.27.11: The Road To Milwaukee Or Nye's; The Morning After

The gig? How was the gig? Oh, you don't mean our first club show of the tour--a rousing kickoff at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. You don't want to hear that we played a rocking 90 minute set with our pal (and actual Twins ballpark DJ legend) Kevin Dutcher on keyboards and that we played "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" with Mike on lead vocals.

And you don't want to hear that "Don't Call Them Twinkies," as expected, wowed the locals but not quite as much as hometown gal Linda Pitmon's verse and testament to her love of the local team on "Fair Weather Fans." You may even not mean our post-gig delectable meal down the street at the Loring Pasta Bar which is located just below the Dinkytown apartment where Bob Dylan lived before he moved to New York City.

No, the gig you want to hear about is our late night performance at Nye's Polonaise Lounge, the legendary piano bar just across the river on East Hennepin.

Linda turned me on to Nye's years ago when we first met. I've spent many nights there, more than I can remember. And that's the thing about Nye's. Lots of things happen there that you don't quite remember. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that when you order a drink they often ask "Regular or Jumbo?" Anyway, if you haven't been there you should make a point to go there next time you're in the area. It's regularly named the Best Bar In America, and I think I would agree.

And what happens there? Well, you enjoy the surroundings, have a cocktail and then belly up to the piano bar, choose a song and stake your claim on your portion of the soundtrack for the evening. Mike and I were the least shy about diving in. He sang "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and a rousing version of "It's Only Make Believe" and I countered with "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "It Was A Very Good Year." And then we were all off to the races, jockeying with the other patrons for our time at the bar while piano player Mike (as opposed to our own Mike) laid down the accompaniment. Linda and her old Zuzu's Petals bandmate Laurie Lindeen sang "Delta Dawn" and Scott brought down the house with a soulful "Desperado." Naturally, we closed down the joint, the last ones to leave when the bar closed at 2am.

Yes, that's what a band like us does when we're finished playing one of the many shows we'll play this year--we play even MORE music. But keep in mind that we ARE The Baseball Project and we'll be spending most of our spare time this weekend at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Tonight we'll be watching Tim "The Freak" Lincecum (that's right--the subject of our "Panda And The Freak.") face the locals, tomorrow we've been invited to batting practice for a chance to get on the field and meet some of the players and on Sunday we'll be throwing out the first pitch, singing the National Anthem and also "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" at the 7th Inning Stretch. Oh, and we'll also find time to play an actual show. I mean, the extracurricular activities would hardly be extra if there wasn't moments where we actually played a show or two. You'll be sure to hear all about it and please remember when you check back in a few days to be sure to remember to request your diary in your choice of regular or jumbo.

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5.25.11: Target Field

Even in the midst of rehearsals and the logistics that always accompany the start of the tour, we still managed to find time to take in a Twins/Mariners game at Target Field. I mean, we ARE The Baseball Project after all. And to make the night sweeter, our pal Kevin Dutcher (who works for the Twins AND will be joining us on keyboards at our show on Thursday) gave us a post game tour of the stadium and then allowed us to wander freely on the field and in the dugout. Here we are, out standing in our field. Sorry. The pun couldn't be avoided.

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5.23.11: The Tour Begins Here

If the Baseball Project tour last March and April was our Spring Training, then I guess it's time for the regular season. Yes, it's about time to start the next leg of our rolling adventure for "High And Inside." But let me take a moment to make sure. Excuse me while I have a look at the living room. Yep, suitcases opened wide, yawning mouths begging for clean clothes and unread books. Yep, guitar strings and drum sticks littering the floor along with various CDs and a guitar case and snare case or two. Look! Are those snacks for tomorrow's flight? And could that be an iPod loading up some new, exciting tunes? Yes, it sure does look like we're about to hit the road.

Of course, this is all a lot of hubbub and activity for a tour that will begin and then stay parked in the same city (the same TWIN cities, to be more accurate) since we'll be starting off with a few days of rehearsal—getting up to speed with our utility bass player, Mike Mills who is filling in for Peter on this tour. Mike is no stranger to the band—he has played with us a number of times including—and this is a strange fact—our very first show, a festival in Northern Spain in 2009. Peter is resting his rotator cuff or obliques or whatever else might keep a starting "first bass-man" on the sidelines but he will return for shows in Europe this summer..

Beyond the initial days of rehearsal and performances at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis and on the fabulous KCMP, we will also be playing at the St. Paul Saints minor league baseball game on Wednesday, setting the trend for a tour in which we'll be performing, throwing out first pitches and just generally hanging out at games in Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, Boston, Toronto and Philadelphia. Yes, there are perks in being a member of the Baseball Project even if you have to sing for your supper (of hot dogs and beer, as it were).

Go ahead and check out the actual dates on your favorite website (or by clicking here), come on out and cheer us on to a two week winning streak and remember to properly warm up. The bench is empty and the van is full. Batter up.

RECENT FAVES:

• Old School New Orleans Bounce, Vol 1 (Cd Compilation)
• Eataly (Nyc Food Emporium)
• Friday Night Lights (Tv Show, Final Season)
• Helplessness Blues—Fleet Foxes (Cd)
• So Beautiful Or So What—Paul Simon (Cd)
• Garageband For Ipad (Addictive App)
• Florizona—The Silos (Cd)
• Mlb's 20 Greatest Games (Mlb.Tv Series)
• Goblin—Tyler The Creator (Cd)
• El Quixote (Nyc Spanish Restaurant)
• Riot Now—Eleventh Dream Day (Cd)

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4.12.11: Back Home (For Now)

It's always a good sign when a tour seems to end much too quickly. Maybe it's the way the Baseball Project tour was neatly divided between rehearsals Georgia, barnstorm blitzes at both South By Southwest in Austin and Spring Training in Phoenix and then finally a few weeks of more conventional touring on the West coast but whatever the reason, I find myself at home wishing it had all lasted another week or two. It's important to bear in mind that The Baseball Project began as exactly that-a project. We made the first album as a band that had never played a live show and didn't really hit the road until the album had been out for a full year. But as we played at the Bunk Bar in Portland (which-trust me-- has some of the best food you'll ever find in any rock club), we felt more like a-forgive the sports parlance-veteran unit than we had the night before which is to say more than the night before that which si to say-well, you get the picture.

And not only had Peter, Scott, Linda and I become a tighter bunch on stage but the same would go for our extended family. Mary and Chloe could be seen behind the merch table, reducing our stock of CDs, LPs and shirts to nearly zilch while tour manager John ended up joining us onstage at the last two shows for a triple gonzo guitar attack on "Amphetamine." The most weathered of our bunch was probably the big grey van which was finally emptied of its contents and then used to drop off first John and then Linda and myself to PDX for flights home, leaving the Portlanders behind.

Tour over? Yes, but there is a weekend of shows ahead in the New York City area at the end of the month and then a Midwest and East Coast tour brewing for the end of Spring. And, as some of you have already noticed, the Broadside Ballads, our tour CD of Baseball Project rarities, is now available on both www.stevewynn.net and www.thebaseballproject.net with tour t-shirts also available on the latter. Yes, we made our way through two vans, around 4000 miles, 33 shows, six baseball games and countless Mexican meals but the road does truly go on forever.

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