These are Rhode Island Stuffies:

Though I spent 4 years of my life on the East Coast, I have never had these stuffed clams. They….are….AWESOME. Bloggable, as it turns out.

I’ve been waiting a long time to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert. A long time. So this afternoon my bride and I drove down to The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Selma, TX, sat on the tailgate and had a beer together like the old days, and then went in and heard one of the best and most inspiring shows I’ve seen in a long time. What a great band - a real band in the truest sense of the word.

Dave’s highlights:

Mike Campbell’s extended solo on Saving Grace. 335 fuzztone creamy goodness.

The acoustic version of Learning To Fly, with the crowd singing the last few choruses. Beautiful.

Petty/Campbell with dueling Gibson Explorers. Bastards.

Honey Bee. One of my favorite riffs of all time, so I was gonna love it no matter what. This version wasn’t as out of control as I might have liked, but after you see Dave Grohl behind the drum kit playing it, everything else seems tame. This was my “write-it-on-a-napkin-and-hand it to the band” song, and I was so glad they did it. My favorite thing about this performance was the look on Scott Thurston’s face as he rocked that riff. Yeah, I had binoculars. So what?

TP&HB Rules.

Thanks for reading -
DA

Well, it took a few days without a decent latte to make it to the best one. I know, the tour is far from over, but it’s hard to imagine my morning latte at Stumptown in Portland getting beaten any time soon.

Really, this is the way they are supposed to be. If you make it to Portland, do yourself a favor and check them out. Also check out their website - it has great info for the coffee geek and is really well designed.  Big thanks to my friend Kristie for driving me over there after I stumbled out of the hotel, and getting me back on time for bus call (almost).

Honorable mention goes to Grendels, right across from the Doug Fir where we played, but the kids over at Stumptown are really geeky about their coffee, and it shows. Of course these things are a matter of taste, but theirs has everything I’m looking for, for sure.

It’s not all about coffee, of course - had a good show at The Doug Fir. Great crowd, thanks to everybody for coming out. Portland is always one of our favorite stops.

Just beginning a tour out west - This is the first in my series of notable lattes. As I tour cool coffeeshops in each town, whenever somebody makes me a latte worth mentioning, I’ll show it to you. Fascinating stuff to be sure, with apologies to you non-coffee geeks out there. Of course the Mecca of this trip will be Portland, where I’ve never gotten a bad latte as long as I’ve been going there. Can’t wait!
My first great latte of the tour - day one, Starry Night coffee shop, Ft Collins, CO. Barista even stopped by to ask me how it was after I tried it - nice!

Two sold out sweaty nights at Gruene Hall. Pouring sweat all over the guitars and loving every minute. Sleeping in my own bed. Thank you for making it all possible - thanks for listening. -DA

Just got back from Micky and the Motorcars record release party at The Saxon Pub here in Austin.  As you may or may not know, I produced that record with Cody Braun.  The band sounded great, and I was really pleased to see such a large crowd out to support them and help them celebrate the release.  These records really mean a lot to us, so it really is a cool thing when you all come out and show your support.  

A lot of people worked very hard alongside us on this one, not the least of which is my very talented engineer friend Adam Odor.  The record also has some great guest appearances from Lloyd Maines, Michael Ramos, Bukka Allen and Mickey Raphael.  If you haven’t already, please check it out - I think you’ll dig it.  I’ve said it before and I’m sure you’ll hear me say it again (I hope I continue to have a reason to!): I feel SO lucky to get to make cool records with cool people.  Thanks to everybody for listening and caring about what we do.  It means the world to us.

took this while we were playing on a rooftop for the staff of Relix magazine, helicopters circling overhead...

Had a GREAT trip to NYC with the band - we did a bunch of press (well, Willy and Cody actually did most of the heavy lifting, we just stepped in to make noise when appropriate) and played an early show at the Mercury Lounge.  It was one of those trips that makes me feel like if it were ten years earlier, I would have just sent for my stuff and stayed there.  Got to see a few old, close friends, which was great.  Got to go over to my friend Roscoe’s bar, Lakeside Lounge, and hear his trio backing Chip Robinson.  You may know Chip’s old band, the Backsliders - if you haven’t heard them you might want to put an ear on it.  Roscoe is producing a record for Chip - can’t wait to hear it.  Ran into Eleanor Whitmore there, and it was great catching up with her while she waited for her man Chris Masterson to get back from his gig.  She gave me a copy of her new record, which Chris produced - I’ve really been enjoying it.  Cool sounds.  Had a nightcap with both of them and called it a night much later than intended. (You were expecting…?) 

Show at Mercury was a lot of fun - if you were in the crowd that night, thanks.  I thought it was the best energy we’ve had from a New York crowd.  After the show, headed over to The Living Room to catch our friends The Greencards.  They have a new gtr player since the last time I heard them, and he is a badass.  The band sounded better than ever and it was great to get to hear and see them.  

Then the NYC magic happened.  I had been talking on the phone outside the club, and while walking back and forth past the window, I noticed one of my favorite guitar players of the last year, Jim Campilongo, had a poster up.  Reminded me that he has a regular gig at The Living Room when he is home.  I told about three people, “man, one of my favorite guitar players you may not know has his regular gig here - damn I wish I could stay in town to catch one”.  The next person I told that to said, “yeah - he’s playing back there behind that curtain right now.  Started about 20 minutes ago.”  Holy shit!  I grabbed my buddies and went back there.  We sat with jaws dropped for his entire set.  Jim is such a soulful, unique player - I won’t be able to do him justice with words, so check him out if you can.  Really made my night and my trip getting to finally hear him live.  Spent what was left of the night visiting with my good friend Joshua, and then headed back to the hotel.

Always felt like I had my “east coast time” when I lived in Boston, but I almost thought about another stint…but Austin is my home and I love it.  Can’t imagine leaving, actually.  But I’m already plotting my next inspirational trip to NYC to get my batteries recharged.

I found this on Shelby Lynn’s website and thought I would share it. The recording truth for me lies somewhere between the two worlds (I’ve heard and worked on records made each way that I thought sounded great), but I am a big analog fan and enjoyed reading about her passion on the subject. Dig this:

Analog Tape VS. Digital/ Vinyl vs. Ipod

A Studer 2-inch tape machine is a huge cumbersome beast that takes up a lot of space and might need pampering and attention when you make records. It requires that you use big, heavy rolls of 2-inch tape that need changing when you record 2 or 3 songs on them. And hardly anyone produces or manufactures vinyl records anymore. And nobody has a turntable. But it’s making a trendy comeback.

Just because something is easier doesn’t make it better. It certainly doesn’t make it sound better. I had a digital recording rig in my home studio for a month or two and got so depressed. I quit writing songs, my guitar collected dust and I thought my creative life had ended. So I jerked it all out of the wall and threw it in the garage and that’s where it will stay.

My new album, Just A Little Lovin’ was made on a 2 inch tape machine. I demanded it. I like working with engineers and producers who love and appreciate tape. I love the sound, smell, and feel of tape. That’s why I enlisted legendary record producer Phil Ramone and the brilliant recording engineer Al Schmitt. They didn’t mind my insistence. They put up with my hardheadedness. Hardly anyone uses tape anymore because they claim it’s so expensive and it’s just easier to use a computer. Most engineers can operate any computer rig in studios these days. But if you ask them to run a Studer and put on a reel of tape, they run down the hallway screaming for Mommie. I’m sorry, but I can’t get turned on looking at a computer screen. First of all it’s not more expensive. By the time digital users spend the time and money to buy the software needed to put that “tape sound” on their digital record, they have spent more time and money than I have. While their downloading “tape sound” software, I’m kicking back on the houseboat drinking beer with a fishing pole in my hand listening to Django.

It’s not for everybody. Tapes not perfect like digital. If you want to sing the word “love” 40 different times and 40 different ways then digital’s for you. Tape requires attention. You can’t just push the space bar and go to lunch. For example: When I put on my vinyl (yes vinyl) of Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, my favorite part is towards the end when you hear the “print through” of Robert’s vocal’s. You know the part when he sings “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah”. For years, before I made records I thought that what I was hearing was on there on purpose, for effect. But while making my new record the same thing happened. There is no reason, it’s just a tape thing. Sometimes that happens. It’s not as noticeable or as cool as Zeppelin but if you listen to my first track, “Just A Little Lovin’”, towards the end you will hear my voice. I made a record with print through. Wow. Everybody wanted to fix it but I insisted on keeping it. This is a true testament to using tape. The “real” comes through. It makes me proud to be such a hard head.

I was born in 68. Mama and Daddy had albums. I grew up listening to their vinyl. I have discovered that having a vinyl collection is so much cooler than having an Ipod. Now, I have an Ipod and I admit they are genius especially for travel and convenience. But they aren’t really any fun. I don’t call up my friends and say “Hey why don’t y’all come over and bring your computers and let’s have a party”? Hell no! I say bring pot, wine and vinyl. That’s sexy. It’s really a great excuse to get together and listen to music. Everybody takes a turn looking through the collection and it’s interesting to see what each person plays. The vinyl way is just me. I think if if we all listen to more music together it really doesn’t matter how we do it. Music will save us all just like it always has. We feed our souls with it. Vinyl just creates a little more discussion for us. You get to look at the covers, the liner notes, sometimes the lyrics are included. Plus you can roll a doobie on it. That’s hard on an Ipod.

…on the internet together.  Might as well blog, no?  I’m going to try to keep up with this, though at times I may need a little kick in the ass.  Feel free to email me at any time and do so if you’re following the ramblings here.  It’ll be nice to know you’re reading and listening!

Just finishing up mixes for a new Micky and the Motorcars record at Adam Odor’s mix room, called StoneCringe.  Have had a blast working with him again, and of course the Motorcars.  The record turned out great, be sure and check it out if you get a chance, not sure of release date yet, but it will be this summer - I’ll keep you posted.  We tracked it at Cedar Creek here in Austin.  Some great guest appearances by Bukka Allen, Mickey Raphael, Michael Ramos, and Lloyd Maines, and the band played great.  As always, I feel lucky that I continue to get asked to make cool records with cool people.  It’s a dream job.  Here’s a pic of a few of us with harmonica monster Mickey Raphael: