Circleslide

Just by way of an update, we played in Cary, North Carolina yesterday. It was a great show for us, for many reasons…one of them being that it marked a new time for us. Debbie, who has been booking us forever, turned over the reigns to Covenant Artist Agency…and we loved this show they got for us. The people of St. Francis Methodist Church treated us like family right away.

During the few days between San Antonio, and NC…we did some work on our show…and introduced two newer songs, “Samson” and “Gone”…and judging by the crowds reaction…’Samson’ could be one of those songs in the set that has the energy and intensity of a ‘weatherboy’ or ‘morning star’. We were talking after the show, about the need to stay in shape if we’re going to be doing this set, night after night…it’s quite the workout. I think I lose about 5lbs after every performance…but don’t worry…my body seems to know just what to eat to find them again.

It was also nice to see some very dear, dear friends from the past show up and support us at this concert…especially those who drove a long way to see us.  We love it when we get to see familiar faces singing along, or just lending us encouragement for a while. It always beats when people drive from far away just to hurl refuse and insults at us.

And now, we’re taking a couple of weeks of much needed rest. Eric and Libby are headed back to Seattle…Jonathan is headed back to Texas…Lee is off for Indiana…while Debbie and I fly out to Seattle as well…we’ll all be spending time with people we care for and love…resting, and getting ready for what God has in store for us this fall.

we’ll keep you informed of our progress…as always.

g

ps. the title has nothing to do with the post…unless you count ‘what is’ as the update part, and the ’should never be’ as the part about people throwing things at us…

wednesday, sept 9, 2009

The last summer has flown by us…ichthus festival, reunions in arkansas, camps in oklahoma, north dakota, and new hampshire, the fourth of july and prisons in michigan, the haunting beauty of new england and the heat and amazing food of my home in san antonio, texas…to name a few.

These places seem so distant from each other, in not only miles, but in climate, in  culture, in the way people go about their daily lives, and what they hold dear to their hearts.

And yet I couldn’t help but be awed by one common thread in all of our travels. Overwhelming me, knocking me flat on my keister, each time I saw it.

For some people it’s called ‘good manners’, for some it falls under the category of etiquette…and some have raised it to an art form…I’m talking about hospitality.

A crazy ancient practice that involves allowing strangers into your home, and treating them as equals…providing them with food, company and shelter.

In this band, I’ve experienced so much of this practice, that I unable to recount or remember everyone who has opened their home, their kitchen or their best room for me, my wife and the boys.

On this last trip, we were given lobster in Maine, in Michigan, we were given too many feasts to count, in georgia a mother of 4 boys cooked several mouth watering meals for all of us while going to nursing school at night… in my home state of texas we had to bring back the food in bags and coolers…we couldn’t carry it with our hands…bar-b-que, and tex mex food…we all gained at least 10 pounds…and loved every second of laughter and storytelling, and catching up.

People slept on floors so we could have the best room in the house…groceries were purchased with items reserved for kings and queens…and all this during a Down Economy. I am so undeserving of this kindness…really. All we do is write and perform songs for an hour… maybe an hour and a half. I’m dumbfounded and humbled by it all.

And the thing is, one day I’m sharing a phenomenal meal with someone who I know is decidedly left of me politically…and the next night…someone is sheltering me and cooking something exquisite for me who I know is to my right.

And in the backround, on the television, the noise says we are all just too different, too divided, too far apart to hear each other over the yelling, and the screaming and the anger and the name calling.

I know the issues facing us are real, and important.

But I’ve been reminded that in the living rooms, and kitchens, and porches, and back yard barbeques across this country…there are still people who care to give each other the best. Who will bend over backwards to make sure your belly is full, that you have a good night’s rest and that you have enough gas for the next journey. And it restores my soul…this unified heartbeat…this demonstration of genuine kindness.

It’s a true reflection of a Father who loves us and cares for us…in spite of our shortcomings…and I just wanted to say, ‘thank you’ to all of you for doing this for us…a reassurance that a flame still burns in the hearts of the faithful.

See you soon.

gabe

Good news everyone, the writer’s strike that was affecting this blog has been called off as both parties have resolved whatever petty differences they once had. Now, it our pleasure to bring you, without further ado…gabe’s rantings, and meaningless drivel…brought to you by the maker’s of ‘axe body spray’… ‘axe’, it smells like crap, but guys still buy it because of our marketing campaign. ‘axe body spray’…ha, ha, we got you, suckers!

(just spray this stuff on guys…same thing)

Hello, dear readers. The world is a much different place when we last had a conversation. Allow me to recap: Your fearless and deeply flawed heroes had wrapped up a tour of the northeast…highlights included performing for amazing people in New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware, New York, New Jersey and Indiana, eating pizza in times square, and writing new circleslide tunes.

Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and other varieties of coffee were consumed by the gallons.

An old van died with 386,000 miles causing our faith to be tested…a new one was miraculously purchased, causing our faith to be bolstered… and, already less than a month old… it already has 5,000 miles.

Circleslide returned to Nashville and began recording with Salvador’s Keyboard player/producer Chris Bevins. A fine, fun time was had by all. The result was three new songs: “Ever going to win”, “Gone”, and “Looking UP”. The songs were recorded at Chris Bevin’s studio and at my house, which I’ve decided to call, “reveal” studios…it’s actually just a room above my garage…but I’m going to insist on telling my wife, “hey, I’m heading up to ‘reveal’…be back in a second”…and wait for her to blow her bangs up and roll her eyes at me. Yay!

Recently, Nic Gonzales, (Salvador) invited me to join his band and his lovely wife, Jaci Valasquez on a couple of shows in Austin and Corpus Christi, Texas. The only thing is that there wouldn’t be room on the bus for the rest of the guys…would I mind opening the show by myself? Hmm. I thought about saying no… It’s a bit terrifying to be up on a stage, alone, when you are so used to having a full-fledged rock band that’s got your back, night after night. Circleslide is a band, after all…and it just felt a bit weird.

However, it might be good for me to be forced to open the show, just me and an acoustic guitar…get back to my roots…the coffee house days…trying to stop the conversations in the back of the room…try to let the baristas hear a lyric …try to get all of us to share a moment together. So I’m doing it. The bus leaves on Thursday…I’m excited, nervous, scared and I might fall off the stage…so, I’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, thanks for sticking with me as I took a break from blogging. There was no ‘real’ writer’s strike…and yet, there kinda was. Once we got back from the road, my mac died on me. The hard drive just quit. Thankfully, I had backed everything up…and I had Apple Care. But I went without the computer for about a week…and it felt kinda good. But, I’m back…and the hiatus has allowed me to think of some cool ideas for this place…and once, again…I’ll be at the computer…over sharing…and trying to have some kind of dialogue with you…some of the coolest people around.