So it has been a good few weeks since I have started my little music career rebirth, and I say that things are going swimmingly. This little blog is coming to you from San Francisco, being typed out in a friend's flat on Waller Street in the Lower Haight, after a few days of catching up with old friends, dreaming up some touring and performance ideas and watching some pretty bad-assed shows at the Independent, one of Frisco's best live music venues.

There are ups and downs in this business, but at least you've got good reasons to get out of town when you want. Instead of going down to SXSW this year, a box I was hoping to check in this "been there, done that" column, I fly out here for a long weekend. I figured to myself I've got no new album to hand out, no festival gigs to promote, really nothing that would justify spending the time, energy and money to get to Austin and stay there for a few days. So, San Francisco, here I came.

It has been ages, but I know a lot of people out here from over the years, both people in and out of performance. I figured it would be better use of my time reconnecting with these old friends and acquaintances, and start building some type of buzz or momentum on this coast. Developing a buzz in more than one market requires some energy (that I luckily have) but it can be a crucial step in moving forward. We all know people in other towns and cities (and countries) and if we invest ourselves in developing something there with these people, well, you get the deal...

I live in NYC and, of course, I want to have some things happening there. It would be smart if I could set up a touring plan of Boston to DC, find some regular venues in cities along that circuit and build from there. So, I am doing this, but I am also trying to bring what I do over to the west coast of the US and to Europe. Since I am an independent artist, this may seem daunting, but I have to be fearless. All I need to do is start asking around. With luck, by next fall, having reconnected with all these west coast kids, I'll have a nice tour out here.

And, before that, I can set up something really cool in Europe and the UK. All spring and summer, I'll be bouncing around on busses and trains in towns like Baltimore and Bridgeport, Newport and Philly. With the help of a network of people, I can still remain independently minded, but I can tour like one of the big dogs.

Anyway, I am going out to meet with a friend from Jersey who's relocated here and has gotten himself involved. Oh, the ideas...

Questions? Comments?
james_dalton@hotmail.com