Nolan, David Houston, Allyson Seconds, Kevin Seconds at the show

Last Friday night at Riving Loom. Me, David Houston, Allyson and Kevin Seconds.

David shared stories about his amazing career — recording Latoya Jackson, The Temptations being super pro in the studio — and made his share of wisecracks. Kevin and I took turns playing guitar solos on each others songs. We all sang on each others songs. And laughed a LOT, both at the show and at the post-show-food hi-jinx.

I brought a set list but as Kev and Al played, made some game time decisions and switched songs around, to kind of match them a bit. The set list ended up being a list of suggestions more than anything. Pretty sure this is what I played:

Heather Here
Allergies (first time played live)
I Wish I Was An Astronaut
Here’s To Fastballs
I Should’ve (first time played live)
Yr Not Gonna Believe This
Angela
Drive (The Cars)
Goodnight Goodnight

Given that I’ve played songs from The Cars in probably 4 different bands over the years, I had to pay a little tribute to Mr Ocasek, since we lost him this week. Technically I guess that makes 3 songs that were played live for the first time in this set.

I really thought we might be playing to an empty room. I lost track of how many stellar shows were happening, competition was insane (yet I’m so glad that the problem in Sacramento was too many good shows to pick from). But I was happily proven wrong by the great group of folks that came to hang out with us.

Pic by the always rad Robert Taylor.

I’m going to make music for the rest of my life.
-nolan