Music by Brian Patrick

photo by:  Hy Murveit Chris and Brian joined me at the Pioneer in Woodside. No drums, but it was a friendly crowd, and a few danced. I think John, the manager there got some friends to show up, and we also got a birthday party that chose the Pioneer for their after party. It was all very cute. Eric and Hy were there along with Marc and Rami. Really nice to see those guys. Hy posted  a short video . Brian (Michael) sang a few new songs, and Chris sang a few too. Other highlights for me were Brian's harmonies, and a French lady who came on stage with a 20 dollar bill and kept asking us to "Change the Tempo". It was funny because it took so long to understand what she was saying, and because she was so comfortable walking on stage. My brother would have laughed. I don't think we adequately changed the tempo, and I don't think we got the 20 dollar bill. Others tipped nicely, and we'll do our best to get Jason on drums at the next one. Hmm, dance tun

If the strings are 80% of the feel of a guitar, then the neck, or more specifically, the finish of the neck is 80% of what's left. Whatever it is, after getting new strings, it's the next most obvious way to change the feel of a guitar. To keep a great feel on all my guitars, I'm obsessive about washing my hands before I play, and about wiping down my guitar after I play. Both are easy habits that make it feel better. And when it feels better, it's more fun, and easier to be creative. Modern factory wood techniques mean that we can now get nearly perfect polyurethane finishes that are strong and stand up to minor bumps, and can be easily cleaned of any smudges, or oil, or dirt, or even grimy build-up. And they protect the wood from moisture or abrupt humidity changes. We get to enjoy our guitars for years. The problem is that "poly" can go too far. It can get almost mirror-like. And when that happens, it gets sticky. Not sticky, like sticky fingers after e