My voice is gone. Which is sort of like Floyd Mayweather losing his hands, or Pamela Anderson losing her breasts. It’s my moneymaker. And I got nothin. Let’s backtrack…
I had a great time last weekend at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. It was the best festival I’ve ever been to. The lineup was fantastic… Justin Townes Earle, Dr. Dog, Belleville Outfit, Sam Quinn and many more. I played two sets… the latter of which at a place called “Sunny Side Cafe.” The irony did not escape me. “Hi, my name is Matt Butcher and it is a pleasure to be here at the Sunny Side Cafe. This song is called Giving My Sadness a Name…” The crowd was very generous and I even ran into an old friend I had not seen in many years. Guess that’s why they call this thing a reunion.
On Sunday, Jill Andrews and I recorded a version of “Sadness” in an interesting location. More on this later… Sunday night I played at the Camel in Richmond with a psych-folk trio. As I walked in, they were draping the stage in tie-dye blankets, saying… “We like to take people on a journey.” To which I replied… “Is it far? I’ve already driven about 400 miles today.” True Story. They were very good though! Sitar, banjo, mandolin, standup bass… it was pretty damn pshychadelic. Slept in a parking lot.
Day off on Monday, so I headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd, VA… home to FloydFest and some of the creapiest antiques in the nation…
I decided to camp out on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Why, I don’t know. You would think that after 1000 miles driven by myself I had plenty of time with my own thoughts. I guess not. I arrived at a campsite that was completely deserted, minus the caretaker who was very sweet. Had it been a weird mountain man with a glass eye, I would have turned around immediately. It was pretty damn scary. I felt like I was living the beginning of a Rob Zombie Flick. They had all these wooden bunny rabbits nailed to the trees. In daylight… adorable. At night under a flashlight… demonic.
Slept fitfully and woke up sick the next day. Good one Matt! You’re out of the band…
Got to Greensville, SC on Tuesday feeling sick as a dog. Luckily, I would be staying with two of the nicest people in the universe… Seth and Erica! They really took care of me. Spent most of Wednesday lying on the couch watching Netflix. I thought it would be cool to watch “Air Force One” as I had not seen in it in many years and loved it as a kid. Apparantly, I used to be an idiot as this movie is a collosal piece of shit! I managed about twenty minutes before turning it off. Sorry Harrson, I still love you… just stick to intergalactic battles and digging up old things with mystical powers. Wednesday evening I pulled myself together and performed at Erica’s recently opened gallery/venue, Greenville Presents (www.greenvillepresents.com). I had a great time! Everyone that came out was super sweet and very attentive. It was a rad place and I hope to make it back soon. Thursday night I arrived in Asheville. I had dinner with my friend Chelsea Lynn at one of my faves… Rosetta’s Kitchen. Vegan collared greens with mushroom and cornbread and vegan gravy. Yep. Chelsea is a great songwriter. You can check her stuff out at… www.ChelseaLynnLaBate.com. After great food and conversation we drove up the side of a mountain to her sweet Asheville pad. Elevation… 3700 feet. I couldn’t hear a thing for about a half hour. These FL ears are not used to such heights. It is an amazing house. Check out the view from the rooftop deck…
And the backyard…
Today I played Bobo’s Gallery at 5pm. Started playing to three people, but by the end of the set I had a crowd of about 20… half of which I knew! It was pretty crazy. The Legendary JC’s were in town and stopped by to show some love. It felt great. Had two good buddies walk in right as I started playing “Me and My Friends.” Good timing. Met Chelsea Lynn and her cello accompaniest, Tommy, over at the Root Bar at nine. By the time I took the stage my voice was completely shot. I felt like a dick as I made the sound guy pull out all the stops and then proceeded to play two songs before calling it quits. Woops. Drinking Tea right now back at the Chalet. I like that word… Chalet. It reminds me of hot chocolate and matching scarves and mittens. Anyway, I hope I am better tomorrow. I have a show in Johnson City and I currently sound like a cross between Nashville-Skyline era Bob Dylan and a very sick Marlon Brando. Fingers crossed. Good night all!
