Home from SWRFA. Why sleep in Austin?

I just returned from the Southwestern Regional Folk Alliance conference in Austin, TX. What a trip. We started at Threadgill's with an open mic on Wednesday night. What a beautiful, historic venue. Within hours of arriving in Austin, I found myself eating BBQ and singing songs.

On Thursday, I had some time to buck around the very hip South Congress area of town. My favorite art gallery was the Yard Dog, appropriately gritty, cheeky and inspiring.
Met up with the community of conference-goers back at the hotel for another open mic to kick off the official events.

The conference was excellent. Shared some interesting ideas, was totally welcomed into this dynamic community, and played music all night long. Unfortunately, our hotel room was infested by the most gigantic crickets I've ever witnessed--typical to the season apparently and totally unnerving. They kept me up for the few hours I actually reserved for sleep on Friday.



So on Saturday, I bypassed bed altogether. That night, I had my official showcase. With a warm audience and two days of getting to know the folks down there, I felt totally at ease on stage and had a tremendous response to the show. So that night, I celebrated. I performed another show at the unofficial showcases and wandered from hotel room to hotel room, checking out the amazing talent and indulging in some wine.

As the night turned into the morning, I finally stepped into the hugest "Beatles" jam in a larger suite, where the entire conference (that was awake at least) seemed to congregate.
Belted out just a few tunes before heading back to my room to pack and catch a 4am. cab to the airport. What a whirlwind.

Thanks to everyone at SWRFA and the great people I met there. Look forward to turning the conference into a fantastic tour through Texas this spring...with a new album in hand!