Humbug...

Lands & Peoples played a really nice set the other night at the Zodiac. It was first time in there since Sham Witty took over booking/running the place. Looks like they are pretty busy with shows now.

Last night at the 2640 Church was great. The Trudel/Hopkins Duo and Hullman/Alcorn/Leckie trio both had heady instrumental improvisations that melted my mind a little bit. It was nice to hear Susan say that she was going to drive home singing Laughing All The Way. I remember talking to a friend outside about the triangle conspiracy theory and how messed up I was at the Round Robin.

Fish & Chips at the Golden West Cafe was a nice finishing touch with friends after the show.

Denied!

I got this email today:

Dear MacGregor,

I want to thank you for auditioning for METAL GODS at AVAM.

We had a great experience and hope the opportunity was rewarding for you, too. Casting is a difficult process - especially when we see so much talent. We want to find a place for everyone, but often the creative team behind a film has very specific things in mind, which limit our ability to do that.

We are not considering you for a role in the film METAL GODS, but we wish you all the best in '09.

Sincerely,

Matt Porterfield


awwww, too bad

Happy New Year!

2009 is here and I am thinking about how I always have the same resolutions: exercise more, eat better, wake up earlier and get shit done more, etc... Basically, "do the dog," as they say.

I had a fun time ringing in the New Year at the Hamilton New Year's Party. Highlights of the night include me holding a broom for the hippy chicks to limbo under, Victor shredding a bow to the core, and the last cigarettes I could get my hands on. Also some questionable ingredients in the food spread made for a good time.

Last night I got to see Viking Moses play on his Fences Across America tour with Aghost and Pictish Trail. Local man, Andy Abelow, hosted the tour at his space, the Annex, and also joined in the music making with a set of his own and some backup sax and drums for the other songslingers.

Here is a picture of Viking Moses.

Pictures From the El Rancho Grande

By Jeremy Walker



By Rob Brulinski

I always love playing at El Rancho Grande. The sound is perfect for going completely acoustic.

The Kate Ferencz show the other night was slightly annoying. She has been one of my favorite singer/songwriters ever since I met her two years ago in NYC. Anyways, the Copy Cat was packed with loud drunk MICA kids who were not giving her the time of day. I was pissed because I brought people out to the show to see her and they could barely hear her. So if you are at a quiet show, shut the fuck up and listen. Okay dumbass? Anyways, she played my request "trees for hands" and it made my day.

True Romance

I just watched True Romance. What an awesome fucking movie. It has been probably 5 or 6 years since the last time I saw it. November was a busy month with shows in Pittsburgh, New York, and the Thanksgiving at Thurmont, MD. It kind of flew by, as it tends to. Played a few shows with Arizona; love those guys. Sunday I will be playing with Andy Friedman at the El Rancho Grande which should be a nice little evening out of it. He also shares the Grove House connection that I share with Arizona.

I have a lot more lessons now, so I am working 4 days a week, even if it is only 12 hours. So that is kind of like my Toulouse year. Although feeling like something needs to happen. I am excited that Kate Ferencz is coming to play in Baltimore. That should make my weekend. Also, they are showing Back to the Future at the Charles on Friday night at midnight. Should be fun.

Hope you like the picture of my new shirt.

New Drawing

This may or may not be some of the artwork for the Big White EP. Jake has the master copies in Banff where he is working at a recording school. We are going to decide which tracks to finalize and then Jake will have some folks lay down some strings and we will try and get it out. In other news, I have been playing with my new roommate Victor, as a duo called, MacGregor Burns and the VCR.

Bitches Bootleg Us...

Digging on the new Chad Vangaalen Album, which is streaming on myspace for another day or so. He has probably been my favorite songmaker for the past two years...

I saw an awesome show at the Ottobar the other night. The Extraordinaires http://www.myspace.com/theextraordinaires from Philly really killed it. I highly recommend them as well.

Summer is winding down, my house is coming together, trying to plan a late fall NEw England tour, then a January California tour...


I started playing with VCR, my roommate, should be a pretty interesting duo...