tour recap

loyal followers, which is to say, close friends and family, will be aware i've just gotten off a mini-tour with chord four. it was a blast. we're lucky to have met some very nice people, and flirted with small record labels, belly dancers, and alcohol poisoning. not really. but really. but not really.we played eight shows in seven days, to crowds of varying sizes and levels of enthusiasm. the reception was never negative, though. quite the contrary, even our most difficult music was met with a very positive response. people said nice things about us being 'deliberate,' that they enjoyed the music because they could tell we enjoyed the music, that they never hear music like this, and it was refreshing. we even got a nice record review from JazzWrap, one of the more popular jazz blogs. you can read it here. there is most certainly an audience for this kind of music, it seems to be a matter first of opportunity to experience it, and second of open enough ears to experience it without the burden of expectations.the thing about a self-produced tour for contemporary music of any stripe is that it's really really hard. brandon sherman started booking this about four months before the first gig. email, then call, then email, then call, then email, then call, then email, then call, then email, then call. some clubs treat you very nicely once you're booked, some will only book you if they know someone in the band from another group that's played there, some don't do any advertising for their space or music and get grumpy when the crowd is lackluster, some will straight tell you that even though you're playing for a percent of the bar tab (a receipt you never see) they're doing you a favor by providing a stage.it's a strange thing. music like this doesn't always function in large venues, even where there is a market, as in keith jarrett and ornette coleman. there's a subtlety about it that i always compare to card magic, rather than sawing a woman in half--if you're not invested in the performance, you'll miss the good stuff. but quality small venues are hard to come by.we thankfully didn't need to pay for lodging because we're all sports and willing to sleep on two yoga mats with a pillow, and because we're lucky to have accommodating friends and family in each city we stopped at. we also bought our own food, when the venue didn't provide it. because of this, we actually turned a small profit. rather small. but talking to old teachers about the tour, they've all been blown away that we turned a profit at all. really truly blown away. that's been a bit depressing. this problem makes me think about the NEA, and it's funding woes. i'm always mixed about it. on the one hand, i don't want to be beholden to the government in any way for this art, and i like the idea that an artists work is honest and (physically) accessible enough to succeed on its own terms. on the other hand, nearly every other country looks upon artists for what i believe them to be--people who devote their lives to the study and production of truth and beauty--and provides funding to encourage their efforts.there's no real direction or point here i suppose. just ramblings.it's going to be a very interesting few years for what we do.if you're kind enough to support local and/or contemporary and/or creative music, thank you very kindly.