Imagine if you contacted the customer service department of a company for support regarding one of their products, or reached out to a contractor to get a quote on some work you need done to your home and the agent chose to ignore, or simply delete the message. How would you feel? My guess is that you wouldn't be very happy. But many of us don't think twice about ignoring messages we receive daily requesting our services, that necessary files be sent, etc....

I recently saw a Facebook post of a meme that listed several things that one has to eventually accept and get over. At the top of that list was “No reply is a reply”.  Technically speaking, I guess that’s true. However, it doesn’t make it right. Honestly, I’ve never liked this idea, or understood how it has somehow become a thing, because I believe in not replying, it says more about the recipient of the inquiry than it does about the sender. It’s nothing more than an attempt to send a message (through silence) that their time - and they as a person – are more important than you. 

It’s not like emailing the president of the U.S., or the CEO of a large corporation and expecting a reply. Although, I’m sure if it were a moving story, or something that adversely affected the reputation of said company, they just might respond. I’m referring to the times we reach out to people within the field of our career, with specificity in the request. Truth be told, I have received direct replies to inquiries from the heads of major booking and management agencies, record labels, and several well-known folk music artists in regard to working together in some capacity. One artist replied to me personally and told me that even though his show would be “an evening with” (requiring no opening act), he was glad I reached out to him, how much he enjoyed my songwriting upon visiting my website, and congratulated me for all of the good things happening with my career. You see, even when the answer is “no”, it’s better than “no reply”.    

As someone who books their own live dates, it is important to receive a reply, even if it is something as brief, direct, and simple as “Not interested”, “sorry, that date is filled”, or “We’re no longer hosting live music at this time.” There’s often time sensitivity involved in much of this work, so timely responses are critical in finding a venue for routing from one date to the next, details regarding compensation, confirmation of dates, promotion, etc…. Because what usually happens when someone finally does reply - often weeks later - the date, opportunity, or offer is no longer available. 

Listen – I’m not suggesting that you answer EVERY single email or message you receive. Use discretion. Do NOT click on the link in the email from the Nigerian king who wants to deposit 2 million dollars into your bank account. We all have some level of feeling barraged with messages, of being buried by our workload, or feeling as if we don’t have enough time to get everything done. Some folks can handle more than others, some people are better at multi-tasking, some get overwhelmed much easier. If that’s the case, maybe it’s time to ask for help, or hire an assistant? Sometimes people “check out” from social media and the internet for several days, or have something that requires all of their attention going on in their personal life. Let the person know that apologetically when you reply, or set up an “out of office” auto reply that informs the sender of that information. A lack of - or even worse – an intentional refusal to communicate with someone who has taken time out of their day is disrespectful to both that person and their time. 

Try this little experiment; set a timer and type the words “Sorry, I am unable to assist you at this time”, or “Let me check my calendar and get back to you shortly”. How long did that take? Seriously?  Even a “hunt & peck" typist such as myself can type that response in 30 seconds and no more than a minute, and it doesn’t need to be immediate. After your email provider sends that auto reply message, get back to the person within an acceptable time frame of 24-48 hours. The fact is – at least you replied!!!. By not answering at all - and doing so intentionally – you come across as self-centered, self-important, a bit childish, and egotistical. 

And guess what? No one is important enough to make someone else feel less important.

As the strangest year of my life draws to a close, I reflect on four words that have defined my 2020 - Gratitude, revelation, service, acceptance. 

Gratitude.  As this year has progressed, it has been the one word, the one thought I keep coming back to. It is a constant reminder to not take anything for granted. Gratitude is what keeps me grounded. But you cannot truly be grateful for all of the things that collectively make up the life you have built, the accomplishments you have made, and the people who surround you without having moments of revelation. 

When a global pandemic changes the way you go about your daily life – possibly long term – there is bound to be some “a-ha!” moments found when the world population is forced to slow down its frantic and begin healing itself – physically, spiritually and mentally. At the outset of the lockdown that occurred in New York State, I spent three months away from my day job. Any gig work I had on my schedule was cancelled, rescheduled for a later date, only to be cancelled again. As I took walks with my partner Sheila and our dog Addison, the world was eerily absent of the “normal” sounds of traffic on the highway in the distance, or the sound of planes flying overhead as they departed and arrived at the airport that is only a short drive from where we live. In that silence, the awareness of my surroundings on these walks heightened. What seemed to be an every week occurrence of having to “be somewhere” – whether it was to work, to a weekend of gigs on the road, or to get together with friends or family  - came to a rather pleasant halt and resulted in a quieted mind, because there was no longer a daily grind. 

Trips to the grocery store were reduced from once to twice per week, down to two per month. “Stocking up, just in case” became the main purpose of those trips, and they were done with a focused mindset of safety, caution and with a great deal of trepidation. And even though we were “stocking up” on essentials, with time, it became evident that many of us were realizing that we could live just fine with less of the non-essential items we collect throughout our lives. We found we could do without all of the material “things” we as a society deemed to be important to our social and economic status. 

Circumstances forced us to find new ways to work, worship, and interact - remotely and safely from home. A great majority of people who do what I do – performing live music – found ourselves creating new ways to get our music out to our audience. This literally amounted to the adaptation of new skills on not only a technical level, but in performance. We had to learn how to come across with the same sincerity, sing with the same amount of passion, and be just as engaging through the screen of someone’s computer as if we were performing for a roomful of people. We learned how to set up virtual tip jars, and Venmo became a verb. Through week after week of trial and error, we learned how to improve the quality of the audio and video we were sending out to our audiences. On a personal level – I purchased a new Macbook, along with the necessary peripherals and reacquainted myself with the world of home recording, mainly in an effort to document the close to two dozen songs I’ve written over the past few years. In doing so, and in releasing them via my website, it has revealed to me how much of an audience I don’t have and that fact in and of itself - has been quite sobering. Because of that, I was reminded once again that my role as musician, as a partner, in my day job, and as a human being – is to be of service. 

To be of service to others can take any one of the many paths available. Being asked to make the small sacrifice of wearing a mask is being of service to others. Placing the needs of your spouse or partner, of your family, friends and neighbors above those of your own is not only being of service to them, it is also a great sign of love, even if it’s the simple act of making a meal. Over the past 18 months or so, I have learned so much from simply taking care of our dog Addison - who can do nothing for me in return. Addie was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney failure in the early part of 2019. Additionally, she has had dental issues which required her to have a good deal of her teeth removed as she has aged. Conversely, it has led to having us literally hand feed her, which can be unfortunately – just like pulling teeth at times. But we do it – patiently, and without condition, and I’m certain that she feels the love that is present in this act. Without a second thought, we would provide the same care for our cats, Grace and Bigsby. After all, I end my daily mantra before leaving for work each day with, “blessings upon us all – creatures great and small.” 

Solely speaking from my perspective as a songwriter, it means to serve the song; from its inception, through the creation of its various drafts, in the eventual recording process, and in its live performance. If I do all of those things, and do them with genuine intention, I feel that I can properly serve the audience of that music – whether it’s in a recorded version or live performance. And that requires an “a-ha!” moment when you realize that the goal of making the connection between performer and listener can only be properly achieved when there is no longer a separation between the two. We become one, or “in concert”. 

I also realized that perhaps the aim of recording my songs in my home studio and simply uploading them to my website at a “pay what you want” price point was perhaps too small minded of a purpose. So in an effort to be of service, I decided to make this all digital album – titled “The Share Project” – truly live up to its name by donating 100% of the money generated from those downloads to my local food bank, FeedMore WNY. This has become especially important during this pandemic, when food banks, soup kitchens and pantries have become incredibly stressed by a greater than ever need for their services. Giving back to your community and building a bigger table when you have more than others is a great way to serve. Volunteering your time is just as important as donating funds. 

However, I strongly feel that it in order to express sincere gratitude, to experience profound life altering moments, and to unconditionally be of service requires one to submit to full acceptance of where one is on their journey. Acceptance of the decisions you have made, responsibility for one’s words and actions, acceptance of not only your moments of success, but more importantly – the times you have failed. With that in mind, I momentarily return to revelation, because as I’ve been authoring this little essay, I have realized that an analogy I once made about cooking and recording a song, to now be true of life itself. 

Recording a song can be a bit like following a recipe; the song in its most basic form is kind of the cooking vessel into which all of the “ingredients” (instruments) will go. If done with care, with proper time, and with the best ingredients available, the results can be very “tasty”. Sometimes, more often than not – we may fail to make the perfect recording, the perfect version using the “recipe” available at the time. And in life, we try to do the same – in our relationships, and in our work, with what is available to us at any given moment or situation, hopefully done with the best of intention, and with acceptance of the successes and failures along the way. We make mistakes, we own them, and we try again. Sometimes we knock it right out of the park. Sometimes we need a little extra salt. 

So, as we prepare to flip the pages of the calendar from one year to the next, let us do so with gratitude – for what we have and perhaps with a greater amount of thanks for what we don’t have. For what we have learned about ourselves during this pandemic that has hopefully allowed for growth as we move forward on this journey. For the moments of true revelation when we realize that life is not just about our individual experience, but how our individual experience allows us to be a better part of the bigger picture of the whole global community. I believe a possession of that mindset can in turn allow us to be of greater service to others. And with that, we come to acceptance of all things – the good, the bad, the ugly, the triumphs, the times we fall flat. To accept ourselves as we are, right here and now. To realize and accept that there is always room to improve and grow. To listen to new ideas, to accept that there are other, and perhaps greater possibilities, to be accepting of others who may look, speak or believe differently than us, and realize those minor differences help us to find how much more we share in common.

And to finally accept when it’s time to let go, and to move on – from people, places, memories, from the expectations of what we think we are or supposed to be - and from this year. 

Lead with love. Act with kindness. Strive for peace. Happy New Year! 

Davey O.

Without question, my brain has certainly been quite active this week, leading to another blog entry. Musings for a Friday morning, and from another week gone by…. Some of this is surely in jest, and in full transparency, I am not in any way discounting the fine work of postal employees! 

While walking our beloved dog Addie the other morning (I believe it was on Wednesday), I kept hearing the voice of my long deceased mother, telling my “unsure, lacking direction, but really wanting to enroll in college for music”, 19 year old self -  “you know, the post office is hiring.” And that very thought got me wondering how different my life might have been had I heeded her advice.  

If I had applied for and accepted employment with the U.S. Postal Service, I most likely would not have the same circle of friends and acquaintances I have today, that have accumulated over time. I most likely would have not met the person that became my first wife and perhaps I would not have lived in the places we lived. Certainly not the house we eventually purchased. Would my interest in music – not only as a player – but as a listener - have faded into something more casual?  Because my circle of friends and acquaintances would have certainly been different, would I have the spiritual, philosophical, social, and political beliefs I have grown and evolved into having?  Maybe I would have met someone completely different, and still be married to that person, perhaps with grown children, and maybe even a few grandchildren. The mortgage on our house might already be paid for, we’d most likely have a few “toys” such as a boat, and of course, our very large, American made, GM vehicles would be parked side by side in the driveway. We may have possibly gone the route of installing a pool. You know, for the grandkids….   ;)  

For all intents and purposes, if I had started that job at 19, I may already be retired by now, having put in my “time”. All the things my Mom told me that came with employment at the post office - job security, good pay, a pension – would have come to fruition. Perhaps there would have been several vacations to Florida and Vegas over those years, maybe a Carnival cruise or two along the way.  And in my early retirement, perhaps I’d rekindle my relationship with music, and head down to the GC (where I currently work) to purchase a nice bass and amp so that I could jam with my buddies in my finished basement on weekends. It’s all good – we’ll keep the volume down, and Larry is bringing a 12 of Bud Light! Maybe I’d be one of “those customers” that make us collectively groan when we see them coming into the store, and that we all bitch about when they finally leave - ie; telling stories about my bands from the “good old days”, the kind that returns everything they buy, or just browses and never buys anything except for maybe a set of strings or some picks.  

The big question in all of this is – “would I be happy?” But how does one answer that honestly without actually living the aforementioned life? I guess there is no really good answer to that question, but my best response would be that I would have done as my father; I would have shown up for work every day, and support the family because it’s the right thing to do. It’s called having integrity. And you know what? There isn’t a damn thing wrong with that. Because, as my mother also used to tell me when I was younger and often expressed my desire to be a musician  – “yeah, well the world needs ditch diggers too”. And you know what? She was right. I think what she was trying to say, is that millions of folks get up every single day to head off to jobs they don’t like – and often in careers they have chosen – to support families, provide food and shelter, to pay bills, and to get through this thing called life.  

Knowing my personality, my ambition, and my drive - somehow, I believe that had I started working at the post office – it would not have been long in tenure. Because somewhere, at some point in my life I realized I needed to at least try. I just didn’t want to wake up one day when I’m in my 70’s with the knowledge that I left something on the table that was unfulfilled.  

The fact is - being a musician is a truly unconventional lifestyle and career, and can often be uncertain and unstable in terms of finances. I never had an issue with working the myriad jobs I have had along the way, to share in the responsibilities of utilities, food and shelter when music didn’t provide a primary source of income, or to supplement that income. While I have never had the opportunity to become a professional musician at an arena level, I have had opportunities and experiences that I would have never dreamed possible when I was…. oh, 19 years old. Because I (perhaps rather stubbornly) “stuck to my guns”, I’ve been to places, seen sights, and have met people I probably would have never encountered in a more traditional line of work, and in turn, my eyes and mind are more open to how we are all connected somehow.  I have been the fortunate recipient of what is a relatively normal, happy and balanced life.  

So, I leave you with this; If you can follow you bliss – take the leap, and do so without fear. If at some point you feel that you need to get off the beam to work and pay bills along the way – do it. There’s no shame in holding down a job and keeping yourself out of debt. You may actually discover that you possess skills you never imagined you had!  But never let go of the line that keeps you attached to the dream.  

On this Tuesday morning, while scrolling through my Facebook memories for this date, it didn’t take long to notice that most of them were related to gigs and my travels as a touring songwriter. Among them were photos of a week in 2018 where I played six shows over a 5 day period, which concluded with a quick tour consisting of three dates in two days in the Hudson Valley of NYS and Western MA. There is also of photo of myself from 2017 with now retired NASCAR driver Danica Patrick when she happened to be dining with her crew at The Rooster Fish Pub in Watkins Glen when I was performing that night, photos from dates at local breweries, as well as announcements of opening act confirmations and award nominations I have received over the years. My days, weeks and months flew by because I was so incredibly busy and my schedule was so full. 

Now, the days have a strange feel to them. In all honesty – the last three years have felt different, and perhaps all of the work provided a comforting distraction from the constant barrage of the news cycle. While I am incredibly grateful to be back at work and receiving more hours at my day job, to have a home, to be loved, to be healthy and safe – on most days, I feel like I just need to “get through” each one, and come out on the other end of it with my sanity in place, as I count the days in the hope that we’re getting closer to the end of this - even though it seems at times that as a whole – we’re not. 

As much as I have confessed that there’s not much I miss about bar gigs, and how nice it has been to be at home, to wake up in my own bed, to slow down the pace of what was an incredibly hectic life of juggling a day job, playing gigs, and booking them, etc…. I do miss having the work. Maybe part of it has to do with seeing posts from other friends announcing where they’re playing, and I’m wondering what they’re doing to get the gigs. Are they reaching out to venues, or are the venues reaching out to them? I still feel conflicted about all of that at times. I wonder if it’s okay to contact a venue to see if they have resumed hosting live music. I wonder if there’s a reason venues I have relationships with haven’t reached out to me, and I know that’s my ego talking. I wonder if any of this gig activity is truly safe and if there is going to be an eventual setback from any progress we’ve made in “flattening the curve?” And when I look at the calendar of my website - now filled with cancellations and open, unfilled dates - I wonder if it’s ever going to be even half as full as it was, or if I will want it to be. 

Perhaps some of it has to do with just being human, and as I am nearing my 57th birthday, in my mind I am inching ever closer to 60 and the close of another decade on this planet. Maybe it’s normal to reach a certain age and begin speculating about how much time you might have left, to start thinking about the end game, to wonder if you made the right choices on the journey - in my case, it was often trading financial security for the adventure and experiences that came with travel. These thoughts begin to arise when some of your musical heroes or some of your friends and contemporaries who are either in your age bracket or only a decade older begin to leave this plane of existence. 

I remind myself that I have the creative outlets of writing and recording in my home studio, I am blessed to have the love and support of my partner Sheila, that we are not in want or need, and that life as it is – isn’t really that bad at all – it's just requires a bit more sacrifice than we’re used to. 

Through all of that whirlwind of thought, worry, and the inevitability of age  – somehow I still believe I can find the quiet place, that I can continue to grow and get better as a person, as a partner, and as an artist – I’m still searching for that one great song that is locked somewhere inside of me. 

Memories are often beautiful evidence of what was. I hope there is still so much yet to be.

Four days after arriving home from my longest period of time away from home, some thoughts from the lonesome highway, (or what I did for the first ten days of March) ….

While on tour between March 1^st and 10^th, I realized fully what an amazing network of friends and family I have available to me. People opened their homes to me for house concerts, fed me, provided a warm and comfortable place to sleep, and engaged in conversation with me. Some of them were people I were meeting for the very first time, and were as accommodating as if we were lifelong pals. That alone concretized a feeling I have had for a while, that deep down, people are essentially good, they want to help, they want to be around others, and through conversation, we discover that we have much more in common with each other than not. We are much more than performer and audience, and the line (that shouldn’t exist in the first place) between us disappears completely. The walls we sometimes put up in an effort to closely guard ourselves – not only at the venues, but at gas stations, supermarkets, rest areas, etc….. quickly fall away with a genuine smile, and a friendly “hello”.

Despite being surrounded by my house concert hosts and their friends, this was a journey that was long and very lonely at times. Particularly the time spent driving. Phone calls back home, a visit with my sister and her family, and the use of video messaging certainly helped, but the highway hours were long, boring stretches, even on the shorter commutes. Aside from leaving the house, and saying your goodbyes, driving is indeed, the most difficult aspect of being a touring songwriter. The rare occasions when Sheila can come along – even if we don’t share the driving duties – make travel much more tolerable, simply because I have someone to talk to, and someone to share the experience with. I doubt that I will ever embark on a series of dates of this length again. 3-4 days max is good for me, and gets me home with a much faster turnaround.

Regarding highway travel – I’ve yet to understand the concept of having three lanes of traffic, a sign that says, “SLOWER TRAFFIC, KEEP RIGHT”, only to take that option away a mile later with a sign that reads, “RIGHT LANE ENDS”.  A long standing pet peeve of mine…..

When I performed my feature set at the “Find Your Muse” open mic at The Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC, a couple of things happened that evening that, for lack of a better term - changed my perspective. Or maybe it was just a reminder of how music can bring us together. The talent level and the diversity of acts at this open mic was like none that I had ever witnessed at an open mic. I hate to say this, but most open mics that I have attended are typically comprised of older, white, males, some of whom are singer songwriters, some who are keeping their connection to performing alive with a repertoire of Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, and the like in their catalog, and a handful of younger songwriters testing out new material, or using the open mic as an audition in hopes for a paying gig at the venue. Most of them sit in the audience with their guitar case at their feet, waiting for their name to be called, while the regulars usually sit at a table together. Sadly, many of the performers leave as soon as they complete their 2-3 song set so that by the time the last person gets to perform, they’re doing so for less than a handful of people. At The Evening Muse, everyone stayed until the end. On a Monday night.

At “Find Your Muse”, performers consisted of a wide age demographic and stylistically ranged from several hip hop/rap artists, poets, stand-up comics, singer-songwriters, and R&B vocalists who took the stage to share their talents. As this unfolded before me, I had a bit of anxiety as to how this straw cowboy hat wearing, contemporary Folk/Americana songwriter from Buffalo, NY would fare before this audience. After the changeover, as people were settling back into their seats, I started my first song. There were quiet murmurs coming from the audience, probably things like, “uh oh, WTF is this going to be like?”, but by the time I reached the end of the first chorus, I could see the faces in the audience begin to soften, smiles started to appear, heads began to move in time, and a hearty round of applause followed upon its completion. After the completion of my third song, “In Its Own Time” (a song which has become to me, one that is about transitioning from one period of life into the next), a twenty-something African-American male stood up, and shouted, “that’s what I’m talking about! That’s some profound shit right there!!!”  The walls came down. Age, race, gender, or any other metrics, demographics, or geographic location didn’t matter anymore. That’s what music can – and is supposed to do - regardless of how the industry, the media, or the perception of your own mind attempts to package it with a pretty bow, and assign it a genre. If it’s good, if it contains universal truths, and speaks to even one person – it’s does what it is intended to do – put us “in concert” with each other.

House concerts.  Five of the seven dates on this most recent tour were comprised of house concerts. There is something uniquely special about these shows, for the hosts, performer, and audience alike. They need not be fully attended to maintain that special feeling. Two of the house concerts I performed on this tour had less than 10 people in attendance, the others ranged from 15-25 people. Here’s what makes these shows so wonderful – 1.) It’s a gathering of friends and neighbors, and from that, a real sense of community is generated. 2.) As a performer, you have the undivided attention of a listening audience. No conversations are taking place, no one is looking at their cell phone, no one is approaching you after every other song to make requests for Jimmy Buffet songs, The Eagles, or Wagon Wheel. No one yelling "Freebird" (Why is THAT still a thing?). This is an audience that has paid good money to see you perform YOUR songs, and may very well be hearing you for the first time. Talk about having an open mind! 3.) As a performer there is absolutely zero onus on you to “draw”, sell tickets, send out press releases, posters, or have a street team plaster streetlight poles with flyers to announce your pending arrival in town. As an audience member, there is no logging into a ticketing website, trying to beat the bots for the good tickets and settling for ones in the nosebleed section, or buying better seats at twice the face value on the secondary market, paying inflated service and postal charges, fighting traffic, and paying $20 or more to park blocks away from the venue.  4.) The conversation, food, and drinks. That puts a big, fat bow on the whole house concert experience. It is truly wonderful to see the joyful reaction of those who are first time attendees, many of whom thought that live music was only consumable in a standard brick and mortar venue. It is that experience that over time, can lead to the creation of new house concert hosts and series. It’s a wonderful alternative for those of us struggling to build an audience, and those of us supplementing our income with bar and restaurant gigs. There’s not a thing wrong with that….

Thanks for reading. I get to do this all over again on the weekend of March 22^nd-24^th, so it’s time for me to head to my car dealership, and have the oil changed in my faithful Subaru, and give it a quick look over to make sure all is good to go for another venture on those “twisted turns and straightaways, where lonely nights turn into lonelier days”. After my Buffalo area gigs this St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and next Thursday when I host Nickel City Sessions, I’ll see you soon in Ohio, and Michigan…..

I willfully admit - over the last 7 years or so, I have been guilty of surrendering countless hours of valuable time that I will never get back, to the mind numbing addiction of social media. It is unfortunately - a necessary evil of what I do in my line of work as a touring songwriter. Having what is often referred to as a “web presence” is deemed as “important” to building one’s career, and fan base, so you go along, play the game, and by the time you realize it, you've been sucked into the debates, the arguments, the sharing of all things in your life - good, bad, or indifferent - which in addition to posting your righteous opinion on every topic under the sun, eventually leads to the inclusion of photos of what you just ate for breakfast, newly acquired possessions, badly taken selfies, family vacations, and of course, your pet(s) - (sigh…..guilty as charged - on ALL counts!).

But perhaps it was a weekend of recent birding treks Sheila and I embarked on that finally hit me hard enough to make me realize that there is so much more to experiencing the world we live in, by getting out and interacting with other people - often complete strangers - and with the other creatures that inhabit this planet. While I experience a lot of one-on-one, human interaction in my work touring around the country, and playing my music, it’s been a welcome change to have those interactions in a different arena.

I guess that’s the deal – at some point you must get up off your ass, get out there and have the conversation – face to face, and in your community. Holding the meme of a protest sign up on your social media page might raise some awareness, but does little if you don’t actually get out on the street and hold it high, even if you’re alone in doing so. Bitching about the elected officials in your local, state, or federal government, without exercising your right to vote, turn those complaints - valid as they may be - into nothing but empty cries emanating from a silenced voice. Putting a donation button for a charitable cause on your birthday post may be a sign of your compassion for others, but from my personal experience, it isn’t quite the same as volunteering your time and efforts for that cause. Talking about your favorite bands and their albums sure is nice, but it doesn’t mean much if you’re not willing to buy the ticket, gather a few friends, go to the concert, and buy the CD. This action is of utmost importance when applied locally.

Who knows? You just might become a respected voice, or a catalyst for change by running for a local government office. You may actually find something new that you can become passionate about, whether it’s supporting a cause or a movement, a band or solo musician, participating in an art class, a creative writing workshop, an open mic where you can finally summon the courage to publicly read some of that poetry you’ve been secretly writing all these years, a group that meets once a month to discuss books they’ve been reading, a song circle or jam session to get out that music that’s been hiding inside of YOU, and the walls of an office cubicle for all of this time. Right there, in your zip code, where it has been all along.  And if it doesn't turn out the way you expected?  At the very least, you tried to engage in the experience!

Instead of posting pictures of your life events on Facebook (as I often do!), maybe it’s time to contact one of those friends you haven’t seen in a while, set up a time to meet for coffee, to share and discuss those photographs, and talk about what is going on in your lives, IN PERSON. Shake hands, and hug each other when you say hello, and in parting. Contact is, and should be - much more than messages sent electronically, and contacts - in the plural sense - need to be more than a falsely inflated number of how many “friends” you have collected on your social media pages, or in the address book(s) of your email server, and smart phone.

Yeah, I realize that I might have come across as preachy in parts of this blog, and I apologize if I have. But in the humble opinion of this lowly songwriter, wealth comes not from accumulation of money, or possessions, but from the relationships, and experiences we gather along the way. That, my friends - is where the true treasure is hidden……       

Greetings!!!!

Welcome to the April 2018 edition of “O”vertones, and welcome to the new subscribers to the newsletter. No April Fools jokes here – just everything you need to know about my travels, musings, and all things Davey O.!!!

March in reverse -

The month of March turned out to be so very rewarding, and for several reasons. Each and every date – particularly the ones where I was able to perform my material – satisfied in ways that often defy words. It was a period of time when my travels allowed me to reconnect with old friends and contemporaries, to experience the relief of finally kicking off a new songwriter’s series (may I add, in successful fashion!!!), and to be of service to a wonderful nature conservancy in Central New York by performing for their concert series, which in turn raised much needed funds, and its membership base. All good things to look back on as I transition into another busy 30 days, sure to fly by in a proverbial blink of an eye.

Nickel City Sessions -

Well, on Friday, March 23^rd, the big day of kicking off Nickel City Sessions, my new songwriter’s series finally arrived. Of course, being super organized, and wanting everything to go as smoothly as possible - I was the first performer to arrive at Nickel City Frets, the venue at which the series is held. Owner Mark Buell was there to greet me, and we engaged in small talk between trips to my car to bring in my gear. Most of it centered around a shared, nervous anxiety regarding attendance. I think Mark was more nervous than I, because I have reached a point of little to no expectations. Sometimes, I have found that it’s just best to let things be what they are, and live with the results. That is by no means an endorsement for laziness! That said, I did tell Mark that while I didn’t expect us to have only 5 people in attendance, I also didn’t expect a sold out house either. We landed somewhere in between, with about 25 people in attendance which included a few family members/spouses in addition to paid attendees.

Overall, it was a success in my book for several reasons. 1.) It allowed an opportunity for 4 local songwriters to finally get to not only do a show together, but to also have the opportunity to hear each other perform, and spend some time catching up with each other as friends. If there is one drawback to being a musician, it’s in the fact that we’re all usually working on the same nights, be it locally or on tour, and rare are the occasions that we have the opportunity to get out and support each other. Performing together allowed that. 2.) By virtue of the attendance for its first installment, it’s clear that there is an appreciative audience for this type of show - and this genre of music, in Western New York. In conversation with the other local artists on the bill, it also became evident to me that this type of venue, along with having the opportunity to perform in this type of setting – an intimate, listening room environment – is sorely lacking for many non-touring songwriters in the area.  It is an unfortunate reality that many of us are relegated to performing three sets of covers in a bar or restaurant, or when we do get to perform our original material, it’s in a small coffeehouse, for tips, where a good portion of those in attendance are either students studying in front of their laptop with earbuds in, or people wrapping up an evening out with a post dinner coffee, dessert, and conversation. 3.) At some point during the first Nickel City Sessions, I realized that in addition to providing a listening room opportunity for local and touring artists, there is a greater function of this series, and that is to serve the audience by exposing them to artists they may be unfamiliar with. There is a joy in discovering new music that is not of the mainstream variety, and that is not to be taken lightly, IMHO. And lastly, 4.) This type of series ultimately helps to grow community. Not only between the participating musicians, but in the very act of gathering for these events, it allows audience and performers alike - to meet, and make new friends who share a common interest. To draw people to a venue, makes them aware of not only the venue, but the additional events presented there, and in kind, lends support to a small business/entrepreneur.

Happy Anniversary!

April 1^st marked the one year anniversary of the release of my most recent CD, “A Bright Horizon Line”. It’s kind of hard to believe how quickly those 365 days have passed, but not a one of them has gone by without some thought of gratitude for those who backed the project via my Kickstarter campaign.  It should come as no surprise that I am often asked “what is the favorite album you’ve made?” This question is typically asked at the merch table at one of my shows, when a potential buyer is only able to purchase one of the three titles available, and is looking for my recommendation. I guess like children, they all have a special place, and should be loved equally, because each one acts as a chapter, marking a period of time in my life. And I suppose if listened to in chronological order, as an artist you hope each one reveals to the listener, an indication of even the smallest amount of growth as a songwriter, as a musician, and in the way you look at life and the world we live in. Ask any artist to answer in complete honesty, and in full disclosure – they will most likely pick the most recent work as the favorite in their catalog, because it’s the new toy that hasn’t lost its lustre yet. In the end, regardless of the medium, all one can do is create the best work they can, at that particular point in their life, with whatever material they have available to work with at the time. It is with that in mind, that I know another recording will be in the works in 2019. As for now, I will continue to tour in support of “ABHL”, writing new material, always on the quest to find that better song. In honor of the one year anniversary of “ABHL”, please feel free to listen to the album in its entirety at this link - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_OIw_eQu0ikjwMtM2q86ndAn4vaAtHTE


The survey says! (a call to action)…..   

It’s been a while since I’ve done an online streaming show via Concert Window, but while watching my friend Lousie Mosrie do one recently, well….it got my wheels turning. So…. a few questions – would you be interested in tuning in from the comfort of your living room while I perform in the comfort of mine? If so, what’s a good day, as well as time of day? What would you like my set list to be comprised of? Covers? Newly written, unreleased material? An all request show? What kind of advance time frame do you need? A month’s notice, a couple of weeks? Would it be something that would interest you if I were to do these on a semi-regular basis?

Here’s a few of my thoughts, but I’d really appreciate your feedback!!!

Since I’m off on Sunday, April 22^nd, perhaps a mid-afternoon (3 or 4 pm), one hour concert featuring 5 or 6 newly written songs, plus a few of my favorite cover songs. Pay what you want, with “reward” level tip donations of $15 receiving a choice of any one of the three CD’s  currently in my catalog (if you already own them, they make a lovely gift!), or any tip of $20 or more receiving a choice of a “Davey O.” long sleeved T, or baseball cap. Let me know your thoughts – If you’d like to spend a Sunday afternoon together, this would be a great opportunity for those of you who may have - for one reason or another – been unable to attend one of my shows.

The twisted turns and straightaways…..

In April, I will be hitting the road in earnest, right from the first weekend, sprinkling a handful of home dates in between, and finishing the month smack dab in my own area code. Some new adventures await me, as I will be performing for the first time in the states of Alabama and North Carolina. The ratio of the type of venues I’m performing at this month is also quite pleasing based on the fact that out of the 12 dates on my calendar, 10 of them are at venues where I will be performing my music at listening rooms, coffeehouses, concert clubs, and a healthy dose of house concerts. All told, I’ll be seeing old friends, and making new ones, both near and far, and as it should be - brought together by the gift of music, with hopes that this becomes my new normal….  

Looking forward to warmer days ahead! As always, you can visit my website, www.daveyo.com/tour to view my full calendar, allowing you to plan your schedule accordingly

Wishing you all the best in everything, and always,
Davey O.