Nothin’ All Day
Lisa, Dave and I recently decided to increase our practices to twice per week for the time being. We have quite a few shows coming up and are looking forward to trying out some new material.
Tonight was a very good rehearsal. About halfway through the evening, I played a new song idea I came up with last night. I haven’t really written any songs of late and was sitting around trying to think of something (to no avail). Eventually I realized I was trying too hard and started thinking about “thinking about nothing” instead. Nothin’ All Day was born. I got a chorus idea and a couple of verse ideas out of that session last night.
It was a pleasant surprise when we started working on it tonight near the end of the practice again and we began to add lyrics and set the arrangement. By the time we finished, we had completed a few verses and had ideas for the rest.
After Dave and Lisa left for the night, I did some playing with it and finished the lyrics. I’m happy to say that many of the ideas we had as a group made it into the finished version. This constitutes the first time we worked on a song together. Another milestone in the Arlington Station story. Hopefully there will be many more songs in the future for us as a group.
Anyway, here’s the chorus as it sits now. Hopefully we’ll play this new one out soon!
John
I’m gonna think about nothin’ all day
And while away some time
It don’t matter what people say
I know the sun will shine
Tomorrow I’ll see it in a different way
But for now I’m thinkin’ ’bout nothin’ today
“Do You Know What the Speed Limit Is, Sir?”
Tonight was a great show downriver at the East River Folk Society open mic. I’ve performed there a few times as a solo act, but this was the first time with Dave and Lisa as Arlington Station. Made it even more special tonight to have a lot of family there supporting us. Thanks for coming out guys. Means a lot!
After checking our straps (sorry, inside, I know), we started off with Lovin’ Arms by the Dixie Chicks. Perhaps I should back up a bit. Prior to our taking the stage, we all met in a little chapel upstairs to make sure we were in tune and on the same page (“nice to be witcha… hope I’m witcha all night”). Turns out I probably should’ve blown on my harmonica at least once before going on. Yup. Somehow I had grabbed the G harp when I needed the A harp. Oops! So a few bars in on Lovin’ Arms, I realized that I was hit. We managed, aside from a few confused looks from Dave and Lisa.
Second up was Hiding My Heart, a Brandi Carlile tune. No problems with that one! We finished up with I’m With the Band by Little Big Town. We seemed to nail that one.
Rachel Anne and Jenni took the stage after us and did a great job on Jezebel by Iron & Wine and a song called Baby I by Amy Millan.
Ok, so about the post title…
We all decided to order some pizza and meet back at our place. So…. I’m going down Fort St. and BAM. Lights. Yup. Apparently I was going a touch too fast. The reason I was going a touch too fast became apparent when the nice officer asked me if I knew the speed limit. “Um… 40-45?” I replied. “No sir, it’s 35.”
Ouch.
Fortunately, I had caught said officer on a good night and he let me off with “impeding traffic”. No points. Yessssss!
Got home, had a bunch of pizza and called it a night. See you all in Plymouth in a couple weeks. I’ll be sure to leave early so I don’t get tempted to drive too fast!
John
