The more you sense the rareness and value of your own life, the more you realize that how you use it, how you manifest it, is all your responsibility. We face such a big task, so naturally we sit down for a while.
– Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi (1938-2002)
from the Upaya newsletter
Received a food processor last week – cut everything by hand before. Also received some walnuts from another friend’s tree. Found arugula and parmeggiano in my fridge. Thus had to make pasta with pesto for lunch today… a arugula-walnut-pesto.
EcoVelo » Blog Archive » U.S News on Bike Commuting
If you weren’t already convinced bike commuting has gone mainstream, U.S. News and World Report lists riding your bike to work as one of the top “50 Ways to Improve Your Life” in 2009. I couldn’t agree more.
I want to respond to questions regarding the two cancelled December concerts, the Benise Cruise and the Star Center in Rio Rancho.
Benise’s people never sent the required deposit and when contacted they said they wanted to lower the offer, because they in turn had accepted a lower offer from the cruise line. We declined the new offer. Sadly it appears they continued to tell fans that we were on the ticket even after our performance was cancelled and some fans are still waiting for their refunds…
The Star Center show was cancelled by the Mayor of Rio Rancho because of problems with the building. My agent was assured that every single ticket holder would be telephoned or emailed and informed of the cancellation. That apparently did not happen and I am finding out that fans arrived at the Star Center on the evening of the performance, in some case after driving for hours or flying in from other states.
Even though “they” messed up I am aware that all of the goodwill we earned in two decades of touring can evaporate like that (((snaps fingers))) – and I am not sure what I can do… I realize that saying it’s not my fault won’t make it better. I can tell you that “my people”, from agent to manager and including myself did everything we could. We scrambled to cancel flights and hotel rooms, and we paid the musicians even though the gig got cancelled. Jon spent many hours writing new horn charts for the XL band and I felt terrible having to tell him the gig wasn’t happening. Maybe we’ll just have to bring the XL band back for a few gigs next year, ’cause damn, the arrangements Jon came up with were GREAT!
In closing let me say this: every once in a while we come up against a promoter who acts incompetently. Every musician has lots of stories about those experiences. It’s just bad luck that we recently encountered two in a row.
