Free Fallin’

When I walked in from an hour-long MTV Overdrive programming meeting, everything was lit up like a Christmas tree: my office phone, my cell phone, my email inbox, my Blackberry, my AIM. Something was awry.

Wes got to me first via AIM. “Your show with Casey is cancelled.” I checked my email. Deena had written at 5:05. In all caps.

KENNY OVER AT THE BITTER END CALLED ME A SECOND AGO TO TO LET ME KNOW THAT A SHOOT THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON THERE TODAY IS GOING WAY OVER. HE HAS TO CANCEL THIS EVENING’S SHOW.

I instant messaged Casey. “Bonus! Night off, dude!”

I instant messaged Rachel and Heather. “Show’s cancelled. Free night!”

I’m obviously sorry if you found yourself at The Bitter End last night wondering what the heck happened to the Casey Shea, Michelle Albano, Alison Breitman, and Benjamin Wagner show you thought you were going to see. Now you know why. And now I’ll tell you why I wasn’t even just a little bit bummed out.

I needed the night off. I’ve been running since, I dunno’, Easter. L.A., gig, Mother’s Day, work, rehearsal, work, gig, work, half marathon, rehearsal, gig … you get the idea. Bad planning on my part. And I was only playing three songs anyway. Not that I wasn’t looking forward to playing those three songs (“Summer’s Gone,” “Radio,” and “Dear Elizabeth”), and to singing along (and playing egg!) with Casey, and meeting Michelle and Alison. But man, I needed the night off. I needed to sit on the deck and read a magazine. I needed to sit on the couch and watch TV. I needed to go to bed and get a solid eight hours.

Still, I wish you’d called! You could have come over and watched season two of Chappelle’s Show, and eaten Chinese food, and finished the whole thing off with a bowl of Breyer’s. Well, next time maybe. Next time.