Merry Christmas Baby

Five strands of 100 count clear indoor/outdoor mini lights. Twenty-five white baloons. Nine glittering snowflakes. And a beer.

In just fourteen hours or so I’ll pick up the first run of “A Family Holiday” CDs. A few hours later, the first of twelve performances will take the stage at The Delancey.

It’s been a long road.

The idea for this benefit album first occurred to me late last year. I first floated it to other musicians this summer. We recorded “Do They Know It’s Christmas” in September. Since then, I’ve been booking, mastering, pitching, and coordinating non-stop (well, excepting my honeymoon). Frankly, it’s been a bit of a hassle. And it’s definately cost more time and money than I’d planned.

My goal was to make good on deep and simple. To build community and contribute to charity. We’re good on one, and halfway to the other. I wanted to bring a group of strangers together to make something bigger than all of us. Standing at rehearsal with Chris,, Tony, Jamie Alegre and John from Flying Machines Sunday night, I thought, ‘Mission accomplished.’

New ideas have come tome in the oddest places. Like the shower, where it occured to me we could incentivise CD sales with a raffle. And so tonight’s audience can win one of the following:

A South Park Christmas
It’s A Wonderful Life
826 merch
Every performer’s CD

I think we’re going to give everything away during my last song, a cover of Springsteen’s “Merry Christmas Baby.” Oh, and Chris is going to shoot everything for the doc.

Truth is, I’m too tired to type. And given how long the rest of my day’s gonna be, I should probably just throw in the towel.

So if you’ve made it this far, consider buying the record here, or downloading it here. Proceeds will benefit 826NYC where, incidently, Chris and I will be shooting next week.

It all comes around, huh?