Blog Posts

The granite buildings of Omaha were glowing orange in the sunset. Smitty, Mike, Jason and I were racing to The Sokol Underground for my opening set. “I’ve never seen so many radio towers,” I said. “Broadcasting so little,” Jason said. The Nadas spend plenty of time transversing the highways and byways of Middle America. It’s…

In fifteen years of making records, I don’t think I’ve ever really had a plan. I’ve made more than a dozen records with a handful of great producers, but I don’t think we ever possessed a clear vision of the process or the outcome when we started recording. Sometimes it works (“Love & Other Indoor…

If I injure my back on tour, can I write of the massage come tax time? Who knew rocknroll could be so dangerous? Last Friday night — actually, it was Saturday morning — I was lending The Nadas a hand in their load out of Sokol Underground in Omaha, Nebraska. It was a fabulous night.…

As far as my mother is concerned, I am finally a bona fide success. The Nadas are midway through the second set of their third night at the Iowa State Fair. The Anderson Erickson Amphitheater is jam-packed. Josh Davis and I are pacing backstage, sharing a water to sober up. He’s fiddling with his hair.…

The skyline is cast in a hazy, orange glow as I wrap up my day high above New York City. I call Chris and Jen to see if I can visit. Ethan answers the phone. “Hiiiii!” “Hi Ethan! It’s Uncle Benjamin.” “Ben-ba-ben!” “Ask Mommy if I can come over. Can you save ‘come over?'” “Come…

I’m back. I mean, I know you know I’m back in New York City. What I mean is that I’m back. It took a minute, but I’ve got a groove. I’m walking fast, talking fast, and generally moving at a blur-inducing rate. Is this a good thing? Probably not. But it beats feeling stranded at…