I came across this shot the other day from our first time playing Berlin (Germany, not New Hampshire). January-ish 2013. Shoutout to Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds for being stellar humans and designing artsy-yet-wearable merch.

I miss just, well, hanging. As a band gets bigger, there’re more barriers between you and the audience. Theaters have a different layout than clubs, and by the time I’ve decompressed for a few minutes, the crowd’s already emptied into the lobby, funneled by venue staff towards the merch booth and (more significantly) the bar. And, I gotta be honest, backstage is sweet. There’s free booze (!), showers with stellar water pressure, gummy candy and a whole lotta well-earned quiet. I've probably already changed into my robe.

But I’m hyper conscious of slipping into tour zombie mode - the same shit every day, leading to homesickness and burnout. It's an insidious deal, but I'm a more wily swine these days. I’m beyond lucky to live the surreal life I do, and getting back into the habit of meeting as many fans as possible feels right. I miss the energy, conversations and perspective.

So, come say hi, I'd love to meet you.