HOW TO LOSE SUBSCRIBERS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE:
Lower your subscription price? I guess? Anyway…
Thought I’d dip in for a quick Undertow because the rest of my week is going to be a little nuts and the thought of all of you out there alone and cold without a nice warm Undertow to keep you company made me sad. So here you go.
GIG SCHEDULE OF THE (NEXT FEW) WEEK(S): All gigs are Terry & Jerry unless otherwise indicated.
5/10: Jersey Girl, 530-930.
5/11: Anglesea Pub, Billy Joel Night with The Strangers, 8-12.
5/12: Beach Shack at Rusty Nail, 5-9.
5/17: Jersey Girl, 530-930 (Terry & Dave).
5/18: Anglesea Pub, 8-1130.
5/23: Owen’s Pub, 8-11.
5/24: Jersey Girl, 530-930.
5/25: Anglesea Pub, 8-1130.
5/26: Beach Shack at Rusty Nail, 5-9.
5/31: Sirens, 5-9.
6/1: Jersey Girl, 530-930.
And so on…
20 gigs between now and June 1st! I believe at some point in there I’ll be able to go food shopping!
Due to to various legal complexities I cannot get into here (because I don’t understand them) I am unable to say TOO much about what I see at my day job at Cape Regional, but as one of only a handful supply clerks I can tell you it’s, uh, it’s been a big week for enemas.
Speaking of my day job (SEGUE!), it took me from January 4th, 2023 to May 5th, 2024 to figure out how our elevator door buttons work. It’s things like this that keep me humble.
GUT-WRENCHING DECISION OF THE WEEK:
I’m going to do the Vaguebook thing here (you know what Vaguebook is, when somone posts something like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening to me! Please respect my privacy at this difficult time…” then never says what the fuck is going on) but over a whilrwind 36 hours between Sunday morning and Monday night of this week, I was presented with a possible (probable) job opportunity that would have meant more money, fewer hours, potential future growth and kept me connected to music and the public eye, but would have meant walking away on very (very) very short notice from 90% of my gigs and letting down a lot of people I’ve worked very hard not to let down. Excruciating. It was an excruciating decision. But I’ll be able to sleep at night knowing I made the right, or at least ethical, decision. I will also be able to sleep at night because it will be very dark because my power will be turned off.
Fortunately, the person offering the possible (probable) job completely understood my position, is 0% upset about it, and says maybe we can revisit in the fall depending on how things go. Which is why I expect that meteor to hit aaaaaaaaany second now… (sorry, I’m in a bit of a dark mood…)
NOT QUITE AS GUT-WRENCHING DECISION OF THE WEEK:
As you know, because I’m rich (Goddammit… I promise I won’t bitch about money anymore this week or ever), I left my previous 2nd job at Cape Square for reasons too borinbg to get into but it was a righteous resignation. Ever since I’ve been putting feelers out for other 2nd gigs and may have just landed one at… (drum roll please)… ANGLESEA PUB! Owner (and long time friend Sean MacMullan, has a new deck bar opening soon and is going to need servers and bartenders, of which I shall be one or the other. I’ve never bartended before, but a lot of dumb people bartend, so I should be able to pick it up (CLIP AND SAVE THIS PARAGRAPH FOR LATER HEARTY MOCKING OF FAILED LAME-ASS BARTENDER TERRY O’BRIEN). But seriously, I look forward to the opportunity to get in there and get my hands dirty in all that filthy, filthy cash… (Thanks, Sean!)
DIET OF THE WEEK:
(I forgot all about the cool headline modes like the one above I could have been usning all this time…) This is NOT a complaint about money, just a way of highlighting how a, uh, scarcity of readily available funds can alter one’s view on eating. In other words, all the stuff I used Bored Eat (stuff I’d eat when I was bored, not when I was really hungry) now requires a 2nd or 3rd thought before wolfing down. Turns out, being more thoughtful about what you eat can help you make better eating decisions. I’M THE FIRST ONE IN THE UNIVERSE TO DISCOVER THIS! And instead of filling up a tray at the hospital cafeteria every day for lunch, I pack a sandwich and a diet soda and manage to survive the day. But what was my point? Oh yeah… as much as I don’t want this column to become all about my weight as previous versions have, eating sensibly the last few weeks has allowed me to hit my 2024 low (227.5 lbs.) which is as “light” as I’ve been since 2020 before regulating back to right around 230 the last couple days. My goal is 225 by Billy Joel Night!
I flipped on 101.5 WCFA the other morning on the way to work (at the unholy hour of 530am) and heard a live version of Jame’s Taylor’s fantastic “Line ‘Em Up” when I thought, man, I really do sound like James Taylor and, of course, it turned out to be Terry & Jerry (with Cathrine) from a show we recordced with Annie Walsh in 2022. It’s things like this that make it hard to be humble…
SONG OF THE WEEK:
I am very slowly (quickly) falling in love with Rilo Kiley/ Jennifer Lewis. Many, many excellent songs.
SONG OF THE WEEK II:
(Sorry, now that I’ve rediscovered those headline settings I can’t stop…)
Who knew that mild-mannered Billy Ocean, of Caribbean Queen fame, had a banger like this in him?
I was ALL READY to write a humble bit about the New York Knicks and how they out-fought and out-hustled the 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, then they got TWO EGRIGIOUSLY RIDICULOUS HOME COOKING FOUL CALLS THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THE DALLAS COWBOYS BLUSH. Fuck the Knicks.
Til next time, don’t get caught in The Undertow.
Life is a soap opera… I just can’t some days..sigh.
Better times are coming ..
See you Saturday🎶
I understand.
It was the only choice you could make though.
It doesn’t make it easy but it does speak of your character…. If you don’t have that, you don’t have much. Your reputation is everything.
I’m sure that the person that made the offer
Was impressed with your integrity…and knows that you would be the same with him.
I’m Praying that it works out when you are free…