Can you believe it's been 6 months?

It's crazy! Six months ago today, I made the decision to become a full-time musician.

Going into it, I was terrified. Being a musician is hard enough, especially in these tough economic times, but going full-time as a "Root's Music Musician" is not exactly a smart move financially! I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep enough work scheduled, but was determined to give it my best attempt. At 40 years old, my chances of being "discovered" (for whatever that's worth!) are quickly drawing to a close, so I knew it was all on me to keep it going and quickly went to work booking as many shows as I could find, which led to a three month house gig at Vanelli's.

The Vanelli's gig help me grow as an artist and also helped the Project grow, both in technique and execution. So many special guest shared the Vanelli's stage with us during this time, forging new friendships and working relationships. The shows also helped us build a larger fan base, with visitors to Tupelo from all over the United States, and even a few from overseas. We had a lot of fun at Vanelli's, made some great music, and met some incredible people. I'm inclined to declare the time successful.

Other shows from the last six months worth mentioning would be the "Don't Be Cruel Barbecue Duel," our trip back to Indianola and 308 Blues Club, and Kudzu's Bar & Grill in Memphis. The BBQ Duel was a lot of fun and I got to hear my friends Scott Chism & The Better Half (twice in one day!) while hanging out with my sons. Indianola was a post all to itself and was fun despite all the crap that was thrown at us. That night was both a Birthday Celebration for our friend Rick Moreland and marked the passing of our long-time friend Tim "The Milkman" Hopkins from his fight with cancer (F#@K Cancer!). Kudzu's marked the first full show with Gavin McGee on bass and my son Elijah Waide on drums. It was also my first show in Memphis in 7 years, and was more fun that I thought it could have been. The show was recorded by Mary Moreland on her iPad 2, so I cut it apart and released it as a free download here. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Going into the next six months (one section at a time!), we already have some great shows lined up, the biggest being the 35th Annual Prairie Arts Festival in Wests Point, MS! I'm working on more shows in the Memphis-area, along with moving south into Columbus, West Point, and Starkville.

And if you'd like to see us come to your area, contact me with Venue Info and I'll see if I can make it happen. This post is running a little long, and I know you've got work to do, so I guess I'm done. :-)

We'll see ya on the road.

Kevin