dann russo: Blog

he he I love these morning shows - coffee and Guinness next to the mic stand, whole day in front of me...fun, relaxed, awesome shows - thank you @Lisa Hughes for hosting me and thank YOU all who listened from FB

here's the list:

1. Dreaming Without You
2. Don't Say That
3. Going Down (Bruce Springsteen cover)
4. No Pain
5. Her Majesty Cry
6. Ulysses
7. Black Sails
8. Capture My Heart
9. No Surrender (Bruce Springsteen cover)
10. It Seems Just Like a Dream (What a Day)
11. Waiting For the Dawn
12. "I FLY" (it's a brand new song and I'm not totally sure what the title is yet lol)

so it occurred to me that I promised set lists of all my shows and I have been sorely forgetful of putting them up, so as a St. Patrick's Day resolution (I know, a week early) I vow to post set lists as soon as I can remember them :-P

Tuesday March 9th - RL Show @ McGann's (Boston)
1. Dreaming Without You
2. Good Morning, Chelsea
3. Parking Lot Kings
4. It Seemed Just Like a Dream (What a Day)
5. Wanted Dead or Alive (yes, the Bon Jovi song)
6. No Pain

Wednesday March 10th - SL Show @ Bay Vista (SL)
1. Fortunes, Forecasts & Lucky Charms
2. Good Morning, Chelsea
3. The Scientist (Coldplay cover)
4. Dreaming Without You
5. Waiting For The Dawn
6. Para Que No Tengas Sed
7. Parking Lot Kings
8. Greensleeves
9. Desire (U2 cover)
10. Year
11. Plain Jane
12. Did You Ever Have
13. Capture My Heart.

thank you all for listening

peace,
Dann

...besides the ability to go for hours and days on almost no sleep (yes, I'm writing this at 5am my time after having been awake for the past two hours - his big sister slept a lot more when she was this age) and there are plenty of things I can teach him but there are a few things I can learn from him, I think -
1. ask for help when you need it.
He's 9 months old, so can't do a heck of a lot by himself, yet. But he can try. He can pull himself to a kneeling position in front of a chair and with his big gray eyes and a huge smile look your way so you can sit him on the chair or just pick him up.
Here are my big brownish/hazelly eyes and huge smile :-D (see, a huge smile!) I can't do everything myself, although sometimes I try.
But what I can do is ask if you know anyone who would like to play guitar or bass with me at a show in April - let me know!
I also need some with a video camera to film me playing some songs - my YouTube page is sadly empty - just let me know!
and if anyone has a [...]

to celebrate (can you "celebrate" Ash Wednesday?) I was inspired by the TS Eliot poem Ash Wednesday and this is what I can up with (borrowing the first verse from Mr Eliot, natch)

Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Even among the rocks
Our peace in His will
And even among the rocks
Sister Mother Spirit of the River
Spirit of the Sea
Let my cry come to Thee

Won’t you hear me
Won’t you listen to me
Won’t you hear me now
Won’t you meet me
And open up the gate
Won’t you show me how

Teach me to know and not to know
Teach me to be found
Everywhere I get to go
Every road and every town
Let me be the outward sign
Of whatever grace I own
Let me never be resigned
Far away or here at home

Won’t you hear me
Won’t you listen to me
Won’t you hear me now
Won’t you meet me
And open up the gate
Won’t you show me how

It was snowy and the same time not
As I walked the aisle
100 people in front of me
Heads bowed just like mine
And the kids brushed it away
Like [...]

so it occurred to me, as encouraged by one of the managers at TCAN, that I didn't have a rider...

so here it is - things I MUST have to be able to play a show:

besides the usual cables, cords, inputs...

1 (one) straight mic stand
1 (one) Direct Input (DI) for the acoustic guitar
band set-up

but, more importantly, back stage...

1 (one) bottle Maker's Mark bourbon
4 (four) bottles Manhattan Special espresso soda
4 (four) bottles water - must be Poland Springs or Aquafina. NO DASANI
1 (one) bottle Johnnie Walker Black
1 (one) bottle 2005 Liliano Chianti
Boar's Head Deli platter - Roast beef, ham, smoked turkey
4 (four) Rolling Rock bar bottles in ice in a bucket on stage next to the drum set
towels - venue must provide three Williams-Sonoma "bar towels" or three Guinness or St. Andrew's Golf Course golf towels or reasonable replacement thereof for each performer
Piano - must be tuned "day of" and cleaned off with Huggies "sensitive" baby wipes
no plastic cups or glasses at all - all cups [...]