with the exception of a very brief 20 minutes on christmas morning, i have not played one lick of music since the last note of my last performance, november 17, 2021 on stage at the dear alberta rose in portland OR. i have not spent a moment at the piano. nor have i reached for a guitar. to be honest, it feels amazing, and i have not missed my own music for single moment.
however, i have not been entirely creatively silent. i have been making up songs for my dog, carl richard marx. one of which i have sung for you here in my first foray utilizing substack’s multi-media capabilities.
do you want an antler?
would you eat a fox?
who’s my little wolf pup?
he’s carl richard marx
carl richard marx is
a man without his balls*
still he wants to see the
bourgeoisie fall
down with the bourgeoisie!
down with the bourgeoisie!
do you want a pant leg?
would you eat a sock?
who’s my little wolf pup?
he’s carl richard marx
*not entirely accurate. carl will lose his balls in late may 2022
i also have songs about his other favorite toys - a stuffed corn (gra-a-a-in subsidies for the pe-e-e-ople!) and a strange red circular corduroy thing with ropes coming off it (red spider needs catching, wah-ho wah-ho, which is kind of a work song / sea shanty).
but besides these little diversions, i have been in hibernation. that’s appropriate for this time of year, yes? and appropriate in the aftermath of the epic creation and release cycle (psych-cle??) of KISS OFF KISS. thankfully, i’m not worried about whether i will ever create again. i know i will. and i am enjoying the open-ness and lack of pressure around what shape that will take. if and when. if and when.
however, i can feel little stirrings in my subconscious. i have started having regular “showbiz” dreams again. in them, i usually am performing somehow: on a tv show, in a nightclub, on a vaudeville stage, though never as a singer-songwriter. it’s always as an emcee, actor or musical theater person. curious, no? if anyone wants to offer me a job doing any of these things, my email is erin@erinmckeown.com. i’m serious!!
i also was at a friend’s house recently and saw this book of solo piano songs by one of my favorite composers, dustin o’halloran. he created the theme to “transparent” among other things, and his episode of the podcast “song exploder” about how he wrote that piece of music is amazing. anyway! i ordered the book. it arrives later this week, just in time to coincide with me starting violin lessons with my neighbor. someone gave me a violin in high school (awesomely containing a dried snake rattle in the old time tradition), and i have toted it around with me ever since. why not, right? everyone tells me that violin is absurdly hard, and i am looking forward to being terrible at it.
to wrap up this month, i might suggest if you’re someplace cold, that you dig a bit under your personal snow and see what little shoots are rising and might need tending. i’m telling you, these little specks of green are getting me through an otherwise onerous time, the joys of carl richard marx not withstanding. in new england, we like to suffer to make our summers “worth it”, but no one has to be a martyr ha ha. unless that’s your bag!
x erin
ps - i know you want the #carlcontent. he is 4 months old and HUGE, 25+ lbs already.
here he is with his friend georgie, competing in the activity known as ROPE
here he is giving his #dogdaddy lower back problems
and here are his delicious red eyelashes
¡ME GUSTA! : SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS
GO BENGALS!! i have been enjoying them all season and have always had a soft spot for their helmets. i think they’re the coolest in the NFL by far. if you’re interested in a nostalgia trip, i did an episode of Cabin Fever in 2011 for the Steelers/Green Bay Superb Owl. fun and wierd songs about sports with special guests.
here is a gorgeous array of fox faces.
this may be slightly niche, but it could suddenly be very relevant to your life, especially after last weekend: the history of the snowplow.
a cool exploration into the origin and development of the compositional soundtrack element “the sting”. otherwise known as the dun-dun-dun.
a biography of screen legend marlene dietrich written by her daughter, maria riva. if your personal venn diagram includes old hollywood, alcoholism, mothers, gossip, and queerness, you will agree with me this is one of the best books ever. may i recommend the audiobook??
a fantastic documentary about a young girl’s journey through nazi germany to find her parents. it’s got wolves! honestly, i can’t tell you any more without spoiling it. just watch.
2022 IN-PERSON SHOWS
April 30 - Portland OR
appearing as The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
May 1 - Seattle WA
appearing as The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
830PM 530PM
May 2 - San Francisco CA
appearing as The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
May 4 - Highland Park CA
appearing as The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
May 5 - San Diego CA
appearing as The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
May 6 - Phoenix AZ
appearing as The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
May 7 - Santa Fe NM
appearing as The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
May 9 - Boulder CO
appearing as The Weather with Welcome To Night Vale
TICKETS
***
Feb 11 - 27 - Merced CA
Miss You Like Hell at Playhouse Merced
TICKETS
Feb 24 - 27 - Allentown PA
Miss You Like Hell at Muhlenberg College
TICKETS
Jun 1 - Jul 17 - Fayetteville AR
Miss You Like Hell at Theatre Squared
TICKETS
Jun 3 - Fayetteville AR
Erin will be performing in-person to celebrate the opening night of this production
stay tuned for tickets & info
If you have further questions or concerns about COVID protocols, please contact the venues directly.
Reminder, Erin does not appear in productions of Miss You Like Hell
hibernation station