Even though I have unofficially retired from playing live, I will make an exception and join a bunch of old friends for Hootenanny for a Healthy Gulf with Duff Mckagen, Mike McCready & Friends. Since I quit performing, I have played out a couple of times with Stone Gossard. So a precedent has been established: if you play guitar in Pearl Jam and ask me to play a few songs, I’ll be there. In this case, ‘there’ is The Moore Theater in Seattle on 9/2. Go HERE for ticket info. CLICK HERE for a bootleg from the last time I sang at The Moore.

I recently completed the score for the film A Lot Like You. Regular readers of The All Droge News Compendium – ADNC for short – know that I have been working on this project (on and off) for two years. Look for a post on why it took so long on my new blog soon. In the meantime, HERE is one of my favorite cues. Stay tuned for details on a soundtrack album.

Since my last post, four new Amica ads are airing with my music. Two are brand spots with a revamped version of the music from last year. I kept the musical themes in place, but picked up the tempo and changed out most of the instrumentation. View one of the new spots on the WORK page.

I knocked out some fun music for the end of :30 second commercial last week. I signed an NDA, so mum’s the word until it airs.

I licensed two tracks to Middlesex Hospital. ADNC junkies will remember that Middlesex used my song “Going Whichever Way the Wind Blows” in three commercials earlier this year. This time they used an instrumental mix of “Never Learned” and a yet to be released track called “Sketch 16.”

Rob Stroup and The Blame released a new record called “Glass Ceilings.” It features two songs that I co-wrote and four that I co-produced. We cut the basic tracks for these songs at The Puzzle Tree, then Rob finished them at his studio in Portland. I am especially fond of ,”Columbus Day.” (Listen HERE.) Rob and his band play a show to celebrate the release on October 22 with The Minus Five at The Secret Society Lounge in Portland, Oregon.

My old friend Mike Morton has been dropping by The Puzzle Tree now and again to record. I got to play drums on one session and banged on my white 1966 Gibson SG Special on another.

Speaking of making music with my friends, Clay Bartlett will be out later this month to cut some overdubs for his album. The plan is to get me to play keyboards.