Carlson's Corner

It seems like everyone has some sort of holiday tradition. Some people travel to see loved ones (and not so loved ones), some make meals that will yield leftovers for a week. Some people run between relatives, in-laws, out-laws and shuffle their lives between continents. Reading on the WausauBlog , some people's tradition is to spend time completely alone. I'm somewhere in between. My immediate family is relatively small, and we really don't have any elaborate traditions. So last year, I started my own tradition, which is hitting Granite Pea k and skiing (either on x-mas eve or day). For all of those who may be holding off on hitting the hill due to snow conditions, there is no need. The snow is in great shape, although there are limited runs open (think of it as the way it used to be before the 'great expansion'). Both Christmas Eve and Day, the hill has been wide open. The normal weekend crowds are barely existent, although there are sill some big city fol

Last Wednesday night, Brian Miller (drummer extraordinaire who I have been lucky enough to travel the world with (Paris & London) and perform with in the Jim Carlson Trio, Doc Holiday and Cool Hand) and I went to catch a beer. Besides catching up, shooting the breeze and talking about our past, current and future musical, personal and travel endeavors; we stumbled across something quietly new --- there is an open mic on Wednesday nights at Scott Street Steak and Pub. Who would have figured? So now, there are TWO downtown open mics in downtown Wausau (everyone knows about the Intermission one). So music cats, you can walk 4 blocks and play twice in one night. And I've heard the PI is also joining the circus with a Thursday night open mic. With the Glass Hat on Sunday, there seems to be a bit of an open mic boom in the Wausau area. Friday night, Will Heisler lit up Nitzy 9's. If you have not been there, go. The atmosphere is super relaxed, comfortable furniture, great ser

The last two shows in active support of the "Out of Fashion" CD went well. On Friday December 1st, Will and I played; on the 8 th I performed solo (both at Mickey's). Although both shows featured some new material, my solo show started with 45 min of new, rare, and barely performed numbers. I have to admit, some went well, and I struggled on others. To be perfectly honest, I love the rush of having to think through a song....pure adrenaline. On some levels, my stepping back is a 'long overdue' summer vacation. As much as I looked forward to taking time off, I am also looking forward to performing in the future. I can not stress enough, I'm taking a break -- I'm not retiring. Creatively , I have a lot of new ideas and song fragments. The earliest I plan to record will be 2007, as I will take the rest of December to 'normalize' (whatever that becomes). Last Saturday, I finally saw the band Down The Line . One of the singers is originally from

Much ado about nothing. My intention was to quietly take a break from performing, but as many of you are aware, today's City Pages printed a nice little write up encouraging people to catch my 'last' couple of shows. For much of my life, performing music has been part of who I am. I've been fortunate enough to perform original songs as well as the cover songs that mean something to me, fully understanding that this path would be more difficult than becoming a 'human jukebox'. Surprisingly, despite conventional wisdom, this approach proved to be successful. Performing has been a tremendous experience. I've played locally, and ventured both out of state and internationally with my music. Not too bad for a singer songwriter from Wausau , Wisconsin. So, naturally, with the news of my "break," people are asking me why I'm taking time off. In the four years since " Out of Fashion " was released, my performance schedule intensified. Wh

Hello from London. Nothing went as planned. I forgot my directions, picks, CD's and business cards at the hotel by Paddington Station. Camden is North of London, and by the time I realized that I was without my stuff, there was no turning back. Thank goodness there was cheap internet service in Camden, and within a few minutes of arriving at the Tube station, things started making sense again. Camden is a town with a large punk/goth/rock/alternative scene. The place was happening, as the locals (and tourists) checked out Camden Market, the local shops (tattoos, piercings, leather goods, music...) and the locks. The Green Note itself is a small ( vegetarian ) bar about two blocks from the tube station. I signed up early (Then stepped out to take in the sights). By the time I arrived back at the Green Note, the lead off act was on. I was the first 'open mic' guest, and thanks to a generous table mate, I had found a loner guitar to perform with. The performance went

I'm near Paddington Station in London as I type this blog. I have purchased 1/2 hour of internet time for about 2 USD , and have less than 10 min to create this entry..... Tomorrow , I will play an open mic at the The Green Note Pub in Camden. I discovered this gig through one of my myspace friends named Steph (Go ahead and check out her site at http://www.myspace.com/stephandshwepp ). I am excited and somewhat nervous to play, as I do not know the format of the event (number of songs or time slots), nor do I know the way my music will be received. That is part of the fun. I have great night shots of London and will post some at JimCarlsonMusicDotCom and Myspace when I get back. Cheers from overseas! Jim

As many of you are aware, I am wrapping up my live performance schedule soon. After four years of giging to support the "Out of Fashion" CD, I'm taking a little break. My blog will discuss my musical endeavors, thoughts on current issues, cover the places I go and the people I meet. I will discuss my career as a singer songwriter in Central Wisconsin. As my sophomore CD "Further Out" continues to be recorded, you'll get the updates here. Over time, I will share my philosophy on gigging, owning an independent record company, web marketing, gig marketing and getting along with band members and club owners. Think of this as the ramblings of a musician who has been able to get away with out playing traditional cover tunes, but playing the music I actually enjoy.