Carlson's Corner

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