Whew.
My first trip outside of the US to perform has come and gone. In some ways it felt like I was there for a month. But when the last performance was finished, it felt like it had all passed in a blur.
I was continually overwhelmed by the reception of the crowd. Everyone was very kind and welcoming! And I was blown away by how intently they listened to the lyrics. I put a lot of work into them, and to have people so far from home (who are not generally native English speakers) find the subtle humor and sadness that lies beneath the surface was amazing.
I tried to make each night a little special; I played some of the most popular songs in every performance, but I also included a couple of different unrecorded songs in each show, and a different cover tune I love near the end. I did make some mistakes as well, but I learned some things that I need to focus on going forward.
One of the biggest takeaways is the feeling of validation. The encouragement I received really made me feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. My path has certainly been unconventional, but maybe it's taking me to where I'm supposed to be after all.
I am grateful to everyone who helped me in any way, from those who came to see me play, everyone who opened the shows (they were all fantastic!), anyone who bought a record, those who shook my hand and introduced themselves, those who bought me a beer (or offered to), showed me around, gave me directions, helped me order food (dang food allergies), recognized me in public and said hello, and anything else I'm forgetting...
The Netherlands is a beautiful, and in my experience welcoming country. I got to see some amazing sights, and I certainly hope to get to see more in the future.
We are already discussing what comes next... There is certainly mutual interest in planning another trip and concerts, but that will have to wait a little while. In the meantime, there is a lot more music to work on. There are live recordings of each night's performance. We are sifting through those to see if there's anything that might be worth sharing with all of you in some format. And in an unexpected and extremely fortunate turn of events, when my flight home was delayed by a full day I had the opportunity to record a live video session for a YouTube channel called the Influences, in which I got to play two songs that have influenced me and then one of my own. I'm excited to see how they turn out.
And I'm planning what will likely be album number 3. I have a pretty good idea of what is going to be on it, but it'll need some tuning up before I try to put that plan in motion.
And I need to work on booking some shows in the local-ish area. There's one in the works in Champaign, IL, but no date set yet.
Thank you again to every one of you. I'll make sure to keep you informed with what's happening next!
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