Hey, have a really special Wednesday today.

Yeah, I know. It's just the middle day of the work week. But, we can do something to make this day special.... different. I have a couple of suggestions. I'll get to them later.

I also have a feeling that this weekend, Saturday is gonna be the day to head to Central Park for another afternoon of music. (The Weather Channel is saying Sunday's gonna be the better day. But, I have a feeling the rain will move in by Sunday.)

So, maybe I'll see you this weekend.... one mo'time. Maybe Saturday. Maybe Sunday.

"The Hill" in Central Park

Just wanna say again... thank you for an amazing summer. I'm a lucky, lucky man. There was a time when I was not very happy waking up every day. Now, I wake up every morning and wonder, "Man! What's today gonna be about!?"

Even though there is very real pain and sorrow that sometimes comes with living a full and rich life, there is always a river of joy and excitement that runs just beneath it when you are living the life you know you're meant to be living... and, doing what you know you're meant to be doing with every day. I'm a singer/songwriter... and, a writer... and a grateful, grateful man. And, y'know? These days, when I'm in a room by myself...

I like the company.

(Just wanted to sit down and write that today.)

I also love giving things away. (Makes James Marino, some of my good friends and some of my colleagues a little crazy sometimes! Part of this whole thing is that I'm suppose to be making a living doing this!) But, I made a really rough demo of a new song that I wrote specifically for Jim Caruso's monday night "Cast Party". If I record a final for a new CD I'll hafta tweak the lyrics a little. But, I thought you guys might get a kick out of it. It's another song that I have to sing "in character" because I am not a country artist by any means. But, it's fun. It's tentatively called...

"A different COWBOY'S LAMENT"

Click on that link (the title) and it's yours!

James created the link. Y'know, I hafta say this again... James Marino built and essentially hosts this website. And, as busy as he is, he creates links like that and does all the computer stuff that I don't know how to do. He's a great friend and a great colleague. One of these days, I hope I can repay him for all he does around here.

And, listen... there are lots and lots of people who visit here from across the country and around the world. And, I'm still getting requests for the tune "JesusLand". So, again... click on the link below and it's yours for free. Pass it around to your friends if you want.

In America... satire is Protected Speech (Even from those who don't get it!)

Okay, so what do you want to do to make this day special. Well, for one thing you can make sure you get your tickets to the "Year-End Holiday Concert" at Merkin Hall today. It truly is a wonderful way to send the year out the door. We have a really good, good time at this gig every year. If you've never been to one, come this year, okay? You can call the box office today!

212-501-3330

Box Office Hours:
Sunday - Thursday: 12-7pm
Fridays: 12-3pm

Merkin Hall in December

If you ever have been to one of these, you know what a blast we have. that concert hall fills up wwith that "It's Just Us" feeling. So, start getting your friends together now. Seriously... try to get tickets this week. The gig is only 5 weeks away and there's only 450 seats in Merkin. (We've sold it out several times in the past.) And, the tickets are back down to $20 for all seats. So, the box office to make sure you get the seats you want, okay? Like I said, it's only about 5 weeks away.

Box office: 212-501-3330

Box Office Hours:
Sunday - Thursday: 12-7pm
Fridays: 12-3pm

And, if you wanna make this day reeeealllly special, you can help make this world a better place. (Yes.... you actually can do that today, too.) Please, please, please click on this logo...

...to find out how you can help, besides buying tickets to a wonderful and worthwhile event. The VOICES TOGETHER concert is about ordinary peple like you and me making a difference rather than talking about changing the world. The theme of this effort is...

Ordinary people... helping ordinary people.

This concert is about helping the innocent civilians caught in the nightmare that is the war in Iraq.

And, so... as I do every day now, I wanna tell all the newcomers about this concert that we're doing' at Symphony Space here in New York City on January 28th.... what we're doing and why we're doing it. (Click on that logo up there to visit the Voices Website,okay?)

We... my friends and I... a bunch of ordinary people, refuse to ignore the carnage that is ravaging the Iraqi people... today... now... since the U.S. invasion.

And, there is a remarkable group of people who work out of Michigan, but have many people on the ground in Iraq... helping the families of those being killed and those civilians who are being hurt so badly. the organzation is called LIFE. There is also a woman we've found named Elissa Montanti, an otherwise ordinary New York woman, who has made 4 trips into Iraq to get people and bring them here to the States for the medical help they cannot get in that war-torn part of the world. She is an angel... a true hero. We want to help her do the work she has chosen to do in any way we can. Therefore, VOICES TOGETHER Concert.

She has done amazing things already for so many... but, everyday there is much, much more to do. And, she's going back to Iraq TOMORROW!

Here's the lineup of artists who are gonna join me on stage so far.

Christine Lavin
Roger Bartlett (My pal, "Dodger")
Sam Leopold
George Wurzbach

The list is growing. And, we're hoping for some really amazing surprise guests. You can get tickets for this event right now, today, by going to the Peter Norton SYMPHONY SPACE website.

BUT! We also have a very limited number of VIP tickets available. But, if you want to order those and be invited to the reception after the show, you have to contact the Voices Together Group at:

Get VIP Tickets

The VIP section will get all kinds of goodies, and the artists will all hang out at the reception after the gig.

If you wanna help in another really extraordinary way, you can make a donation, right online, and become one of the "producers" of this concert. Really! You will be a concert producer! It's gonna be a special event that you are really gonna feel great being a part of.

Hey, to find out more about Elissa Montanti and the work she's doing, visit the Global Medical Relief Fund website. She's the main reason we started the whole thing.

And, oh... listen! If you're new here! Why don't you register in the new "Forum" (message board) while it's still there and jump in there to hang out with people from all over!

MAKE TODAY A SPECIAL DAY... OKAY?

I'll see you soon.

Thanks for everything.