Getting Gritty: East Coast MicroTour

41/9 & 1/10 – The Florida International Toy Piano Festival, Tampa
1/11 – The Space Station, Orlando
1/12 – The Sentient Bean, Savannah
1/13 – Barrelhouse South, Savannah
1/14 – The Earl, Atlanta
1/15 – Tommy’s Pub, Charlotte
1/17 – The Electric Maid, DC

When people find out I’m on tour, almost universally the response is fawning over how charmed my life must be. Truthfully though, touring is an equally galvanizing and depleting lifestyle. You’re always wringing yourself out. I’m incredibly grateful to have made so many friends and to have given myself a sustainable platform to see the world and bring my music into wider ranges of exposure, but I’m also gripped by the instability of many unknowns coalescing at once. Sometimes the outcome is magical and sometimes it’s a whirlwind that leaves me chronically exhausted and anxious. I don’t do this for the *glamour* of riding a bus to a different city every day. I do it out of a persistent longing to express myself. I do it because these songs are how I sort myself out and I’ll go anywhere that people will listen as I work to connect our collective nostalgias.

In a culture where we try to curate our online personas to display how we’re constantly winning, I find myself trying to convey that struggle is part of the process and that it’s ok. Everything on this earth has its pros and cons. The safety of a stable job looks really good to me when I’m wondering whether I’ll get paid at my gig or whether anyone will buy my merch so I can support myself doing the only thing I feel I’m really qualified to do. But still I find myself drawn to meeting the world outside the confines of my computer screen and to weaving tangible social networks replete with memories of shared experiences worth remembering.

I want to thank every person who showed me love on this past east coast microtour. If you housed me, played with me, came to see me, said a few kind words, took my albums home with you, or connected with me on any level, know I deeply appreciate you and our time together. Thank you for being part of my journey.

The road can be uncomfortable. It’s a test of personal endurance. But it teaches you what you’re capable of and shows you that light is always present to swarm you if you stay ready for it.