So tonight Sir Paul MacCartney played on the Halifax Common. The day was brilliant with sun and the sky completely clear so that when the sun finally went down you could see stars above the stage and Paul even pointed out the amazing moon..maybe 2/3 with a blurred right edge…amazing and low in the sky. I started the evening by joining Joel Plaskett on stage for an opening set right before Paul played…not without some panic as the generator supplying power to the entire operation went down right before we were supposed to sound check. Within 5 mins of our start time, the new generator kicked in and we were cooking. Joel really nailed it and all reports say that his set was killer. Definitely the biggest crowd I’ve ever played to and amazing to do so in my current hometown and with someone I’m such a huge fan of.

Before that and earlier in the day I took Rose Polenzani, Anne Heaton, Laura Cortese, Nicole and Ellen to Peggy’s Cove. They are here FINALLY visiting me from Boston. We got sun trapped in our skin.

Before that, last night Rose, Anne, Laura and I played at the Company House to an amazing crowd. You’ve heard me rave about these women before but I was SO PROUD to show them off to my Halifax friends and fans and it was a show to be remembered. We even did a cover of “Say Say Say” for the living and the dead.

Before that I spent 3 days with the incredible Luke Doucet in Hamilton, ON. I couldn’t be happier that he and I will be embarking on my new project in September. I am a huge fan of Luke and am honoured he has agreed to produce my new record. I feel like only goodness can come from this.

Before that I played in St John’s Newfoundland for the first time. Joel took his show to there to complete his national tour, which of course, was before that for the entire month of May and a few other dates in June. We played Canada Day celebrations in NB and at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth. I finally got the best view for the fireworks and was super pumped to play for the home crowd. At that point we were still only talking about opening for Paul.

Before all that back in April I played a couple great shows with Catherine MacLellan in Windsor, NS and in Moncton, NB and they were great too. Nick Cobham and Kyle Cunjak and Kinley Dowling joined us…another sweet collaboration.

Before that I did my best to move slowly for a while and it went kinda of ok. I have realized that being on the road and taking care of business (and working overtime) has over the last couple of years changed my time allotted for writing but I’m getting it back now and am excited to share some new stuff with you.

Tonight though…I finally got to see a Beatle and a brilliant master of hooks and riffs. His band was amazing and at one point huge flames shot out of the front of the stage and fire works went off behind. He played any classic you could think of and he looks so fit and healthy and he played and played and I never saw him take a sip of water. I’m completely inspired and open mouthed. I’m humbled and I’m in awe. I want to bottle this night.

From here on in I’ll be writing and tweaking and demo-ing and visiting people who are getting married and then going to their weddings, hopefully with new wedding songs to play and I’ll going to go to PEI and swim and hang with my niece at the beach and eat shellfish and stare at the ocean and savour my slow time cause this fall will be a crazy new adventure with a brand new record and many shows to play.

Books I’ve just read: One More Day – Mitch Albom & Into Thin Air – Jon Krakauer

In my player: Ane Brun, Changing of Seasons, Sarah Siskind – Say it Louder, Matt Epp -Safe or Free, Alexi Murdoch – Time Without Consequences

rose