Lost Weekend Impending

Yours truly, 1998, playing the troubadour.
Egads, it's been a stressful week with Roy and I'm glad the weekend is here.
It's going to be a real good one, too, I'm thinking. I'll be spending Friday and Saturday in OKC. I've been asked to perform a 45-60 minute acoustic solo set to open for the Mad Laugh at VZDs tonight. If everyone who has said they were going to make it actually show up it could be a big crowd. My thumb is already sore from practicing so much...I may wind up using a pick.
Hopefully this will be just the beginning of a string of live dates that I'm self-deprecatingly calling the "SUPPORT THE MENTALLY IMBALANCED WORLD TOUR 2006".
Don't really have a set order yet, but I'm thinking of throwing caution to the wind and busting out an acoustic rendition of an old Head tune called "Canned Hamms".
I'm thinking I may open with "Playboy", which will be familiar to everyone who saw me when I was playing bass with Mad Laugh a little over a year ago. I think I do a fairly effective version of it.
On the other hand, I've been contemplating kicking the set off with an improvised number in which I'll name-check several in the crowd...that's assuming there IS a crowd...if not I suppose it'll have to be "Playboy".
Others I'll be bound by duty to perform will be "The Ladder", "The Wait", "Bike Boy", "Heroin Weed", "Songwriter" (if Warty shows up)...Then I've got a couple of new songs that I want to introduce. I've shown "Maranatha" to a few people, but only my son has heard "Offering" (and he likes it, so I am encouraged).
I'll have to bust out some silly songs, so you can count on hearing "The St. Valentine's Massacre Waltz", "Leather Granny" and maybe even "Jim Beam".
I've got a good friend whose going to try to make it out tonight, and if he shows up I'm thinking of doing a cover of Red House Painters' "Mistress", seeing as how he and I are both huge fans of Mark Kozelek.
Otherwise I will probably avoid doing any covers. The only exception might be a rendition of Merle Haggard's "Carolyn", depending upon the mood of the audience.
I have a lot of confidence tonight, and my expectations are high that not only will the show get a favourable response, but I might even get some interest from musicians who might want to arrange/collaborate on these songs.
You may remember a couple of weeks ago I blogged about the possibility of Amanda Roberts and Jacob Becannen being potential partners in this venture (they certainly inspired me to do it)...I haven't heard back from them, and I knew that they both had very busy schedules and most likely wouldn't be able to find time to do it...I', afraid that's how it appears to be at this moment. That could change after tonight, and if not, I have a good feeling that sooner or later I'm going to be able to assemble some quality players.

Then, tommorow night the plan is to see the Fellowship Students/Little League Hero double-bill at the Belle Isle Brewery. LLH's new CD, Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, is top notch. If there is any justice in the music business these guys will be a nationally recognized act before too long.
And the Fellowship Students are always awesome. I have no doubt that they will impress.

And when it's all over I hope to be re-charged and more than able to deal with Roy's drama.