• My friend Phil has a special announcement over at his blog if you haven’t seen it yet.  There’s a lot more coming from him this week, but everything in due time.

• My friend Derek is launching an amazing new site today where artists can give away music and anyone with a website / blog / myspace ect, can also be a part of giving away great music.  It’s called NoiseTrade and will be launched some time today.

I think there might have been more announcements, but I forgot them in the forty minutes it has taken me to calm down the kids enough so I could think enough to type this.  So make sure you run over to Phil’s blog and check out his announcement and then check in on NoiseTrade and get some free music.  

I spent the afternoon at a coffee shop in East Nashville talking to Derek Webb about a million different things.  Mostly consisting of the future of the music industry, the need for an online presence, blogging, things that are free, and things that are stolen.  Not in that order.  Derek and I had met several times before, but never had the chance to sit and actually communicate about things that are obviously important to us.

Almost eight years ago now, Kristin and I were married and for our first dance as a married couple we danced to one of Derek’s songs called “Somewhere North”.  I have been a massive fan of his music for as long as I can remember paying attention to music so it was great to be able to hang out as peers and discuss things together.  And at least I don’t remember saying anything stupid.  I think I might have cussed a few times, but it was on accident.

I feel like a lot of the things that I believe about the music industry and what Derek believes are very similar.  It’s not like we are the only two people thinking this stuff but it’s fun to hash out ideas with someone and know that they aren’t going to take those ideas and stab you in the back with them later.  I like talking to people like that and there aren’t many.  I also like being a person that can hear ideas and know that I would never use those ideas to do any stabbing myself.  

Anyway.  It’s still up in the air whether Derek will hop on the blog-wagon, but if (and when) he does, you can bet to hear about it.  

Hope everyone had a great Sunday.

Quick update from today.  I played guitar at church today with this guy, and broke my g-string, which never is not funny.  

I think both sets went decent though.  

Now I am off to grab coffee with this guy and show him the results of what we talked about here.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Tonight Kristin ”&” I are headed to downtown Nashville to watch Derek “&” Sandra play some music.  See how clever that was there?  I used the “&” symbol like they did for their album.  They were clever first, but it’s fun that I got to join in the cleverness this morning.  

Anyway.  So, Sandra ”&” Derek are playing tonight for the first time together promoting this record.**  What I am excited about is going to a show to watch, going there with my amazing wife, “&” relaxing for a couple hours.  Not to mention, I am excited to hear Derek’s new stuff, “&” excited for Kristin to see Sandra.

What’s your plans for tonight?

**Don’t quote me on that.  I may have made it up.

Yesterday I think I saw more performances than any one person should be allow in one day. The day started meeting up with Phil and hanging out with him and his brother.  After a while Phil needed to sound check so I left and wandered around until I found myself at the venue where Jars, Third Day and Switchfoot were going to play later in the night.  I said hi, sat there a while watching my phone battery die and then left.  

INO Records was hosting (I don’t know if that is what it’s called but it sounds good) a showcase with a handful of their artists, including Phil so I went that way to catch that.  I think these little showcase things are fun simply because the artists played two or three songs each and then there was another one.  Addison Road, Phil, Sara Groves, Caedmon’s Call, Derek Webb, and The Afters.  It was awesome to see some of those folks play and hang out a bit.  

After that ended Wes and I walked a few blocks over just in time to catch the beginning of Swithfoot’s set.  Now I have see a lot of shows in my day, and I have even seen Switchfoot a few times, but last night they put on, what could quite possibly be, the best live rock show I have ever seen.  They blew me away.  They have come a long way from Chem 6A that’s for sure.  Unbelievable entertainers and if you haven’t seen them, now is the time.  They are about to head out on tour with Jars, and Third Day and the show is pretty amazing.  

It had also been a while since I had seen Third Day so it was cool to see them play some new stuff.  And by the way, Mr. Mark Lee, brought his “A-Game” last night.  A genuine rock and roller that guy is.  There were even some new things he was doing on old songs that blew me away.  They put on a great show as always.

About half-way through Third Days set I walked back out to the back of the room and saw a group of the cool-kid bloggers.  Randy and his wife were there, along with Anne and her husband, Chris and Heather but no Carlos.  They had all come over from the Compassion Dinner and stopped in to see the show.  I felt like the geek in high school that was waved over to the nice popular kids table.  Come on, we all know the feeling.  It was cool to hang out with them for a bit and talk loudly about blogs.  All very, very cool folks.  When that ended it was about time to head home, but I ended up talking to Anne and Chris in street about blogs, and “the industry”, and books and critics.  We talked way past our bed times and then I headed home, but it was cool to get to know them a little better.

All in all, a good day.  Today I’m not sure what the plan is yet, but I’ve got some diapers to change, I do know that.