A Very Jerky Blog
Hey there.
Haven’t written in awhile. I feel as if i have less and less to say haha. I mean, not to sound like a chump, but my life is pretty boring. How is it I can be in a different city every night and it feels routine??? There’s something wrong with me…
Every day starts the same: Wake up, get coffee. Then, drive for 1 to ten hours. This is where the boring comes in. I forgot my iPod this leg of the tour so I have been living off the kindness of others…got a mixed CD made for me by Matt Brenner (who also so kindly let me borrow his guitar for the Edge Nu Music Night at the Horseshoe and a radio thing at York University…thank you Matt!) My manager Todd Arkell from Cool Planet Management made me a mixed CD too (what manager does that? Mine! He also bought me Road Crackers, aka Crackers For The Road). Blair, the guitar player in my band for some of the Ontario dates donated, by far, my favourite CD of LIFE.
It’s Bob Dylan, at 20 years old, on an hour long radio program. Not only is it amazing to hear this talented young man at the age of 20 years old speaking of his 6 years traveling with a carnival (What!?!?!) and hanging out with Woody Guthrie, among others, but it’s also entirely endearing because the host has a huge crush on him! It is hilarious. I’ve listened to it so many times I have almost burned a hole in it. At one point the interviewer asks: “Are you still going to wear that hat when you’re rich and famous?” and Bob Dylan Says “I’m never going to be rich and famous”.
Yesterday I had a day off and turned in to a slug. I left my hotel room once, to get coffee. I think my body is programmed to get up, get coffee, and drive, but when there is no where to drive I just slump back in to bed and go: “Oh…”
So ya. I was a waste of a human all day. It gave the snot in my head an opportunity to start leaking out. (ewwwww)
There’s a bunch of fun videos that people have been posting on youtube so I’ve been favouriting them at http://www.youtube.com/billythekidofficial. If you have any of your own please let me know. Also did an interview with http://www.spinner.com yesterday amidst my “No Where To Drive” Depression. It’s not up yet but if you want to know when it is I normally post those kinds of things over at http://www.twitter.com/billypettinger (not to mention a surplus of daily silliness).
I’m in Ottawa right now. I’m contemplating drinking way too much coffee for the second day in a row, mainly cause I have a whole day to kill. I’m still not ready to talk to people though lol…glad I have a few more hours haha! Yesterday was a good enough break that I actually was looking forward to seeing another human. Conversation, though….that will have to wait 😉
I realized yesterday that, given the opportunity, I could totally be one of those people who just wastes away in their hotel room. I could never understand that, up until now. You’d try to get ahold of me, I’d just ignore you…until finally someone would have to come and drag me out of bed and throw me in to a shower with all my clothes on, waking me from my stupor and shocking me back to the fold.
8 hours drive tomorrow. Then it’s a constant state of doing stuff (whether it be playing, recording or writing sessions) until South By South West. Did I mention I’m playing 5 times? I never even applied for this thing cause I figured I’d never get accepted. And if I did, probably no one would care. But ya…5 times. So weird.
Alright well I think I figured out the key to blogging…if you just don’t talk to anyone for like a whole day you actually have quite a bit to say haha. I feel like I do nothing but talk sometimes so the idea of telling the same stories but in writing gets daunting. (Hence, my disappearing for the past few weeks). Oh also I’ve traveled many a mile in the last month and it is starting to feel routine, and just feeling that makes me feel like a jerk. And I don’t want anyone to know I’m a jerk haha. From Vancouver to Winnipeg to Courtenay to L.A. to Ontario and now on to Texas and back then over to Newfoundland. Just another day. Just another jerk-y batch of stories…
Signing off, for now,
Jerky McJerkerton
Billy the Kid at SXSW
Going to South By SouthWest?
Here’s Billy’s Schedule:
Wednesday, March 17 – Stephen F’s – 11PM
Thursday, March 18 – urArtists party Chuggin Monkeyn Time TBD
Friday, March 19 – BMI Lunch 12:45PM
Friday, March 19 – Hyatt Regency – 6pm
Saturday, March 20 – Holiday Inn Austin Town Lake – 7PM
Billy in Toronto
Did you know my show at the Horseshoe February 23rd is the unofficial Canadian Music Week Volunteer Get Together?
Kitchener and S.S. Marie Shows Added
Feb 26th – S.S. Marie – Loplops
March 13 – Kitchener – The Boathouse
For more information visit the Billy the Kid Shows page
Biggest Fan Reviews Van Show
Todd says this doesn’t count cause my mom wrote it. i say it counts times ten! 😛
Well now. For those of you who missed it …WOAH!
Billy was AWESOME tonight! She mesmerized the ENTIRE crowd from the moment she stepped onto the stage, playing her guitar, keyboard, harmonica (okay…mouth harp!) and singing her little heart out … until she stepped off … after the encore!
The club was filled with ‘All Fans Billy’ .. standing up to see & hear her…as she talked, laughed, told interesting & funny stories & joked with her fans! She had them ALL singing along … A M A Z I N G!
The entire crowd sang “Happy Birthday” (led by an old friend from high school) to help ‘ease the pain’ of the rotten birthday she had on the road…(thanks to one very miserable lady “Marnie” at the Communitea Cafe … that’s enought about her … don’t ever go there!) It was a very touching moment…
It was incredibly awe-inspiring to witness Billy’s skills & learn that she has mastered the art of taking hold of a crowd, coaxing them into the palm of her hand & keeping them there for the entire ride! Reminded me so much of Bim … back in the day! (for those of you who don’t know who Bim was … well, ya missed out on that one too!) lol
New song about the love of her life, Randall, is truly a beauty!
So hey … next time BE THERE .. you WILL NOT be disappointed!
Signed : Billy’s #1 Fan … her Momma! lol
Many thanks to ‘Aunty Elizabeth’ who made the trip in with me (on Skytrain no less!) and made it fun … not nearly as scarey as I thought it would be … hahaha…