Gathering my thoughts.

I returned to Caffe Vivaldi open mic last night after taking leave of it for a year. Met with a friend, a new transplant to NY trying to break into the music scene. I feel like I've learned a lot since being in her shoes at this time last year. Since the last time I was at Vivaldi.

The evening showcased a cool variety of talent. Besides my friend Katie Arnold, who has this great Cranberries-Irish lilt thing going with her pop guitar sound, there was a classically trained vocalist who raised the roof, and, very interestingly, a trio of guys playing together a cello, a viola, and a guitar, and singing along, and doing a lot of crazy counterpoint. (Whoever was playing the guitar for a song would also be the singer on that song). It was the ensemble's DEBUT performance; they have only been together for a month or so, and they're just trying this thing out. But I was immediately impressed, and the wheels started turning... it would be awesome to collaborate with them for a show, and awesome to have them play with me on some of my songs.
They called themselves "Burn Down Rome." I snagged an email address afterward.

More later.