In particular, I think this piece of software is going to let me write more songs. Leaving aside the question of whether this is a good or bad outcome for the world at large — as someone who (a) is a songwriter and (b) find himeself blocked more often than not — it's certainly a win for me.

I had the germ of an idea a couple of weeks ago. A lyric, in this case. Sometimes it's a fragment of melody, a chord progression, a theme... in any case, usually quickly forgotten. In this, I grabbed my phone, added a new note, titled it "Lyrics", and added one line:

He's been anything but kind

Had an inherent rhythm, suggested a lot of ways to continue. A good start. And now, I wouldn't forget it.

Fast forward a couple of days, I have some ideas for more lyrics, as well as some of the tune. New Audio Note time, and I warble this little bit of ridiculousness:

humming and la-ing like an idiot

and then some chords:

barely audible chords

Not done, maybe not good, but not forgotten. A few days after that, stuck for progress, I headed out to see Kayla Brown play. Well, not see; I sat at the counter, out of site, and just listened. Kayla's fantastic, I got inspired, and started free-associating lyric ideas, discussion of lyric ideas, arguments-with-myself, etc. Later, I scanned the scribblings in. Not forgotten:

Started to actually type out the lyrics into Evernote on my laptop (everything synchs everywhere, so all of my reference points were present).

Had most of the verse/chorus figured out, and recorded those to the laptop for future reference:

almost there

Finished it up, took it out and played it, and earlier this week recorded an actual demo. Here it is:

Paul Roub - A Little Bit Wiser

What I liked about the whole process was how unobtrusive and immediate it was. Evernote was my pocket notepad that can handle sound and pictures. The whole thing just came together so much easier than it has in the past.

Now watch me not write anything new for nine months.

This is not quite a week old, but I think I've mostly found it now, performance-wise. I think this will age well; finding something new every time I sing it.

So I'm bringing a PA. And some friends. And I'm planning to take over for about an hour, in return for you, me, and your dear friends buying delicious caffeinated beverages and things. We'll see how it goes.

Your friends? Tell them. Please.

Address, etc., at paulroub.com/gigs, as ever.

What's it gonna sound like? Me, pretty much: paulroub.com/audio/

There's a Facebook event page here. Be a fan, sign up, I don't know, I'm not the boss of you.

Don't mind the vocals... body and voice are tired right now.

Paul Roub - One Man At Best (demo)

If you do come out, please say "hi" before; after; during a break; mid-song if you have to.

The details are, as always, on my gigs page. There's also a Facebook event page if you want to RSVP or Share (hint, hint). I created a MySpace event as well, but I don't know why. I think I just didn't want to hurt MySpace's feelings, all alone and graffiti-covered in the corner over there.

A Nerd Musician. But not in the MC Frontalot sense.

Maybe Geek Musician? Nah, "nerd" is the operative word here... in the socially-awkward, or at least socially-hesitant, sense.

If you're one of those, too, this may ring a bell:

I don't like asking people to come to my shows.

Even though I really want them to.

I hate describing what I do.

Even though I like it, and love playing and singing it.

I tend to get really embarrassed and uncomfortable when people compliment me at a show.

Although I love it so very much when that happens.

Online promotion works very well for people like me, at least for anxiety-avoidance. But how do I get someone to look at my site, join the mailing list, in the first place?

By making a personal or musical connection, of course. By, I don't know, inviting someone to come to a show. Personally.

So at the moment I'm sitting at Aroma Cafe, where I'm playing in a couple of weeks. There's a band playing tonight. During the breaks, I'm actually handing out fliers. To real live people. I kinda painted myself into this corner, purposely -- by making flyers that don't really work in piles or tacked somewhere. 'Cause there's a drive full of stuff attached.

Needless to say, way more fun than sticking a pile of paper in the corner, or clearing space on the bulletin board.

If you are one of the recipients of these drives, and you've made it this far, I should tell you this is likely the most-neurotic blog post I've ever written. Normally I hide all this silliness as well as everyone else. And I'm perfectly happy and content onstage. Promise. Look.

See you a week from Wednesday.

Yours in dweeb-ness, Paul

So a little bonus side-effect is that one or both will probably now be pulled out of performance limbo, as I'm all excited about them again. Good chance you'll hear this one on the 1st:

The CD is due out August 21st, and you can and should and must pre-order it now, here.

More details and reminders to come, or watch the gig page.

It's called "Half Way Home", and you can find it here

But to the point -- just added a show for this coming Wednesday (July 9th), at the Iron Post in Urbana, with Eleni Moraites.

Showtime is 8pm, I'm on first, and the cover is $3.

Details, as ever, at paulroub.com/gigs

1. Get a gig, already. The "I just moved" excuse dried up months ago. Or...
2. Dedicate yourself to the "notoriously reclusive musician" path

The former seems like much more fun.

So, three weeks from tonight (Thursday, May 29th), I'm at Aroma Cafe in Champaign. 8pm, followed by Carl Hauck at 9.

Updates, address, etc. are at paulroub.com/gigs, as always.

or Ben?

Ben Lee was just amazing — despite, or perhaps a little because of, ongoing equipment issues. No guitar in the PA? Just walk to the front of the stage and serenade a packed house unamplified. And continue to be amazing. No problem. He was just loads of fun, and impossible not to love.

And Ben Folds?

Was Ben Folds. And then some.

Being an old guy in a large crowd of UI students, it's easy to start off smiling nostalgically at the puppy-like quality of the bouncing, shouting, crowding-the-stage kids... until I realize I'm bouncing every bit as much, doing all my crowd-vocal jobs, screaming my head off when "Philosophy" started up...

In summary, music continues to be the best.

Oh, and who was better? Easy. Ben was.

More explanation at the work blog.

HA!

Heh. Actually, you'd be right. For a variety of reasons — most of my family spent significant chunks of this month sick; an air travel nightmare or two; and the fact that I've had just enough of a cold the entire time to prevent a decent vocal take — have kept me from wanting / having the time to record.

And can we talk writer's block? I've written, I think, 10 choruses for the new song. I wish I could say they all suck in their own unique ways, but honestly they're a big, shapeless, boring blur to me. And the in-the-mail deadline is Saturday. So I was gonna quit.

But quitting is even more frustrating than all that. So...

I decided to look at the rest of this as though I were just demoing, or recording a gig. Tonight I sat down, set up a couple of mikes, and threw down "live" takes of:

1. Mind of Its Own
2. Disappear
3. Closer
4. Room To Breathe
5. Optional
6. How Do You Do It?
7. Not Wrong

I need to do the roughest of mixes before posting them, or at least edit out the squeaking chair, tuning, etc. at the beginning of each track. That's tomorrow. I'm tired.

Are they perfect? No. What I originally planned? Nope. Is this the version of "Closer" I've been wanting to get on tape? No. Do I have the faintest idea how to EQ a vocal? More than yesterday, yes. Slightly.

But am I happy with how it came out? Yep. Like a decent gig, on a night when I'm fighting a cold and temporarily winning. Nothing I'd try to package and sell, but that wasn't the plan, anyway...

Which isn't to say you shouldn't expect better, or at least more-polished versions, in the coming weeks. I'm getting the hang of this now.

And that chorus can't hide from me forever.