The exceedingly spectacular and awesome Mike Keneally recently send out the following to his mailing list (which you really should be on, okay?). Also, I see that Mike’s playing at The Baked Potato the day before I arrive in LA in January. DAMMIT! Mike, brother, I hope you’re playing a set at NAMM too. Please? Please?

US Premiere of The Universe Will Provide November 18 in LA!

Hey, all you Maroon 5 fans! What goes on?

Right now I sit, and alternatively stand, and play many Queen songs on the guitar. I scribble down my interpretation of “the middle part” of yet another insane slab of Brian May guitarchitecture. I do this for you, ladies and gentlemen, and for all kind souls who will attend our salute to Queen at the Roxy on November 9. By “our” I mean the masterminds and musical directors of this AIDS benefit event, Bear and Brendan McCreary, as well as Brendon Small, Rick Musallam, Joe Travers, Pete Griffin, myself and others who will perform a great wodge of awesome Queen tuneage for those with feet to arrive and ears to listen.

And then… and then, I plunge boldly forward into remembering how to frickin’ play the guitar parts to The Universe Will Provide in preparation for its long-belated US premiere, at REDCAT in Los Angeles on November 18. To say that I am ecstatic to have this hour-long orchestra-with-guitar instrumental suite finally being performed in the state I call home is a totally reasonable and accurate thing to say. Thank you Max Kutner at CalArts for being the spark that made this thing happen, and to Lauren Platt at CalArts as well and all others who are currently and will soon be working very hard to pull this off – this is no small undertaking and I am pretty overwhelmed with gratitude that all this energy and enthusiasm is being funneled toward the performance of my piece – I’m a lucky so-and-so.

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