Anchor East
Watertown, Massachusetts
26 December 1996
Watercolor on cold press Lana paper
6 x 4", archival mat & backing to 10 x 8"
US $195 (includes USPS Priority Shipping)
Email me to purchase
The rest of my European tour was interesting but cold. From the edge of the Mediterranean, I moved up to the icy peaks of Switzerland. I think that my favorite gig was in Thun where I played at the very hip Club Mokka. On stage with me, amongst other intriguing items, was a large 1950's television set with a flying saucer floating inside the cabinet. I thought this was rather exciting because I'd written The Roswell Incident the previous summer and it served as a good visual aid to help set up the song.
After my last gig at the Rattlesnake Saloon in Munich, I was finally through. One day, I'll have to write about the places I've played. Each one was a story in itself. Anyway, I was driven, no, rocketed up the autobahn to the airport where I began my long journey home. Ah, but if only it were home. In fact, it was a rented room in someone else's house. If you've been reading since the beginnings of this tale, you'll remember that all was not well on the home front. At the end of the days it took to get back, between the bus stop and the house itself, I was informed that my initial upset at losing the second of my cats (the first had disappeared just before I left) was unwarranted because it was, after all, just a cat, and that it would probably be best if I looked for another place to live. I had only actually been in the house for six weeks before leaving for Europe and it was now just before Christmas.
So, for Christmas, I went down to Watertown, just outside of Boston, where I was graciously hosted by my friends Mark and Kit at Anchor East, Mark's musical home. Of course, I showed them the paintings I'd made and one afternoon, Kit asked if she could watch me paint. I don't think that I'd ever made an entire painting with someone watching over my shoulder but I was game and set myself up by the piano in the living room (where Mark hosted many wonderful house concerts by many wonderful musicians), and got to work. By the time I finished, it was almost dark and I could barely see the painting.
Three years later, I lived in this house for half a year. I recorded my Christmas album Out Under the Sky at the bottom of these stairs. The acoustics were marvelous and I recorded late at night when it was quiet and city noise was least likely to interfere. There was a Japanese student living up the street while I was there. She was studying English in Cambridge and we'd pass on the street regularly and promise to make dinner together and finally did. After dinner, I played her a little of the album and she said "I have heard this music! In my dreams!" I didn't realize that the whole neighborhood could hear me recording — which is just as well. I'm glad we didn't hear any complaints!
Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.
Anchor East
