July 12 1998
8:36 PM

Coupla things...

These are the names of the kind folks who sent checks for BFD glasses after the supplies were depleted - apologies to any of you who are offended by my displaying your name publicly:

Alan Benjamin
Adam Tober
Kent Huffnagle
Peter Haugseth
Pamela McCarthy
Craig Latta
Dave Dellacroce
Joe Hlavaty

Please drop Scott a line at missioncontrol@moosenet.com (I'm leaving town tomorrow for the National Guitar Workshop in New Milford, CT and won't be around to see my email - and we hit the road right afterward) and let us know if you'd like us to tear up your check, or if perhaps you'd like a tour T- shirt instead. Hint: if you want a shirt, you'll be helping us a lot. But no pressure!

Tomorrow I leave home for two months - first a week at the Guitar Workshop (which I first did two years ago and had a wonderful time - and I've learned a lot since then, so I plan to be a good teacher this year), then the currently six week "We're Not Here To Help" tour which looks like is going to be stretched to seven. You've already noticed that we're opening for Jethro Tull in San Diego on August 30; machinations are underway to procure another week's worth of opening spots on their West Coast tour. As always, stay tuned.

The planning of this tour has been an exercise in barely controlled insanity. Somehow I believe with all my heart that the tour will work, although on paper it's one of the most foolish undertakings mankind has attempted. We really, really need your help. Bring A LOT of people to the shows. Buy A LOT of merchandise there. Seriously, the success of the tour depends on us attracting enough people to the venue so that we make more money than our measly guarantees will provide, and selling stuff to those people once they're there.

The people who are doing this tour must be as mad as I am, and I love them all dearly. The degree of belief they have in me is mind-blowingly humbling to me. Please don't prove them wrong!

These people are my heroes:

Bryan Beller
Marc Ziegenhagen
Jason Harrison Smith
Bob Tedde
Mark DeCerbo
Thomas Nordegg
Brian Halio
Cami Slotkin
J

and Scott Chatfield, or Toby as we like to call him. Toby is running away with the circus, and to show as much gratitude to him as he deserves would embarass us both.

What a motley group of jesters we shall be. I think Beller is going to have to write another book after this tour.

Much love, respect and thanks to Dennis Hill and Michael Harrison, two gentlemen whom I dearly wish were going on this tour with us but finances don't allow. Soon, my brothers.

Now I have to make sure I have enough picks.

SEE YOU ON THE ROAD. Love you all. Thank you.

MK