Well met, fair Travelers.

Spring is upon us, and with this new season brings new life, new meaning, and new prospects.

I write to you now from paradise, perched high above the sleepy mountain city of Asheville at my new home within the beautifully refurbished Kenilworth Inn.  My floors and walls are still somewhat bare, as the steady presence of permanent furniture and art has yet to grace my gorgeous two-story loft apartment, but the sunlight is beaming almost as much as I am as it darts through my fourth-floor windows, tickling the perfect indigo of hyacinth blooms and deep greens of hibiscus leaves that lie in its life-giving path.  The flowers don’t seem to mind that their glowing bath of warmth is periodically interrupted by drafts of brisk alpine air; they just seem to wiggle a little in hardy tenacity, practically ignoring the last whispers of winter trying to pierce their dreams of spring.  They instead choose to take advantage of the rare opportunity at mobility, using the moving patches of air as a means of breaking the chains of inertia Mother Nature placed upon them.  They all seem to breath with relief, gently vibrating in sync with the deep-house tones that echo from the secondhand surround-sound system at the center of the apartments spacious main room.

Currently, the ragtag collection of speakers and cords is as scattered and sloppy as a politician’s alibi, resembling a deranged mechanical spider, one too big for its britches and resign to the fact that its web of white wire is simply not going to be winning any design awards in the foreseeable future; its tragic form looking helpless and defeated, all electrical appendages haphazardly flung up in the air in solemn surrender.  Come next week, however, the receiver and all of its innumerable attachments will fit snugly into their assigned corners, fleshing out the apartment’s sparse timber skeleton with sonic vigor.  But honestly, this place is so friggin pretty already, I kinda don’t even care that it’s a little caddywhompus at the moment.

Travelers, I write to you now as my fingers quiver with joy, with breath that is bated with unbridled anticipation.  Not only is my new home coming together, the rest of my personal life is finally beginning to fall into place as well…and so is my professional life.  I am happy to announce that the relaunch of Stage Traveler is soon upon us, as the next level – what I am dubbing “Phase 2” – is soon to be revealed.  CAN YOU EVEN STAND IT?  Because y’all, I’m having trouble conTaIniNG mY eXcITEMENT.

When this project began a little under a year ago, it seemed like it would be so easy, and yet, at the same time, totally impossible.  A pipe dream, if you will, but one with realistic goals…if that makes any sense at all (it probably doesn’t).  This whole thing started over a steak dinner following my graduation from graduate school in 2016.  In attendance were myself, my father, my ex, my former roommate, and a woman she (my former roommate) and I had met at The Cinch in San Francisco following another beef-filled evening the summer before.  This woman became a fast friend, a confidant, a shoulder to cry on and a lady to laugh with.  A true partner in debauchery.  She was the one who initially suggested the core idea behind STAGE TRAVELER: a web-based mini travel show about me going to different venues and talking about them on camera.

It all made sense – I was always at shows for my 1395870239158032850 freelancing gigs as a music journalist, I was animated, and I always had something to say about everywhere, whether it be about sight lines, annoying drunk patrons, drink prices… you name it, I would either be bitching about it or lauding its simple yet life-changing concept.  Then, out of the blue, a year later I get a call about making this into a reality.   I flew to Chicago, had breakfast with my father and a marketing pro named Dave, who gave me a crash course on online marketing, and then *poof!*   On my flight back home, I found myself reeling from the reality that I was actually about to do something lucrative that I would truly enjoy doing.  I was embarking on a journey that I was sure would ultimately take me not only to a place of purpose, but also a place of joy and success.

"It all made sense – I was always at shows, I was animated, and I always had something to say about everywhere."

Getting something like this off the ground has admittedly been a struggle.  Not only is creating the quantity and quality of content necessary to form a solid foundation for a project of this magnitude to stand on and succeed exceedingly difficult to achieve – especially if I want to get noticed, which of course I do – it is even more challenging to do so when you are the only person responsible for doing it.  From concept to execution to editing to delivery – I was the one responsible for making that shit work.  And I just couldn’t. I promised too much in too little a time.  I was stretching myself thin.  I know exactly how StereoSpider feels right now – because I’ve been there – strung up in a massive web built of some great ideas, some ideas that were just OK, and then some REALLY fuckin’ weird ones.  And then I thought I had time to snake all these wires around and make it look pristine and professional…but in the end, I felt like that neighborhood kid … the one who lived in the house that was always covered in TP on Halloween.  You know who I’m talking about – the one who picked his nose and accidentally called his teacher ‘Mommy’ once, and who the big kids would pretend to invite out for trick-or-treating but would ultimately just laugh at him, cover him in silly string and toss him in a dumpster.

Yeah.  That poor bastard.

It also didn’t help that my personal life was crumbling around me and my mental health was being put through the ultimate test of resolve.  Trying to start a web-based business while combatting the constant distinct rap-rap-rap of an imminent nervous breakdown tapping forebodingly on the creaky door of my psyche was a fool’s errand.  Not to mention each time I would think about how far behind I was or how I was going to fuck up a golden opportunity yet again, the knocking would grow louder and more frightening, and I would watch as the hinges on that door would weaken, the whole frame on the brink of collapse as I fell further and further into darkness.

Thankfully, I managed to claw my way out but, in the end, I lost many things.  I lost friends.  I lost the faith and trust people once had in me.  I lost a partner.  I lost the place I called home for four years.  But most of all, I lost myself.

Fast-forward three months, though, and I am on cloud-freakin-nine.  Cloud 99.  CLOUD 9999999999999 x infinity billion million.  I couldn’t be happier.  As fate would have it, I would end up being transplanted to the east coast, meeting the love of my life, traveling around the country with him for three weeks, and then settling down in the warm and unexpected embrace of the woods of Western North Carolina.  I feel reborn.  My enthusiasm for this project is reborn, despite it almost being killed several times over the past eight months or so.

I see you, universe.  Touché.

So, in conclusion: don’t give up on me yet.  Stay tuned Travelers, because coming early next week the second-coming of Stage Traveler begins … new written editorial stories, new interviews, and TONS of mini-vids until we head out to our first featured venues.  Kicking things off will be the premiere of a documentary-turned-tattered travelogue as we embark on a journey touring the American Southeast on the way to and from South by Southwest.   You will see two souls trying to make this project work, despite hiccups like faulty batteries, preachy condom machines, and the liquid Tennessee devil that calls itself a ‘Bushwhacker.’  We manage to get some of the real work done, but damn.  Let’s just call it a learning experience.  A teachable moment.  Or fifty.  The valiant efforts of your faithful guide are compiled in Stage Traveler Presents: Beasts of the Southeast – A Docu-Comedy of Trial, Error, and Glorious Improvisation, so keep an eye out early next week.  Meanwhile keep your finger on the pulse via our Instagram, Facebook, and of course, the ST Blog.

Things are happening this spring, Travelers.  The future is blooming.  Stay tuned.