Hey there 'Snakers...

It's often so tempting, and dangerously easy, to run to my blog and spew all the poison and venom possible whenever I'm outraged or pissed or depressed or whatever, so I just wanted to fight that dark urge by sending a shout-out to somebody in the comic-book store who gave me a little shot in the arm yesterday...

My future brother-in-law Ron and I were bummin' around Santa Fe before I gigged last night with Bone Orchard, and I sold some old comics to the store and had to sign a receipt... when I wrote my name down, the guy glanced at it and said, "The Chipper Thompson, the musician?" Jeez! And this in a town where I knew I had some name recognition, but had no idea just how much or how little... then he added that it was "an honor" to have me in the store. My head swelled and I'm sure I didn't stay near as cool as I wanted to. But it gave me a helluva big boost, I'll tell ya. I teased Ron when we left the store that he'd have to walk since his body, my body, and my big head wouldn't all fit in the car!

The main reason I play music is, I guess, to contribute to the good stuff floatin' around the universe and make folks happy with it (myself included!) and to have fun when I'm doin' it, but I have to confess that in times like I'm havin' lately, it was really really nice to have some unexpected praise and recognition. My cash flow is still for shit, (I'm selling old comic books to pay the bills, for Goddesses' sake!) there's no tellin' when I'll even start again on the next CD, muchless get it out, I'm in debt, the book project on my late wife Lanford Monroe's art is delayed and delayed and delayed, and my schedule is so full I can hardly breathe... but I am playing lots of music (see the gig schedule, y'all!) and even when I get depressed and grouchy about it all, I still give thanks that I'm doing something I love, and maybe reaching others with some positive energy, too. I can only hope that the comic-book clerk's sensibilities have been uplifted rather than depressed by whatever of my music he's heard!

So thanks to Chris at True Believers in Santa Fe, New Mexico for lifting me up yesterday, and thanks to all of you who appreciate and support what I and many other independent musicians and artists are doing all over the world! Thank you all so much, and I'll keep hackin' at this big ol' chunk of life and mining some music out of it... for all of us!

'Til next time, Chipper