On Memorial Day, Teri Gross interviewed a father whose son was killed recently in Afghanistan. He spoke fondly of how his son had always cared for others; and then he said that he had dreamed about his son just before…
Jun 1 2019
May 12 2019
Save the Bays
Sometime in the mists of the Ancient Eighties, I got a call from Roxanne Nelson, wife of my line coach and friend Lenny "Earthquake" Nelson. She'd acquired a small grant and wanted to PAY me (!) to write a song…
May 5 2019
LET IT THERE AND LEAVE ME BE
Just wrote a song called Chokoloskee, with the line:
Delaware’s okay by me/In the springtime and the fall
But new years to St Patricks/You can freeze yer fuckin’ balls
Do you think”fuckin’” is too crude? Should it be “fucking?” Or…
May 2 2019
NOT JUST ANOTHER RAMADAN
May 5th I’ll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo at a fundraiser for the Delaware Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, trying to be carefree and not worry that the conjunction of Cinco de Mayo and the first day of Ramadan…
Mar 19 2019
THE BIRTH OF ROCK MACHO AND THE COUNTRY FELONS
In Tahoe, winter was on the way, its deep-down heavy breath droning over the Sierras on the evening wind. Down below in Berkeley some summer still hung on, but in September Tahoe, a mile high, the air is thin and…
Mar 9 2019
How to Write Funny Songs
Yesterday I was honored to be the co-presenter of “Let’s Write Funny Songs” with noted comedy-songwriter CARLA ULBRICH. This was at a day of workshops presented by PASA at Terry Merriman’s gorgeous dwelling in the woods of Chester County, PA…
Feb 21 2019
BACON, ROMA, AND JAI ALAI BEER
Tonight, Janice and I will probably watch Roma. I watched about fifteen minutes when I was visiting a good friend in Fort Myers, but then got drawn into Occupied, another show recommended by my host Mike. Occupied is a Norwegian…
Nov 26 2018
WILLY AND LOBO AND THE MAN WHO RODE SHARKS*
WILLY AND LOBO AND THE MAN WHO RODE SHARKS*
It was my first trip to Florida’s Gulf Coast, and Mr. Cantwell was introducing me around. He’d booked Willie Royal and I for a night at the Crow’s Nest in…
Nov 26 2018
TRUMPETS AT MIDNITE
TRUMPETS AT MIDNIGHT, DEWEY BEACH
Matt was taking his last summer as a complete human being off from work. In the fall he would go to Drexel for his MBA, and he was savoring every vacation minute. His tan …
Sep 30 2018
OCTOBER
CRABMEAT THOMPSON IN OCTOBER
October 1st, 7 PM: I’m going to see JOHNNY NEAL at Twin Lakes brewery!
October 6th, 4-7: SLIM CHARLES and I will rock the tent at VOLUNTEER BREWING in Middletown.
Simon may join…
Jul 29 2018
AUGUST
Crabmeat’s Wonderful August
On Wednesday the 1st, I’ll perform an Environmental Children’s Show at Bethany Beach Nature Center, at 10 AM.
Thursday, the Ninth, I’ll be at Corbit-Calloway Library in Odessa, presenting Part III of “A History of…
May 24 2017
Why the Lord Called me to be Crabmeat
WHY THEY CALL ME CRABMEAT...
I was always a difficult child.
When my father got home from the war I was two, and he marched into the house and picked me up and I cried. He cut off his moustache…