New York City, New York

Awake very early, rang Glenn about 8:30 to see if he wanted to come to breakfast at the Mew Morning Restaurant and met him downstairs. After breakfast he was off to a shoppe in town that deals exclusively in acoustic string basses and I went back to the room. As the tour is winding down the wind's beginning to come out of my sails. I spent nearly the entire day in the room either sleeping, reading or playing guitar...not much desire to pound the pavement even if it is Manhattan. I gave Danny a bell in the afternoon and we went to a little Italian deli for a couple of slices of very delicious pizza and coffee. Back, shower then off to our gig in Central Park at Rumsey Play Field.

I'm not sure what they play here, but it appeared to be little more than an open space, everything very make shift....lights, trailers for dressing rooms, port-a-johns and a couple of fast food stands. It has been overcast, hot and muggy all day and threatening rain tonight. We did a meet and greet to a large number of folks that included my friends, Rocky and Alisa, legendary guitar luthier John Monteleone, Isaac Shabtay the fellow who has attended every single performance of the North American tour and Rudy Pensa. There is a very strict 10 p.m. curfew at this gig so immediately following the m&g Jesca Hoop performed her set and we followed. Our itinerary says the venue holds 5,500 and I would say there were that many and more packed tightly shoulder to shoulder. It was shallow and wide sea of people that we played to, everybody having a good time.

A quick runner back to the hotel where I met up with Rocky, Alisa, Danny, John and Heidi at the bar for a couple of drinks. We decided to join a few of the others at a bar five or six blocks down the road. We hailed a taxi and were off. As soon as I stepped in I knew I wanted to leave, the bar itself was just fine and all our crew were piled in....but it was terribly noisy. I took a couple of pulls at the drink I'd ordered, put it down half full and walked back to the hotel. In bed at 2...a relatively early night.

So long,

Richard