I’ve mentioned that I once saw Erin McKeown perform a house concert in a New Haven living room. Last night I witnessed her national television debut on Conan O’Brien’s show.

It was a solid performance, but I’m not sure it would have swayed me to check her out if I hadn’t already been familiar. I’ve heard her do better.

If you’d like to check out her performance, you can do so on her website.

While I don’t think I’ll ever witness her playing just to me and 15 other people again, it is obvious she’s trying to remain true to her folk roots by encouraging taping at her shows and by hosting links to bootlegged shows on her website. Good for her.

Go check her out!

I came home early from work yesterday, feeling nauseous and grumpy. After a nap and as the evening progressed, the nausea faded but the grumpiness remained. I went to sleep on the wrong side of the bed and awoke there this morning.

I was feeling grumpy about something somewhat petty, and life thought I should be reminded of that.

So when Rudi got a phone call that will probably require him to go home to Salt Lake, my petty grumpiness fled, replaced only for concern about Rudi and his family.

Life is predictable in that way: only so much self-pity allowed before you should be reminded that your problems are minute and unimportant. I just wish I could learn this lesson without that unpleasant slap upside the head…