Alex Woodard News http://www.alexwoodard.com/rss Alex Woodard News the mystery new year's eve has never been very high on my 'best night ever' list... maybe because i'd rather be asleep and waking up early to surf, or maybe because the hype rarely matched the experience. this year i spent the first few minutes of 2010 in east africa with a full moon, some new friends, and a fire pit. no hype, all experience.

i got back to the states in time to play a couple of shows with shawn mullins in georgia. someone had a video camera running during one of those shows, and now there's a youtube video posted of the story behind 'the table' and shawn singing it with me. if you're interested, it's right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9m74M16voQ

we'll be playing in folsom again in a couple of weeks, as well as in portland with josh turner, memphis, and here in san diego. details are on the website.

and i think i'm going to let in a little more mystery this year. i still don't know the face or shape of some of the bigger parts of my life, but the best things seem to come from nowhere. so i might as well embrace the mystery, and i hope there are some good things waiting for you in the unknown, too... no hype, all experience.

alex

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ two thousand nine almost everyone i talked to last year was ready to close the chapter on 2008, myself
included.  and while you can never be sure what time will bring, 2009
didn't disappoint... some of the most special moments i've ever had showed
themselves on tour and at home this year.  

many of you played roles in those moments, from helping us get to #1 on cmt
to coming out to the shows to the beautiful letters some of you sent. 
there are so many things i'm grateful for, but i don't want to turn this
into one of those holiday letters where you read about every single breath
taken by some family whose last name you never could quite pronounce.  so
i'll leave it at thank you.

we're looking forward to playing a house show this friday night... if you
want us to play at your house in 2010, say the word.  we've figured out a
way to do it where it probably won't cost you a thing.

and finally, if you ordered the pre-order package for the album last year
(july 2008) and never received an email from me, let me know by responding
to this email.

time to turn the page.

alex

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ it's a long way down... 'reno' had two weeks at #1 on cmt's 12-pack countdown, but you know as well  as me that there's only one way to go from there.  and it ain't to #0.  we tumbled out of the top spot this week, falling all the way to...... #2. rookie keith urban took #1.   we were stoked to still even be in the countdown, let alone in the top 5, so thanks for keeping us there.  your votes truly do count, and maybe with a little help, we can stay in the countdown next week.  you can vote an unlimited # of times (scroll down to my ugly mug 4th from the bottom) at

http://www.tinyurl.com/p8ech4

we're looking forward to playing this week at house of blues here in san diego with robert earl keen... doors are at 7 on thursday night.

and if you've heard about that facebook thing on this new-fangled intraweb, send a request to us at facebook.com/alexwoodard.  we took down the fan page there because it was too hard to update and put up a normal profile in its place.

have a great week... and thanks again for the support over the last month.  it really has made a difference.

alex

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ #1. a few of us were here at the house for the video countdown on cmt pure this past friday night. we all watched quietly as the screen faded to black after the #2 video, and the first bars of 'reno' floated in at #1. it was one of those moments i'm going to always remember... and it happened because of you.

we have a chance to repeat this week, but it's going to be tough. you can vote by clicking the banner on the home page.

and while we need your help again this week, you're already making a big difference.

so thank you.

alex

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ pulling into reno... at #2!!! http://www.alexwoodard.com/ and everything after http://www.alexwoodard.com/ july i'm not really the crying type.  i think it's been about a year since i
last cried, which was probably the day kona died.  i come close sometimes
but always catch myself, like when i was on the road with shawn and i'd be
telling the story about "the table" and depending on the night, i'd feel
that upswelling start in my chest and creep its way up.  but i never let
myself go, usually because i was onstage at the time.

well, i let myself go a couple of days ago.  sean watkins and i wrote (and
just recorded) a song called 'for the sender', and there's a line in there
about how a letter is sometimes like a prayer, in that it's more for the
sender than the receiver.  on monday i found a letter i had written to kona
last july just before she passed away, and as i read it that song hit home.
hard.

and it sounds like something out of a screenplay, but my younger labrador
stella was upstairs out of earshot and sensed something was happening...
she came running downstairs and started licking my face and whining and
then just sat there with me.  for a long while.

it's been hard to avoid the media attention surrounding michael jackson's
death, and i found myself kind of annoyed by some of the reactions from
fans who only knew him through his music.  without a doubt, he was one of
the most talented men ever, with a global reach and connection that will
probably not be seen again.  but i mean, he was just a pop star... get over
it, right? 

then i realized that to the rest of the world, kona was just a dog.  get
over it, right?

everybody's got something they love.  and will miss.

we'll be playing some shows this month in san diego and northern california
with john corbett, and then an august show with pat green at house of blues
here in san diego.  all the details can be found through the links below...


hope to see you out there.

alex
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http://alexwoodard.com
http://myspace.com/alexwoodard
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]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ the road many of you know that i don't leave the house if i don't have to. words like dog, surf, house, and friends keep me close to home. but most of april found me somewhere in the NE with shawn mullins, and may finds me on the big island of hawaii writing songs from the stories you've sent in and finding my balance. 

i've been on this road for quite a while now, and april's tour with shawn shined a light over the journey so far, just when i needed some sort of beacon to guide my way. alot of laughing, learning, and moments that i will remember when i'm searching for some sort of affirmation that i'm doing the right thing. 

early in june i'll head to georgia to play more shows with shawn, and then back to the west coast for another tour with him. i'm looking forward especially to playing seattle again... i lived in seattle for a long time, and i first saw shawn play there when i was just starting out. i never imagined i'd be back through town supporting him on tour. 

'reno' is close to hitting the top 20 on the mainstream country chart... we're re-editing the video i did with sara watkins and will hopefully get a new version out next week. thanks for the kind words and notes you're sending about the song and our journey so far. hope to see you out there in june. 

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ where we at? here's where we at:

1) belly up this week.

2) #46 on the mainstream country chart.

3) writing.

4) on the road.

the naysayers and i are doing a benefit for unicef here in san diego at the belly up this sunday, march 22nd. it's an early show... doors are at 4pm. tickets are 10 bucks in advance, timmy curran is also on the bill, and we'll have you home in time for 60 minutes...

"reno" cracked the top 50 on the mainstream country chart this week, coming in at #46. there's a rumor that sara watkins will be at the belly up on sunday to sing it with me... it would be the first time we've sang that song together live. just a rumor, of course. i'm getting through more of the pre-order songs... i got a few done last week and sent out... thanks for continuing to be patient.

and finally, tour dates with shawn mullins are posted on the website and myspace/facebook profiles. if you're in the area, come say hi...

alex

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]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ 2009 i was ready to turn the page on 2008... it was one of those years i knew was coming, but still tough to get through.

now we're a few days into 2009, and i've been feeling very thankful... for the friends around me, for today, for coffee, for just about everything.  i'm not sure if the turning of the calendar page sparked something in me, but it's almost as if i took a right turn on a different road and i like where we're heading.  

in between my new year's eve spent dodging collagen and fake body parts to the chargers' victory over the colts last night, 2009 has been an adventure so far.  "reno" goes to radio this week, and we're playing my favorite venue (the belly up) this thursday night.  i'm still working on the preorder songs, and i'm looking forward to getting back to the southeast in a few weeks.  

i'm going to try to live 2009 one day at a time.  hope to see you out there.

 

 

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ home. and waffle house. just got home from a whirlwind week-long tour with creede williams and ike... we did two shows in new orleans and a great house concert in memphis (thanks, lattimore... myspace.com/memphishouseconcerts), and then i was on my own for nashville, atlanta, and some writing in there with shawn mullins and near-death driving experiences with rachel.

and waffle house.

i've never been.

but that changed.

from the stone-age buildup of gunk under the stove to the $3.85 breakfast (double-waffle with blueberries and coffee) and suspect bathrooms, i'm in love. finally. like it's for the first time. rachel even snuck a waffle house mug into her bag for me. i of course had nothing to do it. but i'm drinking coffee out of it right now, back home staring at the pacific and catching up on life. i'll be back in the southeast in about 6 weeks. can't wait.

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ 'halfway' is starting to chart on country radio wanted to share some news... we learned today that "halfway" has started charting at commercial country radio... a big deal for us because country radio is nearly impossible to break into unless you're already in the club with taylor swift (we are the only independent record on the chart right now)...

they said that a lot of this has to do with folks calling in to their radio stations. so thank you...

alex

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ quick update just posted some photos from the HOB show in the photos section... i'm still busting my a@# on your songs, and you can check out the latest ones and the stories that inspired them at

http://www.myspace.com/awsongsforyou

we're playing a free show at the casbah october 25th, so if you're in san diego come out and say hi.

back at it...

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ Alex on the cover of Preview  



 

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ your songs i've started to work on the songs for those of you who preordered the album, based on the emails you've sent me about your lives. i have been so moved by your stories so far... it's like you're letting me into a world no one else can see and asking me to hold a mirror up to it. i don't know what i was expecting, but the sense of connection this project is giving me is something i could never have dreamed.

thanks for trusting me with this.

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ hometown review in the san diego union-tribune http://www.alexwoodard.com/ happenings looks like things are kicking in a little now that we're a week away from the new album's release.  on monday, country weekley did another story with a featured download right here:

http://www.countryweekly.com/freemusic/

yesterday, cmt weighed in here:

http://blog.cmt.com/2008-08-12/alex-woodard-will-write-a-song-for-you/

and today rhapsody is doing a 'listening party' in advance of the new record right here:

http://www.rhapsody.com/alexwoodard/alexwoodard

i gave them a bonus track too called 'the roof'... no one's ever heard that one.  it's listed as track 12 on that page.

hope you like what you're hearing on the new one... we shot videos for 'reno' with sara watkins and 'there is no more time to waste' with dawn mitschele, and those will be  up soon!

 

aw

 

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ house concerts if you want us to play in your living room, we'll do it. we just got back from a successful run of house concerts in july, and we'll be posting video and photos as soon as we unpack. email kristen@croshalgroup.com if you're interested!

]]> http://www.alexwoodard.com/ a long july hey it's alex.. this is supposed to be the "news" section, but i've decided to take it over. at least for today. for those of you not on myspace or facebook, i'm going to post a couple blogs here that i put up on those sites over the last few weeks. july was a long month here at the beach... i'm stoked to have this new record coming out this month, and the naysayers and i have had an unreal time playing in people's living rooms this past month. we'll play your place too, just send us an email...

 

there are a few early reviews up in the press section on the site, and at least initially it seems like i got across what i was going for with this album... the stories are about the everyday living side of getting older, and on a few songs i tried to put myself in the shoes of stories i haven't lived yet.

 

finally, i lost Kona in july... here's what i wrote about it the next morning:

 

I said goodbye to Kona last night.

As her breathing slowed, a single tear dropped from her left eye onto my shorts. The vet said it would be better not to think of it as crying, but that's what it was.

That tear held love, thanks, and goodbye.

And then she was gone.

I made my way out of the house and took Stella on a run, crying most of the way down the street while folks driving or walking by wondered whether or not they should ask me what was wrong.


We ran on the beach for a long time. I stopped once because the crying was stronger than the breathing and sat down on the sand. Stella came running up to me and dropped something at my feet. It was a little green plastic fish, the kind you might find floating in a kid's bathtub.

She carried that little fish all the way to the stretch of beach in front of the house, where I took all my clothes off and walked out into the water. Stella followed me out until the surf got too big for her to clear, and then waited for me as I came back to the sand. I pulled my shorts back on, walked up the stairs and into the house, and took a shower. I slept without dreaming.

When I woke up this morning, I posted "The Table" for Kona. We recorded it just days before I found out that she had cancer. When I wrote it, I didn't know she was dying. And now I know I wrote it for her.

If you come to my house, you will probably see a little green plastic fish sitting up on the mantle. Stella was sitting in front of the fireplace this morning, staring up at the little fish. I gave it to her and she now has it nestled next to her on her bed.

We both will be saying goodbye for a long time.

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