Reading · Rhythm Never Retires

Summer has officially arrived, and I’ve been staying busy doing what I enjoy most—playing music.

The farmers markets are always a highlight. Besides the music, there are fringe benefits. The fruit vendors occasionally send me home with something healthy, the cookie lady keeps trying to sabotage my waistline, the honey guy usually slips me a little sweetness, and I’m convinced the ice cream stand serves the best ice cream in the universe.

I’ve also had some wonderful shows recently at Wild River Grille, Champagne & Chocolate, and Mt. Rose Wine Co.

One venue I’m especially excited about is Midtown Wine Bar. It’s more of a listening room than a restaurant, so I’m planning to work more of my original songs into those performances. It’s always rewarding when people come to hear the music instead of competing with the sound of dinner plates. (The sarcasm still sneaks in once in a while.)

When I’m not performing, I’ve been writing.

One new book is well underway, another is getting a complete rewrite, and I’m making steady progress on both. I’ll tell you more about them when they’re a little farther along.

I’ve also been revisiting songs I originally recorded back in the ‘90s. Rather than re-recording everything from scratch, I’m experimenting with AI to see if it can breathe a little new life into some old favorites. Sometimes it surprises me—in a good way.

Next week I’ll be back at Topaz Lake for my annual Fourth of July celebration. I’ve been doing this event for close to thirty years now. Families come back year after year for barbecues, the lake, balloon tosses, egg tosses, fireworks, and plenty of laughter. It’s my last regular DJ job, and I still look forward to it every summer.

After that I’ll head down to Columbia, California, for the annual Big Band Dance and a chance to catch up with old friends.

I recently put together a short video from one of Reno’s Sunday Jazz Jams. It’s a collection of photographs from the evening set to one of my original songs, “My Yesterday Is Gone.” I hope you’ll enjoy both the musicians and the music.

I’ve also been having a lot of fun creating cartoons for my daily Substack Notes. If you haven’t wandered over there lately, you’ll find cartoons, stories, songs, photographs, and the occasional philosophical thought that pops into my head over morning coffee.

Notes link is this: https://alexmuddysmith.substack.com/notes

I’m now sending two emails each week:

Tuesday: My regular newsletter.
Friday: A new story, article, or thought.

If you’re in the Reno area, you can always find my current performance schedule at the top of my website under “More Than Just Music.” I do my best to keep it up to date.

And if you’re willing to travel a ridiculously long distance just to hear me sing... I’m perfectly okay with that.

If you’re somewhere else and think your winery, retirement community, RV resort, backyard, or favorite venue might enjoy a house concert or concert event, I’d love to hear your ideas. Some of my favorite opportunities have started with a simple conversation.

Greetings from Mud-man

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