As I write this, I am 36 years old. I’ve lived for 18 years twice.
When I was 18, I was a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In February of 1994, I had just booked studio time in Charlotte at the White Room recording studio. The session was in March. I was practicing my songs.
Every Monday night during my freshman year, I took a break from my studies to perform at the Columbia Street Bakery open mic night. It was here that I had the cassette release party for Grow, my first EP. Every Monday, I got a chance to play new songs that I had written that week.
The Bakery was on the corner of Franklin St. & Columbia St. Today, the space is a hamburger restaurant. 18 years ago, it was the location of one of the more important venues of the Chapel Hill music scene. The Cradle was where the big bands played. 506, the Cave, and the Lizard & Snake were the minor league rock clubs. The Bakery & the Skylight Exchange were the songwriter clubs.
I lived in Morrison dorm on south campus. It was a little over a mile walk to the Bakery. Freshmen couldn’t have cars on campus. I parked my econo car at a park & ride during the week. I liked to perform with a stool. So, I’d make the two mile round trip with my Yamaha acoustic guitar in one hand and a rickety stool in the other.
Sign up was at 7 pm. The show started at 8 pm—10 minutes for each performer. Sometimes the night went until 11 pm. I liked to go on around 9 pm. That year, over the course of the 36 or so nights I attended, all of Building a Hole was performed, crafted, and rehearsed.
The Bakery closed sometime in the mid-90’s. I started playing the minor league and major clubs around town and elsewhere. I dreamed big dreams. I would go on to live most of them. 18 years ago, I was getting my start.
The past 18 years have been a blast. If you are reading this, chances are, you’ve supported my music over the years. Thank you.
Here’s to more dreams and winding roads. The journey is the fun part.
