Hello Reader,

I'm typing this on our patio in Washington DC, on a rare idyllic day - shocking blue skies, pollen grounded from recent rains, that warm sweet spot between early-spring chill and summer swelter. The trees are in lush leaf and bloom, and our planter box of spinach and cabbage is unfurling new growth almost as we watch. I'm behind on many things, flat-out neglecting a few others. But I'm deep in music-making and being present with my family and showing up for my community, which feels like the right call, most of the time.

I hope this finds you, too, looking around and thinking: I can work with this. This is more than enough to go by.

MAY 2024 TOUR DATES IN THE US

Next week I'm embarking on a short tour of the Mid-Atlantic and New England, playing some sweet venues I haven't been to before. And I'm thrilled that two artists I admire tremendously will be joining me on those shows.

​Jean Rohe is a songwriter of unusual thoughtfulness, tackling fraught subjects with such tenderness and curiosity and wisdom. I adore her duo project with Liam Robinson, Robinson & Rohe, as well as her new memoir-musical 74 Corridor, telling the story of her father through NJ Transit bus stops. We'll be playing the May 8-11 Mid-Atlantic shows together.

​Amber Rubarth is a dear friend who's always, in her quiet gentle way, shown what being an artist is really about: honing your craft, creating magical spaces for people, turning toward rather than away from the work that needs doing in the world, doing it all on your own terms. Her new album, Cover Crop, encapsulates that ethos: a collection of cover songs about our inter/dis-connection with nature, as well as a project to help communities forge new relationships with their local farms. She'll join me on the May 17-21 New England run.

I hope you'll come out to see me and these excellent humans, and bring a friend or two. Looking forward to seeing you!

With Jean Rohe:
Wed 8 May @ 19:30 EDT - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
Thu 9 May @ 19:30 EDT - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head On Stage
Fri 10 May @ 20:00 EDT - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater
Sat 11 May @ 19:30 EDT - Avenel, NJ - The Avenel Performing Arts Center

With Amber Rubarth:
Fri 17 May @ 20:00 EDT - Marblehead, MA - Me&Thee Music
Sat 18 May @ 20:00 EDT - Shirley, MA - The Bull Run
Sun 19 May @ 19:30 EDT - Bath, ME - The Chocolate Church
Mon 20 May @ 19:00 EDT - Exeter, NH - The Word Barn
Tue 21 May @ 19:00 EDT - Exeter, NH - The Word Barn

PRE-SHOW GET-OUT-THE-VOTE FUN

When doors open before each of these shows, instead of staying cloistered backstage, I'll be hosting an open "civic happy hour" with a couple of easy, high-impact activities for making a difference in this election year. Here's a peek at what we'll be up to if you're curious. Do one, two, or all of them with me, and we'll snap a pic together to commemorate!

I know: just thinking about politics right now can be exhausting or infuriating. But as with my climate action workshops, my goal is for you to say "Oh, that felt good to do, and not at all depressing!" My attitude these days is: yes, things are bad. But things are also always, always changing. And sometimes the biggest shifts are happening invisibly, non-linearly, nudged into being by surprisingly ordinary people. The ending of this story is yet unwritten. Come write with me.

OTHER GOINGS-ON

In March I went on a long-overdue jaunt through Germany, thanks to my long-faithful booking agency Bremme & Hohensee and fifteen local concert promoters, who were willing to take a chance on an indie artist who hadn't toured there nor put out a new album in over a decade. And y'all! What shows, what nights! I am grateful to the point of perplexed at the love that poured out toward the stage each evening. People brought friends, roadtripped from other countries, called out deep-cut requests, met up with me on days off to show me around, dropped off gifts of artwork and snacks and tea. Sometimes the show stretched to three encores. One promoter called the booking agency mid-set: we've never seen anything like this. Needless to say, we're already planning the next tour in Europe. Special shout-0ut to Micha, Mijung and Anna, who hosted me and my traveling family for several days in Karlsruhe, and to Udo, who took vacation days from his job to put on his tour manager / sound engineer hats once more.

Looking ahead, I'm gearing up for a very busy fall: I'll be releasing new music and touring the U.S. to help get out the vote - sometimes solo, sometimes with my virtuosic friends in the chamber band Founders. And the ever-brilliant polymath Alex Wong and I are teaming up to host a very special event the last week of September. More to come on that very shortly.

Here at home, it's been fun watching Jacob wrangle a bunch of exciting climate initiatives into existence. He's also been doing more visual art again, and finding his people at the DC Writer's Salon. Indigo graduates in June from Kalamazoo College (which, I learned recently, has a much-deserved spot on the shortlist Colleges That Change Lives). Life with Arcadia is good too. Even if my arms are a little tired from being an American Ninja Warrior obstacle course. And even if it's a little weird to have my own songs sung to me on loop on the ride home from school. The light in me will let you know, and whatever you want is find me.

How are you? I'd love to hear.

Affectionately,
VT

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