Faro and I did “Jim’s Fall” last night live for the first time with a real audience last night.

I have to say this was the most creatively satisfying thing I’ve done in years. When we got up on that stage, it was like everything fell into place even more so than at our rehearsals (which were amazing).

The poems elicited laughter in the right spots, gasps in the right spots, and the ending impact was what I’d hoped, especially with the accompaniment that we’d worked up for the last three poems.

Keep in mind that we did exactly two sessions before we recorded — Faro did the first five poems one night, the second five on the second, and we decided to get a track down on the third to see how it sounded. When we heard the playback, we looked at each other and said that was good enough.

The CD has a kind of dry, insular quality to it — because we weren’t trying to do a final take. The first recording was really just for us to listen to how it sounded. But the lo-fi aspects of it make it sound claustrophobic and creepier (I think). You have to understand that we did this live, straight through, with me leaning above the internal microphone on the digital 4-track while Faro played, w/o effects, about 6 feet away through his smaller Fender amp (we used a Gallien-Kruger head and an Ampeg cab last night, with a handful of effects on two pieces only).

It was a great night. And Faro KILLED in his solo encore. At 18, the guy has so much upside potential it’s scary.

This wouldn’t have worked without him…I’ll never do these poems again without him backing me up.

Next step: we’re in NYC at Bar 13 on October 9; I think we’ll try to book some more shows together as well, and maybe work up some music for a couple of other of my poems.

As for Jim…well, I have to continue with the series now, as I have to literally get him out of the hole he’s in at the end of this series. Not right away, though; I need to let it simmer a bit.

Thanks to all who came out and bought books, CDs, and/or offered love and support. Being able to stretch in the atmosphere of the Java Hut was crucial to making the night work, and I can’t offer enough of my gratitude to let you know how I feel today. I know Faro feels the same.