As of this writing, I have three of the Paint Branch Ramblers confirmed for my set at the Songwriters Association of Washington (SAW) open mic at the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt, MD, on August 28 (some time between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.). This will include fiddlin’ Peter Jensen, flatpickin’ Bob Smith, and our newest Rambler, Susan Johnson, on the washboard and autoharp. This pocket-sized version of the Ramblers will sing and play on at least two songs and will guarantee me an audience of at least three for my solo numbers as I go head-to-head with Barack Obama.

I’d been trying to figure out how exactly to fill my 15 minutes of New Deal fame. And all I’m going to say at this point is that we’ll be doing something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.