Mike Viola and Rachael Yamagata are among the finest singer/songwriters working today. You've heard Mike's songs on the radio and in hit movies such as Tom Hanks' That Thing You Do!, Get Him To The Greek and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Mike works with the likes of Fountains of Wayne, Semisonic, Mandy Moore, Barenaked Ladies and Ryan Adams.

Rachael Yamagata's songs frequently appear on television (The L Word, Charmed, How I Met Your Mother, ER , Nip/Tuck, Men in Trees, Alias, One Tree Hill, Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy and The O.C.), and her notable collaborations include Jason Mraz, Rhett Miller and Ray Lamontagne.

Although Creede is just sitting in for a song with Mike, you can bet your Aston Martin that he will be soaking up the rest of the show in the audience. Here's hoping you will too. Buy your tickets for this must-see show on December 4th at The Loft in Dallas.

Put on your seersucker suit or favorite sundress(or both, if that's your thing) and get your bad self to New Orleans. Creede is playing the "After Hours Series" at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art on July 28th and you want to be there.

The Ogden is the preeminent curator of all things cultural in the American South. Established in 2003, The Ogden set out to broaden the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the visual arts and culture of the American South through its permanent collections, changing exhibitions and educational programs. This is a phenomenal place to watch Creede do his thing while you play sophisticated "patron of the arts" .

Head over to http://oah-creede-07-14-11-eventful.eventbrite.com/r/eventful and get your tickets!

Live from Memphis last Saturday night. Unfortunately, no one thought to shoot video of my auspicious entry via the GaGa egg.

Rendevous BBQ, the ducks at The Peabody, Graceland.....Let me count the ways I love thee, Memphis. Here's hoping to you see you at the Memphis House Concert Series on May 7th. Memphis House Concerts is an intimate music experience comparable to the most notable listening rooms in the country. Think of the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Eddie's Attic in Atlanta, the Ark in Ann Arbor, and Freight and Salvage in Berkeley and you'll have a good idea of what this scene is all about.

While these shows are officially by invitation only, I'd love to have you at the show if you are interested in attending. Just send us an email using the contact link and I'll arrange your passage through the velvet ropes.

My allergies announced "present and accounted for" and I suspect Sangria is beginning to chill over at Avila's. Survey(and the calendar) says "Spring is here" and my Mornings say "it's still too dark outside". The Texas highways are turning blue (and more bonneted) in an effort to charm a guy into trading checked luggage lines, delayed flights and Cinnabon kiosks for Hill Country detours and Stuckey's truck stop pecan rolls. Thoreau might have been on to something when he wrote, " A broad margin of leisure is as beautiful in a man's life as in a book. Haste makes waste, no less in life than in housekeeping. Keep the time, observe the hours of the universe, not of the cars ." I'm not sure where I fall on the "housekeeping" philosophy bit, but I'm getting the sense that setting my clock back an hour is not what Hank meant by observing the hours differently. Perhaps Spring is supposed to be about observing, it might explain why everything finally looks in color again.

cew

P.S. Check the tour page, we should be adding new dates often. I'll let you in on a showbiz secret- shows are more fun when an audience is present. Shhh.

Sometimes you do things for other people. Or money. Or any number of reasons that are forgotten by the time you're finished with the "doing". I'm currently in the middle of the ocean doing something...which is nothing. As I relish in this nothing-ness, I'm feeling something. And to feel something, anything, while doing nothing is pretty unconventional in a world that often purports how one should always do something and feel nothing, since idleness is without purpose and feeling too perilous. As you read this, note how slippery the slope between nudging profundity and hugging Jack Handy becomes. It is this tricky gradient that the songwriter navigates...which is why I avoid writing songs about the rain or Pina coladas. Speaking of which.....more songs are coming in 2011, but first I need more Pina coladas.

Big Tex, luke warm beer, fried "fill in the blank"....no shows this weekend as I'm doing calisthenics (picking cotton, climbing the rope, etc) in preparation for OU/TEXAS Weekend. If you're going to the fair on Saturday I'll be easy to find, just look for the guy in Crimson.

The John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science, also known as The Health Museum, is Houston's most interactive science learning center. The 4th Annual Casino Night is set for Sat., Aug. 21 at Hobby Center in Houston, Texas. This is a very special night of Vegas-style fun with proceeds benefiting the The Health Museum's programs and exhibits. If you're within 500 miles of Houston you should be there to support this great cause. Below we've listed some of the very cool auction items...you should pay particular attention to the second item called "The Three Card Monte"- please note: if it brings less than 3 million dollars we will be very disappointed.

Yeppers, for awhile we've been getting videos from aspiring auteurs that feature Creede's songs. This month's selection came from the very talented director, Joe Scott. When Joe told us that he envisioned involving Creede in the context of a Dove commercial we were very excited. And by "we", I mean Creede was very excited about the possibility of finally filming a nude shower scene. Needless to say, the world isn't big enough for two Hasselhoffs so Joe went in a different direction which resulted in what we think would make a very good "Dove Campaign For Real Beauty" spot.

Any guesses? Good try, but they aren't places where I shot-gunned a beer with Lindsey Lohan. Shockingly, the commonaility is none of the above venues have invited me to play...yet. That's about to change.

In light of the moribund economic landscape, BronBron's "decision" and Jake & Vienna's break-up(!), I've decided to implement a "crash at your house" stimulus package that is sure to result in nothing less than complete global recovery, the capture of the famed chupacabra and the invention of an edible corn dog stick.

In all seriousness (cue the somber music), over the past couple of years I've realized that playing music is most fun at intimate shows where I can discourse with people, try new schtick (watch me juggle terriers!) and simply hang-out. Who wouldn't want to work in a place like that, right? Since I can decide whether I open another Insane Clown Posse show or play to friends, I'm playing fewer shows this year and primarily in settings that are around folks that I'd want to know irrespective of music.

So, how does it work from here? Drop us a line(especially the folks who live in Mustique, Aspen, French Riviera) and let us know you're interested. We'll get back in touch with you and see if we can make it work. No pressure, No pyrotechnics just an excuse to host a show at your house, deck, boat, trailer, loft, tee-pee or retirement home.

cew

P.S. Alternatively, you can wait until 2011 where I'll be strictly limited to playing shows in the vein of the picture below.