Year In Review

I’ve put this post off long enough. My dear sweet friend Erica sent out a lovely retrospective of her year in creative and personal milestones and I’ve been inspired to do the same. As I’ve written previously, this has been a really important year for me creatively. While I might never be quite satisfied just where I’m at, I think it’s worth looking back at what was accomplished in 2009, if only to thank properly those who supported me in my pursuits.

1. Established myself as a regular on the open mic circuit at the Hotel Utah, the Starry Plough, Bazaar Cafe, Beckett’s and others.
2. Played my first show in nearly three years at Bazaar Cafe in April.
3. Played ten shows at seven different venues in the Bay Area.
4. Authored eight songs, an average of one every month and a half; decent, but I’m sure I can crank out even more if I make the time for it. I’ve also got two songs very nearly done, one of which I’m determined to finish before the year is through.
5. Made connections to so many awesome other songwriter performers, including but certainly not limited to Erica, Adam Balbo, Scotch and Bones, Mr. Andrew and lots of others. I am thrilled and humbled to have you guys as my peers.
6. Random songwriting milestones: my first country song, my first song with timed obsolescence (a la “1999” and “Disco 2000”).
7. Against all sounder logic, left my awesome nonprofit job to make time and emotional space for music.
8. Did a lot of trial and error with trying to form a band with random folks, then
9. Finally managed to put together a freaking fantastic band, The Radical Folksonomy. So worth the wait.

And the great thing is, as wonderful as this year was, I know that 2010 is going to blow it away. Here’s what I think we can reasonably look forward to:

1. Me and the Radical Folksonomy FEATURING at the Hotel Utah open mic on January 4. What a way to kick off the year!
2. TONS of performances. Already four shows scheduled for January!
3. The Radical Folksonomy and I just getting better and better, awesomer and awesomer,
4. then probably recording an awesome full-length album,
5. and then PROBABLY doing a mini-tour of the Northwest this summer. Shhh, it’s not official yet. But we’re trying to make this shit happen.

So, to everyone who’s helped me push forward this year, especially my partner, other friends (including one person whom I’m not talking to right now but who nonetheless gave me a lot of support and deserves credit), all the awesome heads on the Bay Area scene: thank you. I can’t wait to share this next year with you all.

Much love,

Shareef Ali