I haven’t felt a desire to play a gig in a long time. But recently, I’ve been feeling like, “…maybe…”. Then a coffee shop opened up 5 minutes from my house (Cosmic Coffee) – it’s owned by a person who is working to build a community space. I was in there buying a mocha one day, and I pitched the idea of a “6am concert” to him. He thought it was a fantastic idea, which says at least one thing: He’s my type of people.
So on April 15, at 6:30am, I’ll be playing through Act I of Happy Endings Church solo on the piano. I’ll be rusty. It’ll be ridiculously-early in the morning. I’ll just have finished moving hundreds of pounds of gear at an early morning hour. The place will be empty with the exception of me, my voice, my piano, Dusty the shopkeep, and the random person stopping in to buy coffee on their way to work.
I like the weirdness of a 6am showtime. I like that nobody will be expecting a grown man with a beard on the keys and a booming voice at 6am. I like that I’ll have wrapped the show and returned home in time to see the kids off to school.
What: Toby on Piano
When: Friday, April 15, 2022 at 6:30am
Where: Cosmic Coffee, 3301 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418
Cost: Buy a coffee, and we’re good.

Notes:
- I think my last solo show was in Tony’s basement in Sept. 2012.