JonGorey.com

It's been a while since we had a good old-fashioned Top Five Day . As you may know, I work smack in the heart of downtown Boston. It's awesome. After working for years at the fringe of civilization on the outskirts of Brighton, it's been an invigorating and exciting change of scenery. Steps from my office you'll find any meal you can imagine (and probably some that you can't, a few blocks south in Chinatown); the world is my oyster. I mean that literally: there are like four places that serve fresh oysters nearby, including $1 oysters deals at Marliave (from 4pm-6pm) and the Green Dragon (all day). What's more, the competition keeps prices in check. There are so many competing delis and restaurants and take-out spots that no one is able to extort the legions of working stiffs looking for a good bite to eat. Still, it's not all a foodie's dream around here; there are some real duds, too. Allow me to take you on a to...

 Our first dance. Photo by Kate Rose . When Gina first moved in with us on Commonwealth Ave. in 2003, I was working on a bunch of new songs (most of which appeared on Indeed! ). But one in particular was very important to me: I was trying to write a song that I would play for my future wife, whoever she may be, on our wedding day, whenever that may be. It was a daunting endeavor, and I struggled with it for a couple of years. But it got much easier once I realized whom I was writing about. And so, on Sept. 1, 2007, I serenaded my new bride (Gina, if you haven't figured that out by now) with "On and On," a song I'd written especially for the occasion. (I somehow managed to get through it without crying like a sap in front of all of our friends and family.) While it would have been a perfect first dance song for us, we couldn't exactly pull that off, of course -- what with the microphone and guitar in the way! But now that it's recorded, maybe someon...

Some of my oldest friends call me "Hot Rod." No, I’m not all that into cars. It's a sarcastic reference to the fact that I tend to do things... very... very... slowly. I like to stroll rather than stride. I'm always the last one to finish eating (unless my dad’s around). And I'm chronically late. If you're reading this, there's a good chance you've been stuck waiting for me -- you might be waiting right now! -- or will be eventually. For that I'm sorry! And so, I guess unsurprisingly, it’s taken me about six years to record a new batch of songs. Six years?! Yeah, I couldn’t believe it’s been that long either. (WTF, time? Why the relentless marching?) But anyway, I think it was worth the wait! I present to you my new full-band EP, The Things You Keep – produced by my friend Will Dailey (and featuring a number of his band mates, The Rivals). It’s available for download right now on Bandcamp , where you can preview it for free, and you should ...

Are those fondue pots on the wallpaper? Yes. Yes they are. We've been planning to do a kitchen makeover for a long time now -- since the moment we bought our house three years ago, in fact. But we kept putting it off, partly because everyone says you should wait to see how you use the room -- it will tell you what it needs and what it doesn't as you live in it -- and partly because, well, we knew it would require a daunting amount of both hard work and money.  And oh my, did it ever. It's true, though, what they say about discovering what the room really needs. Our early, more ambitious plans were pretty much scrapped in favor of keeping the layout almost as is... we found it actually worked quite well for us. (Of course, cost also played a role in the decision.) What's even weirder is that we started growing accustomed to -- almost fond of -- the garish, muddy yellows of our ca. 1974 wallpaper, wood paneling, and linoleum. Almost. Anyway, when our crappy ...

Yesterday I spent a full 12-hour day recording a batch of new songs with out-of-my-league musicians at Q Division -- where rock goddesses such as Kay Hanley have recorded masterpieces -- courtesy of my friend and musical godfather Will Dailey . I use the term "new" rather loosely, since some of these songs have been kicking around since 2006 -- like the one I played to Gina at our wedding, nearly four (!) years ago. But there are a couple of brand new ones, too -- and, I gotta say, they're sounding damned good! Cut to the chase, man! So the point is, I'll have a new 6-song EP coming your way in a few months' time. Maybe more, maybe less -- it all depends on how our kitchen remodeling goes down. When you're 35, leaky sinks don't give a crap about your rock-star dreams! This also means it's time to clear out some old inventory -- by which I mean the 1,200-some-odd copies of Indeed! stacked up in our basement. You can now buy the CD or d...

Listen to this album and tell me it's not in your top 5 of all time. Last night we saw Weezer play at the BofA Pavillion, and they were terrific. They played no fewer than 8 songs off the Blue Album -- and only one off Pinkerton , which I like better -- but that’s why we caught their front-to-back Pinkerton show in December. It actually worked out pretty well! Anyway, they closed the main set with the last song on the Blue Album , “Only in Dreams.” It’s a moody song, and, despite its throttling crescendo, not something you’d ordinarily end the night with. Still, after the band ducks offstage into the dark, you gotta clap for the encore, right? Show your appreciation? Well, some people argue not. My friend, whom we’ll call ‘Jeff,’ didn’t bother to hoot and holler, saying, “They’re going to come back out anyway, what’s the difference?” It’s a prevalent belief. Plenty of people just stood there gaping up at the stage, checking their phones or half-heartedly clapping once a m...

Everyone clap your hands! Most years on Saint Patrick's Day, I'm lucky enough to find myself singing Irish songs for a crowd of drunks. It can be a lot of fun, but it can wear on you, too. I imagine the Wiggles and other toddler acts face this kind of challenge at every show: a messy, unruly audience that shouts demands at you, drools, staggers around... and sometimes even spits up on the floor. But, hey — a gig's a gig! This year, in a bit of a departure, I'll be playing at a swanky lounge instead of a pub — the Alibi Lounge in the prison-chic Liberty Hotel (formerly the Charles Street Jail). I've never been there (the jail or the hotel lounge), so I have no idea what to expect. I would wager that if you're craving a more authentic experience, you might want to go to, y'know... an Irish pub. But, if you want to class it up a notch and hear me sing various Irish ballads and Pogues songs (and five or six takes on the Wild Rover), please come join me for ...