Dear Dan Bern. or Bernstein if you prefer,

As you stand on the stage at Jammin’ Java on Thursday night you’ll notice something is not quite right. Something about the crowd is a little off-kilter, but you won’t be able to put your finger on it – won’t be able to figure out what, exactly, is different this time from all the other times you played at Jammin’ Java. Or Iota. Or Birchmere*.

I’ll tell you now, so you’re not distracted on Thursday night. What is different (or what will be different, rather) is the unfortunate fact that I’m not there.

It’s not that I didn’t want to be there – in fact I replied “yes” on your Facebook event. It’s that I can’t be there. See, a friend passed away last week and the memorial service is on Thursday at 7:00 pm. You understand, I know you do.

And before you suggest I go to Friday’s Night Cat show in Easton – not terribly far away from Bethesda, where I live — I cannot do that either. My son, a senior in high school, is a wrestler and has his county wrestling tournament this weekend beginning on Friday. Again, I’m sure you understand why I cannot go to the Friday night performance either.

Good luck on your performances in both Virginia and Maryland this week. May your audiences behave and be appropriately lively and not request “Tiger Woods” too often. May they listen attentively and appreciate your new material as much as they appreciate your older stuff.

Please make plans to return to the area soon. Barring deaths and wrestling tournaments, I’ll be there, I promise.

Love,

Dona aka cedarwaxwing

*That you headlined since 1997. I missed your most recent Birchmere performance when you opened for Todd Snyder. I did see you open for him there once, and while I like Todd Snyder, it is hard to hear you for a few songs and then have to hear someone else for the rest of the evening. I also missed your 930 Club performance even though a member of your band at the time got me VIP passes. My babysitter didn’t show up that time.