Cheer up, Henry

I don't know if these things will work or not, but:

Transperformance? Don't you always have a great time playing out in the open air to that audience of families and frisbees and laso apsos?

Netflix "Walk Hard- the Dewey Cox Story" but make sure to watch the long director's cut. It's a bit paradoxical to recommend this since I foound the short version to be a bit of a chore to sit through in its entirety, although there are definitely good bits throughout. However, in that long version, they go for a while on the sendup of Brian Wilson in the studio where the main character is creating this pop symphony including every instrument known to man and five songs are all on top of each other. Those 10 minutes are worth the rental. Also, the rubber baby being born at the end of the movie made me fall off the couch laughing.

It may also be strange to recommend finding some new partners to play music with since I'm one of your oldest collaborators but I've found playing with students to be invigorating and inspiring myself. Part of it might be the fact that they're young and less cynical- for example, there was one morning thsi year before classes began where I found myself spinning tracks from "The White Album" on a CD player for a group of about five students who had never heard it before and almost vicariously listening to it with fresh ears myself. While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Blackbird were the two big hits among the younguns. Either way, maybe keeping an ear open for a new music friend would do the trick. Just don't make it more work!

Have you delved more into the Go-Betweens "16 Lovers Lane" album? "There's a storm inside of me and how I miss your quiet, quiet heart." Grant McLennan never wrote a more Ohlenbusch-like line than that. Can't miss.