Mat Kearney hops in RedRide (aka Taxi to Visiting Rock Stars) and joins me in the studio for an unplugged set. Son of a mermaid and still recovering from the Irish Potato Famine, Kearney pontificates about sweet potato pie, women in purple boots, and the real reason people just can't seem to graduate from Chico State.

This week on Sonic Byways, Jamie detains her favorite traveling band of friends in the back room of Reggie's 42nd St. Tavern for some hearty guffaws, the good word on the new album and to get a closer look at Bailey's finely-coiffed moustache.

This week on Sonic Byways, Jamie detains her favorite traveling band of friends in the back room of Reggie's 42nd St. Tavern for some hearty guffaws, the good word on the new album and to get a closer look at Bailey's finely-coiffed moustache.

In a fond nod to this spring's international Sonic Byways Border Crossing, we'll hear from The Slip, and Brad and Andrew Barr's newly-formed The Barr Brothers. Jamie spends her last night in Montreal, Canada in hot pursuit of live music.Unsure of where she's going (and how long it'll take to actually get there),she walks an hour and a half in non-sensible shoes to reach Will Call at Lachine Canal, where a coveted guest pass awaits. On the edge of town/off the pedestrian walking map/somewhere way too far to walk in high-heeled Mary Janes, she finds a killer sunset, an ebullient crowd, and a dazzling performance from her friends, The Barr Brothers.

While road-tripping - again! - Jamie finally parks it at the Vermont Studio Center, for a month-long creative Festivus.  One rainy afternoon, she lures legendary jazz guitarist Bill Frisell  into the hallowed, white-washed halls of Bill's studio, for an impromptu episode of  Sonic Byways.   (Listen closely, you'll hear daughter Monica on backing banter; you may even hear the ink drying on her fresh, impromptu tatoo. )

Every now and then, it feels good to cue up, wind down and get lost in the lyrics.  The band Dawes is deep and has an established sound: that nostalgic, sunshine-infused, Southern California-folk kind of rock and roll.  From Joni Mitchell to CSN, Laurel Canyon has long been a creative enclave, and Dawes - hailing from greater Los Angeles - brings some new energy to the neighborhood.  Throw in jam partner Conor Oberst and tour-mate Jackson Browne,  and we've got ourselves an episode!  It's a feel good hour of Sonic Byways, now playing around your electronic campfire.

...let's hope so!  Jamie heads to the back room of the Soapbox Laundrolounge and Night Club, and tonight, the Sonic Byways Lair, to catch-up with Chris Henderson of Bronze Radio Return.  An appreciative crowd soaked up the positive on-stage vibes, and rock and roll's nicest lead singer effuses on the importance of positive energy, radios with knobs and writing original music--and in a confessional, never-before-recorded radio moment, Henderson admits he's intimidated by cover bands.

...let's hope so!  Jamie heads to the back room of the Soapbox Laundrolounge and Night Club, and tonight, the Sonic Byways Lair, to catch-up with Chris Henderson of Bronze Radio Return.  An appreciative crowd soaked up the positive on-stage vibes, and rock and roll's nicest lead singer effuses on the importance of positive energy, radios with knobs and writing original music--and in a confessional, never-before-recorded radio moment, Henderson admits he's intimidated by cover bands.

...let's hope so!  Jamie heads to the back room of the Soapbox Laundrolounge and Night Club, and tonight, the Sonic Byways Lair, to catch-up with Chris Henderson of Bronze Radio Return.  An appreciative crowd soaked up the positive on-stage vibes, and rock and roll's nicest lead singer effuses on the importance of positive energy, radios with knobs and writing original music--and in a confessional, never-before-recorded radio moment, Henderson admits he's intimidated by cover bands.

It's a dark and stormy night on Sonic Byways, a perfect time for a good visit from an old friend.  And corralling her onto the mic.  Emily Hyatt from Aspen, and now Baltimore, drives down to Wilmington, grabs Jamie, and drags her to a beach bungalow in Oak Island, North Carolina.  Jamie straps Emily to the chair (this is getting good), introduces her to Warren Zevon, and peer-pressures her into co-hosting Sonic Byways.  Emily provides her own one-liners; you just can't script this sort of thing.