Honestly Mark, he doesn't feel "hell yeah". After 40+ years of this, it's just another night in front of more nameless faces to at least him and me. The other people, I can not say.

When you get excited, your focus tends to wane and that leads to errors. Even keel seems to work best.

For me, anyway.

I can't imagine the landscaper getting excited to mow my neighbor's lawn or the mailman getting excited about putting junk ads in my mailbox. Music is just a job like any other. A job many enjoy, but nothing more than a job. One thing I know how to do. I have been at music for 65 years now and while I enjoy the creative aspect, the playing copy music by rote, after weeks and weeks of rehearsing these songs as well as me playing through the stuff at home, is now very tedious to me. We are very good, but that's not the point. We are good BECAUSE of all the repetition, but the repetition is tedious. With a lot of people of varying skill levels in a band, some need the reps and some don't. That's why it has gotten old. I believe in putting in the time at home to learn and then rehearsal is where you assemble. It is clear in our band that some of the players don't play their instrument at all between rehearsals. That annoys me beyond description.

I am using the new 1040XTRAEZ form this year. It has just 2 lines.

1. How much did you make in 2023?
2. Send it to us.