otis gibbs

Here’s an out of focus photo of me doing an honest day’s work, way back when.

I’ve planted 7,176 trees in my lifetime. It might sound fun and interesting, but it was just a hard, manual labor job.

In an effort to keep my mind busy, I’d try to learn something new every day. I had a bunch of books in the truck and I’d taught myself to identify trees and weeds. My buddy, Chris taught me about William Blake in that truck. We’d spend afternoons talking about Gertrude Stein and imagining we were at one of her parties in Paris.

Mainly, I just imagined what life could be like if I wasn’t stuck in that never ending cycle of digging holes, constant fatigue and living an unfocused life.

I had that job for ten years and it’s probably my favorite job that I ever had.

That’s not a very high bar.

Like most people, I’ve had a lot of jobs in my lifetime. Most of them were hard and uninteresting. I’ve stacked concrete blocks onto pallets, stacked hot water heaters in a warehouse, flipped burgers for the clown, worked a rigged game on the midway, worked the door at a music venue, yada, yada… I figured I’d be doing those jobs for the rest of my life.

I’m happy to report, for the last 25 years, I’ve been able to avoid said jobs.

I always joke to people that being Otis is a full time job. It doesn’t always pay real well, but it has a great benefit package.

Most of my days are spent with interesting people, doing interesting things. I get to travel to interesting places and most importantly, I get to lead a creative life.

I don’t take that for granted, at all. I’m grateful to those of you who’ve helped make that possible by coming to a gig, buying a record, streaming a record, promoting a show, buying a painting, etc…

I hope you’re doing something fun and interesting today. Hopefully you’re strumming a guitar or making a painting or scratching the dog’s ear. If you’re grilling out, save me a slice of watermelon and I’ll be over soon.

Happy Labor Day folks

I got together with some friends who just happen to be heavyweights in
the bluegrass world. The tape was rolling, so we ran through some of
my songs for the hell of it. The players were great and the vibe was
outstanding. I loved the recordings, so I decided to release the
session as an album. The Darker Side Of Me is the second song released
from that session. The whole album will be released this fall. More on
that later, but for now, enjoy the music.

The band is:
Thomm Jutz -Guitar
Justin Moses – Banjo
Mike Compton -Mandolin
Jeff Picker -Bass
Otis Gibbs -Guitar and Vocal
Mastered by Alex McCullough
Painting by Otis Gibbs

You’ll be able to watch my film, A Love Letter To Handsome John, for free on youtube starting this Saturday, July 4th.

The back story-
A couple of years ago, I started making a film with my buddy, Todd Snider. It started out as a film about gratitude. It’s a long story that I’ll tell on another day, but it quickly became a way for Todd to show his love for John Prine.

The film is called, “A Love Letter To Handsome John.”

While making this, I kept telling Todd that 99.9% of the world will absolutely hate this film.

(He loved hearing that.)

That’s ok, because it’s not for them. The good news is, the other .1% of people will love it.

Those are our people.

The imperfect ones. The weirdos and the outsiders. They’ll be so damned grateful that we took the time to make this. No matter how flawed and ramshackled it is (and it is.) They’ll appreciate it and support it.

(He loved hearing that too.)

At first, Todd didn’t understand why I wanted to put this on my Youtube channel. I argued that a hundred thousand people, or more will watch it, if we put it on my channel. People all over the world will be able to see it. People 25 years from now, who aren’t even born yet will be able to see it. That’s pretty good for a couple of folk singers.

Todd understood where I was coming from, but he wanted to show it in movie theaters. He made a pretty good argument. He said there’s nothing more powerful than a community coming together, in one room, to share something real. Something they’ve chosen to be part of. Todd argued that we’ve travelled all over the world with guitars in our hands, hoping to be part of such experiences. That’s a powerful thing. Even if it’s just 25 people. Todd wanted the film to bring that same experience to people. He was right, so I promised him we’d show it in a movie theater.

So, I rented two theaters in Nashville and Indianapolis, so I could make good on a promise to my friend.

Those screenings sold out almost immediately. When word got out about the success of those screenings, we started getting calls from mom and pop theaters across the country who wanted to screen the film. It was amazing and inspiring.

The film was screened in almost 40 theaters across the USA. That’s a staggering number for a homemade film made by two friends with no money. Most importantly, people came out and supported the film. They gathered together in a room and shared their love for Todd and John.

Those screenings are over now, so I’m publishing it to my Youtube channel, where you can watch it for free. I strongly encourage you to get together and watch it with a friend. Maybe throw a party and watch it with 20 friends.

The 4th of July was Todd’s favorite holiday, so it seems like the perfect day to stream it to the world for free. Just like Todd and I planned it from the beginning.
Thanks for giving a damn,
-Otis

Here’s the link to watch the film. You can click the “Notify Me’ button on the player and it’ll remind you that the film is live. I’ll be hanging out in the chat while the film premiers on Saturday morning. I strongly urge you to grab a coffee and watch it live with the rest of us. Please help me spread the word. ❤️

I got to ride in John Prine’s Cadillac this weekend. It’s a 77 Coupe DeVille with 29 thousand miles on it.

I turned down the offer to drive it. I figured I’d never forgive myself if I put a scratch on it, so Todd Fox and I rode shotgun.

My dad used to say, “The sun even shines on a dog’s ass every now and then.” I never knew what he was talking about back then, but he’s making a lot more sense these days.

Thanks to my buddy, Michael for hooking us up. Pretty good, not bad, I can’t complain.

Photos by Todd Fox

“We both know he ain’t nothin’ but a low down, dirty rotten son of a bitch.”

That’s the first line of my new song. It’s streaming everywhere as of this morning. You should go listen to it and tell me who you think I’m talking about.

This is from an upcoming album that will be released this fall. More on that later, but here’s the band.

Thomm Jutz -Guitar

Jeff Picker -Bass

Justin Moses – Fiddle and Dobro

Mike Compton -Mandolin

Otis Gibbs -Guitar and Vocal

Mastered by Alex McCullough

Painting by Otis Gibbs

I’m driving all day today, so please be nice to each other and share the song with someone who might dig it.

Thanks for giving a damn,

-Otis

It looks like I’ll be at the Memphis screening of my film, A Love Letter To Handsome John. I’d love to meet y’all. If you’re in the area. Come hang out and help me fill the room with love. It’s June 18th at Crosstown Theater in Memphis.

The very next day (June 19th), I’ll be playing The John Prine Folk Festival in Mountainview, Arkansas. There’s a great lineup of folksingers/friends, like Shawn Camp, Keith Sykes, Pam Setser, Pat McLaughlin and Tommy Prine. Come hang out with us if you’re in the area.

And then on June 20th, I’ll be playing The Moccasin Creek Festival in Effingham, Illinois. That lineup is also great. Folks like Rodney Crowell, Nick Shoulders, Chicago Farmer, Trout Fishing in America, etc.

I just got back from a great tour in the UK, we sold out all but two shows and had a blast. I’m a little worn out, but happy to be doing cool stuff.

We have quite a few film screenings coming up in Blacksburg, Houston, Huntingdon, La Crosse, Memphis, Fort Collins, Boise, Idaho, Austin, San Francisco, Mountain View, Minneapolis, Woodbury, Dallas, San Antonio, Denton, Chicago, Shepherdstown, Billings and more.

We are not adding more screenings, but the film will stream on my Youtube channel soon, so stay tuned.

Thanks for giving a damn,

-Otis

Photo sent to me by the promoter in Raleigh. It makes me very happy to see these snapshots.

A few years ago, I heard a rumor that C.W. McCall used to frequent this diner in Pisgah, Iowa. Having heard that, we did what any normal person would do. We drove a few hours out of the way to have breakfast there. The story goes something like this.

Back in 1972, Bill Fries came up with a TV ad campaign about this mythical trucker named C.W. McCall, his dog Sloan, and the spot he hung out at, The Old Home Cafe. He based these characters on his own life in western Iowa. The commercials were so popular, the Des Moines Register even listed when they’d be on TV.

These commercials led to the first C.W. McCall song, “Old Home Fill-er Up An’ Keep On A-Truckin’ Cafe,” with Bill on lyrics and vocals and Chip Davis on music. C.W. McCall hit the big time in January 1976 when “Convoy” topped the charts.

Chip was also a pioneer of “New Age” music, making successful albums as “Mannheim Steamroller.” But not many folks knew Chip was the musical force behind C.W. McCall.

We asked our waitress if she was tired of being asked about C.W. McCall and she rolled her eyes and said yes. I can’t say I blame her, so I left it at that.

Photo by Todd Fox

I filmed a walk through a few years ago and put it on Patreon. I’ve made it free to watch if you want to give it a gander.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/94825822

This is a self portrait I made a while back in Terre Haute, Indiana.

I got up around 4:30 in the morning and started fumbling around. Amy asked what I was doing and I mumbled something about art, Terre Haute and the beauty of decay. At this point she’s heard quite a few of my speeches, so she just went back to sleep and let my mania play out.

I drove to Terre Haute from Indianapolis in hopes of catching the sunrise over the Wabash. All the way there, I kept imagining what Terre Haute was like when Scatman Crothers was still singing on street corners for tips. When record pressing plants were working non stop to fill American record collections. When Eugene Debs sided with an alleged prostitute against the church. When Sinatra brought down the house at The Indiana Theater.

I got there in time to watch the sunrise and walked around in the rain for a while. I’m happy with my photo, but that’s not really the point.

The most important part of making art (to me), is the excitement of actually doing the thing.

It’s fun to get up early and have all of these ideas and possibilities running through your head. Walking around and being lost in your thoughts while attempting to make something. It doesn’t really matter if you made some great piece of art. What matters is that you enjoyed the process of doing it.

If you’re still reading this, thank you. Maybe you joined one of those record and tape clubs where you get ten albums for a penny? If you did, those records and tapes were pressed in Terre Haute.

Thanks for giving a damn,
– Otis

I woke up and found this photo in my messages this morning and it put a big smile on my face. I’m not the sort of person who goes around patting himself on the back, but this photo made me happy. We all need that every now and then.

My film is playing at a cool arts theater in Portland and a lot of people are coming out to support it. That feels pretty dang good. The first screening is sold out and the second screening will sell out by tonight.

I grew up going to theaters like this and they were a big part of my education. I’ve never been to this theater, but I know that it serves as a cultural lifeline to folks like me. It also makes me happy to see Rocky Horror on the same marquee.

Thank you to everyone who helped spread the word about this film. It’s a DIY effort. It’s held together with duct tape, chewing gum and good intentions. I’m a firm believer in doing what you can, with what you have and good things will follow,

This film has been a great example of that.

The film will live on my youtube channel later this year, so that everyone can watch it for free. That’s been the plan all along. I have to keep repeating it because a lot of folks are reading this for the first time.

I’m heading to Amsterdam and then to the UK for a tour in a week or so. I’m hoping to see a lot of y’all at the shows. Remember, those are not film screenings. If it says “tour,” it’s a gig.

Does anyone know who took this photo? It made me very happy and I’d like to credit them. If any of you have photos of theater marquees on the night of a screening, I’d love to get a copy from ya. I might even hang it on the fridge at home. Send them to info @ otisgibbs dot com.

Thanks for giving a damn,

-Otis

Screenings and ticket info can be found by clicking this link.

I met this guy a couple years ago on Route 66 in Missouri. I was stopping to see the World’s Largest Rocking Chair. You can see it in the background of the photo.

He climbed up on my shoulder and stayed there for ten minutes or so. It’s probably safe to say we enjoyed each other’s company. I was worried that he might be living on the streets, but he said he worked at the general store next to the rocking chair with his brother. They guard the chair and greet visitors as they stop in. Not a bad deal, we’ve all had worse jobs.

Making friends along Route 66.

“The more cats you have, the longer you live. If you have a hundred cats, you’ll live 10 times longer than if you have 10. Someday this will be discovered, and people will have a thousand cats and live forever. It’s truly ridiculous.”

-Charles Bukowski

I recently interviewed Matt Combs and he shared personal stories about his friendship with the great, John Hartford. It’s good stuff, I promise.

Here’s a copy and paste from Matt’s bio. “Matt Combs is a composer, arranger, producer, author, educator, and Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist known for his work across American roots music, orchestral composition, and film and television scoring. He has provided string arrangements and performances for artists including Kacey Musgraves, The Black Keys, Sturgill Simpson, Brothers Osborne, Yola, Marcus King, Wilco, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Stephen Sanchez, Ashley McBryde, and CeeLo Green. His screen credits include Yellowstone, Red Dead Redemption 2, The Menu, The West, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Matt is the co-author of John Hartford’s Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes, and his compositions span film, television, and concert music.”

https://www.instagram.com/combsmattstrings

https://mattcombs.com

I’m happy to report that we’ve added a screening in Portland, Oregon. It goes on sale this Friday, but you can get on the waiting list right now. I’d act fast because this one will sell out.

We’ve also added screenings in Connecticut and Alaska. Both of those went on sale this morning.

I’m particularly happy that a small theater in Homer, Alaska will be showing my film. I was a faithful listener of Tom Bodett’s radio show, The End Of The Road back in the late 80s. It was set in Homer, Alaska and it was a thing of beauty. I’ve never been there, but there’s a small group of Todd fans who wanted to show the film and celebrate Todd. We were happy to oblige.

The first screening at The Belcourt Theater in Nashville is sold out, but there are still tickets available to the second showing. Come on out and join us. It’ll be a good time, I promise.

Get tickets here:

If you work at a movie theater and you’d like to show the film, fill out the form at the link above. If you make it easy for us, we’ll make it easy for you. This is a completely DIY project and we’re flying by the seat of our pants. Who wouldn’t want to get involved in such nonsense?

If you’re lucky enough to have a mom and pop arts theater in your town, let them know you’d like to see it. But be polite with them, they’re probably very busy. They’re the good guys and they’re doing the best they can. Just let them know you’d like to see the film.

Thanks for giving a damn,

-Otis

Photo by Matthew Aaron.

Thanks to everyone who came to the Indianapolis screening of my film, A Love Letter To Handsome John. Both screenings were sold out and I met a ton of nice folks. I wasn’t prepared to see so many people crying as they left the theater. It moved me more than you could ever know. Thank you to everyone for being so sweet and kind.

I put together a 30 minute video of that evening and shared it with my Patreon supporters. As of this morning, I decided to make it free to anyone who wants to watch a bunch of nice folks having fun in a movie theater. It’s good stuff, I promise.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/kan-kan-cinema-154782415

If you work at a movie theater and you’d like to show this film, fill out the form dow below and we’ll try to make it happen. Its very simple. If you make it easy for us, we’ll make it surprisingly easy for you. https://alovelettertohandsomejohn.paperform.co/

The film will stream on my Patreon page later this year and then it will stream on my YouTube channel, so that everyone can watch it for free, for all eternity.

What could possibly go wrong.

Thanks for giving a damn,

-Otis