Drew Glackin (1963-2008)
Drew Glackin, my wonderful friend and bandmate, died suddenly this past week at the age of 44. Drew played and toured with us on and off since 2001 and I was always amazed at his ability to juggle so many bands, so many songs, and so many shows. At one SxSW in Austin a few years ago, he was downright smug that he had played over 25 shows in a week. And the best part of Drew was that he probably made each of those bands feel like they were his only gig that week.

But as impressive was Drew's musical ability to shift gears on a dime during a show and play a raucous unpredictable solo followed by a solo so quiet and intuitive and gorgeous that you could hardly breathe. And he was equally impressive in the studio, where he was serious but not at all precious, and I knew that every moment of focus was bound to be eventually broken with his incorrigibly naughty and infectious laugh.

We all know and will thankfully be bound to hear countless stories of good-time Drew; he was always ready for the next round, the next song and the next group of strangers who would count him as a friend before night's end. And you always knew that, if you had tired of the unexpected twists and turns of a New York day, that you could run into Drew at the Lakeside Lounge or the Rodeo Bar and could count on one thing -- a huge hug and a rapid-fire catch up that made any time that had passed since you had seen each other last seem inconsequential.

But Drew was also in so many ways just an old-school gentleman -- whether he was lending his amp out, giving the best no-bullshit advice in the wee hours, playing ipod deejay in the van when no one else had the energy, or simply holding the door for the person behind him. I'm sure that, wherever Drew is, he is holding court, raising a glass, and making friends, all the while  looking over his shoulder to make sure we are all ok.

He will be so, so missed.