Nifty Noodles/ Tracy
1/30/05 Tracey, CA New Hope Church…
Always in Northern California, I find myself playing church programs in School auditoriums, Movie theaters and Storage facilities.. or maybe I mean industrial warehouses.

I know I’ve played in actual church buildings up here but I’ve done so many “renegade evangelism” outposts here that until I got to the gig Sunday morning I could not remember doing it a year ago.

Wow though now.. the turn over here has been significant in just one year, and too I think of the changes in my own life in this single year … remembering my circumstances since I was here last. Just to know some places will actually have me back is exciting news these days. I’m happy to be working through Jan/Feb… as it is usually very slow.

Now that I’ve added the extra expense of my “west coast office” I get real grateful for the chance to play where it’s not all ‘Volunteer” work.

Stopped by the Arlen Ness motorcycle showroom and museum too on the way into town, Tracy is an hour north of San Jose. I think it’s north… it’s over the hills that way that’s all I really know. It’s a scary little house on the prairie lookin town but once again I met some cool people in their own world trying to make a difference and wondering what God desires them to do. It’s all any believers are asking seems like….where do I go… what do I do… what do you want oh lord… Show me show me show me… My purpose, why am I here…after a while I feel pretty unoriginal!!!

Ok So there’s that! Bryan D

Nifty Noodles/ Florida Hill Country
1/24/05 Summerfield, Florida
I just met Fred a few weeks ago at a recovery gig I did in Ft Lauderdale. He had just enough nerve to ask me to come to his church and sing for their two year anniversary since starting a recovery program. He has a thick Boston accent that I hammered him about… his response to me was a classic quotable line… “hey… I’m sensitive, I hurt easily, and I don’t suffer well!”… I liked him pretty fast. Another smart-aleck guy running a recovery program. The gig was an hour or so away from the Orlando airport. Fred was excited about the new “villages”… a suburban sprawl that sprang up over night here. Everything is brand new and shiney clean. It was like a “Stepford” community in my estimation… everything is perfect. Uniformity, and conformity. It felt like “Irvine”… a town without a history. It is brimming with people, snowbirds and the permanently retired.

The crowd for the concert was actually older than I was for the most part. I met two couples who knew my parents and worked with them in their ministry efforts. And then came the surprise of a lifetime for me. Just before the show a woman and her husband came back stage to say hi… her name was Becky and she didn’t think I’d recognize her. It was my high school sweetheart! She was a fiery little blond that I took up with from the neighboring town when I was seventeen. At the time I was the good little church kid and she was a hell raiser. At least from my perspective, she was defiance personified. I think she’s mellowed a bit and she seems to have found a good man that isn’t intimidated by her.

I hadn’t seen or heard from her after I left for California. It’s been 35 years and I enjoyed revisiting the past for a few minutes. Wow it’s great to be reminded of good things from the past and to see other survivors from a world ago.

They had a pastor share his dysfunctional past even as a senior pastor with an impressive background. He had laryngitis and so he had typed his testimony in to his computer. And he stood before the crowd and let his computer speak for him. It was a unique delivery that had everyone straining to hear his story. His was a story of recovery not from drugs or alcohol… but from unmanageable ways of dealing with other people… once again affirming that everyone needs recovery to survive insanity on some level.

So now the gig was on I was in a nearly euphoric mood and the songs were clicking… but I lost nearly half of the audience when I took a break at the offering.. some folks thought the show was over I think. I still played a good long time before realizing too that it was a Monday night and people have to work…. No wait, this is a retirement community … lets see… maybe they had an early tee time! Leave it to me to find the one low light of the night. The highlight was “If You Pray for me” the church had a little series of video clips that they were playing behind me… and on this one song up popped, completely at random I think… a montage of lit candles… it was a nice addition to the song which seemed to have the biggest impact once again this weekend.

The gig was like all recovery gigs… I am fulfilled for a while because my desire is to know others and to be known by them. Recovery people seem to have a stronger connection to my songs and I feel understood. Driving to the airport Tuesday morning I noticed something I’ve never noticed before in Florida… pine trees and Hills! Mounds really but in Florida they seem like ski slopes. Fred dropped me off with one last of many pontifications… “You can’t have a relationship with someone you have a resentment about… food for thought I suppose, I am rediscovering old resentments that I thought I’d worked through… It’s like when you vacuum the carpet and it looks clean until you move the furniture around? I am currently moving a lot of “furniture” in my life personally and I’m discovering more work to be done.

OK so there’s THAT! Bryan D

Nifty Noodles/ Frozen Tundra
1/22/05 Saturday Minneapolis, MN
I wasn’t sure the gig was on as I listened to the weather reports. My destination got a foot of snow over night. It was a tsunami relief benefit marathon. Two days of music, comedy magic acts, speakers, including one Minnesota senator. I came on almost an hour later than scheduled. It was too cold to snow by that time. After sound check I did a local T.V. taping for a show called SO4J. And I was surprised at the number of serious die hard fans standing in the lobby. Some as new as the last time I was here a few months back.

It was a small turn out overall because of the obvious pounding. But it seemed to fill up as I went on. There’s always a couple times a year where I suffer a throat infection and this weekend seems to be one of those times… it became obvious that the mid range part of my voice was dry and cutting out… I am powerless over this. It’s like Laryngitis or allergies. There is no way to stretch it out to make it work. The building too was extremely dry and the air conditioner was blowing directly on me. I was in trouble within three songs. But being the opposition defiant man that I am I sung and hour and a half show. Hating most of it… but determined to find a song I could actually sing correctly.

It is hard work to find humor in the situation when your one gift is missing.

I get more spiritual when I can’t rely on myself. The set turned very mellow and it was less of a show. I talked more of contributing to the relief of the survivors of the tsunami disaster. “If you pray for me” was a timely song in the set and perhaps brought the best response. It came with an understanding that we can all find ourselves at the mercy and the benevolence of others. Let’s return the favor first!

I was disappointed not to be able to “show off” all my favorite songs. But sometimes I have to get over my own need to self indulge. I hope this dry throat goes away as I head for Florida tomorrow.

O.K. So there’s THAT…. Bryan D

Nifty Noodles/ TBN Again
1/17/05 Monday, Tustin, CA
I was invited to host a video show at TBN called REWIND. It’s old videos from the 80’s and 90’s… I guess I got the job cause all my videos were back then. They played “Don’t ya wanna Rap”, Love Takes Time, Traces of Heaven… did anyone even know I had videos out…there were two others I think… “I love you with my life” and “Darkness is Falling”… Man the hair do’s I’ve gone through.

I got there too early and watched a rap artist named T Bone finishing up his Rap and R&B video show. Boy did I feel out of the loop.

Only recognized one name on his show. The hits just keep on coming. I felt like I was back from the dead and didn’t know what any of the technology was.

There were two people in the audience for this pretaping … a couple of students from my old Alma Mater … Vanguard University.

I just stand in one place and talk into a camera… introducing mostly videos I’ve never seen and offering little insights on the people I know…let’s see there was Bob Carlisle, Steven Curtis Chapman, Three Crosses, Insyders, Kirk Franklin, and Shine MK a girl group I did a video with for the “Left Behind” movie soundtrack.

I’ll probably never see this airing but I thought I looked pretty good for an old guy.. I sure felt like Casey Kasom reading off the teleprompter. They had some cool back drops on the show I’d like to have taken home. Like the Fatboy Harley Davidson in the corner… or the “Jetsons” style coffee table, and the black and red love seat with motorcycle fenders for arm rests!

OK SO there’s that…. Bryan Duncan

Nifty Noodles/ Greenleaf
1/16/05 Rosemead, CA
This was a last minute addition to my schedule… I agreed with an old friend to come out to his little budding church.. hence… the name perhaps… GreanLeaf Church… they meet at a Doubletree Hotel… they had 33 people there this morning mosty Asians and quite young…. No one was really over 35 except me and Randy Brewer the assistant pastor.

The crew setting up were all college age guys with unusual names mostly… at least to me… there was “Sokia, Shad, Jeaudy, and Johnny… well there had to be at least one regular name… I still can’t pronounce the last names… great guys all of em… and diligent.

I was there just to sing Randy’s favorite song…”We All Need”… I also closed the service with “Thing’s Are Gonna Change”… my new theme song.

I sold three CD’s and gave away two DVD’s and a CD…. Let’s see so I’m out what. Ten bucks? The cool thing is. I met a player in a local rock band who had played recently at BB King’s in the Universal City Walk area… and he gave me some info on that gig and a few other opportunities to broaden our horizons in a redefined way. I also met the woman who books this band (Midnight 2 12 is the Band’s name) ..

She’s gonna help us perhaps make some contacts around L.A. for future “otherworld” gigs.

So you never know what a day may hold and every effort small or large has hidden values! Sometimes you discover them before you leave… and sometimes people tell you about an impact you had twenty years later on your guestbook. 8)

I am remarkably hopeful today for the future. I think back about my losses and the pain I’ve endured… and I can see how God is using it all in a way that is beneficial… so I’m o.K> with it… I’ve written two pieces on the fly for this new on line column at CMCentral.com and the response from the editors was fantastic… so there you go… a chance once again to apply old pain to a new reality… talk about a budding ministry… this is so cool…

O.K. So there’s THAT…. Bryan D

Nifty Noodles/ A New Column of Stuff
1/13/05 the West Coast Office for Red Road Records...
I've agreed to do a column for an on line magazine called CMCentral. It will be a spinoff of Nifty Noodles really... as I already work through my thoughts out loud there as it is. But you might wanna check out that site www.CMCentral.com my column will start this coming Monday I'm told. I'm on a talk show tonight with Susan Walker/ radio talk show host and Psychologist whom I met in Seattle last time I was there. Not sure what station she's on tonight . I guess you'll miss it but that's what I'm doing.

I'll be in Tustin, Ca next Monday to host a t.v. show called REWIND It's a show, I think, about "past" artists in Christian music... of course I'll file a report when I do the show. I hope I'm not a "past" artist... but then again I think I was there back then.

Saturday I'll be back in Minnesota again on the 22nd to lend my support to Tsunami Relief and I'll be in Florida the next day to Celebrate Recovery...I'll be playing at the NAMM show (National Association of Music Merchants- music industry convention) in L.A. with famous Bass player Abraham Laboriel among other musicians. Then there's a KKLA live remote in Tustin on Feb 1st and Youth Specialties convention in San Diego on the 3rd

I mention all this to let you know that just because my concert schedule doesn't look busy... such is not the case in reality for me. We are planning to do a NehoSoul Band concert at BB Kings in L.A on the 26th of Feb. I'll keep you posted on that. And I'm doing a flurry of small private events with recovery to promote Radio Rehab and the new Music City Live DVD and CD we're releasing in March.

I LOVE IT! I'm not standing still... things are moving.... It's A.D.H.D. paradise right now...

O.K. so theres THAT bryan D

Nifty Noodles/ The Great Salt Lake
1/9/05 Sunday Salt Lake City, UT
First time back to my home state in four years I think. Phenomenal gig at Calvary Chapel of SLC. I underestimated the turn out.

They have three morning services and I played a full concert at night. The new iPod (Econo Band) did not remember some of the newer songs… my fault I suppose in the downloading process. I hate tech stuff but it’s a necessary evil. The Good new is that the Mercy album material that I did was a huge hit in the morning services… “Into My Heart” and my new Theme song “Things are Gonna Change”.

I didn’t bring enough of any of the CD’s as I returned home nearly sold out. Without the NehoSoul band Music City Live DVD’s didn’t move well. But the CD’s were gone! The turn over since I was here four years ago was almost 90% based on a raise of hands.

Just when I imagine that I have nothing further to share with others in the way of spiritual encouragement, God himself surprises me. Right when I feel most unqualified for service something else just clicks. Just as I’m prepared to redefine my life and career as something totally different God redefines my redefinitions… he says wait a minute, I’m not asking you to divorce yourself from my family!

There is a place for me.. somewhere on the outskirts I suppose and I’ll be happy with that. I’m in too big a hurry to figure out my new directions to the point of throwing out the baby. Anyway I had things to say from a good place and I was most surprised of all.

I’m learning from Oswald Chambers mostly that when God is serving his purpose in you there is a complete lack of self awareness about it… leave it to me to want to catch my own reflection in the mirror as I’m working “for God”. I think if you are anxious to see yourself as a saint just to see how you look doing it… you’re not even close to God’s purposes.

O.K. so there’s my little sermonette to my self. After the concert Sunday night which was enjoyable. We watched reports of the Tsunami disaster on T.V. . My Sound Man, David Rowe, came home to a major flood in his house in California too by the way… his studio where we filmed the taping of Radio Rehab for the Music City Live extra footage will have to be completely gutted as water damage was significant. David calls his Studio officially “Sound Foundations”… he was thinking of renaming it “drown foundations” after today.

But after watching the stories of the hundred fifty thousand lost lives in the biggest natural disaster in modern times… I guess we can all deal with our own setbacks… none of us are redefining quite like those who lost family, home and community all in one fell swope.

OKso there’s that…. Bryan D

Nifty Noodles/ First gig of Oh five

1/5/05 San Diego, CA
I start the new year singing at a Wednesday night bible study at Maranatha Chapel… it’s colder than a well diggers wallet down here. Doesn’t feel at all like San Diego. I played for the second time with my new Econo Band a spanking new I Pod… man it sounds great.

I played some really old stuff tonight. “Love Takes Time” “Into My Heart” “When It Comes To Love” and “Things are Gonna Change”…

San Diego people are about as laid back as you can find anywhere in the country and it’s hard to tell if they are awake frankly but folks did laugh some between songs… and somebody gave me some Chocolate Covered Marshmallows after the gig.

They had a communion service at the end and I partook. The Pastor was talking about how few of us actually believe that God is absolutely passionate about us… I had to agree… if I felt that loved it seems I would act differently. I think that’s the hardest thing to believe in the whole Bible… sure he loves you and the rest of the world but somehow I feel left out most of the time…. I think it’s my own expectation… if God really was passionate about me he would eliminate my painful circumstances… he would rescue me from my own bad decisions… but then I wouldn't do that for my kids because that’s how they learn and grow stronger… through adversity.

I thought to myself during communion… God if you loved me really … you’d get me outta this mess. Just then I spilled my grape juice on the carpet… uh ohh…I hope nobody saw that. See there it took me only a few minutes to be away from God what with all the distractions I’ve been given… Don’t know what to say about this in the end here… but I’ve got a lot more believing to discover.

OK so there’s That Bryan D

Nifty Noodles/ The Holidays

1/2/05 Home
Because my world is invented one day at a time and I don’t punch a time clock I find the holidays frustrating. It is an assigned time of rest and reflection from work for regular people. For me it becomes a sidelining time out. I’m required to stop doing business and enjoy a few moments with friends. All the momentum I build on a regular day runs down. I’m a kid being told by my parents that it’s time to go to bed! I hate it… I don’t want to sleep. Something might not happen because I’m sleeping.

But after my emotional “temper tantrum” I find some things I was missing all along that I will wish for when I’m busy again. It’s time browsing with friends, a home life. Relaxation takes work to perfect. “See there ya go … everything takes effort” I say to myself. I made an effort to have breakfast somewhere besides Denny’s yesterday… picked a whole new place and met some friends from out of town. I ran into my own oldest son and his friends who wandered in ten minutes after I did. I was elated and proud to introduce him to my friends… man I was excited. Now I’ve said this at my concerts recently… that if you try to control everything you will leave no room for surprises and wonder.

I demand that God show up in my definitions of reality and he refuses. I grow terse. And suddenly he surprises me with good things that I did not plan! They are simple pleasures that I in all my designing could not manufacture. My greatest gifts over the New Year were surprises. Things I didn’t even know I needed… until they were there. My sons don’t see me enough. They don’t fit into my schedule. But when I see how they are turning out (because I’m sitting still) is thrilling in a way that I cannot describe. Hey They love me! My younger son called me ten minutes before the new year. He’s 18 and starting his life… and he thought to call me at that moment. Wow that is so cool.

Oh I could have called and scheduled the phone conversation but no this was a surprise. You know kids… they have plans and they are running… kinda like their parents 8)…

This is my moral inventory of where the good things are for today. I’m learning to cook this year… that’s my new resolution. Oswald Chambers (January 2) is a perfect opening for the new year… you should check his daily devotional today it’s soo right on time….

“one of the difficulties in Christian (life) is this question ’what do you expect to do?’ You do not know what you are going to do; the only thing you know is that God knows what HE is doing… revise your attitude…it keeps you in perpetual wonder…”have you been asking God what he is going to do? HE WILL NEVER TELL YOU…..” … “ suppose God is the God you know him to be when you are nearest to him- what an impertinence WORRY is!”......

Happy New Year…. Bryan D.

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