Nifty Noodles/ outstanding in Antioch
7/28/02 Sunday
Antioch, California... (north of Oakland)
It was a mini fest.. No less than 6 opening acts... I came on as the "big finally". I hadn't been in a good mood all day... Air travel is becoming just the most unreasonable way of life these days... But I will spare you the morbid details and cut short the whining.

The gig was a surprise... I expected to get on late what with all the local talent on the bill... I'm having some kind of fatigue problem too. My head was just short of an emotional shell casing complete with the powder burns. I was on stage, right on time! Feeling self conscious and over weight. I didn't want to be on stage. It was routine to begin with but I found a fresh and vibrant crowd and it didn't take long to speak and sing with enthusiasm. I played an hour and a half to a full house. (most of the audience of course were in one of the six acts who played earlier I believe. It's one way to have an audience I suppose... Let every one in the audience do at least one number... On the condition that they have to stay and watch the old guy at the end.

I am out of shape and having a summer ice cream bonanza. I'm not singing with the crisp clarity of past years... I was fighting to stay on key last night. But the set list ran like clockwork. I finished with a heart like mine and Love Takes time... And did an encore with Strollin on the water. I played "short people" early on for some reason... And realized that there are people out there now that don't remember the original song.

I'm bryan d , a believer in recovery.... Thanks for lettin me share.

Nifty Noodles/ Rescue & Redemption
7/25/02 Thursday
Wednesday I drove down with a friend to the Orange County Rescue Mission. I sung for an hour without a mic., that's about all I could take. Last time I was here it was the best gig I've done all year. This time was good too but every time I tried to share stuff I would get all kinds of "talk back" from the recovering drug addicts. One guy was clearly a methadone survivor... He was clapping at twice the speed of all the songs! I still sung with a conviction that is a cut above my regular gigs... Maybe it's knowing that these guys are hearing the gospel for the first time in some cases. Too though it's that I feel understood here more than I do in church. Chances are they aren't surprised by my failures in life.

Thursday, I recorded the 2nd radio show I'm doing called the Road To Redemption. Man this stuff is coming together so well! I'm amazed, except that my talking voice doesn't sound all that interesting. The words I'm writing for the show have a power all their own. God is present.

David Rowe is engineering and co producing the shows. We're working out of his studio in Los Angeles. His is a little underground studio smaller than the phone both I used to work out of in San Dimas .

It took me an hour and a half to get through traffic this morning... And then another hour to "readjust my attitude" so that I could do a show about God's love for me... Imagine that!

It's taking us about 7 hours per show right now... Trying to squeeze every minute out of the half hour we've been given. We are getting interest from other stations too.. I don't know where this will go but I've found something that I can do without interference from the outside. We're not trying to make this the Popular thing... We're just offering some hope to people that might be looking for it.

It is also a way for me to work through some of my own struggles with faith and redemption. I've recently discovered some new chinks in my own armor. Thirty years of ministry and I didn't realize till the big battles were over that I was wounded myself. This has been a healing labor of love for me... I'm mostly talking to myself in these shows.

I'm sure nobody will notice though cause life is so typical for all of us.

O.k. So I'm playing some golf tomorrow.

I'm bryan d ....Thanks for lettin me share

Nifty Noodles/ Celebrate Redemption
7/24/02 Wednesday
The Road to Redemption Radio show hosted by Bryan Duncan was approved by the general manager of KSGN 89.7 FM in the Inland Empire of Southern California. A 3000 watt local fm station. It will air Saturday nights at 10 P.M. And possibly again in the early morning hours of Sunday... after labor day (Sept 7, 02)

It is designed to encourage people in Recovery programs as there are several hundred step groups in the listening area. I will be visiting all of them to tell them about the show. Of course we expect it will encourage others to seek a Christ centered recovery for their own needs as well. It is a way to reach out to various churches (and prisons) in my own community with something to contribute to what they might already be doing.

The show is loosely based on the 12 steps and their biblical comparisons with Jesus Christ as the highest power. A program presented by Celebrate Recovery. A ministry founded out of Saddleback church in Lake Forrest, Ca.

Each show presents one step or principle in the recovery program and I add music that fits the theme and of course encouraging commentary... I call it "Radio Rehab"

This forces me to be more focused than I have been even in my concerts. Which is probably a good thing.

I am excited about this effort as it is a labor of love that has sprung out of my own need to be a part of a local community and find ways to continue to surrender my will to God's will.

I must say here... I am "reasonably happy". It works if you work it... Keep coming back.... You can't heal what you can't feel... And last but not least this definition of insanity.... " If you continue to do what you've always done... You're always gonna get what you've always got". And with that I open a door to a new direction in my life... trying Something I've never done before!

I'm bryan d.... Thanks for lettin me share!

Nifty Noodles/ Bryan by Brainerd
7/20/02 Saturday
Detroit Lakes, Minn
Eight hours by plane to Brainerd... Two more hours by car into the wilderness in the land o lakes. Which by the way means the land of mosquitoes too. "I'm so excited you're here" one lady said when we arrived... "you sound just like Wayne Newton". Wow, now I am ready to sing!

Played an afternoon show and played golf across the street around 5 P.M. Cause it doesn't get dark till 10 P.M. Up here. Came back for a late night show at 11 p.m. Maybe one of the coolest stages I've played on at a festival date. An amphitheater called the acoustic coffeehouse. It seats maybe 1000, even the audience was out of the sun. Sound was good and the place was full. Can't ask for a better situation.

I have never been up here before, It was as humid as the south and the mosquitoes were as big as my dog. Few had ever heard my songs but they leaned in. I've never seen so many white people in one place... Southern California is the ethnic melting pot of the world. I almost felt out of place myself here... Wait, I'm a white guy!

Biggest mistake of the late night show was spraying repellent on my face. I could feel it in my throat and toward the end of the show I was fighting a different kind of voice restriction.

I finished promptly at 12:10 ending with Maybe I'm Amazed...there wasn't a lot of loitering after the gig and we were driving the hour trip to the motel by 1a.m. Stayed at the only available place... "Motel 7" slept through most of the thunderstorm that arrived around 3 am. At least it waited till I was finished at the festival!

O.K. So theres' that bryan d

Nifty Noodles/ Mood Swing
7/17/02 Wednesday
San Diego, Ca. Maranatha Chapel
Wow, I was in such a good mood, I didn't recognize myself today. This is a regular labor of love... And the drive down to San Diego in my speedster is just this side of a vacation! I'm never quite sure what I sung three months ago here and I struggle with a set list. I'm not sure what I did this time either but it went well and the drive home under the stars was delightful.

1/18/02 Thursday
Lake Forest, Ca (pastors conference at Saddleback Church)
I played a lunch time show outdoors in the scorching heat. Lost half the crowd after half the show. I was still dazed myself from the sun drenching I took yesterday.

I was a little disoriented and distracted. I had a six piece band and three back up singers for this gig. The rehearsal was really fun.. But the gig was tough... Couldn't hear everything well. The set was a collection of mid tempo tunes from my last five records... Including songs I haven't sung in a long time... Turnin', whisper heard round the world, where there's Love there's hope, Love takes time, Holiday in Heaven, Blue skies... Well you get the idea. I left a little unfulfilled... But I was grateful to have a live band here even it felt like an "F.M." Kind of set at midday.

By the way I've gotten the first Road To Redemption radio show approval for airing on KSGN in Riverside... They were almost as excited as I was about the content. I'm working on the second show now.. It's the Road To Redemption... "think of it as RADIO REHAB" I say in the opening segment... On the second show I'm playing songs from John Gibson, Al Green, Kirk Franklin, myself of course (hey it's my show) and we're looking for the right tune to wrap it up.

O.K. So There's That bryan d

Nifty Noodles/ In The Snake Pit
7/12/02
Went to an arena football game tonight. The Arizona Rattlers vs the San Jose Sabercats. The cats were undefeated and in first place in their division and the snakes were right behind 'em... It proved to be an exciting game custom make for the attention deficit fan. The Rattlers won a come from behind upset as the Sabercat's reciever dropped a touchdown pass on the last play of the game.

I met with the Christian players on the Rattlers team before the game and tossed the coin in the preliminary events. I met John Elway, former quarterback for the Denver Broncos who is launching a new arena team in Colorado called the Crush. I watched the game for free in one of those first class lounges. I met a live Buffalo that they ride in on the field for effect. And viewed the line of Harley Davidson's that were used to transport the cheerleaders onto the field.

I would eventually do a concert after the game. I was preceded by Joy Williams in concert for 25 minutes... And then after much waiting all day I was driven on to the field in a miniature Hummer! The driver couldn't see the keyboard setup in the dark and almost ran into the stage in the dark. I took up position behind the keyboard dressed in a "Men in Black" outfit...with sun glasses. it fits my music I think.

What can I say about this gig... I'm intimidated in this setting usually. I have a lack of point of reference with the audience. You never know who's there. But tonight. After a technically imperfect start. I swung into motion without trying to decipher the disposition of audience. I was pressed to stay under 35 minutes. I played Love takes time, Joy is a singable thing, blue skies, garden, maybe I'm amazed,and I adlibbed a little blues thing about San Jose losing the game. but the highlight was "if you pray for me". it stands out because it's on the piano without tracks and in a stadium that carries better. The conviction carried well too as I felt completely in line with God's desire to reach out to folks in the audience.

To be honest I felt in an awkward place during the game as some of the entertainment is clearly not edifying to the Body of Christ. But hey it's a fallen world and sometimes we have our moments on Mars Hill.

I was more emotionally exhausted tonight than I can remember finishing at 11: P.M. And collapsing into bed at the hotel after midnight. I slept in the official football jersey from the game and I got the game ball. It's better than a Dove Award!

Nifty Noodles/ aahh, Redemption
7/10/02
I finished the first radio show (it is pre-taped and hasn't been aired yet) But I am so excited about it and it went so well that I'm having trouble containing my enthusiasm... It hasn't been approved yet for radio and of course like always there's the possibility that they won't like the kind of music that¹s on the show. Which includes,
Bonnie Raitt / help me Lord, I'm feeling low
Aaron Nevelle / Mary Don't You Weep
Ashley Cleveland / Don't Let Me Fall Too Far
Bob Carlisle / We Fall Down, We Get Up
Me / God Knows, I Don't
Amy Grant / Takes a Little Time
Me again / Strollin On the Water

It's a half hour show... And I did some cool things with the "encouragement" segments. The first show is called "There Is A God... Your Not Him" The guideline I am using is the eight principal's of Recovery based on the beatitudes written by Pastor Rick Warren from Saddleback Church.

I present the "Prayer For Serenity" And a "life out of step with reality" segment.

Quotes from my on air comments "No matter what else you believe.. Mistakes happen, wrong choices are common place and God... Well he's not surprised by the things you say or do!"

"we're restoring our sanity in an Insane and fallen world"

"When You decide that You know best how to meet your own needs... Well, that's You trying to be God"

"We don't have to pretend that things are better than they are... We're believers! ... Not Make believers"

"... And don¹t' think that God doesn't love you anymore just because you've gotten lost somewhere on the road to Redemption"

"Remember Failure doesn't have to be final"

I did one segment where I talk over this way cool blues Organ riff... About how I like to stay in comfortable places in my life, where I feel the most in control, It's the 'life out of step' segment that I mentioned earlier.

At one point I had to take a break during the taping because I was so overwhelmed by the message God has given me (for others of course).... At some point I will recite the lyrics from "my lunatic Friend" in the out of step segment.

Finally I'd like to thank my sound man, David Rowe who has adopted this "hobby" with me... He's put the most work into laying the show out and formatting it at his studio, Sound Foundations in Eagle Rock, Ca... he's worked in Christian radio before...and he has offered hands on encouragement for free.... We've also found some interest from Satellite Radio network... So there's always a chance that you might eventually hear these programs even if you don't live in the "Inland Empire" (my area of Southern California)

I give out a number for "Celebrate Recovery" so that people have a chance to get involved somewhere if they need. I get no kickbacks for the pitch... I just believe in their ministry... (Check them out at www.Celebraterecovery.com)

I've discovered that if my career hadn't slowed down I would never have been open to something new and exciting or meaningful... This show isn't a giant P.R. Strategy either by the way... I've just been discovering some new freedom in my own life and I'm wanting to be a part of my local community and stay connected to people I see everyday... I have found some real sanity in that. Pain has finally propelled me forward, God be magnified, Miracles happen...

I'm bryan d... Thanks for lettin me share.

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