So it’s been more than a minute since last I wrote on here. And some truly crazy shit has transpired, from my band going from a four-piece to a three-piece with me singing a LOT more to all kinds of unprecedented health issues.

Thankfully I think all the turmoil is actually going to lead to a much better life for me in general.

Back in July, my dear pal Alon came to the personal realization it was time for him to leave the band, and it was decided that we’d move on as a three-piece since we weren’t going to find someone right in the quick time frame we needed. So we scrambled, did some clever behind-the-scenes work, and absolutely nailed our first gig. The we nailed the second. Then the third. Then we realized, “Whoa, we can do this. This is us now.” We’ve had to make a few setlist adjustments with his departure (basically all of the rap songs are gone for now, since we haven’t figured out how to play and sing them at the same time yet), but we’ve added a few great songs to fill it out, and all our venues have been very happy with the results and have kept booking us. It’s great.

In early October, we even flew out and played a wedding in California. It really was special to me to be there, since where we were staying was about 20 minutes from where I used to live in the Bay Area, and it really felt like I had returned “home”. Well, at least to one of my “homes”. The weather was absolutely perfect, as it almost always is in that part of the state, and our wedding was at a beautiful venue under the redwood trees south of Los Gatos. It was an unbelievable experience, and it made me deeply miss California and wish I could live there again.

In late October, I ended up in the Emergency Room in excruciating abdominal pain. Through many doctors visits and tests it was determined that my gallbladder was full of stones and needed to come out. So we did that last Monday (yay cramming it all in before the end of the year after I already hit my deductible!) I’m healing okay, but it remains to be seen how it’ll affect my digestion going forward. So far, I’ve been able to eat whatever (I’ve been testing it out), so maybe I’ll be lucky. I’d already started improving my diet and exercise over the course of all the tests, even enlisting a registered dietician to coach me and help keep me honest and on track, and that’s going pretty well.

So these health issues will likely lead to a stronger, healthier me in much the same way the upheaval in the band led to a really great result both musically and monetarily (let’s not forget that a 3-way split is better than a 4-way split). I do miss hanging with my buddy, though. I actually miss hanging with all my local buddies. I need to prioritize that social stuff in 2026. It’s been far too long with some of them and I’ve really felt isolated.

Well, if you get a chance, come see Bings 4.0 sometime – it’s FUN. And look out for more acoustic gigs and stuff from me – I’m really going to try and play more of those shows this year. Comment with some song requests, if you like. Maybe I’ll add them!

Happy New Year and I hope you have the 2026 you deserve.

Peace be the journey!

TMS