Blue Ajay at Dan's Silverleaf, 9 February 2026. Photo by Christina M. Orr.
Silverleaf 9 Feb 2026
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Silverleaf
Blue Ajay at Dan's Silverleaf, 9 February 2026. Photo by Christina M. Orr.
Dan’s Silverleaf is home to a weekly Monday-night Songwriter’s Open Mic hosted by Justin Collins.
Justin Collins opening the mic at Dan’s Silverleaf, 9 February 2026.
It’s worth a visit just for Justin’s opening performance.
This particular event features, on average, two songs for each performer.
I had planned to open the new year’s performances with a rendition of, “January Grave”. However I endured a lengthy and remarkably nasty case of the flu that left me out of commission for the bulk of January.
Thus I began February with my January song.
“January Grave” appears on, meatball Surgery.
Breaking cold hard ground on a cold grey day
A broken man digs a January grave
A broken man digs a January grave
Shoveling earth through fog & haze
A broken man digs a January grave
A broken man digs a January grave
Tears done cried life gone away
A broken man digs a January grave
A broken man digs a January grave
Been here before, few words to day
A broken man digs a January grave
A broken man digs a January grave
Here is the spot where love shall lay
A broken man digs a January grave
A broken man digs a January grave
Breaking cold hard ground on a cold grey day
Shoveling earth through fog & haze
Tears done dried, life gone away
Been here before, no words to say
A broken man digs a January Grave
This is the spot, this is the spot
This is the spot where love shall lay
A broken man digs a January grave
A broken man digs a January grave
Words and music by Blue Ajay
Written 29 January 2013
– for Bourbon
© 2013 ℗ 2014 Sanity Check Musec ASCAP
Lyrics reprinted with permission
My second song for the night, “Pet My Dog” appears on the final Booze Monkey album, the New Mythology E.P..
I need myself a moment
just a bit of peace
Open up the pressure valve
I need a release
The machine will have to churn a bit
without me as a cog
If anybody needs me
I’ll be petting my dog
Maybe play some frisbee
maybe toss a ball
always up for eating
and maybe then a walk
Maybe we’ll just lie around
& stretch & groan & yawn
Before we even know it
the whole morning is gone
I need myself a moment
just a bit of peace
Open up the pressure valve
I need a release
The machine will have to churn a bit
without me as a cog
If anybody needs me
I’ll be petting my dog
Got another bill to pay
more paperwork to file
The telephone is ringing
The mail goes on the pile
Seems like I’ve been hustlin’
ever since the dawn
Before we even know it
the afternoon is gone
I need myself a moment
just a bit of peace
Open up the pressure valve
I need a release
The machine will have to churn a bit
without me as a cog
If anybody needs me
I’ll be petting my dog
Maybe play some frisbee
maybe toss a ball
always up for eating
and maybe then a walk
Maybe we’ll just lie around
& stretch & groan & yawn
Before we even know it
the whole damned day is gone
I need myself a moment
just a bit of peace
Open up the pressure valve
I need a release
The machine will have to churn a bit
without me as a cog
If anybody needs me
I’ll be petting my dog
If anybody needs me
I’ll be petting my dog
If anybody needs me
I’ll be petting my dog
Words and music by Blue Ajay
© ℗ 2014 Sanity Check Musec, Inc. ASCAP
Lyrics reprinted with permission
Christina and I take photographs with our phones. We attempt to snag one or two flattering photos of each performer.
Then I muck up the pix using Hipstamatic.
We can seldom stay until the end of the night, so we don’t usually get photos of the songwriters who perform later in the evening.
– Blue
The List, 9 February 2026.
Justin Collins
Justin Collins
Model 29
Model 29
Ben Childress
Ben Childress
Blue Ajay
Blue Ajay
Blue Ajay
Daniel Neihoff
Daniel Neihoff
Daniel Neihoff
Jon Harper
Jon Harper
James M.
James M.
James M.
Levi Cobb
Levi Cobb
Paul Sweazy
Paul Sweazy
"January Grave" appears on the Blue Ajay album, meatball Surgery.
The music video above also appears as part of The meatball Surgery. Video album which is essentially a ten-song, year-long, rock & roll selfie.
"Pet My Dog" appears on the Booze Monkey album, the New Mythology E.P.
Check out the website for Dan's Silverleaf.
You can also view all of my blog posts related to Dan's Silverleaf via the tag.
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