I don’t remember how it happened, but one year while in college my friends appointed me with a special status (or a title, or a catch phrase… I don’t really know what to call it).  Whenever they saw me, they would shout: “Jeff Hawker is on the prowl!”  I think the reasoning for it is that I was single at that time (in between multiple break ups with the same girl… buy my album to hear more about it!).  My friends assumed that if I was single, I must be out roaming the streets trying to find a new girlfriend.  I thought their routine declaration of “Jeff Hawker is on the prowl” was pretty funny, but it wasn’t very accurate.  I wasn’t really hunting around for a new relationship.  In fact, I never really hunt for anything.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about how there were two major types of tribal people in early humanity: hunter-gatherers and farmers (I think there’s a fancier name for it).  Metaphorically speaking, I must be part of the farming tribe because it is really hard for me to hunt down whatever I want or need.  For example, I hate looking for jobs.  There’s something that just rubs me the wrong way about going around to prospective employers and telling them how great I am.  I also dislike trying to find a new apartment.  Shopping around to find the place with the best combination of location, price, size, and aesthetic is just not my cup of tea.  I guess it might even be a similar situation when it comes to girls.  Yesterday, my friend Tony said that he would love to have a girlfriend, but he doesn’t want to put in the work to get one.  I can relate to that.  Relationships are tough.  And if you’ve heard my album, you know I’ve had some bad experiences.  But I do want to change.  I hope I come to realize the value of the “hunt.”  And I guess that’s what it comes down to.  I need to get used to hunting because most of the major things that I want aren’t just going to come to me.

Well… currently I’m on the hunt for gigs.  I need to play more concerts.  And what I’ve realized is that booking shows is challenging.  Venues often don’t reply to emails or respond to calls.  And when I go in person they just tell me to send an email or call.  It’s a vicious cycle.  Perhaps I should dedicate this whole week to contacting venues as well as other artists in order to find places to play.  So there you have it… Jeff Hawker is on the prowl.  I’ll keep you updated on this venture.

Actually, I have a gig tomorrow night at Simon Fraser University’s Highland pub at 8pm.  Check out the event on Facebook or Myspace.  I hope to see you there.