midwest tour - leg 1 Update

hidey ho neighbors. Mike & i are in minneapolis and we are in day 4 of our midwest portion of the fall tour. it's wierd cos I'm still confirming shows for just weeks from now. when you're on the indie tip, the biz is kind of weird sometimes. I booked shows months ago for this trip, and, for instance, last night we played at this coffeeshop in St. Paul. I ended up booking the show a week before. I had played there years ago, and then it was also right across the street from Hamline University where I played a couple of times in '09... so my friend, Sam, from Hamline came out and she was buzzed up off of a camping/tubing/boozing trip. this trip reminded me of a trip I took with some friends up in Omer, MI last summer almost exactly one year ago where we boozed it down the rifle river (i think).

anyway I also got to catch up with a friend of mine, who has always been a great supporter of my musical endeavors, as well as my need for finding somewhere to crash. this time, we didn't need his couch services, but I haven't seen him and his wife for at least 4 years when they lived in Philly briefly. So after we played, Mike & I, and Gayle, and Brian and his wife Amanda, decided to go to Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge, which is a great bar if you are in twin cities, a must see. great drinks, fried food goodness, and the atmosphere is the best part (drinks coming in at a close #2).

Their drinks are one of a kind. pertty huge, paradise-tasting, and potent. Mike and I split one.



earlier in the trip, to recap, we started in Kalamazoo. Yes, not very far from home I know... but we went to check out a semi-new venue and also visit with my Aunt (who also has a big house and many extra beds, hot showers, and home-cookin (just a side note). So we visited, and were treated like royalty. We had a home cooked dinner. and we slept well...



...we treated ourselves to a very good 6.8 mile run through kalamazoo early on wednesday morning... we showered up, got packed up and then were greeted with some homemade crepes. yes, crepes. amazing... so we also were given thermoses and we departed on a bright sunny day, "my nigga DOC and my homie dr. dre."







every day has been so beautiful weather-wise since the day we left (tuesday). Just beautiful. We chilled in a park nearby the coffee shop in St. Paul yesterday, I laid in the grass, but was eaten by a few mosquitoes. Mike did some exercising and practiced his cello skills, which showed through during the performance...

So yesterday before we came to MN, we stopped at a couple of guitar shops and I was educated on electric guitars, both by Mike who knows a lot, as well as the guys who work at the guitar shops. there were two locations. they are called Bricktown Music (I think). I think they are at bricktownmusic.com Bricktown Music. very cool gear, and very knowledgeable.

finally, we come to the food. My aunt prepared for me a nice cooler full of fresh vegetables, bread, cheese and some homemade lentil soup (which I forgot at home, but its vegetarian so I think it will still be good when I get home). we stopped at the farmer's market in Eau Claire as well, so I took a photo of some of the goodness after I trimmed and rinsed it here at Gayle's house this morning...



On to Winona, MN today in an hour or so... this is one of the venues I have played most in my life. several times over many years since I first started touring. I like Winona a lot, and hopefully we rock it out tonight. my voice has been hoarse, since playing a really long set in Eau Claire, and a 90 minute set last night, tonight might be a long one, but one thing I said the other day on stage was: "My voice is more hoarse than a giraffe..." and only i thought it was funny of course. last night to replay the joke, I said: "My voice is more hoarse than a donkey."

have a good day and enjoy the transition into Fall...

-Jimbob


Jim & Mike - on the road in Wisconsin

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