When Portland got silly...

It was fun.

Bedtime

Oh it's been a day. To bed last night at 3 or so? Then up at 8:30, and on the road for 10 hours, from Portland to Berkeley. Now i'm going to sleep, and waking up at 4:45 am to take Kathy Rose to the airport; I'll miss her! The show last night at the Funky Church was nice. The wooden walls and the quiet. The shimmery candles. Everyone listened so intently! Good to see Rachael and Sean. And good to sing with the Maher boy again.

Tomorrow, it's San Francisco! The final destination! What a journey it's been. Between the giant ice-storm in Texas and the giant calzone in Missoula and the giant dog in Portland I've lost my bearings a bit. Today I thought for a moment I was in the Hudson Valley. But I was actually somewhere in Oregon. There were pretty hills and the sky was gray.

Kathy says, after a sigh, "it's bedtime, I think." We both smell good from hot showers. Her hoodie is pink and mine is blue. I hope I dream of horses or mules.

The Winged Seeds of the Tumbleweed

I'm sitting in a cafe in Portland, Oregon, waiting for Simone to finish her choir rehearsal so we can grab a drink. We have so much to catch up on; it's been too long! It was surprisingly hard to find an open cafe at 8pm. I have a lot to learn about Portland. I'm looking forward to exploring in the next few days. Also looking forward to the arrival of Kathy Rose! Chris Maher! And possibly Marissa and Joe! My roadtrip families!

My favorite Beachboys song just came on (the second time I've heard it since being on the road-- the first time being in a giftshop in Albuquerque.) Sometimes the universe just knows which songs to put in the background. Explain to me how my first night in Seattle I was greeted with the "Milkshake" song in a bar, and on my last night, in a different bar, "Folsom Prison" came on. Joe, our mash-up was made in the stars.

The nature of the healthy tumbleweed is that it is always moving. It becomes detached from its roots, and then is driven about by the wind. Apparently they are considered to be "troublesome" in Central and Western America. I think they're the best thing Texas has to offer. They're adorable, especially when they roll about all family-style. When in texas last year I literally saw a mom-dad-brother-sister-baby group of rolling tumbleweeds. When I was in Texas this year the only tumbleweeds I saw were broken in half and frozen to death; they were not healthy tumblweeds. (I don't read into the differences in tumbleweeds from last year to this year. Because clearly 2007 is going to be a spectacular year. I just compare them because it's interesting. And it is yet another piece of evidence that global warming is dangerous.)

I bring up tumbleweeds because I feel like one now, and so does Marissa. And though one can feel lonely or lost whilst doing so much rolling, one should also recognize the benefits of such a state. All the sights you see! That you wouldn't have otherwise seen if you hadn't let the wind take you!

I'd like to finish up with a quotation that I think sums up the themes of this post concisely:
"Me and my baby and my Cadillac. Fifth wheel on the back, yeah! Rolling! Rolling!"

Loaded Joe's

Last night we had our show/fundraiser at "Loaded Joe's", in Avon Colorado (near Vail.) Joe Kille and I played a bunch of songs; Marissa and friends Emma and Lindsey spoke to the audience about an NGO in Tanzania that they are trying to raise money for, called The Pastoral Women's Council.

Unfortunately, the show didn't quite go as planned. First of all the sound system was messed up (the DJ from the previous night blew the speakers) so our voices weren't as clear as they should have been. Secondly, the crowd was incredibly consumed with drinking beer/playing pool/having loud conversations; no one seemed to be feeling the folky singer-songwriters with guitars trying to get their attention.

Man, we tried everything. I said I'd buy a beer for the person who could sing along best with our rendition of "Angel From Montgomery." We addressed. ("How's everybody doing tonight?" "Who here has gone camping?" "Who here has ever lived in New York City?") I cursed. Joe told a dirty Joke. I demanded. ("This is a love song; so listen up!!) I said I was a hit in Japan. Nothing. Nothing could grab these people. I think it's official: skiing rules in these parts. It's just what matters most.

Also, no one was interested in talking to Marissa, Lindsey or Emma (three very pretty girls!) about the PWC, or even giving a dollar (which they weren't charged at the door, as they usually are.)

That being said, it was a good night in some ways. I was proud of Joe and I for not being scared off stage-- for continuing to play with as much poise as if everyone were listening, and for playing our full set. (I mean, we did mess with people, but we had no choice. It was the only way we could survive.) By the end of the night the PWC made over $100 (Joe and I donated our $50 we got for playing; another guy dropped in a $50 bill at the end of the night.) And the girls we are staying with here in Vail, as well as their friends, were incredibly kind and encouraging. Seeing their faces in the audience made the whole experience much easier. There's also something valuable about playing to an inattentive audience: you are truly forced to go inside yourself and find a measure of focus and strength that is not usually demanded of you when playing live. It felt like a test of sorts, and I think we did okay.

Ohhh Colorado

Ohhh Colorado. The mountains here are overwhelming and beautiful. The snow and the trees and the smoke from the chimneys....it is surreal. It is an amazing place to be, but it feel so so far from home. I would never want to stay here.

Joe and I played two songs on a local TV show this morning (Plum TV): "The Light Around Your Legs" and "Open Owl Face," both from the new record. That was exciting. We felt good about it. Though I do make some funny faces while I sing, I realize.

In the interview I meant to talk about Chris Kiehne. It happened too fast. I meant to mention the fact that he recorded and arranged and produced my record. The fact that the entire record is about him. The fact that he is the reason I started having any sort of confidence in my music in the first place. Thank you, Chris.

Everyone here skiies. It's weird.

Cows and New Mexico

We arrived in Albuquerque yesterday afternoon, and spent the last of the sunlight hours exploring the streets and shops. Ended the evening with our first warm meal of the trip (at a New Mexican joint called "Frontiers") and a nice practice session back at the room. Our first show is tonight at The Blue Dragon. I'm excited to experience their amazing sound-system again, and to try out what Joe and I have been practicing in a live setting.

Got a telephone call this morning from a nice woman at Plum T.V. in Vail Colorado. I'll be playing a few songs and giving an interview at around 9am on Friday, January 19th. My first interview! Also exciting. Then the next night we are booked at a coffeehouse/bar called Loaded Joe's. It should be a great night; Marissa and her friend Lindsay will be campaigning to raise money for the Pastoral Women's Council (PWC), an NGO based in Tanzania, I'll be playing my songs, Joe will play some of his. I'm a little worried about filling up an hour-and-a-half set, but Joe has promised to help provide some quality banter.

Driving through Texas and New Mexico and seeing so many grazing cows...I realize how much I feel for those animals. They are so noble, almost majestic. It is so sweet to watch them huddling together, or walking in long single-file lines. They deserve more respect, I think.

Now we are off to find coffee and explore Albuquerque some more.

Chapel Hill

Tonight we arrived in Chapel Hill to stay with our friend Wilson. He lives in a big house filled with his frat-mates. Since they are all at the beach, Marissa, Joe and I all have our own rooms. Mine is filled with hunting gear, pictures of guns, ducks, fish, and what looks to be a Republican Senator. Also an empty refrigerator. I long for the peeling rose-petal wallpaper and creaky wooden floorboards from the cozy country house we stayed in last night. No. A bed is a bed and I am thankful. Tomorrow is a big drive to Nashville. I will buy a guitar strap and Joe a capo. The rest is unknown.
Boys that go to UNC sure do like their baseball hats. This college town couldn't be more different from Poughkeepsie. Good 'ol Poughkeepsie.