The month of August started fast - after a good weekend back in LA and a day to rest, I hit the road back to Arizona for a gig in Scottsdale at a place I found online called the Rogue Bar. In the previous months I had found through a website a listing of venues all across the country. So to book my gigs I would map out where I wanted to be and when and send out an e-mail and hope that they would get back to me. It worked mostly - I used that website for the tour in May and for a bunch of these shows over the summer. But sometimes things don't always work out the way you think they should - and that's what happened in Scottsdale.
On that Monday night as I drove into town, my friend David Cates, who helped me set up the show and who was supposed to play drums with me that night, sent me a message saying that he unfortunately had to cancel. As I pulled into the parking lot I saw that it was a dead night - it was almost 9pm and the parking lot was almost empty - one other car besides mine. I walked in and and my suspicions were right - it was dead. There was the bartender - a big, tattooed guy, and the owner who was in the corner on his laptop. It was a large, empty room - a raw, rock-n-roll/punk/ heavy metal type of bar and I was all alone. Nothing had been set up on stage and I hadn't brought anything in since I had wanted to see what the scene was first. So I ordered a beer and sat down to see what would happen. Cates had setup someone else to do the opening set and I was surprised when no one was showing up. I thought that at least I would have someone else with me there. I sent a message and found out that the opener had also cancelled last minute. So it was just me again. I ordered another beer and decided that I wasn't going to be playing. I explained to the bartender who was cool about it all and we spent the rest of the time watching Shark Week on the TV above the bar.
The next day after lunch with some family I drove up to Flagstaff and again escaped the heat - which had climbed up to around 113, 115 degrees. Again, Flagstaff was awesome. I sat out on the patio of the Flagstaff Brewing Company - right there on Route 66 across from the train station and enjoyed some fresh brewed beer. It's been a favorite bar of mine for a long time - they have good beers and a good crowd. It has a sentimental value to me also since it's where I met a girl one afternoon when I was traveling on the Greyhound across the country who became a girlfriend years and years ago. I temporarily moved to town and helped her put a metal roof on her house over that summer. All of those memories made made me look forward to playing there that week.
That evening I made it to the open mike over at Charley's downtown. It's a good one and there's usually a decent crowd there. You get 15 minutes which is a reason I like doing it, and you also get a beer for playing. I thought it would be a good idea to try to get people out to the Thursday show at FBC too. The night whisked by and I did my thing and it totally made up for the previous night. I met some new friends, saw some old ones that I had made in my many stops over the years in Flagstaff, and felt good about deciding to come up to the mountains. The following day I went back down into the valley and stayed with my friends, Jim and Susan, who have always welcomed me when ever I have needed a place to stay over the years - like many other people too.
The view from Jerome, AZ - my detour from Flagstaff to Scottsdale
The drive back up into the mountains was a good one - great weather and I was happy about getting out of the heat again. I've stayed in so many of the motels in Flagstaff over the years - they all feel sort of homey to me. After relaxing I made my way over to the Flagstaff Brewing Company where I was feeling ready to play. It was a warm night and I set up outside on the patio and got going as the beer flowed - pitchers and pints, tables full of people hanging out and talking - and also people listening too. During that time the Cardinals were in town doing their summer training so there were quite a few more tourist in town than just the normal summer crowds. It was a good night overall and was glad that Flagstaff and FBC didn't let me down.
After stalling as much as I could in town, I had to leave the mountain and head down into the valley - and further into Tucson for a gig at the Red Room at The Grill. It was really my first trip into Tucson - with the exception of just passing through on the Greyhound which I don't think can really be counted. I had always heard good things about the town so again I was glad to be down there for a show. I found a cheap motel and looked around the town before heading downtown to the gig. It was a narrow bar - a Red Room in fact - that was connected to a restaurant/diner. The burger there was really good - one of the best that I had had yet on my summer trip - and so I highly recommend stopping by - great tater tots too. The other band cancelled that night so it was my night and I played late.
That first weekend I drove back to LA since I had to go and pick up my new driver's license before I headed east again (my old driver's license had been stolen along with my wallet and phone a few weeks before when I was mugged in Nashville - written about in part I). I was able to catch Bob Woodruff's set at the Cinema Bar that Saturday night - again, see some family over the weekend, and then hit the road, again, for a show back in Phoenix. After another good night at the Sail Inn, the following morning I started the drive to Austin.
Bob Woodruff and band at The Cinema Bar, Culver City, CA.
Instead of doing the long boring drive along the 10 to Austin. I decided to take the northern route along the 40 and went up to Flagstaff through Gallup and Albuquerque. It was in the middle of the night when I turned south off of the 40 and drove through quiet little towns towards Clovis, New Mexico in hopes of reaching Lubbock, Texas. I only made it to Clovis which is right on the New Mexico/Texas border before I had to stop due to tiredness. The next day I woke up ready to drive and to finally make it to Austin.
Passing through New Mexico
That night at Maria's Tacos Express, in Austin, was a show I didn't want to miss - My friend Dan Janisch from LA was in town and playing with Mike Stinson who I knew from Los Angeles and who now lived in Houston. So I cruised along the road through small Texas towns across the rolling hills - getting closer and closer to my destination. I also picked up another Texas speeding ticket - which I was shocked about - since before the other one that I got in May I hadn't received a speeding ticket in over 10 years. Anyway I drove a little slower along those roads and by the evening I was pulling into town and Maria's Tacos on South Lamar. I was happy to see that they were running late - since I was too. My friend Jim, who I was going to be staying with showed up, and after the Maria's show we made it to Antone's to see another friend's band - Sherman, who Lauren and I had met in Colorado Springs in July. We also jumped over to the Continental Club to see the Buck Owens tribute show and was able to catch Mike Stinson again and Raul Malo. I was glad to get back to Jim's place at the end of the night and finally rest and sleep - that definitely had been a long day.
Dan Janisch getting the summer evening started at Maria's Taco Express in Austin, TX.
Mike Stinson at Maria's Taco Express
Raul Malo at the Continental Club, Austin, TX.
It was hot and humid in Austin - a typical Texas summer day - the kind where you get drenched in sweat walking from your house to your car and you thank god to whoever invented air-conditioning. That's what I was doing - especially since I had just came from the dry, summer oven heat of Arizona. My first show in Austin was an outdoor gig at a place that Lauren and I played during SXSW in March. That time it was so cold the show had to be moved indoors. This time I waited until as late as I could before I started playing in hopes of letting the temperature go down a bit. Afterwards we hit another show down the street and I was happy when I got back and rested and laid down to sleep on another inflatable mattress - something I had been doing quite a bit of while out on the road.
Since I had a day off between shows I drove down to Houston to see my friend Michelle who had recently moved from LA back home. On the way I stopped off in Elgin and had some awesome Texas BBQ which really is my favorite - the brisket was tender and full of flavor - smokey and perfect and I looked forward to another BBQ meal in Texas. Michelle showed me around the city - we stopped for beers and a museum, food, and later went to see Jesse Dayton at this really nice hotel, the Sorella, which was a little surreal hearing honky-tonk music being played at such an upscale place. It was a fun night and I was glad that I made the drive down.
That Sunday evening I had another show in Austin and it was a scorcher outside. The streets were fairly quiet and I suspected that all sensible people were inside somewhere in cool air-conditioning. Before my gig I went to see Randy Weeks who was playing right around the corner from Momo's, where I was playing, and Dan Janisch was again playing as a guest. The gathering of Randy, Dan, Mike Stinson, and Shilah made me miss the Cinema Bar - and I wished we could all be in the cool, ocean breeze that blows into Culver City. I took off to do my set - which went well - not too many people but I still felt good about it. Another friend, Penny Jo, was playing afterwards with her band and we all stayed into the evening and thankfully it cooled off some.
Randy Weeks at Joe's Bar and Grill
Jim and I made it to Stubbs the next day and it was wonderful - another brisket sandwich that again was smoky and perfect - and after a 3rd show in town that went well, I was ready to hit the road for Denver. I said goodbye and thanks to Jim and left before the sun came up. I drove north and passed through quiet little towns, most where the Main Street areas where fading and where there were quite a few abandoned buildings along the way. I made my regular stop in Amarillo and kept on heading north and as the afternoon wore on I approached the border out of Texas. Not too much changed as I drove into Oklahoma and then on into Colorado. I made it to my cousin's house just after 10pm after a good 14 hour driving day and I was ready for sleep.
I was up pretty early since my cousin has little kids but that was all right since I had to get moving to Fort Collins where I was booked to play a live radio show - the Live @ Lunch show on KRFC. I had played it the previous year when I was moving back from Nashville to LA. This time I was a little more rested since that previous time I had driven straight from Nashville - and with about 3 hours of sleep at a rest stop made it to the station right on time. I was more relaxed and cruised up the road and felt that it went well - some interview, some playing - not the same set as before I made sure.
Afterwards I made it over to the New Belgium Brewery which is an incredible place - a wide selection on brews - and quite a few that aren't available elsewhere - like the sour beers on the unmarked taps against the wall. I also decided to stop by the O'dells brewery which is right down the road from New Belgium and there I chose a Nitro poured Porter which was dark, smooth, and wonderful. That one was definitely a favorite of mine - out of a bunch that I had tasted on the road. There was a porter at the Lumberyard in Flagstaff that also was incredible.
New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, CO.
My cousin Chris and I played at KJ's Coffeehouse and Wine bar right around the corner from his house the next day after the radio show, which was on my birthday, August 20th. I've always enjoyed playing a show on my birthday - it gives me something definite to do - and I feel sort of lost when I don't have something booked. That night in Denver went pretty well. We had a good crowd - some dancing kids again - a good warm summer night and we played as the sun went down and the stars came out across the sky.
For the following week I hadn't been able to get anything booked, so I decided to go up and see my old friend Susan up in Seattle, who I hadn't seen in a while. I had a good 20 hour drive ahead me and on that bright Saturday morning I started out. I cruised up into Wyoming and passed by the outskirts of Cheyenne and headed west along the road. I made a stop in Laramie which I had heard all about from Lauren who went to school there and hit a downtown restaurant for some lunch which was a awesome seared ahi tuna sandwich - which was just what I needed. As the sky grew darker, I moved on through Utah and veered north to Idaho.
There was a stretch of road across the border and before Boise that had a heavy deer population - so I drove very cautiously - and I could see them waiting just out of shot of the headlights lining the highway. All across the country I had seen dead deer on the side of the road and sometimes in the road, and I considered myself lucky as to not having hit one - so I continued on carefully. In Oregon I stopped at a rest stop and slept for a while. Before the sun rose I woke up and continued on. There was an amazing point where the road winded down into a wide open valley and the golden fields looked spectacular as the sun climbed up into the sky and softly lit everything up. I passed through the Washington wine country with Mt. Rainer in the distance and finally rolled into Seattle and onto Ballard - which is north of the city close to the water.
The road down into the Oregon valley
It felt good to stop and rest - knowing that I would be in one place for a few days - and the weather was wonderful. A little chilly in the evenings, but bright and sunny during the days, with some clouds that would slowly move across the sky. I was glad to be there in town hanging out with my friend and seeing the happenings around the city. I had several burgers over the days I was there but nothing that really stuck in my head - not like the O'Connell's Burger in St. Louis, or the one at the Weber Grill in Chicago (which was perfection), or the one at the Whole Foods counter in Nashville, or the various ones in LA at Stout, the Golden State, or the 8oz. Burger Bar - those are the ones that are currently standing out in my head and highly recommended.
The night before I hit the road I did a house concert at a friend of a friend's house. I also grilled for everyone and made an awesome tri-tip that was close to perfection in my book - seasoned and seared on the outside with a good amount of pink on the inside - and also some grilled vegetables - red bell peppers and zucchini and yellow squash - the standard fare that I cook at grilling gatherings - and it all came out like I had wanted it to. The playing went well also - although that day happened to be the coldest of the week. The good weather had disappeared overnight as clouds came in and dropped the temperature by about 20 degrees. Green Lake, where we were close to, was quite a contrast from the day before - where it had been teeming with people enjoying the bright warm sunshine in and out of the water. That day the cold chilly air had obviously blown everyone away into warmer quarters. Still, thankfully, the party was a good gathering of people.
After my peaceful, relaxing time in the Pacific Northwest I had to head back to California, first for a show close to the central coast in Paso Robles, and then for a couple shows back home in LA, including one on the first weekend of September at The Echo opening up for Southern Culture On The Skids which I really looking forward to. But before all that I had a good two day drive down the 5 and I got caught in Friday afternoon traffic as I was leaving Seattle and going into Tacoma. I continued on and saw the city of Portland ahead and I decided to stop for some food and to check out some of the downtown area. I found the Deschutes Brewery and went in for a couple of pints - some very good brews that you can't really find in stores and that's only seasonal. I wandered next door to massive and impressive Powell's Books and looked around the different levels of the store - stopping to check out the music and food sections. I left feeling good and stopped off at the Rogue Brewery for some more sampling of fresh brewed beers. After more time and wandering around the city, I left and continued down the road, later pulling off at a rest stop to get some sleep. The next day I kept heading south on the 5 and passed into California, driving past Mount Shasta, past Redding, and finally stopping to really rest north of Sacramento because I desperately needed sleep in an actual bed.
I woke up feeling refreshed and headed over to the 101 and finally made my way to the Pour House in Paso Robles. My friend Dafni and her husband Peter showed up - they had been in the area -Dafni having played in San Luis Obispo the night before. The Pour House is a really cool spot just south of town, right next to the Firestone Brewery, with a good beer selection on tap and in bottles. The owner, Shawn, is a great guy - nice, warm, and supportive - a good place to stop by if you're ever in the area. After playing Dafni, Peter, and I met in Santa Barbara for a late night meal which was at restaurant/club since nothing else was open and serving food past the 11 o'clock hour and we had to eat as loud dance music thundered from the open next room. In the early hours I made it back home to my waiting bed - which I was very thankful for.
I was happy to be home and back in California and was ready to relax for a few days in town. I had a show at the Cinema Bar scheduled and then The Echo the following weekend and then a few more days to lay around before heading east again to Nashville for the AMA conference - or so I thought. I had discovered that the AMA's were a week earlier than I had imagined, so my down time was gone and my schedule had to be readjusted - a show in LA cancelled and one in St. Louis too - damn! I guess I'll have to look at the calendar a little more closer next time. But I was happy to be home again in California - even if it was just for a few days.
