Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tour Wrap up and thank you's

It's been two weeks since I've made it back to Southern California - and it feels good to be home. The weather has been pretty perfect - warm - in the 80's, a little breezy at times - a mellow summer full of sunshine. It does make me feel a little bad for those out in the middle of the country where they have been experiencing a major heat wave - I was out in it last summer as I traveled from LA to Phoenix to Denver to Nashville and Austin. This is actually my first summer in California in about two years - and I'm happy to be here.
This recent trip was a pretty good one overall. I did hit many of the same cities, and did some audience building. Flagstaff was awesome as always - it's an amazing city up there in the Arizona mountains where my soul feels at home - and hopefully I can get back up there soon. Austin was fun. I stayed there for a week with my friend's Mikaela Dewar, who played a couple shows with me out at some farmer's markets, and Jackie Bristow - both who are from New Zealand and I left town with a kiwi accent in my head.
The Emmy awards in North San Diego county were a good time - would have been better if I had won - but oh well - next time. My friend Kristie came with me - along with my parents who met us down there. It was quite an extravagant event - quite a few people were wearing tuxedos - and I'm happy to report that we all looked good. I'm glad that I made it back for it, but would have enjoyed a few more days back in town - but I was due in Nashville so the next day I caught the train back to Albuquerque where I had left my car and then took off east down the road to Tennessee.
I enjoy visiting Nashville and seeing my friends there - especially my close friend and musical partner Lauren Austin. We've been working together for over 5 years now and I look forward to seeing her always. She has a cool dog named Nando who comes over and jumps on my bed in the morning and will just hang out. Our late show at The Basement went well - and I look forward to getting back there - well after the summer heat has passed.
On this trip several big storms passed my way. When I was in St. Louis for a week we had some good ones roll through. It didn't stop my cousin Mike and me from getting the grill going. On the Fourth of July it rained but cleared up enough by the evening so that we could see fireworks off in the distance downtown by the Arch.
I was able to play with a band there in town - Mike on drums and his friend Dan on bass who are both in a band called the Homewreckers and I've played shows with them earlier in the year. I would like to get something regular like that back here in LA - and I have been building things up a little bit. Since January I have my friend Matthew playing drums and that's been a good thing. I'm hoping we can get back out to Arizona and do a run from Flagstaff down to Tucson.
One place that I'm really looking forward to getting back to is Newport, Kentucky which is right across the river from Cincinnati. There's a place called the Southgate House and this trip is the second time I've played there. It's a venue that draws people in - so there's always a decent and supportive crowd. People showed up who had seen my videos on You Tube and who had read the description on the website calendar page and decided to come down and check it out. I had a good time playing there and like I said, I'm looking forward to going back.
By the time I reached Denver on this trip which was at about week 5 out of 6, I was feeling exhausted. Sleeping hadn't been easy for a lot of the traveling on the road. It was a combination of uncomfortable sleeping places, late nights and early mornings, long drives - and they all just built up and built up. So Denver was a place where I was able to crash - I had my own room on the 3rd floor and that allowed to do some catching up.
Denver was a good stop overall. My cousin Chris and I played at the little coffeehouse KJ's again and had a decent crowd for a Friday night. Again, storms came rolling in one after another, but we we're still able to get in barbecuing a pork shoulder - which came out great - it was even better the next day.
This trip I didn't really hit up that many awesome food places - well there were a few. But food wasn't really the focus this time like it had been in the past trips. Although my friend Arthi took me to a great breakfast place outside of Chicago in the suburbs close to her house - I can't remember the name right now. I also did get to go to Cooper's BBQ in Junction, Texas on my way to El Paso from Austin which was pretty good. And I did go to a good diner in Albuquerque right on Route 66 but I also can't remember the name right now.
I guess a lot of the better food I had was stuff that was made at home. I made burgers, steak, and smoked a pork shoulder in St. Louis while I was there. I made pizza in Nashville, a couple chicken dishes in both Austin and St. Louis. I know I cooked some fish somewhere - and it didn't turn out all that good. I did have some bad stuff on the road, but I really don't need to write about that.
After Denver I drove to Tucson through several awesome storms along the way - and then the following morning drove home to California. I was happy when I crossed over the Colorado River - knowing I had just about 3 hours to go. I was grounded for several days, trying to recover from the all the traveling and catch up on my sleep and rest. Finally when I was able to get out of the house it felt good - felt good to exercise and move and head up to LA to see my friends - and overall it just feels good to be home again.
Right now I don't have any plans to do any major traveling for a while. There was a slight chance earlier about getting into the Americana Music Association conference and showcase in Nashville in October, but they passed over us again this year. So I'm not thinking about traveling until January at least. Just this week I started looking at cities and the map to try to get things sorted in my head for the next trip. There are some blanks to fill in between cities - like between Austin and St. Louis - Kansas City would be cool or somewhere in Arkansas - so I have my work cut out for me. I'll keep you posted on it all.
So I have people that I would like to thank:
First off my parents who have helped me tremendously, my brother and sisters: Bridget, Jennifer, and Will - and their families, Susan Barth, Lauren Austin for both of their continued, undying support, Lori Boland Sutton and Paul Sutton for asking me to be a part of their documentary, Prison through Tomorrow's Eyes (which can be seen online at Vimeo.com), Eddie Elliott and his family, Matthew Magener for meeting me out in Tucson and bringing his crew, Mikaela Dewar and Jackie Bristow for letting me crash at their place, Mark Gonzales for helping me set up the show at Momo's, Kristie Puls for coming with me to the Emmy awards, Arthi Meera and Tyler Beech for coming out to the show in Chicago and for introducing me to your families and also to Arthi and her family for putting me up while I was in town, Moira Alter for telling me about the Southgate House, Mike Evans for taking care of me while I was in St. Louis, Dan Niewoehner for playing bass, Chris Evans and his family for taking care of me in Denver, Tracy Huffman and his family for putting me up for the night out in Cosby, MO, and Dafni and Pete for coming out to see me in Chicago - a pleasant surprise.
And also for all my Kickstarter supporters: Vadim Gordin, Adam Mackintosh, Birte Howdle, Richard Haxton, Anna Sacks, Penelope Sevier, RA Allman, Erica Legum, Tim Hammer, Karen Broome, Tricia Rice, Ellen Winter, Ian and Becky Dodge, Andrew McMaster, Jennifer Bork, Bridget Driscoll, Annie Nelson.
I'm sorry if I've forgotten any names - I will make amends as soon as possible

yours truly,
Jeremiah

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Back in LA - Sunday night at The Echo for the GOE

On Sunday - after I had fully recovered from being out on the road - I finally made my way up to LA. My friends in the band Old Californio were having a CD release party at The Echo - which was also the weekly Grand Ole Echo show that my friends Kim Grant and Julie Richmond put on. It's an early show that begins at 5:30 and is over by 9pm - it's also free - so I always do my best to support the show when I can. It's always a good gathering of friends - and Sunday's show was packed.
The Echo is in Echo Park which is just north of downtown LA about 2 miles or so on Sunset Blvd. It has a good size stage and they have good bands on a regular basis. I've played the Grand Ole Echo several times since it began in '06 and it's always been a good time. Echo Park has been changing over the years. It was a rough neighborhood for a long time - and there's still some of that element there - but there have been a series of new stores and restaurants that have opened up in the area over the past 5 years.
Now in the neighborhood there's a book store, a record store, a restaurant called Masa that has some great food and does a decent deep dish Chicago style pizza, another pizza place, a great dark bar that has beer and wine called El Prado - they also have a great record collection that they puill from and spin through out the night. My favorite taco truck is on one of the streets close by so normally I'll stop there for a couple of tacos after the show - and it's not uncommon to see others from the GOE stop by too.
Sunday's show was a good one. Old Californio is a great band - that now has 2 records out - sort of cross between country-ish rock and Grateful Dead-ish jam band rock - but also with a Beach Boys-esque harmony quality to them also - I would also throw a Moby Grape reference in there when describing the sound. They had recently been on the road and it showed - they were tight and in control and the songs flowed easily - and most of the people were grooving to the sounds.
They played the new album from beginning to end - Sundrunk Angels which I highly recommend picking up. It's still pretty new to me, but I recognized a lot. Also, I've seen them play quite a bit so I'm familiar with a lot of their material by now. I was happy that I was back in town for the show - since I knew it was going to be a good one.
Dan Janisch was also on the bill - he picked up the middle slot after someone had to back out. I've known Dan for a while now and he's a great, amazing guy. He writes some incredible songs and plays them with such a special energy. He's a awesome showman too and makes sure everyone is having a good time - without being phony about it at all. On Sunday he had a wonderful band - and they rocked and rolled through the set.
Before I moved to Nashville - almost two years ago now - Dan joined me at The Cinema Bar for my farewell to LA gig. It was a fun night that was originally going to be my CD release party - but things changed over the summer and I decided to move. Dan was also there when I booked my first night at the Cinema Bar - he did the opening set - and next month he's going to be joining me again for another gig - my LA birthday gig on the 21st (my actual birthday is on the 20th but I already have that booked down n Santa Ana at the Gypsy Den). It's going to be a fun time I know already - so it's definitely something to look forward to.
It feels good to be back in California, especially since I've heard the reports about the crazy heatwave that's been hitting the midwest. I'm glad I made it out of there before that rolled in. It's been warm here, but not hot - not like Texas or Arizona hot - or that midwest/southern humidity heat - and I am so thankful for that.
On Monday I'll be playing back at my home stage at The Cinema Bar with Rod Melancon starting off the night. I'm really looking forward to playing again since it's been over a week since I've hit the stage. I've gotten my rest and ready to go back to work.
This week I also plan on working on some new songs that I wrote while out on the road - we'll see how they fit in with everything else - or if they're too similar to others - you never know.
yours truly,
Jeremiah

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The End Of The Road - For Now - day 44

It's time to say that the tour is now officially over. I made it back to Southern California on Tuesday - a little sooner than originally planned - but as I have said, sometimes these things happen. It was 41 days of traveling and playing shows - from LA to Cincinnati and lots of places in between. I made some new friends and new fans, saw a whole bunch of old friends and family. I would say overall it was successful, not exactly financially successful, but in other ways - musically, career-wise I guess. I'm not sure right now when I'm going to hit the road again - I wish sooner than later, but I don't think any major cross country tours until next year at least.
Last weekend was fun up in Denver. My cousin Chris and I get along well and he has a great family. While in Denver we were hit with storm after storm - and thankfully it let up enough to let us slow cook a pork shoulder on the grill. We had plans to do some more playing on Sunday, but Chris had family things to attend to so the plans ended up being cancelled - and I prepared for my drive in the morning.
At first I was wondering what to do and where to go. I didn't have a show until Thursday in Vegas and I had several days to slowly make my way over there. But I was also having another feeling creep up - one that had been slowly building and building - and that was exhaustion. The idea of just going home was sounding better and better. I was also unsure about a show in Phoenix - one that I had asked about but had never heard a confirmation. And finally there was the question of money - of which I didn't have much left. I decided to head towards Tucson and make my decisions there - although I had a feeling that home would win.
Monday morning I hit the road south and ended up hitting several storms before New Mexico - they were pretty intense - one with hail and strong winds and I kept on the lookout for tornadoes - just in case. The drive is a very scenic one - winding through some mountains as you leave Colorado and come into New Mexico - then it heads down through Santa Fe and into Albuquerque. In New Mexico I hit storm after storm as I went from pine trees to the wide open plains - past the big city and headed on the southern part of the state.
I cruised along through the desert landscape on a small two lane road on my way to the I-10 - and up ahead I could see more storms - the sky was dark and I could see sheets of rain falling in the distance - lit up by the setting sun in the west. I could also see streaks of lightning - both to the right of the road and to the left. Soon I hit the rain and carefully kept moving down the road. The lightning was fantastic and it was amazing to see as the sun finally set. Some of it would shoot straight down in a long line to the ground, and others would just zigzag right across the sky. It kept going and never let up until I was almost to Tucson. Even then I could see the sky in the east light up now and then.
Tucson was nice - much cooler than the last time I was there at they beginning of June. I hung out for a while downtown with my friend Tricia and then later hit the road. I was looking forward to getting home by that point - I was only 8 hours of driving away - but I knew I had to rest. I slept for a little bit and then headed up the road towards Phoenix. I stopped for a bit in Tempe - coffee and some food - and then was finally ready to make the last drive to home.
The road from Phoenix to LA I know well. I've been doing that drive since about 1991 and I've seen the area grow so much in that time. My friend and fellow singer/songwriter Eddie Elliott lived there for around 11 years and I traveled out there often to play shows and visit. In June, though, he and his family moved to the east coast, so visiting Phoenix won't be the same. I was happy that the traffic was light and soon I was past town and on my way to California.
The rest of the ride was easy - I rolled right through the desert and across the Colorado River into California - and soon I was past the desert and into the sprawling suburbs and then I was home - and so glad about it. I felt glad to be off the road finally - after 41 days - and I looked forward to getting cleaned up and getting some rest.
This weekend I feel like I've finally caught up on my rest - after being sort of lifeless for the days after I made it home. I was glad to get out of the house and do something.
So that is all for now - I'll keep posting at least once a week. I do have some shows coming up and looking forward to those.
yours truly,
Jeremiah
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The road through Southern Colorado

Friday, July 15, 2011

Rested - Day 43

These past couple days have been good - I feel like I've caught up on my rest and am feeling somewhat normal again. I went out tonight to a local coffeehouse that had an open mic going on - and I ended up signing up and playing. It's a place in downtown Santa Ana called the Gypsy Den - and where I'm going to be having my birthday show next month on August 20th.
The Gypsy Den was one of the places that I first started playing shows. I was first booked there back in 1995 at the original Costa Mesa location. The other spot was Diedrich's down on 17th Street in Costa Mesa. Those were the first paid gigs I had - and I started to build off of that. I picked up some other gigs around Orange County and I would also go out to open mics all across the county.
Soon I started heading up to LA to do open mics and I started looking for gigs up there. By 1998 I had moved up to Hollywood and started picking up gigs and kept going out to open mics around the city. I would also come back to Orange County and play gigs at the Gypsy Den - it was always good because it felt so familiar and since it's an all ages coffeehouse, my family would make it out most of the time.
So I'm happy about having my birthday show there - even though it has changed owners - it still has a good feel to it - and mostly the same decor. I'm not sure if there's going to be another performer that night and I'm also not sure who's or if anyone's going to be playing with me there - but it's definitely possible that some people will join me. August 20th is the date and i am looking forward to it.
yours truly,
Jeremiah

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Home - Day 41 and 42

Yesterday I made it home to California - earlier than I originally planned - but these things happen - and I as you might have figured from my past blogs, I've been really tired and exhausted - in fact right now I'm just spacing out on the couch watching TV.
I'm not sure, how I ended up getting so tired on this trip - but it happened - and now I'm happy to be home and off the road. Now I have to find a job back here in California and go back to earning some money and take care of bills. Next year after I get some dough saved up I'll get back to touring.
I'm happy to say that i have some shows already lined up here in town - starting with July 25th, Monday at the Cinema Bar - then next month right before my birthday on the 20th - but I'll keep you posted on those.
I do have some photos from the drive the other day and I'll get those up soon too.
thanks,
yours truly,
Jeremiah

Monday, July 11, 2011

Another Stormy Weather Driving Day - Day 40

I made it just past Albuquerque - I left Denver This morning and headed south - and soon hit storms - first in Southern Colorado, then right before Santa Fe, and then right before Albuquerque another one - and looking to the sky in the west it looks like another one is coming.
It's been all right driving though - I've just been cruising along and I'm looking forward to getting to Tucson tonight. I'm sure how long I'll be there - and I might stop in Phoenix before heading home to California.
So I need to get moving down the highway again - just a short pit stop right now.
yours truly,
Jeremiah
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Southern Colorado Stormy Sky

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Heading West Tomorrow - Southwest in fact - Day 39

It's the last few days out here on the road - and I'm happy about that. It will be good to get back to California, stop moving for a while, relax, catch up on sleep, exercise - you know, normal things - things that I haven't really been doing over the past 39 days. Well I did exercise at the beginning, but I don't know where and when I stopped - maybe Albuquerque.
Denver has been a good place to be for these past few days. Although there have been storms everyday since I've made it to town - luckily no tornadoes or anything like that - but big, dark clouds that roll in, thunder and lightning and rain - usually it comes down hard at first - but then the storm clouds quickly move on - and then sometimes another storm will roll through.
Today I went out walking to a coffeehouse called St. Mark's which isn't too far my the house - a few blocks - and as I was leaving I could hear the thunder start rumbling and across the sky were clouds - but it didn't look like it was going to do much so I just continued on. As I made it there, a few drops did fall, but nothing major, and then it was gone and the sun came out. I sat and wrote, trying to get some lyrics of some sort down.
Tomorrow I'm heading out - going south through New Mexico and then to Tucson for a couple days to rest again, and then I might just head back to California and pass on Las Vegas because my funds are low and gas is still taking most of my money. Yes - it'll be good to get back home. But we'll see what happens over the next few days and how I feel. The last time in Vegas I made money gambling after my gig - but I know that the odds of that happening again are very, very slim. Anyway... that's all for now.
yours truly,
Jeremiah
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This is the front of KJ's where we played on Friday night - and on the left is Adah, Chris' daughter
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KJ's on the inside
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Another storm coming in - from the backyard
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In the music room playing Chris' baby Rickenbacker

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Denver - Day 38

It's late over here - just past midnight - but it feels later than that. I don't think I've caught up on my rest just yet - and I'm wondering when that will happen. Since I've gotten to Denver we've had days of rain - more so than normal so it seems - from what the locals are saying.
Last night at KJ's went well - we had a good intimate crowd - not as crazy as last time - but it was still a fun night, and we played well. During our set a good down pour happened, and some thunder and lightning - it was good to see - even though I seen quite a bit of that over the past week - from St. Louis to here in Denver.
Today we BBQ'd another pork shoulder and it came out great. My cousin Chris also made a salad with stuff straight from his garden - plus some potatoes - it was a good meal and everyone felt full for a while.
This evening one of Chris' neighbors was having a party so we wen t over there and ended up playing some songs - right until it start raining again. Still it was a fun gathering of people.
I'm planning on staying until Monday and then I'll continue west until I get to Las Vegas on Thursday, and I think Phoenix on Friday for a show - that has yet to be confirmed.
Sleep sounds good now -
yours truly,
Jeremiah

Friday, July 8, 2011

Traveling West - Day 36 and 37

Again - I apologize for not writing yesterday - I had planned to when I reached my destination here in Denver, but a good storm passed though and knocked out the power at my cousin's place, so there was no internet access. Today it has cleared up after raining until the early hours of the morning, and it should be perfect by the time we head over to KJ's Coffee and Wine Bar right around the corner.
Yesterday morning I woke up late after finally getting a good night of sleep. At my cousin Mike's place I slept on his futon which wasn't the best and most comfortable, so finally getting into a real bed was amazing. Tracy Huffman has a good size farm style house out in the country, and when I woke up, I sat down to a cup of coffee and talked to Tracy's wife, Beth. They're both warm and welcoming, and from that area, and I told them about my traveling days, and we also talked about the rising Missouri River which is where St. Joseph lies next to.
After some good blueberry waffles and another cup of coffee I gathered my things and started out to the road through some rain. I decided that I was going to take a smaller highway, the 36, which is pretty much a straight line across the top of Kansas and not too far from the Nebraska border. It's the old Pony Express road and it seemed better to do that than to drop down to the main Interstate 70 highway. I was ready to pass through a bunch of small towns along the way - just like I had when I drove through the back roads of Texas.
As I rolled along out of the St. Joseph area the skies cleared up and I followed cars and trucks and we traveled along. People were friendly out there - many waved from their vehicles as I passed by - which I hadn't really seen before. I passed by so many farms - lots of corn fields and cows, horses and tractors. The towns along the way all had a similar feel to them - nice folks who would also wave as I drove by, small Main Streets, lots of trucks. Then there were also many towns that had closed up stores, vacant gas station remains, broken down motels, and silent restaurants no longer open. I have seen it a lot in my travels over the past year - and I wonder where those people are going.
As I crossed into Colorado, my cousin Chris called and left a message saying that a major storm had rolled through and knocked out the power - also that there were high winds and some tornado warnings. So I knew what to be on the look out for as I got closer and closer to Denver. I looked ahead and saw the dark sky which spread wide across the horizon - and where I was heading straight into - after a few miles of hills and then onto the I-70. I could see and feel the wind, and soon drops fell from the sky. As I hit the highway, the rain fell harder and harder - and I cruised along cautiously. Still though, the storm wasn't as bad as the one I encountered as I drove out of Memphis on my way to Nashville a few weeks ago.
I was happy when I finally saw my exit and made my way through the streets to my cousin's house. The power was still down, so candles were lit and I sat down and relaxed. It felt good to be done driving for the day - and I was very glad that I decided to drive that day and not the have to have done it all the following day (today) and then rush and have to get ready to play. I was exhausted and ready for sleep after a good shower by candlelight.
I slept in again today - and this evening Chris and I are going to be playing right around the corner again at KJ's tonight. It's a nice little place, well supported by the neighborhood - and I do enjoy playing there. Then it's a few days of rest before heading west again. After tonight the next show is in Las Vegas in Thursday, then I think Friday in Phoenix, and then back to Southern California.
After this trip I have no real plans to tour like I have for the past year and a half. I need to get back to work and get some money so I can eventually head out again next Spring - so after I get back it will be the end of these hardcore traveling days - which I will miss, but it will be good to be in one place for a while, sleep in my own bed, eat better, and exercise - which I haven't been doing much of at all - but soon.
That's all for now,
yours truly,
Jeremiah
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from Tuesday - as I drove over the Mississippi River from Alton, IL.
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That's Tracy Huffman at Magoon's in St. Joseph, MO.
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Northern Kansas along the Pony Express Trail
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Heading into the storm front

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

On The Road Again - Day 35

This morning I was up fairly early, so I could get all my things together and get headed down the road. I had been in St. Louis almost a full week - and it was fun, but it was time to start the move back to the west. I had a good time hanging out with my cousin Mike at his new place, playing music, and breaking in the grill out back - plus the Fourth of July.
I checked all around to make sure I didn't forget anything, all my chargers and bathroom stuff, DVD's, and my bag of mesquite wood that I bought in Texas and that I used some for smoking the pork on the 4th. But before leaving town I headed over to my aunt and uncle's place to get some laundry done and take a shower - since I was desperately in need of both.
Right now I'm about 20 miles outside of Kansas City - it's a very easy drive to get here from St. Louis - only about 4 hours across Interstate 70. This evening I'm going to be heading up to see my friend Tracy Huffman who lives just outside of St. Joseph - which is about 45 minutes north of here. Tracy is an awesome singer/songwriter who used to live in LA and I used to go see him play shows around town. He's from this area and a few years ago he and his family moved back to the midwest - and he hasn't really been back to the West Coast to the dismay of his friends.
I came out here to see him about 3 years ago - he has a regular Wednesday night gig at a place called Magoons. Then, I had planned a small tour across Iowa and Lauren was set to meet me in the morning - and I stayed with Tracy out at his place in the country which was nice. That night a big storm came in and the thunder shook the whole house and it was pretty spectacular.
I've been trying to see him out here for the past year or so. Every time I it set up, something in my plans would change, and so I would have to send him a note saying next time. So, I'm pretty happy right now that I'm only bout 45 minutes away, and it's a Wednesday night - so it looks like it's finally going to happen.
Tomorrow I continue the drive west - heading to Denver. I was thinking going up to see Eddie in the Omaha area, but I think that it's too far out of my way, and I do want to get to Denver - also so I don't have to do all that driving on Friday - and have time to relax before playing that night - but of course - it could change.
It's still hot and humid out here and today it felt good getting clean.
yours truly,
Jeremiah

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Fourth of July - Day 33 and Day 34

So it has been a little bit of a pain not to have internet access at the house, but oh well. Today I'm back at the local spot, Nora's - enjoying a mellow post-Fourth of July morning. The temperature has come down quite a bit and I'm definitely thankful for that. There were several storms that rolled across the area on Sunday and even a few yesterday - lots of lightning and thunder - the fair activities that were happening downtown by the Arch had to be cancelled - but we still went ahead and did some grilling.
Yesterday was pretty fun - I got an early start since the plan was to smoke a pork butt - and that usually takes about 5 or 6 hours. So I went to the store to get the rest of the supplies and I got the fire going, soaked some mesquite wood that I bought in Texas, seasoned the meat, and got it cooking. Several of Mike's friends came by, including his brother Eric, and we had a good time. By about 5pm everything was ready to eat, and man, it was good - definitely worth the wait. So I think that Mike's grill has been sufficiently broken in.
Today I need to cross over the river and go see family in Illinois and pick up a rocking chair that has been in the family for a while and my mom would like to have it. It's an easy drive and I think I'll wait until Mike get's off work.
Tomorrow I start the drive west and will eventually get to Denver for a show on Friday. Maybe to see my friend Tracy Huffman in St. Joseph, Missouri, and maybe to meet up with Eddie in Iowa on Thursday - but we'll see.
Yours truly,
Jeremiah
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The new set-up
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The stage at the Three Kings Public House on Saturday night.
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The pork butt being smoked - it was close to being done at that point

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Stormy St. Louis - day 32

3rd of July - it's been a very quiet day. Last night was fun playing down on Delmar at the Three Kings Pub - it went well - had a good crowd and some of my family came out.
Yesterday Mike bought a Weber Grill and we broke it in with some burgers, corn, red bell peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes - it was all good! This evening we did steaks and they came out just right.
Tomorrow is the 4th of July and I'm not sure what we're doing - but I'll write more tomorrow.
Yours truly,
Jeremiah

Saturday, July 2, 2011

MIdwest Humidity - Day 31

Yesterday was a hot one - and I know in other parts of the country it's even worse - but there's just an extra kick with that humidity here. The air seemed heavy - almost like you could see it - looking to the Arch to the east there was a haze that sort of just hung in the air - it almost made me wish I was back in the dry Arizona heat - almost - since today it's supposed to hit 117 degrees in the Phoenix area.
Yesterday Mike and I ran some errands around town after he got back from work. A trip to his parents house, a run to the Goodwill, the drum shop, some food, then back to rest for a while before heading to rehearsal - and all of this done in Mike's car that doesn't have air-conditioning. It was a good day and the rehearsal went well and I'm looking forward to the show tonight. I'm sure we're going to lose a bunch more of water weight - since it's just as hot today - although we're supposed to get some thunderstorms later tonight.
Since Mike doesn't have internet at his place just yet, I walk over to his neighborhood coffeehouse/cafe for my morning coffee and to get online and check things out - like right now. The place is called Nora's and it's a nice little place - very friendly staff and the food looks good. All that I've had so far is a breakfast sandwich on a bagel that tasted great, but the chalk board menu on the wall has a wide selection of sandwiches that sound awesome and I wish I could try them all. They also have salads and soups, and a kids menu too. Best of all though is that it's local and I do think that's important.
I've been seeing that more and more across the country - the whole buy local campaign - and I do agree and support when I can. When we played the farmers market in Austin there was a free magazine that was focused on the local farms - of all sorts - in the surrounding areas. The pictures and the words really made me want to go experience it all. I do enjoy shopping for foods and seeing the fresh products displayed - and I always enjoy shopping at farmer's markets - so it was great when Mikaela and I played at two of them.
Here in St. Louis I picked up a similar magazine - focused on local products - in fact they have it here at Nora's and I think it's a good thing that it's spreading. Also I've seen more and more people with their own gardens - either through community gardens (like my dad) or in their own yards - if they have the space. Before i moved out of Hollywood, I had a few things growing that I was proud of - a basil plant that was doing really well, and a mini poinsettia that was given to me - and I surprisingly kept it alive - and it kept growing until I left and moved to Nashville.
Well, now that I've had two cups of coffee I think I'm ready to start the day. I need to go get some guitar strings, Mike wants to go buy a grill - he's not sure about either gas or charcoal - and then some grilling supplies - food and such. Then load up later and head to the gig, which is just down the road.
I'll let you know how it goes,
Yours Truly,
Jeremiah

Friday, July 1, 2011

Summer time - Day 30

Another St. Louis morning - out in a neighborhood coffeehouse - close to where Mike used to live. Lauren, Mike, and I came here after a night out - it has a good feel to it. Lots of locals, I presume. I remember the food being pretty good to. It's warm and humid out still and I had to get out of the apartment - also Mike left very early for work and I really didn't get back to sleep after that.
Last night after I made dinner - chicken, red potatoes, broccoli - we went out to an open mic that we went to a few months ago. I don't do many open mics these days - mostly because I have my own gigs now - but every now and then if I had nothing else to do and I know of a good one in a cool spot I'll go. Last night was one of those cool ones - at a place called the Iron Barely/Fred's Six Feet Under. The Iron Barely has BBQ and last night they were out back with their trailer/smoker cooking ribs - which smelled amazing. If I hadn't just eaten I would have gotten some - but I can wait.
Last night we all were out on the back patio - all the tables were almost full and we had to wait for a few minutes to find an open one. I signed up and waited. It was a good evening - still a little warm - but being outside felt good. The people that were there were enjoying themselves - eating and drinking - and the musicians and singers came and went to the stage - myself included. It was nice looking out and seeing people listen and pay attention when I played - it's always good to have people pay attention.
We realized it was getting late and knew we had to go since Mike had to be up early for work today. As we drove back, we passed the Budweiser plant and we could smell the beer being made - it's a unique smell - the cooking of grains which has sort of a warm scent to it. When I was up in Paso Robles last September at the Pour House which is located behind the Firestone Brewery I experienced a similar smell.
Today - it will probably be nap time this afternoon - and I won't be making the drive to Indiana. Then some rehearsal, some food too at some point - and just enjoying St. Louis - which isn't too hard right now.
Next show is at the Three Kings Public House on Delmar here in St. Louis
yours truly,
Jeremiah
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mmmmmmm...BBQ....