It was half my fault and half the atmosphere
10/20/07 – 5:30 PM – On the road to Redding
We've left the Salem House, but not its awesome inhabitants, who will be playing with us again tonight. Chico seemed like a cool town with a lot going on, but I'm confident that there was no better place to be last night than where we were. Today we had lunch at the Pita Pit and heard lots of great stories from Rick. Now we're passing some nice pastoral scenery on CA-36. If you showed me the view from this road, I'd probably never guess where it was. Lots of wide open fields and farmland. The hand-lettered signs on the side of the road read “Julia's Fruit Stand,” “MEAT 400 FT.,” and “We process deer.”
8:00 PM – The Red White and Brew Pub
We arrived at the venue a few hours before the show. It's really tiny and shares a wall with a Subway. This whole country is becoming a sandwich shop. Anyway, we ate at the Subway and it turned out that the guys working there who looked like maybe they were in a band are in a band. They were cool, and Mink traded them a CD for his sub. Then I sat on top of the van and played Magnetic Fields songs for awhile until my hands got cold. Now I'm connected to the Quality Inn network. I like seeing the names of different wireless networks. “Les Filles.” “Vintage.” “Jah647.”
10/21/07 – 12:00 PM – On the road to Eugene
Last night was just what we needed. It was the kind of night we've been waiting for since we've been out here. Nights like that are often in the towns where you don't really expect it – Williamsport, PA, or Redding, CA. The bar was packed. It was the kind of room where you can look everyone in the eye when you play, and it was the kind of night where they look back. The whole bill was great – we had been worried last month that there was going to be no one playing but us, but it ended up with seven acts, and the crowd never dispersed. John Tre did a great stripped-down folk set with harmonica, and then Duologue played some groovy art-rock, then we played, then we were treated to another great set from Boy Elephant and Belda Beast, then the Hummingbirds did some foot-stomping alt-country, and then there was another acoustic duo. People came because they knew one band, but they stayed and danced for the whole night. We all had fun, but no one tore it up quite as much as one Mr. Jimbo James Josephs, who sat it with both Boy Elephant and The Hummingbirds and absolutely killed. We all made some good new friends (especially JJ). Then we stayed with Ben, who provided excellent accommodations, to say the least.
Now we're heading to Eugene to stay with Beth, who tells us she has a pie in the oven. Also, our ¼ tank of gas lasts for a really long time. It's like the miracle of Hannuka.
We've left the Salem House, but not its awesome inhabitants, who will be playing with us again tonight. Chico seemed like a cool town with a lot going on, but I'm confident that there was no better place to be last night than where we were. Today we had lunch at the Pita Pit and heard lots of great stories from Rick. Now we're passing some nice pastoral scenery on CA-36. If you showed me the view from this road, I'd probably never guess where it was. Lots of wide open fields and farmland. The hand-lettered signs on the side of the road read “Julia's Fruit Stand,” “MEAT 400 FT.,” and “We process deer.”
8:00 PM – The Red White and Brew Pub
We arrived at the venue a few hours before the show. It's really tiny and shares a wall with a Subway. This whole country is becoming a sandwich shop. Anyway, we ate at the Subway and it turned out that the guys working there who looked like maybe they were in a band are in a band. They were cool, and Mink traded them a CD for his sub. Then I sat on top of the van and played Magnetic Fields songs for awhile until my hands got cold. Now I'm connected to the Quality Inn network. I like seeing the names of different wireless networks. “Les Filles.” “Vintage.” “Jah647.”
10/21/07 – 12:00 PM – On the road to Eugene
Last night was just what we needed. It was the kind of night we've been waiting for since we've been out here. Nights like that are often in the towns where you don't really expect it – Williamsport, PA, or Redding, CA. The bar was packed. It was the kind of room where you can look everyone in the eye when you play, and it was the kind of night where they look back. The whole bill was great – we had been worried last month that there was going to be no one playing but us, but it ended up with seven acts, and the crowd never dispersed. John Tre did a great stripped-down folk set with harmonica, and then Duologue played some groovy art-rock, then we played, then we were treated to another great set from Boy Elephant and Belda Beast, then the Hummingbirds did some foot-stomping alt-country, and then there was another acoustic duo. People came because they knew one band, but they stayed and danced for the whole night. We all had fun, but no one tore it up quite as much as one Mr. Jimbo James Josephs, who sat it with both Boy Elephant and The Hummingbirds and absolutely killed. We all made some good new friends (especially JJ). Then we stayed with Ben, who provided excellent accommodations, to say the least.
Now we're heading to Eugene to stay with Beth, who tells us she has a pie in the oven. Also, our ¼ tank of gas lasts for a really long time. It's like the miracle of Hannuka.
