The sun is lovely. California sun really does have its own nobility. Even the desolate auto-repair and pawn shops littering this busy thoroughfare have a glinting gift in their reflective windows.  It’s Hayward, California, folks, and the weather is guiding our light and fluffy moods. Day 5, and all is swell.  I’m even sipping on a semi-delicious coffee, so my GERD seems to be under control (full disclosure: GERD condition over 4 months makes a lot of food and drink off limits. I’ll be mentioning my condition’s status often, methinks).  I even had a chocolate beer last night (Guinness)! Yum.

It’s a great life, this touring thing. We are of similar perspective when it comes to many things, the four of us. And though shared commentary on the state of the world spins us into ruminations on carrying capacity, the dense complex framework of metropolitan plumbing, the superstitions that shape our culture, how long the grid can stand our relentless demand (among other quite lovely and carefree notions) – we remain over the moon to simply hit the open road and meet the new faces and sing the songs and share that dazzling, present state of being alive and being awake. 

Would you trust your auto repair needs to an establishment named “Purrfect Auto Repair?” We did not. We surrendered our 1990 gray-box-on-wheels caravan to the Good Year fellas for a front tire replacement, whilst properly disposing of our blown-out front left tire from 3 days ago. Just north of Ashland, Oregon was the site of our one (and only!) auto mishap. Tom kept a cool head and maneuvered the wounded animal to the shoulder.  Up at a good 3000 feet, I’d guess, it was chilly in the pre-twilight. We were just over the crest of a long incline, where massive vehicles at high velocity couldn’t see us until they were virtually upon us. So Aimee and Moe and I staggered ourselves behind the car so semis and RV’s and coupes could see there was a need to move to the left lane while Tom (the Gladiator) did a quick tire change with our trusty spare (thanks Mike). I should really know how to change a tire myself. Having a Gladiator for a partner, however, has lessened the need for me to handle many things. I fear I have grown soft.

Jumping around the timeline of the past 5 days, we picked up Aimee and Moe at Tallyhaus on Friday morning, after a swell Thanksgiving with Tom’s dad and side of the family. Around noon, with a satisfyingly packed caravan, just slightly sagging in the ass-region, 4 human bodies and a mission, we sallied forth to the I-5 ribbon that would be our main drag for several days. Many thanks to everyone with their well-wishes for our travels (and to Strange Jerome and Kevin for the road tunes!), it’s just too bad you all can’t come along and feel the ride with us. So we do our best to share the stories for those who care to read along.

Portland arrived far more quickly than we expected. That supposedly 3-hour drive between Seattle and Portland is a slog slog slog most times. But not this time. We rolled into the Hinman household in mid-afternoon to greet Chad, Maureen, and young Finley James. Most of ya’ll remember Chad being on tour with us last year. It was a super way to ease into the first show, with Chad riding along with us and going through sound check with us and just hanging loose. Spending time with the newest addition to his family was awesome as well. Finley is a very cool little man at 5.5 months, and Maureen and Chad are looking healthy and super happy. We headed over to The Woods for our load-in and found the staff to be very nice and welcoming, Portland-style.  We had a fair turnout, which says enough for a venue that doesn’t have much walk-in traffic. Whisky Puppy opened the show with their old-time bluegrass, and then we hit the stage and played our first tour as the current Starlings incarnation of Tom, myself, Aimee and Moe. It was great fun indeed. The Kannings were down from Seattle for the holiday weekend, and we all knew a few folks from other crossed paths in life. We displayed our homemade t-shirts featuring 3 linoleum tile prints, 2 of them courtesy of our good friend Tracy Lang, and one of them from my recent craft weekend.  The venue was a former funeral parlor, and it is now a wonderful listening room with great ambiance and owl-themed pictures, funky furniture, and a built-in bar. Bars might be a great addition to funeral parlors everywhere.

The next two days were long drives. We made it to Ashland in plenty of time to hang out at the Stillwater, a neat bar with a super sound system. Randy fixed us up with the sound check, we noshed on beans and other edibles, and played some dice.  Some really great bluegrass opened the show again, this time from Jeff and Bekkah and Aaron.  Our show went great, we have some fans down this way it seems. Moe and Aimee snuck in a good handful of their MoZo tunes, at Tom and my behest, which was very well-received from the crowd. We headed back to Mark’s place, a couch-surfing host who supplied us with a room for the night. Thanks very much to him for that. Aimee, Moe and I fit on an air mattress quite comfortably. It was a chilly night up at that altitude. The next morning, amidst the foggy fog, we hit the co-op, filled our coffers and coffee cups, and hit the road.

We’ve visited Placerville, CA more times than any other venue on our tours. It was kind of a random place we found back in 2006, and we still manage to find a slot for it on our itinerary each time we hit Cali. The transition in ownership and two different publicized start times for the show caused some confusion, but we made it through and had a lovely time. The shows have been so much fun, just trying out the new dynamics and feeling the groove pretty strong. Aimee’s been a hit with her version of “2000 Miles,” and the new songs for 2010’s album are finding their legs. T, A and M enjoyed Pumpkin Ale while I watched with salivating desire. That’s a bit of a hyperbole. We drove west 30 minutes to Sacramento and couch-surfed with Leah/Jim (thanks guys!). Aimee has secured us several couch-surfing stays for the tour, which is a good way to meet people along our way and keep the Starlings economy flush. We enjoyed persimmons with breakfast, shared travel stories, and then headed on into the big San Fran for a day of roaming around, napping in Golden Gate park, splurging on South Indian cuisine, and heading to the Amnesia bar for our Monday night show. What a great bar! It’s a built-in crowd it seems, and for a Monday in SF, that’s a pretty alright deal. Monday night is bluegrass night (apparently becoming a theme), though the owner Shawn had no problem having us play our non-bluegrass tunes. The 49th Special local bluegrass troupe followed our set to a packed bar with enthusiastic dancers. Our good friend Scott came to the show, and hung out with us downstairs in the green room, where we wrote impromptu songs on a little guitar named Lauren. Boy, he’s a funny chap. Aimee had some good friends come to the show as well, and a good time was haddy had had. This is where I enjoyed my lovely glass of Guinness. Oh, chocolate beer, your name is a foam-shaped heart. I mean heart-shaped foam.

We drove to Hayward, where we stayed with a friend of Aimee’s, and their new roommates. A relaxing stay in their living room on the floor with sleeping bags and dogs as bedfellows. A wiry little terrier named Zelda found entry into my sleeping bag and curled into a ball next to me the whole night through. Fire, an old-man pleasant black Lab mix, bedded down with Aimee and Moe, at least for awhile. He was a thinking dog’s dog – and perhaps he had too much on his mind to count sheep with us.

Next day we buzzed over to Monterrey to indulge a bit of my Steinbeck intrigue. The drive there was bloody gorgeous, just like he writes in his novels – rolling, beautiful fawn hills decorated with scattered Cypress trees with branches wizened and hardened down into intricate tangles and snarls. Once we exited the highway, we headed straight toward Cannery Row and parked for a quick walk through its clearly touristy, yet still fascinating, historic district. Steinbeck quotes on light pole flags; silly names for cookie-cutter gift shops like Steinbeck Plaza; old one-room shacks with frozen-in-time settings (peek in the window and see a cot, table, pair of boots, and tin cup, por ejemplo); plaques with the history of the old fishery and cannery industry. And so on.

We had a great idea when we passed a bike rental shop with the “Surrey” bicycle made for four people on display. A few bucks and a couple minutes later we were pedaling down the bike path with two in front, two in back. The coastline was incredible, the crashing waves almost other-worldly with their teal, aquamarine hue. It was chilly, delicious, and hilarious. We recognized our roles as the annoying tourists when people passed us and didn’t smile all that willingly.

5 hours later and a night drive down the coast brought us to the Kings’ farm in Fillmore. The Kings, Cynthia and Allen, are the parents of our friends Alana and Tanya up in Seattle. We stayed with them last year as well, and it’s great to be here again. Aimee and I watched Allen para-glide off the side of a hill at 3000 feet (or so?), we made a yummy dinner with primarily food grown on their farm, spent the afternoon practicing and relaxing, and are gearing up for the next round of shows, starting tomorrow. (By the by, our Phoenix show on 12/6 at the Ruby Room has been cancelled...the venue had to close its doors).

You may have noticed, if you’re still reading this novel, that somewhere in this blog it became two days later. I’m lying in bed trying to wrap it up. I never mean to write this long, and doubtless I left out many poignant and funny things that have transpired. If only my hand could ever keep up with the ongoing deluge of sights, sounds, tastes and abstractions of the world. Not everything can be meant for the telling.

Hey everyone!  The tour is over! Amazing. Thanks to so many people who helped us out along the way, in so many capacities! We are so grateful for your hospitality, your encouragement, and your support. We'll definitely be seeing you as soon as we can.

The end of the tour was great. I've used the word "great" way too many times, but hell, so what. It was great!!!  San Francisco brought out a ton of Aimee's friends who've migrated there, and our good buddy, former-Seattleite, Andrew Gallucio hung out with us as well.  And our friend Scott Simon too - thanks to Scott for the place to crash. I won't say it didn't take us an hour to find it, but that was our big bad. Saunders LOVES to turn around. Our new friends Tom & Pam were at the show in SF, recording us again, the first time being at Joshua Tree. They are very kind, and even came out to the next day's show in Placerville to record once more, and gave us 3 zip drives of the copies. What a generous and cool thing - thanks so much.

Placerville was a very satisfying return to the venue Cozmic Cafe, where we played on our first tour in 2006. A great turnout, great space, yummiest food to go, and a gold mine in the basement. After we'd packed up the show, Chad was inspired to take some final footage for our archives. We incorporated passing the camera, wild and crazy antics, running through the gold mine, and turning into monsters in a very Theater 101 way. It actually helped blow off some energy, post-show.

We stayed that evening with Richard & Diane, and thanks to them for the offer. They are very connected to events at Cozmic Cafe, and were wearing version 1.0 of the Starlings t-shirts from our previous visit.

Next up was a short drive to Whiskeytown Lake outside of Redding, with a quick stop at the Olive Pit in Corning. We got plenty of olives, and Aimee secured a very large vessel of local olive oil.

The camping aspect at Whiskeytown was a mixed bag. We had an excellent evening making veggie pockets in the fire, and having a great talk around the fire which seemed the beginning of the denouement of the tour. Big love to Chad and Aimee for their participation and heart. You rock.

But then the ranger came by and said we couldn't sleep in the bus there, we had to move to a pavement square of RV parking. It made no sense, but we did as such. We shoved all our food and camping crap into a bear bin, and the rest into the aisle of the bus, and put together our 4-person sleeping arrangement in Saunders for the last Praise & Tangle time. Early the next morning, Tom was out walking, and there was a banging on the door. A new ranger, one much more "official" wanted to see our ID's, because there'd be a complaint about marijuana seeds on a plate. We were none too pleased at the loud approach or accusation, and while he was running all our licenses, Chad picked up a plastic plate with a ton of burnt bread crumbs on it (from the night before), which had been tossed in the bus in haste when we had to move. This was the plate in question! Here were our drugs - crappy bread crumbs that none of us ate. Okay, long story short, we were let go, but enough uptight RV-er's around us were looking at us in our yellow bus as though we were going to start streaking or kidnapping their schnauzers or something. So we headed back to camp and took our time making breakfast and ruminating on our one and only cross with the law.

Up to Ashland, Oregon, and a beautiful, beautiful autumn afternoon there. The show was great, the crowd was too, in a small pub that felt a lot like a snowy chalet. Kites & Crows had put together the show, and thanks very much, guys! We had some fans in the audience, which is always a treat. A very fun show, and our new friend Gary invited us to stay out at his house. Thanks, Gary! For the hospitality, for the breakfast, for the positive energy.

Onward to Portland, where we landed at Chad's house with Maureen. Aimee went and picked up Moe, who would be joining us for the evening. Jack called from the train, and we met up with him near the venue to a raucous reunion and a round of PBR's.  Up at the venue, we reunited with Maureen and had some grub and caught the end of Laura Veir's happy hour residency. Then we had a quick set-up and fun show as a 5-piece after 6 months of not being so. Moe and Aimee did a set in between our two sets, which was really enjoyable. Jack and I danced to her new Kentucky bourbon song, while Tom and Chad sat in on guitar and harp. It was a great time (great!), and a suiting way to end the tour.

Fast forward a few days: Tom and I are getting re-settled, looking at apartments, staying with various friends and Tom's dad, setting up work schedules (urg!), etc. The Conor Byrne Halloween homecoming show was tons of fun, and it was a thrill to see all our friends come out in their costumes, or just as their crazy selves. Thanks to Quinn for mc'ing the night, and to The Pennylifters and MoZo for their awesome shows. The Pennylifters were incredibly dapper in 3-part Abe Lincoln costumes, and MoZo opened their set with a hilarious Laverne & Shirley number. Yee haw.

And so that's kind of it! I'm rattling this all off quickly, I feel the need to hibernate for awhile. My sincere thanks again to everyone: musicians, friends, family, hosts, strangers, rangers, etc. for helping us along the way. Saunders covered 17, 645 miles on this trip, and I won't say how much dough we spent on gas, but that wasn't the only thing that fueled our trip. It was you!

But enough of this. Enough. Go vote.

xo

joy, tom, aimee, chad, mike, julian, jack and SAUNDERS.

Yes, this great migration of squirrels is now snugly located up in the panhandle of Texas in Amarillo in a small hotel room. The last couple days have been wearisome for us, driving-wise. Strong head-winds that remind me of Wyoming, cross-winds that remind me of Kansas, and split-seamed winds which remind me of Montana, east-bound. The gas gauge needle just sliiiiides to the left with too much gravity. But we're here. CNN is telling me all about it. Tom is taking a walk. Mike just rearranged his suitcase in preparation for his departure (sigh) in 3 days. He also just showed me his girliest jeans of all, with a certain trim and cut on the back pockets. He's very happy to have gotten a shower just now. Last night we camped/parked at Chandler Lake in Oklahoma, the 2nd of two campsites available within our driving area (the first one was closed). We were the only ones there, the reported "Honor Box" was nowhere to be found, and the soil was red, red, red. A great wind kept us company throughout the evening as we dined on brats and beans and Corona and did quite a bit of reminiscing on our jaunt together.

Our three shows in Missouri were awesome, particularly the Lupus and Reeds Spring shows. Lupus General Store was an old-time general store replete with the knick-knacks and antiques and dust. We got their early enough to go peek at the Missouri River, which is where the town road stops. This town is population: 29. Doug, our host, arrived in time to take us out for a quick ride in his motor boat, and it gave us an up close look at the beautiful bluffs in the area. The show was well-attended, even after we were warned it might not be (due to the VP debate and regional Blues fest). So, that was a nice surprise. The audience was receptive and attentive, and were very interested in the albums. Doug gave us a tour through his house, one of many in the town up on high stilts to protect against frequent floods. He and his wife, Meredith, were jolly and cheerful hosts, and we can't wait to visit Lupus again.

Rocheport General Store was the next night, also just outside of Columbia, MO. We were staying with my good friend, Renee, and her husband, Steve, both nights, so we had a lovely afternoon hanging with them. Steve plays a multitude of instruments, and he cemented my newest desire to obtain a ukelele. He played it very well, and I recorded him playing Elizabeth Cotten's "Shake Sugaree" so I could learn it. I love it. Thanks to Renee and Steve for the company and hospitality. It's always so great to see you, and we'll look forward to next time.

Next up was the Rock House venue in Reeds Spring, down in the southeast corner of the state, a stone's throw from Branson. It's a tiny town, and we pulled in to see an Auction house, a thrift store, an art gallery, and the Rock House itself. It's Jeannette and Bruce's home, with a large room dedicated to the concerts they host. Jeannette and Bruce are one of a kind(s). Effusive, friendly, interesting, and busy with numerous projects and activities, which includes the renovation of their home (made of only locally-found giraffe rock). We arrived early enough to hang out on their huge and comfortable front porch, and watch as their friends and they put together a smorgasbord of yummy foods, most of which were supplied by their garden. Fresh pesto and garden tomatoes were to die for. One of their neighbors brought this warm kale and rice dish that made me feel like Popeye.

The show was just awesome - a great audience that were so curious and enthusiastic. A distant relative, Aunt Mable, arrive, which was really nice. The three of us felt great up there, with a nice-sounding room and enough libation and food in our bellies to keep us in high spirits all night. We met the famous Greg Linn, sent out to the show by above-mentioned buddies Renee and Steve. Jeannette was a most gracious hostess, and when she sang along to every song from the albums, I wanted to bring her along with us.

We slept well that night, and awoke to great coffee and eggs and garden-perusing and porch-sitting and chatting. Thanks so much, Jeannette and Bruce! you have such a great thing going there, we hope to make it back very soon. The fresh beans and peppers you sent along with us are dee-licious.

Thus, began the driving against the wind across Oklahoma. But now we're here, almost all cleaned up (save me) and ready for Monday night show in Amarillo!

Three more shows with Mike of the Silverhands clan. Right now he's translating Spanish jokes from the TV comedian. He filled the wastebasket with ice as a cooler for our local beers. Tom smells good and shower-fresh. How novel!

By the by,  I'm starting to put the word out for our homecoming show on Friday, October 31st at Conor Byrne Pub. It's a Halloween party, along with MoZo and The Pennylifters. It will be hella fun. Please come!

Texas-style Millsey

Hola folks...it's been quite awhile since my last post, but things are still rolling along, just a little bit slower once we hit the Midwest. If I can briefly back up:

-Nashville was a mixed bag - ultimately a pretty cool experience, mostly due to the showcase we had at The Basement, which was a quick set to a good crowd, along with several other acts, some of which we enjoyed a great deal. We also saw a friend we met in Mexico last winter, Christa, who was kind to give us a safe parking spot and her home to hang out in. The 2nd gig we had there was a bit of a bust, but we made do, and met some interesting locals to boot.

-Chicago/Joliet. Chicago was also, sadly, a bust, due to the fact that it was raining hard and the local headliner had to cancel at last minute, for good reason. We did have some good friends show up, and Silverhands made his debut, short-lived, but still well-performed, in the midst of his hanger-on sinus infection. The next day, we had a long day of hanging out in the Chicago library while buckets of rain fell. I took a long, long walk with an umbrella, and returned to the bus which had blossomed some lily pads of moss and fungi from all the wetness. We headed down to Joliet to return to the Chicago St Pub, our good buddies we made back in May, and had another great night there. Ali Moroni gave another great set, as did Silverhands, and then we finished up the night. Mike's been really locking us in with the low-end, and it's been a blast having him along. We headed down the interstate that night, with Mike at the wheel, hell-bent on crossing the Mississippi in good time to land at his folk's place. We arrived in the middle of the night, and slept soundly.

We parted with Mike for a spell, and had some downtime with the family in Iowa. Tom and I headed up to NW Iowa for two nice shows in Spencer and Estherville, then another return to Grinnell and Saint's Rest Coffeehouse. Following that, we headed to Fairfield to the home of our dear friends Lauryn and DJ, who hosted us in one of our favorite shows. DJ recorded it as well, and we'll hope it ends up a nice recording to pull from for future recordings.

The Midwest romp ended with shows in Tama and West Branch, both enjoyable in their own ways, and that leads us up to now, sitting in the countryside of Iowa, less than 12 hours from our next big departure. This time we head south through Missouri, then west through the Southwest and onward.  A whole month remains, and part of our brains already reside in Seattle again, anticipating our return, and all the things we'll need to attend to.

Pardon the brevity and rushed sense of this blog, and stay tuned for hopefully more poetic reprise. There's a lot of other crazy things going on in the world, sometimes blogging seems hard to muster.

Cheers,

Joy, Tom, Mike