Ok, this is a mega-update.  Let's start where last left our heroes, which I believe was a laundrymat in Madison.... 

Madison @ The High Noon - Mon night
We finished drying our leotards and shot over to the High Noon Saloon for soundcheck.  Hurricane Harris was Force Five already.  Apparently he went to the Mustard Museum that morning and got hopped up on gourmet chocolate-fennel-caribou mustard.  He kept the buzz going through soundcheck and by the time we hit the stage he was in complete Hammer of the Gods mode.  Worst show of the tour, handsdown.  It sounded like a recording of Curly from the Three Stooges sitting in for The Ox during Live at Leeds. 

Hurra pulled it together for the Posies set (after some coffee and a mild beating administered by John Auer), and we left Madison as fast as possible.
Iowa City @ Gabe's Oasis on Tues. 
Lots of really healthy-looking milkfed blonde kids who are really doped up on whatever ya got.  It was actually one of the best shows of the tour for us.  We had some "red beers" which is cheap beer with tomato juice in it.  All the vitamins of beer, with mind-altering properties of the tomato. 

Something about The Madison Debacle helped push us to really kick arse, Hurricane Harris receeded to a tropical shower, and the crowd was drunk and great.  All in all, Iowa City rocked.

Kansas City @ the Hurricane on Wed night. 
We made our first mistake by following yet another rec from our Road Food book (a great book of roadside grub shacks).  We went to Arthur Bryant's and got what appeared to be entire animals wedged between slices of wonderbread.  We got back to club in full meat coma, but realized a tire on our van was cracking so we called AAA (being lazy bastards).  They changed it while we slept in the van. 

Eventually the sounds of the openers drew us out of the belly of the beast and into the club.  Dead Girls Ruin Everything (feat. ex-Ultimate Fakebook kids) were rad.  Total early-90's guitar rock (Swervedriver, Alochol Funnycar, Chavez, etc) crossed with Thin Lizzy.  They also used the word "balls" about 45 times.

Hofer used this opportunity to un-eat his bbq, if you get me (and i think you do), and we played a good set.  Unfortunately we had to split immediately after our set to start the drive to Denver, and we missed what was supposedly the best Posies show of the tour. 

Denver @ the Larrimer Lounge on Thurs.
We got in early and Matt and I ran Darius through some Oranger tunes so he can sub in for Hofer at the SLC show.  Darius nailed them first try.  We hung around backstage with the Posies and Hopewell (NY band w/ an ex-Mercury Revver), watching sports and doing nothing. Eventually Hopewell played and were great.  Kind of brit-psychy with an almost Janes Addiction vocal thing.  They're on the next few shows, so it should be a rock party.

Our set was really good. The stage was cramped so we were all over each other, but that seemed to help somehow.  Ken introduced us in French because his wife Dominique was in town from France.  It went something like "Le DePardiue, Ala Mode!  Le Oranger Gran Du Monde!"  Patrick nearly spazzed another foot injury during New Comes and Goes, but somehow avoided breaking anything. 

Hofer flew back to SF this morning to play a gig @ the Bay Meadows race track, so tonight we're borrowing Darius from the Posies. We're on the 80 heading toward Salt Lake City, Bob driving and John Lee Hooker on the stereo.
-md