Wisconsin Is a Fabulous Place

We went to Wisconsin to play at the Band on the Sand festival for the third year in a row. We get to meet so many great people on the road, and Wisconsin is no exception. In fact, it was one of the first, if not the first, places where we felt at home on the road.

Thursday night we played at a place called Xpeditions. This place is an underground bar, street-level coffee shop, and upstairs yoga studio. It’s fantastic! We had people singing along to our songs, which is rare so far in our journey. We hung out and talked with people that love Jessie’s music, and what a treat it is to share that bond through music with strangers-turned-friends.

Friday we started making our way to Band on the Sand, but not before a little fly fishing. I fished the Timber Coulee, and it was beautiful. It’s just a little creek running along the road. I found a place to pull off the road, geared up in my waders, and started fishing while Jessie relaxed and read. While I didn’t land anything and get pictures, I did manage to hook about 6 before they spit out the hook and swam away. I had so much fun anyways.

Then Band on the Sand. I don’t know what to say that I haven’t said about it in previous years. We love it. Dennis and Joyce are fantastic hosts to us, and Dick and his wife Pam help them put on our favorite stop along our tour. Two days of music, food, and camaraderie on a sandbar in the middle of the Mississippi River is just what the soul needs. I especially needed it after the previous two weeks’ frustrations with tires and the fact that we had to leave town with a tub full of water that wouldn’t drain (more on that story later).

Jessie and I love our travels. We also love being home. I’m so glad we get to make these memories sharing our music with people.

No Two Shows Are the Same

But sometimes, you’ll play the same show twice.

That’s what happened to us last week.  My wife and I were on vacation, and she was smart enough to book a show while we were on vacation to give us some exposure while we were out of town.  She’s a smart one!

Well, here’s how it went down: my wife booked the gig via email, and in the last email she sent, she asked how long we needed to play.  That email went unanswered.  We didn’t think about it again.

Until we finished our set.

One of the guys we had met that week had gone inside to the bar to get another drink, and they said there would be music until 11.  The current time was approximately 9.  We had just played every song we had prepared.

Luckily, we had a good crowd – family and some new best (tipsy) friends!  So we played the same set we just finished all over again!

20140714-074300-27780257.jpg

Yes – we played the same set twice.  That took us to about 10 or just after, and then we conversed with our small crowd.  One guy even bought us a round of my wife’s favorite liquor!  Fireball!

Then he proceeded to buy another.  Oh boy!

All in all, it was a great time.  We really enjoyed ourselves, and we even tried out our new PA system – a Bose L1 Compact.  Man, it did the trick!  We even had one lady ask the waitress if we could turn it down (to which she replied in the negative).

This one goes to all those audiences that have been great to us!

20140714-073757-27477985.jpg