Sarasota is where to catch the sunset - but we hit sunrise one day as we had to get one of our guys home and drove straight from gig to airport. The white sands of Siesta Key look like water here.
Its been a while since we posted a tour blog. Oh we had great ambitions back in November when we came home from a long tour stretch that took us from Detroit to Dallas, around Texas through the Gulf, to Miami and back to Dallas before returning home. --- so let me catch you up in a nutshell.
Early 2018 and Inspiration
First - we had a great holiday season at home with family up in Michigan and a wonderful show at the Detroit Institute of Arts along with local dates up in the great lakes region in January.
Our friends Alex Lyon from Whitey Morgan and Chuck Bartels, who is now with Sturgill Simpson, filled in on bass for those home gigs, and we had our friend Rudy Varner on upright for a special show with Valentine Distilleries. It was great to catch up with these guys and play with them once again. All genuine, humble people, talent to spare and deserving of their success (all Michigan guys, too). Their stories and more importantly their tireless work ethic are inspiring. They bring it, and come prepared even for a local show with a the little guys. I always ask for the best advice folks like this have for others. The most successful people I know usually have the same things to share --- "Work hard, and be nice". Although sometimes its not phrased so gently :D Isn't that the basics of life?
One of my favorite places and favorite works of art since childhood -- Diego Rivera's "Detroit Industry" Murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
On with the shows
In February we made our way to NY with the band and then back to Florida as a duo before calling the band down for touring. We spent time with some great people all over the state, were treated like family, and played some new towns from Fort Myers to St George Island, returning home in early April making it almost 8 weeks of travel for us in the first 3 months of 2018.
Home Again, then Home Again
It was a rude awakening in April when we found winter making an encore performance back home. Cold temps, ice and snow. No worries. We planned for an extended time at home and to cut back on home region shows to take care of business that tends to get away from you when you are traveling all the time. We have needed a time to catch our breath for so long... but at our level, you can't afford to slow the train down too long and make the bills. We worked on songs and recruited a rhythm section that can travel, took some side work and hibernated all snug behind our computer screens until the sun came out!
Dylan was endorsed by Reverend Guitars in May
In May we did a showcase for GHS Strings at home in Michigan and fired up the new band everywhere from the Catskills to Memphis! Dylan was endorsed by Reverend Guitars
and we got into the studio to lay some groundwork before heading south to Texas......
Texas..... Where I now sit above one of our favorite places - The House of Fifi Dubois - and a day off to get some work done and spend some time with "family" we have been adopted into. And with that, to be continued very soon. Love you all!!!!
Jennifer
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