Notes from the Road – Monday & Tuesday July 26 & 27, 2010

Notes from the Road – Monday & Tuesday July 26 & 27, 2010

Thought I’d combine a couple of days since I’ve been in one spot and have had no shows to report on.  However, the time has been very productive and I’ve really enjoyed being at Cloudland Canyon State Park.  The scenery here along the canyon rim is magnificent and there are two waterfalls that you can hike down to if you’re willing – I haven’t been willing, but I’m sure they are beautiful and well worth the 1200 foot climb.

My neighbors here in the campground have been largely deer, a red fox, a lot of squirrels, some fiercesome looking bees and tons of birds.  The rain they kept predicting came Monday afternoon – a real rumbling thunder frog strangler.  I just huddled in the camper, did some computer work, sipped some strong amber liquids and watched a DVD I brought along.  Unfortunately I’ve developed a hidden leak in the front left corner of the camper at the foot of the bed.  I can’t figure out where the water is entering so I can repair it, but I need to soon – much more rain predicted.  However, with the sound of the dripping rain I slept harder and longer than any night so far.  I needed it.

I do have some news flashes regarding the new album “Welcome Home.”  First, Acoustic Rainbow Records (Michael Jonathon’s label that produces Woodsongs as well) included “A Mother’s Tears” on their new Sampler that features Pete Seeger and a song from his new album.  That Sampler is headed out to 1200 Roots / Americana stations now and I should be getting additional airplay from that.  Call your favorite station and ask if they’re on the list for that sampler and request songs from it.

Also, I was just notified that The Alternate Root, an interactive music magazine featuring all genres of traditional American roots music including, Americana, Alt-country, Blues, Rockabilly, Folk, Bluegrass, and more, will feature me in an upcoming addition with a review of “Welcome Home.”  The current issue (go to http://www.thealternateroot.com/the-current-issue-of-the-alternate-root) features an interview with Patty Larkin and reviews of new albums by The Drive-by Truckers and John Hiatt.  It’s a great music magazine so check it out and watch for the review coming soon.

Finally, the Will McLean Foundation is preparing to release another compilation CD with 15 songs that have won awards from the foundation in the past five years.  “State of Dreams” will be included along with tunes by Rog Lee, The Ashley Gang, Liz Williamson, Gary Doles and many more of Florida’s best.  Ron Litschauer in West Palm is producing and mastering the compilation so you know it will be first rate.  Watch for that release in August and be sure to order a copy from the Will McLean Foundation.  All proceeds go to support the foundation and the Will McLean Folk Festival, so snap ‘em up!

Back to the road.  I selected Cloudland Canyon as a 2 night stop over as I knew it would be inexpensive, I had heard it was very nice (correctamundo) and it put me fairly close to my next stop, a long six night stay at Lookout Mountain KOA where Brian and Allison take such good care of me each year.  They give me a terrific rate for the week, which is just slightly more than free, host two shows in the park (Wednesday and Sunday both of which are usually well attended) and I can make runs, sans the camper and thus with vastly greater fuel efficiency for shows in Knoxville, Nashville and right nearby in Chattanooga – perfect.  This is my third year on this program with Brian & Allison, they are the BEST!

So, I got hooked up and prepared to leave Cloudland Canyon.  I hit the bookmark in my Navigatrix for the KOA and was nearly embarrassed to find it was only 20 minutes away.  Now THAT’s my idea of a road day!  Allison was there to greet me and to let me know that not only was the park fairly well occupied for the whole week, but that they’d been promotion my shows in town (Trenton, Ga.) and through friends with businesses in other nearby communities.  I told you they were the best.

Here I went ahead and set the camper up for the longer stay.  Stabilizer jacks, levelers, the whole nine yards.  I’m planning grilled pork loin tonight with whole grain rice, black beans and broccoli.  Supper’s around 7 so come on by.  Tomorrow night, the first of two shows here at 7:30 and I’ll be out meeting campers, passing out postcards, etc. tomorrow.

That’s it – more to come.

Notes from the Road - Day 3 - Sunday, July 25, 2010

Notes from the Road - Day 3 - Sunday, July 25, 2010

A significant part of the hard work once a tour starts is the driving. The road time is productive (you'd be amazed how many song ideas pop up if you just ride in silence, no radio, etc. to distract you), and enlightening (the world is an interesting place, particularly if you make the effort to stay off of the "I" highways), but it is also wearing, tiring and, at times, dangerous. I'm thankful that today is the last long road day until next week. I can use the down time.

My plan was to head north and get as close to Chattanooga as possible while trying to get some altitude and escape a little of the heat. You can be flexible when you have your house rolling right behind you. A little internet research got me interested in a State park in north Georgia called Cloudland Canyon just north of Rising Fawn, GA. Supposedly it is breathtaking - we'll see.

I haven't slept well the first two nights on the road. Even though it is "my bed" it isn't MY BED. Comfy though it is I'm a finicky sleeper and it takes me a couple of nights to adjust to the trailer versus the house and the lack of companionship (i.e., Judy's presence and "sounds" - if I said more she'd be mad). So, today I'm a little draggy and ready for some R&R. But Cloudland Canyon is a little more than four hours away - do I want to drive that much? Well, as I said, I can be flexible so no pressure.

Heading out of Auburn the Navigatrix (I know, I should name her) wants to take me on a bypass around downtown. However, the police have different ideas as they have that route closed off for some reason. So, straight through Auurn I go, which turned out for the best since I went straight through the university campus and got to see it's magnificent architecture and charisma - very impressive. Also, summer classes are in session and the women students were obviously working hard at dealing with the oppressive heat. Lest I sound overly sexist I will say only that less is more when it's hot and BOY HOWDY was it HOT! I know, slap me later.

Proceeding generally north through the back country of Alabama I conclude that the State plant must be Kudzu. WOW! Serious Kudzu! There were places where it was obvious that trees of various types lined the roadway, but you could not see them because they were covered ground to tip top with a solid woven blanket of matted and dominant Kudzu. Like giants in leafy camoflage frozen in a pose aside the road - it would be a little spooky with the right lighting and organ music. The Adams family with a deep southern accent.

As I passed through little towns (and I mean tiny) I felt reassured to know that folks still live simply and quietly away from the hustle and traffic too many of us choose to endure. I also saw the effects of the current state of the economy - small store fronts closed up, etc. But I saw more than a few old fashioned barbershops which though closed on Sunday still had men sitting out front in rockers passing the time. They all watched with curiosity as I lumbered down main street with my camper in tow.

It took about 4 hours (including a stop for some BBQ for lunch) to reach Cloudland Canyon. I checked in and made my way to the camping area to select a site. Wow! This place is gorgeous. Heavily treed, level sites with none feeling like you're on top of another. Much like the great state parks in Florida this will be a real treat for a couple of days of "down time." Not that it's really down time as I have promo work to do and practicing, etc. But an excellent environment for a couple of days out from behind the steering wheel. Who knows, maybe I'll post some pics! Stay tuned.

Notes from the Road - Day 2 - Saturday, July 24, 2010

Notes from the Road - Day 2 - Saturday, July 24, 2010

Man is it hot! When I first started this annual SE tour part of the reason was to get out of Florida's heat and up into higher country. However, I'm rethinking the timing here. Not only is booking more difficult in the summer here (a lot of the established series shut down in the SE for the summer), but this year in particular the weather forecast for everywhere I'm going is hot and more hot.

I headed out of Bainbridge around noon after making some stops at the grocery store, etc., things I didn't have time for on Friday. I wound through backroads Georgia north and west towards Alabama. Watching my external temperature guage I twice noted it rise above 100 degrees. The fields, the ones that weren't being irrigated, literally shimmered in the heat of the sun. Each day some rain has been forecast, but so far I've seen neither a cloud nor a drop. Just as well, it would turn to steam immediately and make things even worse. Nevertheless, in the cool A/C in the car I enjoyed the drive west to Auburn.

I actually lived in Auburn the first couple of years of my life. My Dad went to Veterinary school here when I was a toddler. We lived in a trailer park somewhere in Auburn and I had a sturdy tri-cycle that did it's best to maim me. It broken my left ankle and nearly cut off my left pinky finger in separate incidents. This is the first time I recall coming back through here since then.

Using my trusty Navigatrix I found an inexpensive campground just a couple of miles from where I was to perform. Easy in, easy out - just like I like it. I crossed into the central time zone so I picked up an hour. I'll lose it again tomorrow heading north. I had time to relax a bit, eat an early supper and then change into clothes suitable for my evening performance.

The Gnu's Room is a nice find. I found it by snooping on Roy Schneider's calendar for places he's played out this way. A very eclectic place, The Gnu's Room is a bookstore dealing largely in used books, some collector's items, and serves a large variety of exotic coffees. Just before showtime the staff cleared the front reading area and set up chairs for the guests. Tina, my host and owner of the shop, had warned me that the crowd would be light in the summer - shows are much better attended when the college is in full session. However, we had a nice comfortable crowd at 7 pm and more trickled in as I got into my first set. I was flattered that some had taken time to check out my websites and had specific song requests. A fellow songwriter (a Kerrville winner and touring performer who lives in Auburn) Dave Potts came out for the show - always nice to get support from others in the biz. Interestingly, a young lady in the audience (also named Tina) perked up when she learned I was from Leesburg, FL - her father was born and raised there. Such a small world.

Due to the requests, my selected material varied a bit from the set lists I had prepared. However, I'm always happy to give folks what they want to hear - requests are always welcome. I continue to be pleased with the very warm reception my newer material is receiving. When the Hummingbirds Return, Cresent City Lament and I Wish were all hits with the crowd. In the small room a sound system was unnecessary, something I prefer when its possible. Every possible inch of every wall, hallway, nook and cranny of the bookstore is stuffed with racks, stacks and shelves of books, so it made the room very acoustic friendly in that there was no bounce or echo like you might get in an empty room with a hardwood floor. At the same time, that lack of natural "reverb" makes you work harder to keep the guitar perfectly in tune and carry notes longer vocally to compensate. It was a wonderful evening and a very enjoyable show. CDs have, again, made their way to new homes. I'll look forward to coming back to the Gnu's Room on future tours trough the area.

The downside of picking up an hour was that when I finished playing at 9 pm it felt like 10 pm and I was definitely getting a little droopy. Fortunately my rolling home away from home was only a couple of miles away. I stopped only to fill up the truck for tomorrow's drive and then got right back to stretch out, have a little nip o' whiskey and drift away. I'll have a couple of days off now, but tomorrow I'll roll north towards Chattanooga where I'll be "based" for the next week. Hopefully I can find someplace where the temp gets down to the low 90's!

Notes from the Road - Friday, July 23, 2010.

Notes from the Road - Friday, July 23, 2010.

And so it begins. I hit the road about 10 a.m. - first stop Bainbridge, Ga. for a KOA Campground show. The new owners booked me for the date back a few months ago and were very enthusiastic. It was over a five hour drive from home at my ponderous 60 mph, plus stops for gas, food, etc. Though the "Navigatrix" on the dash wanted me to head west on I-10 from I-75 I continued north to Valdosta before turning westward. That way I got the benefit of cheaper Georgia gas prices and got some backroads travel.

The melon fields are green and bulging with fruit. Cotton looks good too, as well as the corn and other truck crops. There are really some magnificent old houses in tiny towns in Georgia. Southern architecture at it's best. Two and three story frame houses, all white of course, with bay corners and tin roofs that defy imagination as to the difficulty of the installation. Broad porches surrounding the entire structure, just begging for a rocking chair and a glass of lemonade (or something stronger) with simple railings and sturdy stairs.

About halfway I called the campground to estimate my arrival. The new owners were not there and would not be this weekend which seemed strange. The manager had not heard of me and did not know I was coming (UH OH). Since I had sent posters and postcards for distribution I was particularly troubled. He promised to investigate the situation, but would be ready for my arrival. I pulled in at about 4:45 and met Harold, the manager I had spoken to. Nice fella, VERY talkative. He had my posters and postcards on the desk in front of him and explained that they had gone unnoticed in the owners' mail. It seems the owners have had some personal emergencies and everything had been thrown off kilter at the park. The park itself was not well populated and many of the guests were residents living in the park while working what jobs they could in the current state of the economy.

Harold had already distributed cards in the park, called on Church friends and distributed fliers at a local grocery - good man. However, despite his best efforts, the blazing heat and swarming gnats of the sinking Georgia sun doomed me to an inauspicious start. My small crowd at the park Gazebo and I were well relieved when Harold suggested we move into the air conditioned rec room inside the office though it is usually claosed after 5 pm. There, with no need for a sound system, I entertained my new friends with an hour and a half of song and story, actually a very enjoyable show and exceptionally well received. CDs went home with the audience and I packed up my gear. Even at 10 pm the air was so hot that I sweated as if it were noon. A cold shower never felt so good.

Saturday is another day. I'm off to Auburn, AL for a show at The Gnu's Room. More to come . . .