Brooke of Tinsmith demonstrating the nose whistle at the West Side Cafe in Frederick, MD.
We’re on I-70, high-tailing our way back from Frederick, MD – we just got off stage, playing a great show to the denizens of the West Side Cafe. Some pretty, pretty people. It was a good night, though a tiny audience. I worry about the fact that I say that a lot – but I’m not going to worry about it too much tonight, I’m just going to bask in the afterglow of the show.
Tinsmith tearing up the West Side Cafe in Frederick, MD. It’s not that I’d forgotten how good Brooke was on banjo, it’s just that every time it’s even better. What a delicious woman.
We asked Tinsmith to come up and open for us for the night, which I think might’ve thrown Rod (the owner) for a bit of a loop. I got the impression, at first, that he wasn’t really pleased – not because he was unhappy about the line-up, and not because he thought it would screw anything up, but because it was a change of plan. I get the impression of Rod as a very organized person, and I think once he settled into it, everything was fine, but I’d worried at first that I’d ruffled his feathers a little bit.
Me leaning up against the wall, pretending to be cool during Heather’s new song “I Am The Wrecking Ball”.
The night turned out great, though not without its little speed bumps. At one point either Rowan or I closed the door (I think he moved the stool and I closed the door) to the green room with ALL of our cases and all of our instruments in it, which shouldn’t have been an issue, except it locked behind us, which shouldn’t have been an issue, except Rod had brought the wrong keys, which shouldn’t have been an issue, except the staff had lost THEIR copy of those keys, which shouldn’t have been an issue, except someone had lost that key off the UPSTAIRS keyring as well… so that sent Rod running home (fortunately, no great distance) to get yet ANOTHER set of keys. It was a little tense. Luckily, Rowan had broken a string during Tinsmith’s set, and so I discovered this before Heather and I had to hit the stage with… like… Brooke’s banjo and a paper clip. It would’ve been bad.
Oh – and a note to West Side Cafe denizens – feel FREE to move around! It was awesome when our new-found friend Patrice (? damn – I’m already forgetting names !!) let down her hair, but she and Sheri were gripping the table like they needed to be let loose… and they should’ve let themselves be uncaged. It would’ve energized us over the edge to folk-rock orgasm or something.
Oooh yeah.
Rock-folk, rather.
Enjoying the exquisite wall textures of the West Side Cafe in Frederick, MD.
Driving to California, PA treated us to a beautiful full-moon semi-shrouded in ice and vapour and a little bit of mystery.
