March 12th, 2008.

We’re deep in the heart of Alabama, trying hard to rectify the situation. The sky is blue and cloudless and it’s one of those days where it’s just a little too warm in the sun and a little too cool in the shade, which means that when we take breaks – it’s absolutely perfect to walk in. It’s that beautiful glowing warmth and that chilly prickling breeze.

There are daffodils taking advantage of the sunshine and the rhythm of the road is somewhat sleep-inducing. now if only I had someplace soft to lay my head.

Monday night Heather and I played Café Coco – nominally one of the coolest coffeehouses in Nashville – actually the only coffeehouse that we’ve noted so far. The entire place just wends labyrinth-like through 6-7 rooms and has a set of studios and  practice-spaces upstairs.

(we’ve rolled down the windows now to appreciate the feel of the air here on the Alabama Adventure Freeway only to discover that Alabama smells a little funky at the moment).

We met up with a couple of my favourite people while we were there. The Lovely Ali from back home, she of the spectacular voice and fervent, wide-eyed excitability, goes to school here in Nashville and she showed up in a whirlwind of that joy she trails everywhere. Then Jamie, who we met last time we were in town, who is just one of the coolest people I’ve met on the road. Unfortunately, she mistook me for someone who could dance and spun me into a table and some chairs. And then our other act for the 
night – Kelly Zullo.

We first met Kelly back in Indianapolis and I was really impressed wither solo show. She owns one of the studios upstairs so it went without saying that we’d get to see her again here – but I was really glad to share a stage with her again (and a full band, too!). Her voice was even more delicious than I remembered and it was cool to watch her playing off of other musicians.

Afterwards while Ali and Heather got into the depths of girl-talk, me and Kelly talked hair and shop and moisturizers and art. I actually really enjoyed talking to her and far from the intimidating prickliness that had been my first impression of her, I ended up having one of my most relaxing on-the-road conversations ever. We looked through some press-pics she was critiquing and we talked about our eyes and our hair and just finding out how to SURVIVE on the road.

Last night we played Norm’s River Road House again – and though we still have not figured out how to get people to come to this out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere yet only 15 minutes out-of-the-city-centre venue it’s still just a magnificent room. Norm has managed to get the best sound of almost any venue we’ve ever played into the basement of his roadside / riverside bar – a place that looks as if you’re going to have to fight bikers for the bar and the jukebox for the stage from the outside – you go down the stone stairs into an Ellicott City-esque basement walled in by subterranean hundred-
year-old stone walls and take the old wooden stage. acoustically perfect, loud, great pizza. If we could get a couple of fans to understand what an amazing place this is to see a show it would be a perfect world.

And I continue to vote that if ANYONE offers alcohol in an unmarked jug that has been made in their YARD somewhere… you drink it. (after they have some, of course)

In any case – Heather and I are just getting to grips with the road in Mississippi now, heading to New Orleans with a vengeance. I had my gator in Alabama, which might let the Big Easy off the hook for alley gay tor ingestion. Alabama was savoury and green and lush whereas something’s been eating the trees in Mississippi. We have 220 miles to go and a gig at 11pm.

Run, run, run.