On the road again. War in the Middle East again. War in Russia. Again. Truly, we’re creatures of cycles. It’s strange, for one reason or another I’ve been without an actual internet connection for a while and though I’m feeling slightly disconnected, and my outbox contains about three dozen emails waiting to be sent, I’m kind of chill about it. I think I don’t necessarily WANT to check in with the world, and indeed, as we race Eastward past Allentown, PA, the desire to just vanish into the wilds is pretty strong. The weather’s idyllic, Heather’s iPod is matching my mood enthusiastically, and the horizon looks blued and inviting with mountains doing that thing they do best: demonstrating aerial perspective.
Last night we crashed in a hotel because it was convenient. This morning we ate at a diner because it was convenient and cheap. And really good. And charming. And the waitresses all danced behind the counter while waiting for some sign that their table needed them. It was like an 80s video.
The Stalking Horses headed up by Sarah Pinsker … with Chris Plummer, the guy who recorded the original I Love You And I Miss You double-cassette on bass.
We’re driving north for just two songs. It’s not financially wise. One show might get canceled due to weather – and we don’t have a kill fee. No, there’s NOTHING smart about this trip, but I think we were all feeling a little cabin fever and maybe just wanted to be on the move for a bit. In the prep for the BIG trip, this little trip fell by the wayside and didn’t get expanded properly, but the feel of it is too perfect to gripe, and maybe it’s more vacation than tour – and that’s okay.
Last night we were detoured off of I78 for emergency structural bridge replacement (!!!) but even the detour was scenic and convenient. We even paused next to a bored-looking
construction worker to double-check we were going the right direction and he was friendly. PennDOT was doing a great job last night. I know the locals would never believe me (my friend Dan Zimmerman, he of the Great Outdoor Fight, said it best by replying : “blink twice if they have detained you are forcing you to give them praise”.
Well – whatever. The world appears to be treating us quite well this day. If we were Westbound we wouldn’t be able to say the same and after having passed miles of backup going the opposite direction I wish I had a big sign to wave at the oncoming traffic… “Abandon all hope! And take the next exit!!! For if you go further you are TRULY LOST!!!”
Chris Ehrich caught this moment of Kristen and I at Brewer’s Cask where we met up with a bunch of old friends, had AMAZING food, and met a really fun open mic host. Yeah, that’s coming from ME! Part of the rob & The Honest Mistakes open mic tour was a wandering to Westminster, MD. We got there really, really early and took the opportunity to just wander around town – encountering silly chalk art and an awesome music store : Coffey Music has a BROAD spectrum of stuff for Southpaws and Chris actually got to play some stuff while we were exploring! Birdie’s Cafe (formerlly the Pour House) and stumbled across Dave Benham (Native American flute player – below). Good little room, good sandwich – GREAT coffee – they infuse their own flavoured syrups including hot peppers for exciting brews!| We need to take more selfies. Me and Chris and Joylene generating mirth in Westminster, MD.
Mosno Al-Moseeki and I performing at Teavolve in Baltimore, MD. Tonight I had a nightmarish night, forgetting ALL my lyrics. And I had no Heather to save my ass. It wasn’t pretty. Always good to see an ilyAIMY ticker floating around – on Tribe of Trolls’ guitarist’s gitar case at the Brewer’s Cask in Baltimore, MD.
After band practice in Owings Mills, we go to where Heather knows the best toad-catchin’ spots are! And we are NOT disappointed. Sharif’s crazy-busy nowadays. We see him more and more rarely and that makes me sad. Something about having a kid seems to just eat up one’s spare time. I always think to myself that if ilyAIMY was doing better, we could pay him what he’s worth and he quit his other job and…. sigh…. but sometimes you’ve at least got to make time to catch toads. It’s like smelling the roses, but colder and moister and with more danger of getting peed on. Sharif has ninja-like reflexes, and I’ve been catching toads since I was a wee lad, but it’s Heather who turned out to be the best toad-catcher among us. If you need an amphibian abducted, Heather Lloyd’s yer girl.
