The last couple of days, making good on some bookings held over from pre-COVID in the environs in and around Columbus, Indiana, have been beautiful. I mean – the weather has been kinder than kind and we’ve been outdoors a LOT. We’ve gotten out to walk and explore – and ramble as well – as our music takes us from haunt to haunt.
It’s the great key we’ve got that lets us into all these wonderful places, people’s homes and hearts. A couple more weeks and I MIGHT regain SOME of my faith in humanity.
Wednesday night was a great proof-of-concept of Lairing from the road. Thursday night, playing and hanging out with Eric Nassau and his friends. Friday and Saturday were Lovely gigs based around ONE canceled gig from the Before Times that’s blossomed into seven gigs in the next several months. One promotional company more than making good on what looks to be a great, ongoing relationship.
For the first couple of nights in Indiana we’ve been staying at a Days Inn on the edge of Columbus RIGHT on the tail end of its remodeling. When we rolled in, early in the day on Friday, it looked pretty abandoned and a little scary from the outside – but on the inside it was clear that work was a’foot.
On our second day there, we actually got to witness the final installation of the new carpets and there was something really satisfying watching the owner (?) supervising it all fall into place. Maybe I’m just projecting from my own recent homeowner madness, but I have a whole interior backstory for this place as I’ve watched the owner (?) and the owner’s family (?) probably Indian in background, working around the edges of our temporary home, while also teaching the owner’s granddaughter (?) to ride a bicycle in the side parking lots…
I Loved the feeling of going and playing the gig, leaving this bustle of home Life, and then returning to it all seeing progress in the floors and the balance on the bike. Again – all a little made up narrative – but people just seemed HAPPY here and I adored it.
Saturday was the gem : rolling in to Hard Truth Distillery and being pretty overwhelmed by all the people. Multiple buildings and verdant surrounding hid the Hard Truth for quite some time : that this was a stunning space that really should’ve gotten the full band. At the VERY least the full trio. We met our sound engineer, Brock, in short order and for all that the ONLY visual I had for a “Brock” up to that moment was a blonde surfer special forces bodyguard with gruff mannerisms, OUR Brock walked up holding a Terry Pratchett book so … that was instantly good news.
Or a Good Omen as Heather speedily punned.
Great sound (overhead monitors!) and great audience. It was the kind of place where I WANT to be seen. We’ll be back in August at which point I’m kind of worried about how the temperatures will treat us, but we’ll face that when we face it.
Sunday, before we headed to our friend Steve’s house in Bloomington IN we took the chance to drop in on all the things that looked intriguing the days before. It’s Memorial Day Weekend, AND the opening of the Indy 500, AND a Sunday in the Midwest, so it’s hit or miss as to what’s open or closed. But visually stimulating? Absolut!
