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Wednesday
21st October
As stated before, we are in the land of positivity
and fullfillment; “Be the best you
can be” and all of that. So, as we
wind along our path of self-improvement &
high esteem, we choose to take our next day
off somewhere inspiring: somewhere where even
the name will move us to maximize our potential,
not only as a band, but as human beings. There
is only one place for us: Normal, Illinois.
Good burgers though.
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luvverly:
get 'em before they congeal
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Thursday
22nd October
Today we have a gig in Fairfield, Iowa;
epicenter of transcendentalism in America.
Unfortunately the path of righteousness
is paved with slippiness, and en route
we are confronted with an advertising
hoarding for one of the Midwest’s
many fine culinary outposts, bearing what
can only be described as a most cunning
temptation to sin for the Scottish psyche.
“Now
serving deep fried baloney biscuits!”
she cries at us like some
kind of sultry coronary inducing siren.
“Just think of dead
puppies Toto” one
can but say, mantra-like, to ones four-legged
companion....
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...or Rob in this case, as neither dogs,
smoking nor indeed any combination of
the two are allowed within the hallowed
walls of the hire car.
During
the 1970’s the Maharishi Mahesh
yogi came here to the fields of Iowa and
opened a University of Meditation, and
there are now generations of meditators
who have grown up practicing these arts.
This is just the job for we who are seeking
to purify ourselves through mind control
beer and laksa. After fitting my bagpipes
with macrobiotic drone reeds as some light
therapy for my bag, we repair to the Café
Paradiso to play a show organised by Steve
and Meret Jacomimi. This is a great venue
which is soon to relocate to the centre
of town & tonight is an excellent
night all round, completed by playing
a set of tunes with local piper/pipemaker
Tim Britton.
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Friday
23rd October
After a smashing Mexican buffet at the BP garage
(“That’s right mate - it’s
tacos wot made petrol great”), we
make tracks for Lincoln University of Missouri
in Jefferson City, the capital of the state,
on the banks of the Mississippi river. Unfortunately
we have to leave after the show to drive to
St.Louis for an early flight the next day, but
not before some excellent food & a pint
at Paddy
Malone’s Pub in the centre of town;
a fine institution which also supports the gigs
here.
profane
with the professionals |
Every
Klaus though has a silver lining and after
the 100 miles or so to St Louis we are
ably greeted by a young Dutch fellow on
the night shift who delights in exchanging
swearing phrased in Nederlands with Rob,
which is quite a luxury after a few months
in this land largely bereft of such delights.
Saturday
24th October
After two flights and a couple of hours
drive north of Detroit we arrive at Central
Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant for
a show. The band has not played here for
13 years and the boys very kindly give
us a recording of that last gig as well
as doing the honours for this one. The
audience and crew are all great and we
are met by Nic
Gareis who is working for the radio
station. Nic is a great tap dancer whom
we know from various festivals around
the world - he often dances with the Dave
Munnely Band - and at the end of the
night he obliges us with a couple of sets
- mighty stuff.
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Sunday
25th – Monday 26th October
We have Sunday off, so we eventually opt
for Ann Arbor where we will be playing
tomorrow. Sundays in America are best
expended watching endless professional
football in boozers while imbibing more
mind control beer. Along the way we meet
artist John Bartlein who not only comes
along the gig the next night but also
gives me a fabulous painting of Barack
Obama.
Sean
and Alan head to the Ark for the Phil
Och’s songbook gig. The Ark is a
stalwart venue on the American acoustic
music scene and, as always, the show is
most enjoyable. We also get a chance to
see my aunt and uncle who have come from
Cleveland and with whom we have breakfast
at Zingermans
deli, which specializes in all sorts of
continental foods, as well as baking their
own bread, growing vegetables and roasting
coffee.
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