January Tour Blog
Hey yo!
Tour was a lot of fun. So, I thought it'd be fun to share my experiences with you in blog form.
Wednesday, Jan. 24 - Des Moines, IA
Des Moines is always a sweet get away, especially when I get to spend it with friends. The show was a two hour set at Twisted Vine Brewery. I couldn't tell you what the drinks were like, because I didn't have any, but the people there were kind. The brewmaster, Kat, was a delight. I hope she did well at her convention this past weekend. I also had the delight of meeting up with a couple friends I hadn't seen in a while, and that's always the best to catch up. The show was the basic, play for two hours, my favorite covers and originals, and make a little money doing it. Afterwards, my dearest friend Courtney taught me and another friend how to play Mexican Train Dominoes, and man, it was a blast. Not only did we play dominos, we also ate veggie lasagna, and read tarot, and ended the night watching "The Devil in Daniel Johnston".
Thursday, Jan. 25 - St. Paul, MN
Leaving Des Moines, I stopped at the Buddy Holly museum in Clear Lake, IA, perusing plastered walls of folks that have played
the Surf Ballroom, walking through the historic venue, and silently laughing as a small group discuss wedding planning in that totally cliché fashion.
I decided to try to see another roadside attraction and settled on the Minnehaha Bunny in Minneapolis. I wasn't prepared for all
the snow. What a difference three hours north makes.
This nights venue was a dope record store/coffee shop called Caydence Records and Coffee, with the nicest folks anyone could ask for. They were celebrating a birthday that night and I was stoked to eat some birthday cake. Seeing Weathered play again was the icing on that cake. Thanks to Oftener for also playing. And a big thanks to my dear friends, Niqui and Mike, for letting me sleep at their house that night.
Friday, Jan. 26 - Schofield (Wausau), WI
On to Wausau, I had already planned to stop in Eau Claire for a pitstop, and it just so happened to have a music store where I could grab some necessities for work, as well as, my favorite clothing store, Ross Dress for Less, where I found new tennis shoes and a sweater for less than $10. Always a good buy when it's cheap and you're trying to save money on the road. Another pro tip: I brought my own food with me this time around, mostly vegetables, so I didn't have to buy any fast food. It's probably the healthiest I've ever been on tour.
Anyway, back to the road. I stopped again in Rudolph, WI to check out the State Dairy Factory. I sampled and picked up some cheeses to bring home, sampled ice cream, and watched the magic happen. With ice cream in hand, I headed over to the Grotto Gardens, which I'm sure is quite beautiful in the spring and summer time. It was still cool to see the artwork.
Finally making it up to Wausau, I still had some time to kill before that night's show, so I headed over to the local curling club to watch a women's
curling competition. I've never seen curling in real life, so it was really wild to experience it. I still don't know how the points system works.
At the house show, taco bar in full force, and friends gathering for the night's festivities, I was feeling the old feeling of not belonging at house parties. The ever vulnerable cancer cusp in me. But, the music was rockin'. The Bastettes are hilarious and wonderful, singing songs about hanging out with their friends, and not going home with gross guys. My
kind of music. Michael Strike and the God Damn Band were awesome sing along folk punk. Everyone there were truly the nicest people, and I'm so grateful I got to meet them.
Saturday, Jan. 27 - Iowa City, IA
On the way back into Iowa, I stopped in Madison, WI to view artwork from Aboriginal tribes at the Chazen Museum of Arts.
Beautiful collaboration paintings. Paintings of history, and landscapes. The paintings by women were some of my favorites. There's one painting that I wish I took a picture of, that tells the story of the 7 sisters stars. It was green and lush, a beautiful painting.
Making it to Iowa City, I had the chance to roam the local mall with my beloved, and catch a teen hockey game.
The show was chillwave as ever, with Soft Stereo and Hep Cat, both bands bringing the mood to a simmering relaxation. I broke up the mix with a little more upbeat tunes, and showcasing my newest song last. Seeing so many familiar faces was such a delight. Thank you everyone for coming.
I'm taking a break from solo shows until the spring/summer, in hopes that my album will be done by then, and we can celebrate it's completion with a full US tour.
Until then, peace.
-Nalani