Saturday, August 12, 2006

Indianapolis, IN (home again)

Have I been hesitant to write a tour wrap-up because I didn't want it to end, or because of a few unpleasant events at the very end? It doesn't really matter now, I feel like enough time has gone by that I can wrap it up without dwelling too much on the negatives.

New Orleans is still a beautiful city, and the show at Carrollton Station was a blast. Our friend Tim was there with a camera crew and allegedly got some great footage (I don't know where it will end up). After the show we were hasseled by NOPD (probably recent transplant cops) for about an hour, ticketed for our broken taillight, and generally treated without mercy or respect. The following day, while walking around the French Quarter, the van window was smashed and a few items were taken, including Aaron's bag of guitar tools and my bag that contained my laptop, camera, and several other less valuable items. The real shame is that all of my photos from the tour were stored on my computer, so all that remain are the few I emailed to Sarah and the ones posted here.
I was disappointed, but it's hard to indulge in self-pity when surrounded by people who have lost everything.

I've been back home for a few days, it's been great to spend time with Sarah and the kid, who I lavished with gifts upon my return. I've been back to work at my day job (buying and selling books) and have played a couple of shows with Otis Gibbs.
Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the Mysteries of Life at a club near my home. The nucleus of the band is a married couple, Jake and Freda, who are moving to London at the end of the month. This was their last show in Indy, so I was glad to catch it. The only disappointment was the brevity of their set, owing to the fact that it was a multi-band extravaganza. In my opinion The Mysteries have been the best Indiana band around for the last decade or so. I'm sad to see them go, and the new CD I bought last night will be a poor substitute for their rare live performances, but it will have to do.

Tonight it's back to work with the Benders. I sort of miss those guys.

I guess I'll keep this journal thing going, but probably post less frequently. Thanks for reading, I welcome any input y'all might have.

1 comment:

Johnnyk said...

I saw you guys at Cafe Nine in New Haven. Sorry to hear of your troubles in Nola; I'm afraid that the future of the city is in serious danger because I don't see enough work for musicians, small shops, etc. that gave the city its identity. If all that remains is the French Quarter area, then we have a 'Disney World' Nola. I was there for Jazz Fest and there was plenty of activity, but you could sense that once the 100,000 people left there was virtually no one left. The neighborhoods are ghost towns. Sad.

On a brighter note, I hope you get to pass through our state again. It really does have good musical taste. Best of luck.