A nice cluster of photos from this evening's show at The Foundry in South Haven, Michigan.





The Foundry Hall run by Andru Bemis and his trusty crew, is a great place to play a show in western Michigan. Chris' voice tonight was booming and dynamic without any assistance from electronic technology.





This bluegrass band is from Niles, Michigan, they are called 'Twenty-Three'. They were some mighty fine pickers. It was a real good time. I think the bassist stole the show, but the whole band was virtuosic, not a weak link among them. I kept hearing that Twenty-Three recently opened up for The Goldmine Pickers at the Foundry last year.





So there you have a few photos from tonight. Now I am off to go under the covers for the evening to grab a few hours of sleep before picking up Julio in South Bend tomorrow from the South Shore Line. Julio's primary band, The Sometimes Family, had a show at Martyr's in Chicago, IL tonight. He took the Amtrak to Chicago this morning from St. Joseph, Michigan.

www.myspace.com/andrubemis
www.myspace.com/goldminepickers

Twenty-Three apparently do not have a web presence at this time. One of the guitarists did indicate that they play a lot of the summer festivals in the area when things get warmer.


Enjoy!

- Tour Updater ShareThis

The inimitable Bob Dickinson from State Grounds CFHS in Hastings, MI.


Too much coffee in the belly, but here are a few photos from the night's show.



Ty Maxon during his set.

The show just finished and we are already in the car headed off to Kalamazoo, then to southwestern Michigan. It is always a pleasant evening to be at State Grounds in Hastings, MI. Bob Dickinson is a rare venue owner and a tremendous supporter of original music. Them Damn Kids have played there since early 2004 and every time it has been a trip worth taking from Chicago to Hastings.


Another snap of Ty Maxon.



www.myspace.com/tymaxon
www.themdamnkids.com ShareThis

A few photos from the southern rim of Lake Michigan







Somehow the traffic cooperated and allowed us to slip out of town right quick. The Damn Kids had an extra spot in the car for a silly blogger, so there might be a few updates this weekend of the various activities. Right now we just made it east of Interstate 65. Chris, from Them Damn Kids, popped in the latest Rob Reid album which features the song 'Engineer from Gary'. The song references a place Rob refers to as 'Gary City Church'. Chris did the math and convinced Julio and Ty Maxon that they could pay a quick visit to the church and still make it to the show on-time. An amazing structure it is, this church. The length of their visit inside was all of 9 minutes and 49 seconds while I waited with the gear in the car listening to the jazz station from the College of DuPage. The photos they brought back with them on the camera are remarkable. This place is a sight to behold, for certain.



But, onward we are. Eastbound on Interstate 94 toward Kalamazoo, then to Hastings to go see Bob Dickinson at State Grounds CFHS. The air crisp, lake-effect flurries. The whole bit. Should be a good night tonight.







Here's a Rob Reid cut from his latest album 'The Principles of Crop Rotation'.

Rob Reid - Engineer from Gary.mp3

Thanks for reading!

- Tour Updater ShareThis

Here are a few videos of El-Tin Fun from Sunday's show in Madison, WI at The House That Willi Built. Super fun times. Other videos are in-process. I am trying to figure out how to cut out banter on some pieces throughout the past few days. Videos will go up when they are ready.











All of the following were involved in the house show from Madison, WI.
www.myspace.com/eltinfun
www.myspace.com/coneyislandx3
www.myspace.com/matthewdavies
www.myspace.com/versionsoftruth (Steph Davies presented some lovely pieces of art for the evening, as well.)
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Whiskers is REALLY tired. It was a great evening in Milwaukee. We saw our friend Pezzettino again, that was brilliant of her to come out to a second performance in one day. Now we are are all eating loads of food bought from Walgreens by Rob Reid and Chris Darby, this was after determining that Grub Hub doesn't help us in Wauwatosa, WI at the early hour of 2:30 AM, nor does that fine American establishment, Denny's. Denny's doesn't open until 4AM.

3 shows in one day. Fun and we have earned the right to be deservedly tired.

Thank you for reading!

Mr. Whiskers ShareThis

Rob Reid is on stage right now. He is singing 'Big Cat'. Things are good. Matt Davies is in the building and all is well in Milwaukee. Everyone is fed and sort of rested. It is Bremen.

Here's a photo of TDK in action at the Racine Arts Council. The sunlight was astounding today. It is entirely possible that there were more cameras in the building than there were human bodies. I love that. It was a beautiful event for all present.



Here is a snap from Cafe Celeste with Rob Reid running the place. Note the figures in the frame, oh the power of the Twitter.

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Czech it!






Julius is getting a much-needed nap in the hotel before we hit the Riverwest neighborhood. Exciting sport, this bull-riding. ShareThis

Them Damn Kids up on stage as they opened up for The Sometimes Family.

Currently the temperature is -4 degrees in Spring Grove, IL as I put together this little bit on the House Show's New Year's Eve New Year's Eve show in DeKalb, IL on Wed Dec 30 2009. We had a good night of sleep. We all smell like fire and our host just offered to make us coffee to get things going.


The headliners for the evening and the show stoppers: The Sometimes Family

The Sometimes Family headed-up by Rebecca Sometimes really brought the soul to DeKalb, IL this night. The band includes Rebecca (guitar, lead vocals), Mollie (flute, vocals, and percussion), Steve (bass and vocals), Phil (drums and percussion), and Julius (organ and vocals). The crowd instantly took to their music as they broke into the first song 'Love'. There were several moments when I had interactions with other audiences when we both motioned to one another that the music was amazing. That was the general sense for the entire set.


I didn't realize I had a decent shot of Phil, the drummer. This also has a snap of Rebecca shredding on the Les Paul.

It had been many months since I had seen The Sometimes Family last. I was delighted and pretty overwhelmed by what they are accomplishing with their soul music. The whole band pretty much consists of five music savants. It was so great to hear that they enjoyed the show, as well. In putting any show together, when bands get invited to come along for the show, one always hopes that it is a fun time for all, indeed that was the case for both bands. The music that The Sometimes Family is coming up with, all original material, is going to be perfect for the DeKalb community in the coming months and years. Look for big things to come from this band, on the order of a global soul music domination.



Last, but not least. The maestro of the evening, the dear and beloved, Matthew, from the House Cafe in DeKalb, IL, in this last photo. This man is brilliant, as are the staff that create the wonderful atmosphere and community at the cafe. If a person gets a chance to go to the cafe, be sure also to have a conversation with local farmer, Chris Stanley. You'll be sure to always have a great conversation. That man has some great stories.


Matthew is prepping the crowd, in this last photo, for the balloon drop as the time neared midnight. Shouting Daylight was on-stage at the time. They were a very fun band to close out the night. That band had a really swell vibe, apparently a good many of them are open-mic all-stars at The House Cafe on Monday nights. Communitize, revitalize, and heal. ShareThis

Very special thanks to Matthew and the amazing crew at the House Cafe in DeKalb, IL. What a memorable evening it was. Thank you!
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Here are a couple of pieces going up regarding Rob Reid, as he travels with Them Damn Kids. Rob and Them Damn Kids played at a location called 'The Nook' tonight in Kenosha, WI. Here are a few photos from the evening. Currently, the temperature is 5 degrees in Spring Grove, IL. The fireplace is lit, most of us are snoring. It was a fun way to start off the new year. The trek has included shows in Chicago, DeKalb, tonight in Kenosha, tomorrow in both Racine, WI and then Milwaukee, WI. Sunday will be the conclusion of this brief trip with a house show in Madison, WI. Enjoy the photos.



And, another photo.



One photo from the TDK set.



Thank you for reading!

- Mr. Whiskers ShareThis