August 3rd, we were in Holmdel, NJ and Evan played the PNC Bank Arts Center. It was a good show, I spent the evening with Evan's booking agency and management teams. We shared a few drinks and started right into the stories. I told the one about Dubai, if you don't know it you should. I felt good, full of love and laughter. That constitutes a good show from my perspective. Evan felt good as well with his performance and how could he have not surrounded by such a supportive crowd?
After NJ, we went straight to Nashville, TN. We didn't have another show until St. Louis on August 10th and Evan likes to keep busy so he took the opportunity to co-write with another singer/songwriter. It wasn't a great trip, it left a sour taste in our mouth. In fact, I know for at least me it tainted Nashville all together, I don't think we will be back there again for some time.
After saying fair well to Nashville we found a brew pub near the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis. Occasionally, when we arrive early to town we waste some time in a respected brewery. Evan is very fond of beer and being that we are both home brewers we like to try different beers to get ideas for future endeavors of our own. We ended up at the Schlafly brewery where we were introduced to a delicious raspberry coffee stout and a spicy cinnamon pumpkin ale.
I honestly don't remember how the show went over in St. Louis but I remember the long drive back to Evan's parents cabin because we were tired. But we made it through the back roads safely and spent the next day in the familiar southern Indiana sun. Friday, August 12th was Evan's homecoming show in Noblesville, IN at the 3rd Verizon Wireless venue of the tour.
I think Evan was a little disappointed with his performance. He had a few technical difficulties and an out of tune string. In actuality, the hiccups that night were minor and probably went unnoticed by the crowd but were magnified in Evan's mind since it was his homecoming. I understood his frustration and shared with him some wisdom that my mother imparted on me when I was growing up, "Expectations lead to disappointment". It is a mantra that fits into the practice of mindfulness.
The tour went to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, IA the next night. The long drive ahead kept us from staying the night in Indiana. I grabbed the wheel around 10 PM and dialed my sisters number. We talked until 4 AM and I was reminded of how much I missed my family. I love my sister very much, she is a person that can always make me laugh even in the graves times. Her honesty can set me back on my feet when I feel like I am dragging. She is my rock :)
I could have driven all night, I was filled with energy but I knew it would be a difficult day if I didn't get some rest. I pulled off at the nearest exit when I finally made it to Iowa's state boarder and to my surprise ended up at the world's largest truck stop! It was lit up like an amusement park and the semi tractors stretched for a mile. I climbed in the back of the car and pulled a pillow over my face to block out all the twinkling lights. I returned to that feeling of being a part of the whole and slept soundly.
The next morning we finished out the drive to Des Moines and met up with some friends of ours, Amber and Charles. They had flown in from NYC to see the show and enjoy the fair. Charles grew up in Iowa so we met over at his step father's farm for lunch. They had picked a feast for us from their garden. We sat out on the porch with a Keystone in hand, the smell of grilling wafting around us and watched the puffy clouds float over the rolling mounds of corn and soy beans. I exhale even now in remembrance of the calm that settled in.
The four of us left the comfort of the open space for the crowded state fair. I have lots of fun pictures to share of our time in Iowa!
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