Day 20 Pt. 2– Canadian Indie Invasion - or - Arizoned Out - or - Lost (and found) Leaf

The ride across the New Mexico/Arizona border was dreamlike. We sailed quietly through hills and across canyon floors. We even passed the way cool and slightly eerie Very Large Array (VLA), which is a desert plain populated by numerous three story tall radio telescopes.

In Arizona we blew through the Salt River Canyon in Tonto National Forest. We were treated to sights of snow capped mountains and miles of desert hills studded with saguaro cactus. The sky remained a sparkling blue through our whole trip.

When we rolled in to Phoenix, we awed at the glittering skyscrapers and endless green landscaping, complete with palm trees. Soon we were in the neighborhood of the Lost Leaf, our venue for the evening.

We hung out a Jobot, a small coffee house next door, and hi-jacked WiFi for awhile. When the bar opened we met Tato, who booked us, and Mikey, who was running the bar that night. We loaded in and kicked back to wait for show time. We had a lovely pear cider and ran over some new tunes.

Before long the other bands began to arrive. We met all the members of Hot Panda and Said The Whale. It was shaping up to be a great night. By the time we started, the staged was packed with all sorts of equipment, pressing us right up to the crowd. We played a quick and tight set to a very appreciative crowd.

Hot Panda came up next, and crushed a set full of loud psycadelic synth-pop with kickin’ bass and drums. Their show was loose and wild. We like Hot Panda. Next up was Said The Whale, with composed tunes and slick transitions, stuffed to the gills with polish and class. Said The Whale’s music nodded to the Beatles and Paul Simon along with the most current trends in Indie music.

After a few too many beers, we very lamely bailed before Hooves, a local group, took the stage. We were running on 3 hours of sleep and still hadn’t found a place to sleep this night. We said our goodbyes and slid into the night. With a short stop at a Wal-Mart (where else) we munched on sandwiches while we thumbed through our camp guides and tapped on our GPS. We were sitting in the van, with the heater on, when the radiator made the decision for us.

Steam started pouring out of the hood. I popped it up to take a look, but my inexperience left me with little knowledge as to what to do. We take a room at the nearest cheap motel, and bedded down with the plan to hit a repair shop first thing in the morning. With frayed nerves, and to the quiet song of late night cable TV, we drifted off.

Thanks to the Lost Leaf for having us, Tato for booking us, Eric for running a great place, Hot Panda and Said The Whale for a great night of music, Matt for the kind words, and Emmerson, guy in the corner, Debbie and Joel for the interest and conversation.

Tomorrow… Cactus Auto Repair, Joshua Trees, The Freakin Frog, and Vegas BABY!

Day 13 through 19 – On the Road Again -or- Phoenix Rises From the Ashes of Food and Sleep

New Mexico, for us, is always an easy time. It’s a parade of good food and strange sights. No New Mexico trip is complete for us without the following:

New Mexican food – usually a pile of slow cooked meats smothered in chile (red or green) all wrapped in a fresh tortilla. Vegetables? Maybe.

Trips with the family to Wal-Mart – Blythe’s family is incredibly generous, and every time they see us, they remember that they saw something the other day that they just have to get for us. So, we pile in a car and hit the big store. We usually end up with mounds of food and a bunch of gadgets.

The Casino – New Mexico is full of Indian reservations, and nearly every one of them has a casino. We’re no high rollers. You won’t find us at the table games, dropping chips on roulette or black jack. No, you’ll find us at the buffet or penny slots. This week we ate mountains of fresh salad and listened to some traditional Mariachis. They were so good. Though the experience did remind me of “The Meaning of Life” when the tourist couple have an expensive Polynesian dinner in an authentic medieval dungeon.

A hike in a really weird place – This time we hit El Morro, a rock bluff that explodes skyward from a flat desert floor. Under a natural stone canopy sits a quiet green-blue pool, 12 feet deep. This is the only water for miles, so everyone has been though here. Many of them carved intricate signatures into the soft sandstone. There are native petroglyphs, Spanish conquistadors (dating back to 1605), American Calvary men, and surveyors from nearly 200 years ago.

A visit to Coco – Blythe’s schoolyard chum has provided hours of entertainment for us. This time we watched a marathon of Walking Dead, then the live action Super Mario Brothers movie. Pure gold.

Petting Emmitt – Blythe’s Aunt Connie has a piece of land where she raises donkeys and mules, and cuts alfalfa. We often stop by to drink light beer, eat some New Mexican dishes, and chat with Rick (who knows everything there is to know about New Mexico). Rick and Connie have three rambunctious dogs. By far my favorite is Emmitt, a giant Redbone hound, complete with huge paws, flappy ears, and a big dumb head. Besides being friendly and energetic, he knows a trick. If you mime shooting him with a shotgun, he’ll fall over and play dead.

Cards, Dice, and Soda – Blythe’s grandparents pass time like pros. We’ll usually spend an evening or two playing card games and dice and drinking too much soda and eating too many snacks. These sessions are usually followed by strange stories of rural Virginia, and years traveling in RV’s.

Seeing a movie with Eve – We always make a visit to Blythe’s cousin, Eve. Most of the time we catch a movie. This time, Paul. I know it looks dumb, but if like Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, you’ll like this.

Notice that nowhere in these activities is there any mention of working on the computer or rehearsing (though we did do a little). This time is used solely for family visiting and relaxing. Now we’re on I-25, smoothly sliding through breezy desert landscapes, sailing toward Phoenix, ready for work again.

Thanks to all in the Crawford Clan for your continued support, Coco for hanging out after work, and the Albuquerque metro area for being so damn weird.

Tomorrow… Salt River Canyon, Phoenix (the desert metropolis), The Lost Leaf, and indie sensations “Said The Whale”.

Day 12 - Trek from the Mountains to the Desert - or – A Drink of Courage for a Long Drive.

It took a lot of sun through the window to stir us. We didn’t get to bed until nearly 4 am. Pretty soon we were downing some coffee with Craig and Caroline, talking over the next few days. They were flying out that night for Miami, the first stop on a trip to the Bahamas for a family wedding. Craig was lamenting the timing, the Bahamas being a popular spring break spot. A quiet night on the beach seems to be just what they need.

We took our leave, eager to sit with Dustin and Brooke, some more New York expatriates. We met Dustin while doing the rounds in the New York spots. We love his act. Brooke, his significant other, is in a media studies program. They’ve settled nicely in Boulder. Brooke continues her studies, while Dustin has released a record and is now trying to put a band together.

We ate with them at Mountain Sun Brewery, one of the many illustrious spots to turn us down for this tour. The burgers were good, the beers were great! We had a good time telling stories of the road, describing some of the craziest people we’ve met. We all wish each other well, promised to set up a show together, and parted ways.

From Boulder, we hit I25 HARD. We blasted out of Colorado at 85 mph, watching the snow-capped Rockies roll by as if set pieces in a cheap Victorian operetta. Gradually the bushy landscaping and green lawns gave way to desert brush and dust. To our left was a plain stretching to the horizon, while to our right were continuously sprouting mountains, snow peeking through the scrubby, dry pines.

Just as we passed Trinidad Colorado, and rocketed over the New Mexico border, the sun set over the mountains. The sky exploded in reds and violets, and the hills glowed golden. Soon the night cooled the colors to blues and soft greens while stars winked to life. The highway took us twisting through the Raton pass, and pressed us to the desert floor, speeding into the liquid black desert night. The hills continued to glow orange at their peaks, and street lamps and lights from the windows rolled over the horizon, blanketing the valley with its own array of starlight.

We cruised leisurely through Albuquerque and arrived in the desert village of Belen at about 11:15. Quietly we puttered through the sleepy trailer park and knocked softly on the door. A few steps brought us into the warm glow of Blythe’s Grandparent’s home. Soon we had kicked of our shoes, and all four of us watched “The Gambler” with Kenny Rogers and Reba MacIntire. Blythe wasn’t the first to doze off on this night. I crawled into bed with a book on the adventures of Captain Kidd, and quickly passed out.

Thanks to Craig and Caroline for putting us up, Dustin and Brooke for meeting us for lunch, and Blythe’s Grandparents, Paul and Jeri, for giving us a home away from home.

Tomorrow… Nothing! Unless I think something write worthy happens, we’ll take off until next week when we hit the desert highway again for Phoenix.

Day 11 – Rum of a Reddish Color - or - Free Beer in the Mountains

The mountains peeked through our window as we blinked in the morning sunshine. Yawning, we found our way to the living room and thumbed through magazines until Caroline woke up and made us some french press coffee. Soon Craig, Caroline and your two heroes were sitting pleasantly in the kitchen, making plans for an easy day off.

Before long we were zooming into the mountains, just minutes from their apartment. We were treated to intoxicating views of the Rockies. The kinds of sights that make one want to walk off into the hills, never to be seen again. I was surprised to see many small communities tucked away in the rugged mountains.

We parked at the famous Stanley Hotel. This beautiful set of buildings, and the drive through the mountains to get there, was the inspiration for “The Shining”. The movie however was shot somewhere in Washington. Though, CBS did a TV miniseries that was shot at the actual Stanley. It is an eerie place, lined in dark green wallpaper and trimmed in dark wood.

Next we stopped in on Estes Park Brewery. One of the owners was kind enough to pour us samples of everything they had on tap. Hey had some good stuff, including a great Red Ale, and Blythe’s favorite, the oatmeal stout. They had a beautiful operation. Craig bought a mixed 6-pack with a good selection including a pretty hearty barley wine.

After our free beer, we stopped for some lunch in Nederland, home of the Frozen Dead Guy Festival, and famous for loose marijuana laws that let citizens smoke on the street. When full on burgers and salads, we rode back though Boulder Canyon. It’s an odd experience to roll through this epic landscape, and a few miles later drive through the metropolitan and glittering Boulder downtown.

This is a kid on a car!

Back at their apartment, we spun records, drank beer and cider, and talked until 3 in the morning. It was a good night.

Thanks to Craig and Caroline for putting us up again.

Tomorrow… Lunch with Dustin and Brooke, I25 south, and the desert at night.

Day 10- Price of the Plains - or - Steaks on the Run

There was frost on the tent when we woke. It was cold. Teeth chattering it was so cold. I mean witches tit in a brass bra cold. It wasn't warm. We packed up fast and booked it out of there, stamping our feet on the floorboards and rubbing our knuckles until the engine warmed. In a few moments we were blasting down a lonely prairie highway at 80 mph through the golden grassed hills, under a crystal blue sky.

The sun warm our van through the windshield, and we were content. We snacked on nuts and cold coffee for a while until lunch time rolled around. We hit a Wal-Mart and bought some cheap steaks. Another 20 miles down the road we stopped at a rest area, fired up a grill in the whipping Kansas wind and grilled our steaks and roasted our leftover vegetables. Sometimes we eat better on the road than any other time. Lunch was good.

Most of the day we spent on the highway. Kansas is big I tell you. This is ok for us but for one thing. Gas costs... a lot. We were burning through our band fund. Strange that we ended up with nearly 3 days in Kansas for just one show in Wichita. And now it felt like we were pouring gas down the drain. Just wait until California.

Soon, Colorado appeared. We were thrilled. the 75 mph speed limit brought us swiftly to the foothills, where the mountains climbed steadily over the horizon line. In no time we had bought beer, and were ready to sit and visit with our friends from New York, Craig and Caroline. They once owned one of our favorite spots in New York, Stain Bar.

                                                                             This was their bar.



We had some dinner at Oskar Blues, one of the many Colorado venues to turn us down for a show this trip. We came on back to there apartment and chatted and drank cider and has a great night. They were kind enough to put us up for the night. Blythe was so thrilled by the prospect, that she fell asleep standing up, and had to be put to bed. That was the end of the night.

Big thanks to Craig and Caroline for putting us up and the state of Kansas for kindly drinking up our gas.

Tomorrow... The Stanely Hotel, Dustin Edge... and Mountain Madness.