Desert Dreamin'

As Edward Abbey so aptly wrote in Desert Solitaire,:

“Water, water, water....There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount , a perfect ratio of water to rock, water to sand, insuring that wide free open, generous spacing among plants and animals, homes and towns and cities, which makes the arid West so different from any other part of the nation. There is no lack of water here unless you try to establish a city where no city should be.”

I just spent a few days in a small window of the American Southwest and I have fallen deeper in love with her. I know it could well be that the desert is the near opposite of where I come from in Minnesota (I would put a rainforest as the polar opposite of a desert). At home life is loud, the air is humid, the land full of lakes and rivers. Mud, mosquitos, thunderstorms. The color of home is green in the summer and white in the winter. In the desert there is an altogether different palette and one that still seems mysterious to me. It’s hot and poisonous and its minions rattle or sting, its sunsets are nearly unbelievable and its noon sun is most likely two suns disguised as one, combining their power. There are owls there too.

Often exoticism is mistaken for love. But I think it’s more than that. As with most parts of my life, I find myself wishing I could buy an extra hundred years or so to really dive in. Alas.

So far the tour is going well. We played two shows in Southern California. The first in a classic auditorium at Pomona College, the second upon a tiny outdoor stage at the legendary Pappy and Harriet’s. The venues were almost as different as the desert and the forest. Both were rewarding in their own ways, and though I felt plenty rusty, I think we did alright. Pappy and Harriet’s is in Pioneertown, which is still an active movie set where they film westerns. That setting gives the place an extra unique vibe.

From California we headed east to Arizona for two more shows. The first in Scottsdale, which I kept calling Phoenix (apparently that’s like being in Wayzata and calling it Minneapolis), the second in Tucson. Though I really enjoyed the two cities, being in Arizona and being confined to its metropolotan areas is really a pity. Just driving between the two shows made me want to come back and explore as far away from the 10 as I can get. There’s adventure to be had out there, I’m sure of it. Anyone want to take me quail hunting out there this winter?

After our Arizona shows we had a few days off leading me here on my way to Texas. Sadly, our mandolin player Erik’s dad passed away recently so for me that time off meant getting my sunburnt buns up to Verona, WI for his funeral. Robert (Bob) Berry was a wonderful man and I was honored to be in the audience for his celebration. He was a master of several languages, a teacher, and from all accounts a wonderful father and husband. Bob passed at 89 so he had a good run, but he is going to be dearly missed. In our early days as a band, if we were within a reasonable drive of Erik’s childhood home of Verona (kind of a suburb of Madison) we would crash at Bob and Kay’s place. The Berrys are some of the kindest people any of us could ever hope to meet and I had many a late night conversation with Bob, whose brain was always solving, learning, and teaching. Tell em you love em, folks. Rest in peace.

Today begins the second leg of the tour with a performance at Willie Nelson’s Luck Family Reunion, a little outside of Austin, Texas. We are humbled to be on the bill and I’m excited to see this place about which I’ve heard lots. Willie Nelson is an inspiration and anytime we get to be on the same stage as that guy I count as a damn good day. Back to the warm weather, though a bit east of our desert. For the band, Austin has historically been filled with good food, good friends, Lone Star Beer, and music. I don’t predict tomorrow will be any different.

Before I go, an observation:

I’ve been at the airport a lot the last few days. Home from Phoenix, home to Madison, Madison to home (same day), Home to Austin. In my time there, I have noticed an inordinate amount of men scrolling on their phones while actively using the urinal. Folks, I’m worried we have fully stopped giving a shit. I really hope I’m wrong, as I feel we could really use some people who give a shit. People, respect begins within.

That’s all for now. I am compiling a little list of music, books, and cool places I’ve found lately, and maybe soon I’ll work on that here. Also, I’ve got another demo to share soon. As always, our tour dates can be found at trampledbyturtles.com - if you have any recommendations for me to check out in any of those towns, let me know!