Sweet Sweet Time Tour Recap
Why, hello friends! Today is my first day after tour where I have not been tending to immediate matters (sleeping, boyfriend with a sliced hand at urgent care, car problems, & going to work) and I finally have the chance to bask in the overwhelming possibilities of being, at least in part, SELF-EMPLOYED.
It's all at once frightening & exciting. The list of things to do ranges from crunching numbers from tour, making this post, to practicing, to even planning out the concept and sorting through my thoughts & songs for my next album.
First, let me say that this tour went way better than I could have ever dreamed! While we had a few low moments, the happy, fulfilling & incredible moments greatly outshone and outnumbered the low ones so much that it takes quite a bit of effort to remember what at all I could've felt down about! So much happened in so little time, but I'll try and recap as briefly as I can!
(Photo courtesy of Kevin Bonham)
Our tour launch at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA was like a Cinderella story for me. We packed the house, had a fabulous time and I had some of the best people in the world on stage with me and in the audience. Needless to say, you'll be seeing this band of guys making music with me again & you'll definitely see me back at Club Passim!
The next night we were off to Providence, RI for a very special house show...
It's magical what the people behind The Grove have done for the community in Providence just out of their love for supporting music & culture & bringing their favorite artists into a truly warm & welcoming space. Also, did I mention we opened for The Low Anthem? Did I mention the cops came during their set? Some music needs to shake your bones in the still night.
Next up was our mad dash through traffic to NYC to play Rockwood Music Hall before having our one and only day off in a 10 day period. We even went back to Rockwood on our day off to see our friend Annalise Emerick play!
(Jon & I in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden)
We hit Philadelphia after that, and had a really late show at The Grape Room where we met some amazing people. Check out the Underwater Country Club. Nuff said.
Then driving. LOTS OF DRIVING. But we were off to Cincinnati, where we were astonished by the number of people who came to hang out at such a late show on a Tuesday night. Friends new and old came & the other bands on the bill were KILLER (The Mamadrones are pictured below). We fell in love with the sweet folks & good tunes there that night!
This is me, at 2 am when the party was STILL going on in Cincinnati.
The next day we went on a quick jaunt to Rabbit Hash, KY, just so we could say we had been there. They have a General Store from the 1800's & a dog named Lucy Lou for their mayor. I can't make this up. Eventually, we left there to play our friends' house show in Bloomington, IN. The people who braved the massive storm & hail had a cozy night in listening to amazing Indiana singer-songwriters, such as Moor Hound and Laura Balke (pictured).
Too soon we were back on the road and off to Madison, WI the next day for one of the best shows of the tour. From the get-go, the artist I had found randomly through the internet to co-bill with me was a dream to work with. Anna Laube kicks major tush in Madison and the incredible folks at Crescendo Espresso Bar & Music Cafe treated us like old friends (& treated my Grandma like a Queen, which was adorable) while putting on an incredible acoustic show with an incredible acoustic vibe. We will forever have those happy memories and the high hopes that we'll return soon!
Very little can compare to the humbling, terrifying, yet comfortable feeling I had while performing for the folks in my hometown over Memorial Day weekend. There is a lot of appreciation for music in Minnesota, and the fact that someone like me could come back and play to such large & loving crowds on two separate nights in two separate venues is astounding to me. The Three Crows Cafe & Coffeehouse is a gem for Minnesotans. While completely supportive of local music, even with a house band of their own staff, they bring in national touring acts as well as popular Minnesotan acts regularly, but always with a signature sweetness & intimacy. We were blown away, but that was only our first hometown show!
Our next show was at a larger venue, a matter of blocks from my parents' houses, one where nobody would get turned away for lack of space... the Discovery Auditorium. We drew over 100 friends, fans & family members and it couldn't have been a happier place! We retreated to a bonfire at my house after the show & caught up with old friends. My heart warms at the memories.
(Photo courtesy of Marvin Gordon)
Despite rushing through the first part of the tour (and playing 9 shows in 10 days in 8 different states) we loved each and every experience of our crazed touring schedule. We kicked back and relaxed with our families for the second part of tour, managing to squeeze more family time in due to our Chicago show falling through.
Our final two shows in Minot, ME and Portsmouth, NH were amazing, sadly we don't have pictures from them yet! We were so glad to see familiar faces & the ocean again, though, as we eased back into the East coast.
Amazingly, Jon & I DIDN'T want to KILL each other, and even more amazingly than that, this tour was a total success and full of happy times with good friends and good music.
This of course would not have been possible without the support & kindness of SO many people! We want you to know how much we appreciate and love each and every one of you for your help & encouragement throughout this whole process!
To many more happy tours ahead-- CHEERS!
Love,
Eva & Jon