Our newest record came out while we were above the Atlantic Ocean in a big ol airplane while wearing a sleeping mask in earnest for the first time in my life.
Thanks for listening to it if you have! If you haven’t, give it a stream or buy a CD/LP online through our new distributor.
We took off in the US at about 5PM local time, and then arrived at about 9AM local time. We slept a little bit on the plane, but probably not enough (for me anyway). We got our VW Passat, found a way to fit everything in, and then got on our way.
But first, we had to drive to Düsseldorf to pick up some gear. Then, we had to fit that even more gear into the car while people wanted us to move from the loading area. Then, we high-tailed it to Köln to get to a hostel named Weltemfänger.
I played solo here two years ago on the first tour. Our main contact there is Fabio - sort of a McDreamy character who lives around the corner and does most of the managing and booking. He claims that he isn’t a sound man, but everything has sounded perfect when I’ve been there.
After a short, deep, luxurious nap, we checked our things and prepped for the show. We thought we might start at 8:45p depending on how many people showed up. By 8:00 PM, it was clear that we were going to start on time.
The place was jam-packed, partially due to a local events magazine/website picking us up as a featured event. But, partially, there were plenty of people who came to see us. We saw folks from the past two years, caught up a bit, and played our jet-lagged little hearts out.
We met someone who lives in Grandview - about three miles from my apartment - here on business. We met someone who grew up a few miles away from Dan who has lived in Germany for six years now. The little connections were plentiful and surprising and welcomed.
It was a free show, with donations for the band. We collected nearly 700 euros and sold nearly 300 euros of CDs and LPs. Fabio said we broke the record for a donation show there. Every show won’t be like this - but it helps that the first one is.
Then, we drank beer. Fabio and Jack and I talked about healthcare (strong in Germany) and the rise of the far-right (also growing stronger in Germany).
We slept (hard) and got up to drive to Karlsruhe.