As the flat expanses of western Indiana rush by through the our van’s broad windows, Alec, Ben, and Dave are working away on band business with the help of Poop, our trusty wireless cellular data router. There is beautiful weather today in the midwest, crisply cool and slightly cloudy. What follows is a somewhat scattershot, thematically organized series of recollections and reflections on the past several weeks.

It has been wonderful to be playing our music just about every night, and sometimes in the afternoons, too. We’ve driven our van and trailer to some pretty remote locations, such as Upper Jay, NY and Thomas, WV. The Recovery Lounge in Upper Jay is just about the coziest and best-upholstered venue I can recall visiting, and the accommodations are second to none. The same goes for The Purple Fiddle, except that what they lack in upholstery is more than made up by their remarkable tomato soup.

So many people have bent over backwards to make us comfortable along our journey. Dave from Frederick, MD’s Café NOLA graciously allowed us to crash at his place with his adorable kitten. Bloomington treated us very well: Dan the Abandoned brought a bunch of friends and some pretty great songs, and then Rick Dietz put us up very comfortably and walked us through a tasting of remarkable homemade meads.

The Bohemian Coffee Shop in Baltimore has an awesome little piano and just enough room to squeeze us into the corner by the window. We liked it at the Bohemian so much that we’re coming back for another early show in November.

Uplifting Words from the Krystal in Knoxville

Pengy Sunbathes on the Roof Deck at Preservation Pub

We had an awesome time in Knoxville, playing at both the Relix Variety Theatre and the Preservation Pub, as well as on the air at WDVX. Thank you Jenny, Michael, and Seth for putting us up! Above is photographic evidence of our time in Tennessee.

There’s so much more to tell, but it’ll have to wait until the next post. Also, The Deckers are awesome.