I'm back for another round of updates from my tour. As you may have read from the first installment, we learned a lot of lessons throughout the tour but mostly, I felt encouraged just from all the new friends and fans we met along the way. The amount of positive feedback we received was overwhelming and it just confirmed for both me and Rob that we are on the right track. Our first stop was at Young Harris College in Young Harris, GA. A small college nestled in the mountains right on the border of North Carolina and Georgia. I've never been there, but that area is absolutely breathtaking. We followed the gospel choir and did some poetry, some rap, some praise and worship, and some acoustic soul. Very fun times. Here is a review of our show from one of the students.
Then we headed up north to Lynchburg, VA. A small town but not without a lot of soul and heart. We celebrated the beauty of natural hair at the Hair and Health Expo of Central Virginia. What a blast! My only regret is that we didn't get any pictures of the event. If you're ever in Lynchburg, be sure to visit the Peruvian restaurant right inside the Holiday Inn Select. They won't steer you wrong.
Next we headed up still north to a city outside of Maryland to visit some friends. It's always nice to stop and say hello with friends. We laughed, ate, and laughed some more. No shows here, just eating and making merry.
Our next stop to Boston was "womp, womp." We didn't even get to perform. I was so excited because this was the Legendary Lizard Lounge Open mic in Boston, a competitive style open mic with a cash prize at the end. Parking was a nightmare, our hotel was depressing, and Boston driving in general is a holy terror. You have to pay to get in even if you are performing, which I did not know at the time. We had to walk for 30 minutes with our instruments in tow while our car was at risk of getting towed because we weren't sure if our spot was legal or not. When I finally got there and he asked us for $6, I threw in the towel. You ever just get to the point where you are so distressed that you just want to give up? I was in no condition to perform, so I made the decision to cut my losses and move on. We ended up in a Chinese restaurant some where in Boston and let our sorrows melt away. I tell you, I'm done with competitions.
The next stop was at New Haven Boys and Girls Club in Connecticut. What a fabulous time. I don't know who was inspired the most, me or the kids. The DoSo Guitar Program students opened for me. They did "Johnny Be Good" by Chuck Berry. And my sweet dancer, I forget her name, but she also performed and was so amazing. We must have performed for about 30 minutes, and the kids were attentive the entire time. They loved it.
Our next stop was in Brooklyn. This is where we learned about the potholes (see Part 1) and also learned about city walking (also see Part 1). We played at a quaint little night club in the Bushwick area called Goodbye Blue Monday. It's a bar, an antique store and a listening room all rolled up into one. It's the kind of place where you have to know about it, in order to go. You just don't happen upon it. We rocked out and were gone with the wind fabulous! No really, afterward, we got ghost. This is where we put our "city walking" in high gear. I don't think you wanted to be caught in that area too late at night. However, I do think we performed like there was no tomorrow to a crowd of six. No complaints here, they seemed to really enjoy it.
Stay tuned for Part 3 coming soon. We've got a lot more to share - house concerts, peanut butter, and hopefully some video.
Missed Part 1, check it out here.
