Tour diary Christmas Tour 2007
Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis and Milwuakee

To successfully kick off this last leg of the tour, we couldn’t have chosen a better scenario than a coupla sold out shows at The Old Town School of Music in Chicago.

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Honestly, two shows in one night is not my favorite model. It’s strange to get psyched up for one show, to pause for an hour or so, and then do it all over again.

Regardless the Old Town venue, crew and audience are a truly great experience. We have great shows every time we play there and that’s what it’s all about.

And travel being what it is, a long haul translated into a short night. Next time we’ll have to schedule a day off in Chicago so I can get some Christmas shopping done in one of the most beautifully bedecked cities this time of year. But not this year.
On to Minneapolis.

A packed house at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis made the drive worthwhile.

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(Thanks to Mike for the photos this time around.)

We hadn’t played this venue before. It was really more of a hall than a theater like we expected, but definitely a good listening room on the larger end of the scale with a kind-hearted, hard working staff.

Thanks to Kent and Sue for the flowers, and it was good to meet your daughter, Brandi. Yes, Kent, you two look just alike. I remember first seeing old family photos of my father and seeing my resemblance to him for the first time. I felt like I belonged somewhere. This is when family is good. You belong somewhere.

And thank you to Erin again from Flarrah’s for the fantabulous cheesecakes. The boys had at it last night at the hotel and are eternally grateful.


We were invited to do some morning radio at one of the best public radio stations in the country. Thanks to KCMP for having us and for playing our music. Dale and Jim Ed (aka Tom Keith of Garrison Keillor fame) interviewed us. What an amazing studio! A nine foot Steinway, Neumann mics and a Neve console. Our Dave and their engineer Mike had a good old time. And so did we.

In Madison we played The Majestic. An old theater renovated and reopened. She’s two months old in her latest reincarnation and lovely.

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This is the absolute best kind of venue. A 600 seater where the mojo of old ghosts still lingers in the air vents while the band, crew and audience can enjoy a professionally upgraded facility. The new owners took great care to clean it up, install great sound equipment and provided a great backstage area. Since we live there, we musicians appreciate this attention to detail. Scott and Matt are fantastic and more club owners could take some notes from these guys. I hope they open many more clubs like the Majestic around the country. Godspeed.

In Milwaukee we (well Mickey) segued into a rousing chorus of ‘Oh I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Weiner’ during the show. You had to be there. But guess what we found in front of our hotel when we checked in. We felt the inspiration.

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See you in Kent, Ohio
Karin