It's been quite a while since i've written. It's funny how the days past come like a fog of memories that feel as though they may or may not have truly happened. I think I left off in Paris. My, the ground we have covered since then.
The Paris show was sold out before doors opened. We contorted ourselves onto the teeny stage at Espace B. Such a little venue. Somehow 200 people are allowed in there. David Bazan has taken that stage. Phosphorescent is soon to come. So strange that artists I've listened to over and over again have stood on the same stage as me. Anyhow, yet again I've been been to Paris and have seen absolutely nothing that made it feel like I was truly there. Just another anonymous street. But, I suppose I did have authentic French bread. …Does that count?
The next day we played in Antwerp, Belgium and that show sold out, too. Pretty crazy. Ran into some old friends from Gent and had a nice time stretching our limbs on a spacious stage. One of the theatre employees took Travis and Kendall out to gather up some Belgian beer. And after our show, we stayed up into the wee hours talking in the hotel having a little informal tasting. So delicious. The next morning, we took a little stroll through a market looking for food but mostly finding something like a pop up pet shop. Chickens! Bunnies! Hamsters! All for sale in a temporary open air market! So completely bizarre to us and I suppose our tourist flags were undulating broadly above our heads as we took out our cameras. Easter Sunday, and I spent it walking around a semi deserted town looking for a place to eat.
It's at this point in the story where there's a giant grey area in my memory.
Perhaps this is where we played the Dunk post rock festival in Zottegem, Switzerland? That was a super fun show. Big stage. Thoughtful, artful lighting. Enthusiastic crowd. Good hospitality.
All in all, a good night. Eventually we drove through the tunnel to England and ate at this little cafe that was nothing if not a one woman show. Coffee, tea, pastries, a full menu of entrees, and she cooks it all her self! The kitchen space is directly behind the bar. There are just a few tables inside, and she's the cashier, cook, and server. Pretty cool. We'd just gotten out of the car and stepped into her adorable shop, to her very British accent, and the Beatles on the radio. Welcome to London.
The show sold out. We hung out with a dear friend who hosted us in Edinburough, Scotland, and then drove an hour and a half to our hotel in Brighton. And then…a day off, at last! First break in over 15 days. And I spent it doing mundane things. Sleeping in. Late Brunch at a one man show organic cafe. Laundry. Walk around town. Fish and Chips at a local spot. Watching TV with Rob until it was time for sleep.
Ah okay. I could recount about a hundred other details but they're not so important. Played a couple more shows in England and then hightailed it back to mainland Europe. There's nuthin quite like Western European hospitality, I've found, and we were quite ready to get back to it.
We're almost done with this thing. Just a week and 5 days to go. I'm writing you from Hamburg, Germany from a venue called Hafenklang, looking out at the harbor. The ship lights are illuminating little strips of the water. It's cold as heck outside. And this is all lovely. …Buuut I must admit, this is the point in the tour when I'm missing shorts, the warmth of sunshine and breakfast tacos.
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