(one thing I learned in journalism school, people like things in small portions. So I Broke this entry up into parts. They're really not two separate entries at all! Fooled ya )
SO AS FAR AS REFLECTIONS GO...
I think I've learned a thing or two while traveling. The first being that I can stay quiet for a very..very long time. I've always felt like there are two very different sides to me, and which one you see feels like it's out of my hands. There's the quiet, reserved, "normal" version, that selectively speaks and is pretty calm. And then there's the real side that comes out around people I've known for a good while...saying ridiculous things, being silly, chatty, not afraid to say stupid things. But that side needs a little encouraging I guess, and I thought it would take over at some point, but the quiet persisted. And it felt tiring not to feel like yourself completely. Maybe that shyness, as much as I despise it, is a bigger part of who I am than I thought.. BUT after a week being home with everyone, I think the tour was kinda what I needed. The quiet's gone away some and its nice to feel free from it.
Secondly -- America is BIG. And you don't realize how huge it is until you try to drive across it. Highways are amazing. On the way home, we were discussing the newness of highways, and wondering what traveling was like before them. Alex mentioned how they were built for military reasons, but we can't even imagine getting to places without them. I wonder if the country seemed even larger before they connected us. But, they were definitely cooler before someone thought up toll roads.
Third- I really do love Texas. I've always wanted to run from this state. I thought I was tired of it. I wanted to escape to California somewhere. I wanted to get away from out flat boring landscapes and go play in the mountains, or go live in the east and escape our heat. But after weeks of shivering, of the biting cold rising from the snow and through my shoes, of running for the door to encounter some warmth, I am grateful for the Texas heat. I was so excited when I got back not to need my jacket for the first time in forever! I was glad to see green fields instead of dead iced over grass. It was good to see the sun and to spend a day walking downtown. I appreciate Texas SO much more now.
Fourth---This tour has shown me the vastness of the kindness of people. In a world where bad news is the only news on the television screen, and we're taught to be wary of strangers, its easy to forget that there are good people everywhere. People we hardy knew were quick to welcome us into their homes, cook us meals and help us out. Chris Callis of the Callis Palace made dinner for ALL the touring bands! A few bands along the road let us take over their living rooms to sleep for the night. The 11:11 tea house gave out baked goods for free and a place in Chicago throws shows and gives all the money to the musicians. A couple in Omaha gave us their house for the weekend and free reign over their pantry. People were gracious. Hospitality abounded. It was a good reminder that for all the bad things that happen every day, there's a lot of love around.
I feel like I've just been plopped back into my life in Austin, sort of right where I left off, as though time stopped here waiting for our return. I'm trying to remember what I used to do with my days. And I've got this big feeling of wondering what to do next that's resting on my shoulders. I took the semester off to do this tour and it's crazy that it's actually happened. It's done. And for all the sitting around I'm doing, for the summer classes I'm gonna have to take, I can still easily say that it was definitely worth it.
Takin notes and keepin tabs on the road with Balmorhea from 2008-2013. Check out the archive for Aisha's previous European and American tours.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Lookin back
March 17 2008
Someone left a comment asking where my big reflection was. So to whoever wrote that, here it is! Sorry to keep you waiting.
HOME
It's almost been an entire week since I've been back from the tour and I'm still getting used to being home again. My roommate was out of town, so I knew my "home" would be empty for a while. I remember setting my bags down, standing in my apartment, completely alone for the first time in 22 days, and being swept by a feeling so bittersweet. I was back! I was finally out of the car! I was finally on familiar ground. But still, our adventure had come to an end.. Despite sitting in a car for way longer than I would've liked, sleeping in a different place every night annnnd not having seen my best gal friends for almost a month, I loved hangin' out with these guys all the time (I definitely spent more time just hanging out with them then ever before). And I loved playing together so often. I adored being in music with them all. And I say it like I'll never play with them again, which isn't true at all...but probably won't be quite like it was on the road. As tiring as it was, there's something fun and special about playing music together every day. When you're around each other all the time, every day for an extended period of time, it starts to feel even more like family. And I guess I didn't want that little sister feeling to go away with the those days.
I've spent the past hour listening to recordings I made and skimming through the 1,000 plus photos I took while on the road. And still, it only partly feels real. I was driving down lamar the other night, and thinking of how strange it is that such an eventful time would mesh in my memory into this squished stream of memories, slowly melding into one. Someone asked where I was on a certain date, when I went here or there, and I can't separate anything. And still, when people ask me how the tour went, what was the most fun, or how I felt, it's hard to spit out more than tired generalities. But there's no way to explain a 22-day adventure in a few phrases.
Someone left a comment asking where my big reflection was. So to whoever wrote that, here it is! Sorry to keep you waiting.
HOME
It's almost been an entire week since I've been back from the tour and I'm still getting used to being home again. My roommate was out of town, so I knew my "home" would be empty for a while. I remember setting my bags down, standing in my apartment, completely alone for the first time in 22 days, and being swept by a feeling so bittersweet. I was back! I was finally out of the car! I was finally on familiar ground. But still, our adventure had come to an end.. Despite sitting in a car for way longer than I would've liked, sleeping in a different place every night annnnd not having seen my best gal friends for almost a month, I loved hangin' out with these guys all the time (I definitely spent more time just hanging out with them then ever before). And I loved playing together so often. I adored being in music with them all. And I say it like I'll never play with them again, which isn't true at all...but probably won't be quite like it was on the road. As tiring as it was, there's something fun and special about playing music together every day. When you're around each other all the time, every day for an extended period of time, it starts to feel even more like family. And I guess I didn't want that little sister feeling to go away with the those days.
I've spent the past hour listening to recordings I made and skimming through the 1,000 plus photos I took while on the road. And still, it only partly feels real. I was driving down lamar the other night, and thinking of how strange it is that such an eventful time would mesh in my memory into this squished stream of memories, slowly melding into one. Someone asked where I was on a certain date, when I went here or there, and I can't separate anything. And still, when people ask me how the tour went, what was the most fun, or how I felt, it's hard to spit out more than tired generalities. But there's no way to explain a 22-day adventure in a few phrases.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Day 22 - Austin - March 11
And so...
WE ARE HOME!! YAY!
BUT I'm not ready for my big reflection post just yet...
I'm too busy enjoying the comfort of my own bed, in my apartment and reminding myself that I don't have anywhere to be any time soon.
kinda nice.
-Aisha
WE ARE HOME!! YAY!
BUT I'm not ready for my big reflection post just yet...
I'm too busy enjoying the comfort of my own bed, in my apartment and reminding myself that I don't have anywhere to be any time soon.
kinda nice.
-Aisha
Day 22 - Dallas - March 11
Homeward bound
I thought I'd save my real reflection entry for later, but I'm in the car and in Texas. So there's nothing out the window that I haven't seen before and reading will only make me sleepy.
So here we are. Adam is driving and Alex is reading the finishing chapters of "The Unsettling of America." We're listening to Sufjan. We are homeward bound on I-35 South and it feels so good to know that home is only a few hours away. It's sunny outside! And the fields are so green! AND, here's the best part, it's warm! Oh, you have no idea how glad I am for warmth. I have been in the winter, stood shivering in snow, glided down icy sidewalks, and now know I truly love warm weather.
It's hard to believe that I've lived in the backseat of this car for so many hours. This little nook behind the driver's seat has been my comfort space. The car is a weird kind of "safety", of familiarity, when you're always moving around. But as we were saying last night on the drive to Dallas, when you're away from a physical structure you'd normally call home, you begin to find home in other things, in places, in people.
I don't want to write my final blog about this trip while in the car (despite how fitting it seems). I wrote the very first entry in bed at my apartment and that's how I want it to end.
So don't worry. You haven't seen the last of me just yet.
-Aisha
I thought I'd save my real reflection entry for later, but I'm in the car and in Texas. So there's nothing out the window that I haven't seen before and reading will only make me sleepy.
So here we are. Adam is driving and Alex is reading the finishing chapters of "The Unsettling of America." We're listening to Sufjan. We are homeward bound on I-35 South and it feels so good to know that home is only a few hours away. It's sunny outside! And the fields are so green! AND, here's the best part, it's warm! Oh, you have no idea how glad I am for warmth. I have been in the winter, stood shivering in snow, glided down icy sidewalks, and now know I truly love warm weather.
It's hard to believe that I've lived in the backseat of this car for so many hours. This little nook behind the driver's seat has been my comfort space. The car is a weird kind of "safety", of familiarity, when you're always moving around. But as we were saying last night on the drive to Dallas, when you're away from a physical structure you'd normally call home, you begin to find home in other things, in places, in people.
I don't want to write my final blog about this trip while in the car (despite how fitting it seems). I wrote the very first entry in bed at my apartment and that's how I want it to end.
So don't worry. You haven't seen the last of me just yet.
-Aisha
Day 21 - Oklahoma City - March 10
Day 21 - Oklahoma City
Ok. I don't even feel like writing anymore. I'm tired of hearing the clack of this keyboard. But I'm going to try, again, to make it short.
Venue: Info Shop: It's this place some guys are trying to fix up and turn into a community center for everyone. They've got a library, a room full of free things, a hang out space, coffee shop and room for shows. It's still a work in progress put it was nice.
First Band: Guy singing amusing songs with his acoustic guitar
accompanied by a shadow-puppet show. Oh, but this was not your ordinary puppet show
.
pretty elaborate puppet cut outs. Annnd um a few, shall we say, explicit puppets were used. It was funny for a while. I was also a little tired. I don't have to say anything more than the singer himself said after a song "You guys didn't know you drove all this way for a [risque] puppet show did you?"
When it looked like no one was going to show up, about 8 punk kids did, along with a dog. They looked a little rough, like those 20-30 somethings on the drag that walk in packs with their dogs. anyway, they came in and sat down. We just sat on the couches and decided to play an acoustic set switching off songs. Alex's voice was pretty much gone, so he spoke-sang some songs pretty Tom Waitsy. Started with Deep Ellum Blues. Then Sarah is Rising (with back-up vocals by everyone) The first ever chilled out Earth Mouth was performed. I know, you're thinking how can Earth Mouth be laid back. Oh, but it was. It was good. Balmorhea did Show Me for the first time in a while, Summer, Divisadero, and ended with Cabbage Town. You'd never think that kids that were probably running around at a crazy punk show the night before would be into us, but they were.
We packed up, made a stop at Denny's for one last meal together. A couple toasts were made. Too many Corwin jokes were spoken (Watch the Tim & Eric Awesome Show that the Balm guys are obsessed with, then you'll get it). And Mike made me laugh so hard, I got a late start on my coke float. These guys are hilarious. Outside, we got in a circle for a group huddle, our arms around each other. This is how we began the trip, huddling outside Rob's house before we knew anything of Manny, of crazy anarchist Co-Ops, of the chilling Mid-West Cold. It was nice to come full circle again. We gave each other good hugs, and split back up into our traveling cars. Balmorhea stayed with Mike's Dad and Alex, Adam and I stayed at the Dupree's in Dallas. Almost home.
-Aisha
When it looked like no one was going to show up, about 8 punk kids did, along with a dog. They looked a little rough, like those 20-30 somethings on the drag that walk in packs with their dogs. anyway, they came in and sat down. We just sat on the couches and decided to play an acoustic set switching off songs. Alex's voice was pretty much gone, so he spoke-sang some songs pretty Tom Waitsy. Started with Deep Ellum Blues. Then Sarah is Rising (with back-up vocals by everyone) The first ever chilled out Earth Mouth was performed. I know, you're thinking how can Earth Mouth be laid back. Oh, but it was. It was good. Balmorhea did Show Me for the first time in a while, Summer, Divisadero, and ended with Cabbage Town. You'd never think that kids that were probably running around at a crazy punk show the night before would be into us, but they were.
We packed up, made a stop at Denny's for one last meal together. A couple toasts were made. Too many Corwin jokes were spoken (Watch the Tim & Eric Awesome Show that the Balm guys are obsessed with, then you'll get it). And Mike made me laugh so hard, I got a late start on my coke float. These guys are hilarious. Outside, we got in a circle for a group huddle, our arms around each other. This is how we began the trip, huddling outside Rob's house before we knew anything of Manny, of crazy anarchist Co-Ops, of the chilling Mid-West Cold. It was nice to come full circle again. We gave each other good hugs, and split back up into our traveling cars. Balmorhea stayed with Mike's Dad and Alex, Adam and I stayed at the Dupree's in Dallas. Almost home.
-Aisha
More of Day 20 - Omaha - March 9
THE SHOW
Walking into the Suckau Chapel was the first time in 20 days that I walked familiar ground. There's a good feeling you get when you enter a place that held good and special memories. It just instantly feels comfortable. And from a person who has never traveled much, and definitely finds comfort in familiar territory, it was so soothing to be at this church again.
This past summer, an abridged version of the Trapdoor Band (including Alex, Nicole Kern, John Hoover and myself) took a 5 day trip to Omaha and back and played at the very same chapel. We walked through nearby neighborhoods and took lots of pictures. It was fun to pass all those places again.
Before the show, we hung out in a little "green room" area, complete with a table of snacks and sandwiches and a classroom-style dry erase board. nice. The guys picked up markers and began to write all kinds of ridiculousness. "Homework: Read Revelations 24:12. Name 5 prophecies that have come true in the last 10 years. (ex: that ten-headed beast that came out of the ocean)"
Adam started a collaborative brainstorming activity titled: Ideas for the Suckau Show list, including (but not limited to) the following:
I thought both sets went really well. There were
Walking into the Suckau Chapel was the first time in 20 days that I walked familiar ground. There's a good feeling you get when you enter a place that held good and special memories. It just instantly feels comfortable. And from a person who has never traveled much, and definitely finds comfort in familiar territory, it was so soothing to be at this church again.
This past summer, an abridged version of the Trapdoor Band (including Alex, Nicole Kern, John Hoover and myself) took a 5 day trip to Omaha and back and played at the very same chapel. We walked through nearby neighborhoods and took lots of pictures. It was fun to pass all those places again.
Before the show, we hung out in a little "green room" area, complete with a table of snacks and sandwiches and a classroom-style dry erase board. nice. The guys picked up markers and began to write all kinds of ridiculousness. "Homework: Read Revelations 24:12. Name 5 prophecies that have come true in the last 10 years. (ex: that ten-headed beast that came out of the ocean)"
Adam started a collaborative brainstorming activity titled: Ideas for the Suckau Show list, including (but not limited to) the following:
all new unrehearsed songs, capes, strutting, top hats, sunset backdrop, nickelback pre-music, Wall of Justice (inside joke), lots of onstage crying, Creed Covers, Be Sober (Mike)
crazy.
The show was made especially exciting for me because for the first time all trip I got to see friends from home in a place quite far from it. As random as it is, a group of 20 people from my church in Austin were on a mission trip to the church we were playing at in Omaha! I accidently ran into Heather Lods and said hello to everyone. They sat in the front row for both sets. and man, it's hard to explain how glad I was to have all of them there. For a good while I was longing for friends from home to cross paths with. Everyone else in the band had old friends in some of the different cities we went to except me (yeah, you can whip out the tiny violin and play me a sad song. haha.). So yeah, it was extremely nice to have everyone there.
I thought both sets went really well. There were a few tiny flubs here and there but we have learned to recover gracefully. Rob got to play on a beautiful piano, which had to have been refreshing for him, having played through his keyboard for so many nights. Besides a few issues with our abilities to hear everyone, the music was great. I made it through lament, the piano-vioiln duet without screwing it up (honestly, I always make it. That's just the only song that always makes me nervous). AND trapdoor got a mid-song energetic applause during Revolution Choir! First mid-song clap ever! haha. I don't remember the set, but maybe I can get it from Adam. He's been very faithful about writing down the set every nighti n a little book. That and Earth Mouth were my two favorite Trapdoor songs to play.
After the show, we went out to a diner (as usual) with Will and some of his friends from the chapel. I think the dinners after the shows were my second favorite part of touring (after the actual show of course). They're so fun. And everyone's in such high spirits.
Afterwards, we went back to the awesome mansion house we were so graciously allowed to stay at. Mike, Adam, Rob, Dave and I watched Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, till about 2am (what became our normal bed time). That house is crazy. We had surround sound, a big screen wide screen TV with a huge L shaped couch to enjoy. The house was two stories, with a huge basement that could've been a house in itself (it even had a kitchen). They gave us full reign over their pantry and whether we should've taken that to heart or not, we did...gently...kind of. Everything was high class, and completely comfortable. We even drove down a long lit curvy road to get up to the house. They had lots of land. Lots of space. lots of autographed baseballs. It was awesome. We felt like we were in a palace, especially after some of the places we'd been.
Lots of good people in the world.
After the show, we went out to a diner (as usual) with Will and some of his friends from the chapel. I think the dinners after the shows were my second favorite part of touring (after the actual show of course). They're so fun. And everyone's in such high spirits.
Afterwards, we went back to the awesome mansion house we were so graciously allowed to stay at. Mike, Adam, Rob, Dave and I watched Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, till about 2am (what became our normal bed time). That house is crazy. We had surround sound, a big screen wide screen TV with a huge L shaped couch to enjoy. The house was two stories, with a huge basement that could've been a house in itself (it even had a kitchen). They gave us full reign over their pantry and whether we should've taken that to heart or not, we did...gently...kind of. Everything was high class, and completely comfortable. We even drove down a long lit curvy road to get up to the house. They had lots of land. Lots of space. lots of autographed baseballs. It was awesome. We felt like we were in a palace, especially after some of the places we'd been.Lots of good people in the world.
Day 20 - Omaha - March 9
(Here are some posts I didn't get to put up right after I wrote them. enjoy)
we're on our way to the church where our show is at. we just passed a billboard that says "Keep using my name in vain and I'll make rush hour longer." -God
lol We're driving around trying to find the highway that'll take us to said church. We're supposed to be there at 4:30. It's 4:29.
Mike is probably freaking out.
we're on our way to the church where our show is at. we just passed a billboard that says "Keep using my name in vain and I'll make rush hour longer." -God
lol We're driving around trying to find the highway that'll take us to said church. We're supposed to be there at 4:30. It's 4:29.
Mike is probably freaking out.
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