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Wednesday
28th - Saturday 31st October
Today we are playing the first of two sold out
gigs at Traditions Café in Olympia. Dick
Meyer is still a braw fella, as are all the
staff at this establishment. As indeed they
were last year.
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The
first show is the quieter of the two gigs
as the second concert takes place on Halloween
which is celebrated more emphatically
in the States than in Scotland. Unfortunately
on Halloween the local costume hire shops
don’t have anything left in stock
so we have to resort to genetic modification
(and poor quality photoshopping) and appear
as for one night only as ‘Osama
bin Gibbons and the Hammer House of Horns’
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| Between
the two Olympia gigs we have two shows.
The first is a fantastic sell-out concert
at the Kirkland Performance Center on
the banks of Lake Washington close to
Seattle. This has been organised at least
in part by the Keith
Highlanders pipe band, who perform
an excellent opening set. Afterwards we
are treated to a whisky tasting –
or “whisky drinking” depending
on your bent – at the Woodmark Hotel.
This is an excellent residence for the
night – a particularly nice touch
is the martini kits in the rooms, complete
with gin, vermouth, olives and a shaker.
Now you’re sailing with gas Vinnie.
(WTF)
The
second show is another great night in
Friday Harbor, one of our favourite places.
Clams, beer, gig, beer, pool,
beer = a recipe for joy. Don’t
ask any questions: just go there.
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Sunday
1st November
Our last concert in this great state of Jimi
Hendrixandria is a matinee on Whidbey Island
at the Fort Casey Conference Centre. Not dissimilar
to a village hall in Scotland, this is a grand
show put on by the local concert association,
with whom we have a fantastic steak meal - thanks
folks!
Monday,2nd
November
We are leaving Washington State today to begin
the final leg of this tour in California and
as our first gig is near Santa Cruz –
the patron saint of low riders – we decide
to make that our destination for this day of
travel. And true to form there is a Monday “two
for one” deal at 99
Bottles Of Beer. Unfortunately the offer
only extends to the food because there is an
inordinate selection of beer available at this
establishment, which is a welcome development
in the U.S. in general. Where once you only
had a choice between the “king”
and the “champagne” of beers, you
can now partake in any number of mind-control
I.P.A.’s, Amber and Pale ales, or stouts.
There is even an Indica I.P.A. which, presumably,
celebrates the genetic link between the hop
and her famous cousin who is (or at least was
when I was young) this fine state’s number
one cash crop.
One
too many pints of Indica meant Pauline
Calf had to stand in for Alan that
night... |
Tuesday,
3rd November
Our first concert in California is at
Don Quixote’s International Music
Hall in Felton, which nestles in the Santa
Cruz mountains, very near both the Bonny
Doon Vineyards and the venerable Banana
slugs of the University of California
at Santa Cruz. I feel smarter already.
Our host is Bob Breheny who has put on
concerts for many years in this area.
Bob not only speaks exclusively in puns,
but also bears an uncanny resemblance
to our very own Alan Reid on this night.
Cenegenics?
Perhaps we are in some time and space
anomaly? One too many pints of indica
I.P.A?
Or maybe not enough.
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...and
Sean too. I've had him |
Our
next show is a triumphant return to Ojai. This
is the first time we have played here since Tom
and Becky Lowe retired from putting on this successful
concert series. The new boss, Shane Butler, is
a good lad and judging by this year he will do
a grand job. Aside from us he is putting on both
Paddy
Keenan and the incomparable Tom
Russell . There is no substitute for quality.
After the show we retreat to my parent’s
house near the city of Ventura, which, incidentally,
is named after Santa Buenaventura- the patron
saint of good directions. There we are fed and
watered by the bonny banks of the Pacific. |
