Apr 13 - 16 last leg US spring tour

the most boring drive ever

Wed Apr 13 Tulsa OK - UNIT D

The GPS guided us earnestly up to the driveway of UNIT D (pictured), but something felt wrong. Sometimes GPS does get it wrong, like when you type in Main St South instead of North for example, or if it takes you on a perilous journey throughout the back roads of Nevada.

As it turned out, we were in the right place. It is a hot day here in Tulsa, t-shirt weather. We are kind of beat from the long boring drive from Fort Collins (see map), so instead of driving off in search of the real club, we knock on the door of Unit D. A burly middle aged man opens the door. Bill is his name. "You boys ever been to Oklahoma?" , he asks. Right away we are welcomed in to the mysterious quasi underground world of Unit D. It's kind of an invite-only private club, a former car garage, featuring bands of Bill's choice for entertainment. He does about a half dozen shows a year. We felt instantly at ease. The BBQs out front get lit, and we are invited to spend the rest of afternoon drinking our own microbrews (see Colorado entry) with the Unit D inner circle, watching Bill slowcook ribs and chicken the "right way" in a smoker. After the show we are invited for a nitecap at a downtown club, Arnie's Pub, where the Unit D posse are regulars. Pretty soon, the house music changes to our "Mountain Meadows" album cranked up. I felt like a rock star. As we leave the club, I notice that we are right along old Route 66. Another famous milestone for the journey.

One thing that came up in our beer soaked conversations at Unit D was bible belt televangelists. We make it a point to visit Oral Roberts University on the way out of town the next day to see the fantastic Jetson's inspired campus. i got a shot of his praying hands statue. As a local joke goes, those hands once started to come apart, and after much deliberation how to glue them back together it was found that sticking a $20 bill in between them did the trick. The hands closed right up on it. Ha ha ha.

taken enroute

Thur Apr 14 Hot Springs AK - Maxine's

Maxine's is supposed to be the site of the oldest whorehouse in Arkansas, though that kind of sounds like their was a beginning to the oldest profession. Maybe it's the oldest in Hot Springs. Anyways, here we are in the hometown of Bill Clinton, and ex mobster resort town ready to slug it out. We have a big affinity for Kevin and Agnes, who own the joint, and basically discovered us on behalf of the state of Arkansas. They are a very hip and worldly couple who met in LA and migrated back here with a young son in tow and started up this super cool club. They found out about our Mountain Meadows album and took a chance on us during that album's US tour. The relationship has proven to be great between us, and the people we meet here are absolutely charming.

Agnes and Kevin. Such kind hearts. Kevin offered us his favourite bourbon, and Agnes put together enough much meat, buns and fruit the next day to feed an orphanage.

That night we witnessed the start of this years' grand tornado fest which ripped through the area as a wild and crazy hailstorm as we finished the show. The next day it hit a little to the East and killed about 50 people in the Carolinas and Virginia. Brings a new definition to the term "mobile home".

Fri. Apr 15 Denton TX - Dan's Silverleaf

We were about an hour late for soundcheck due to the long drive from Hot Springs. No matter. Dan the owner greeted us immediately with a smile and a beer. Talk about Southern Hospitality. Gotta capitalize those words.

About a half hour to the N/W of Dallas, Denton is a renowned town for producing some fine music. Bands that know how to sound good like Midlake and Centro-matic are from here. It is also home to North Texas University. The downtown is an interesting square block at the top of a hill around a grand courthouse, quite hip with NT students abounding, thrift and record stores, restaurants, music clubs. Paste magazine voted Denton as America's best music scene 2008. ok enough already.

I made a tweet noting that it is one of the only places to see street punks drinking lattes, and also bought a wonderful 4-cd Woody Guthrie box-set for 20 bucks.

And now ... the Six degrees of Stephen Bruton:

-Stephen Bruton was Kris Kristofferson's main guitarist for much of his career, until he passed away in 2008

- Our soundman at Dan's Silverleaf was scheduled to mix Stephen's band at a show in Denton the day that he died. His band played the show anyways.

- The movie "Crazy Heart" (2009) was dedicated to the memory of Stephen Bruton, who played a key role in the music writing for that film, and coaching Jeff Bridges on guitar.

- I was half way through watching "Crazy Heart" when we played at Dan's Silverleaf.

- As a studio engineer, I recorded Stephen Bruton, along with Kristofferson's keyboardist Donnie Fritz for a Canadian movie entitled "The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico" (2005).

- "Guy Terrifico" was, like it's antecessor "Crazy Heart", a film about a troubled alcoholic country singer.

-Kris Kristofferson has a Rhodes collar.

(sorry to the band for that one). There ya go. 6 degrees.

Driftwood TX

Old Settlers Music Fest

After Denton we kind of had to hightail it to Austin, about 6 hrs away. We left there at around 3AM after an obligatory stop at Whataburger (ask us), and ended up sleeping on the side of the highway somewhere near Waco. How roadlike.

A great festival this is, and our first of the season. It's a summer vibe, and very exciting for us to play in an area where we are getting known. There were some other bands there who are potential buddies as well. Shoutouts to KAOS pirate radio who took us to a semi secluded campsite for a real interview and a couple songs in the woods. Also to our pal Jimmy Stelling who came with his Gal and kid all the way from Virginia to see his buddies play. Jimmy is one of the best banjoists I've ever seen, and makes the darn things too. Scott Avett of the Avett Brothers plays one, and those fellers would have been there playing it the night before had it not been for a newborn in their midst, cancelling things and all.

Congratulations to Scott Avett and his wife on their second child.

Colorado

Sat Apr 9 Breckenridge CO Beerfest
Located about 20 min from the more famous peaks of Aspen and Vale, Breckenridge is home to KSMT 102.1 "The Mountain", which was a top rated radio station in the US to break Elliott BROOD. We had to jump at the invitation to play their annual end of season BeerFest. Thanks to their Program Manager Stacy, plus Jen, Steve, Steve and anyone I might be missing here (likely named Steve). Also Momo, who jumped onstage right after with a gracious invitation to eat for free in his brother's 4 star restaurant, Taddeo's. We were dizzy most of the time because this place exists at 10,000 ft above sea level. Very mysterious in that sense. Nonetheless, people live up here, and even more, they are awesome and generous.
The beerfest is populated with free tasting tents from all the local microbrews, my favourite being Alaskan Amber, and Left Hand Pale Ale. Also I picked up a case of Morning Wood (beer) from a local liquor store called Summit Liquor, which boasts a very impressive collection of worldly wines and local brews.
I can't say enough about the beerfest. We had a great crowd, in spite of playing at the same time as The Wailers (yes, from Bob Marley), just about 500 metres away. Also we got to stay in a large time share condominium near the edge of the mountain for a couple of nights. There were pictures of the owners around (looking at you from other delectable places on the planet), and a guestbook. Good deterrents for anyone who might of thought of trashing the place.

Sun Apr 10 Denver CO Hi-DIve
YES. It is great to be in a big strange city and get appreciated. People know Elliott BROOD in Colorado, in part through radio. Nearly a dozen stations in Colorado have been playing us, both commercial and non-commercial radio. I think it may have something to do with the exorbitant amount of snowboard videos that keep popping up to our music. Colorado could be our biggest fanbase state yet, though Washington and Texas are also high contenders, thanks in part to stations in Seattle and Austin.

mon Apr 11 Ft. Collins CO
A total university town that has a "Pitkin Street" right on the University premisis (pictured). Remind me to enlist in Colorado State U someday. I could be the king of this place (especially at my advanced age). The kind promoters had printed a larger-than-life size poster of us, which we signed and gave to a fan (hey, I wanted that!). Their promotion paid off with students who came out in entire appreciation mode. When we get onstage they come right up close and circle around. Pretty impressive for a bunch of strangers.

Colorado to Texas APRIL 5 - 17

Apr 4

We get a headstart on the tour and stay at family residence in the band's original hometown of Windsor ON. I am again a willing recipient of the grand hospitality of Mark's parents, who have graciously donated their basement whenever needed. I didn't realize that this would be my last night for netflix, as my Canadian subscription only lets me watch in Canada. Who would've known? I thought that you should be able to access their Canadian website from any country, with the same usage restrictions abroad. Nope. You are an American now Stephen Pitkin (though that should theoretically allow me more "freedom"). I get through about half of Crazy Heart, but start drifting off shortly after Jeff Bridges character Bad Blake begins his affair with the young interviewer. Maybe I can finish watching this with my wife when we return to CANADA.

Apr 5 Chicago IL

Schuba's - Builders and the Butcher, with Damian Suomi and the Minor Prophets

A great night for a Tuesday. We had several friends come to the show, including new acquaintances we had met during the Ships & Dip cruise hosted in February by Barenaked Ladies. Thanks, Will, Sallie and Meg! Plus a special shoutout to Thales Exoo, who managed to make the effort to come out while her partner took care of her 9 mo newborn, and dentist Kim, who had to get up early to drill out some teeth.

Apr 6 Carbondale IL - Hangar 9

about 4 hrs south of Chicago, Carbondale is a stop on a trainride to the "City of New Orleans" in the famous song by Arlo Guthrie. Kind of a college town, but also a trains are really loud here town. The trainblast sample at the end of "Chuckwagon" came as no surprise tonight. though it is the loudest part of our set, our audience remained unfazed. The crowd was a nutty contingent of drunken dancing football players and tattooed alt rockers who gave this town a signature cool in a club that was built to withstand any strong wind. The former one in this spot was blown down at some point by a tornado, somewhat of a foreshadow for us, as this tour we will be unknowingly be just ahead of a couple of deadly weather fronts.

Apr 7 Iowa City IA The MILL

Today's drive takes us up hwy 61 (the one "Revisited" by Dylan in 1965). It snakes up alongside the Mississippi river, which, anywhere south of St. Louis is already abloom with spring buds. The day is sunny, but by the time we hit the club in Iowa City it is raining. I enjoyed the downtown of this city, which has been saved with a creative pedestrians-only strip. Should be a sister city to Brisbane, AU, which shares a similar vibe. This one's a bit newer and nicer, but Brisbane has way more old character. The club was an older sort of jazz club, and will definitely make the tourbook again sometime. I imagine this town has potential for us, but with little or no radio support right now we're at the mercy of word-of-mouth. That kind of equals hand-to-mouth. Thanks for the spaghetti dinner!

Apr 8 drive west. we slowly climb across the prairies. Not apparent to us, the prairies are climbing higher and higher, and by the time we hit Denver we are "Mile High". Buckle your seatbelts because the next 90 minutes brings us up to 10,000 ft Breckenridge snowboard country.