The wicked West Texas wind nearly blew us of the road a few times. No wonder windmills grow so well out here. The air in New Mexico is thin and dry. So far, we've had nothing but clear blue skies.
A big rocket hangs over the bar at
Atomic Cantina in Albuquerque. Their
periodic table and
Rutherford model inspired logo implies a certain synergy with Spaceship Jazz. Despite the staff staying up all night the day before our show and the New Mexico blue laws discouraging drinking on Sunday, several folks turned out to have their faces melted. --insert witty pun about nuclear reactors and meltdowns here--
The drive from Lubbock to Amarillo only takes 90 minutes. We took a small detour and pit stop at
Palo Duro Canyon state park. Beautiful.
We could probably find some cheap real estate in downtown Amarillo. We could probably find a
medieval dinner theatre. We could definitely find a
steak big enough to feed us for the next three weeks.
E.O.S. surprised us. We didn't know exactly what to expect from a self styled
underground music venue bringing varied music to a converted downtown office park. Turned out great: we got to hear some great music from some fantastic local jazz cats;
we melted some beautiful beings' faces; we met a crazy South American Coatimundi; and Ian got a +3 chainmal of denaturing.
Up next: Albuquerque. We look forward to hanging with Roy - a
super friend. Atomic Cantina!
The drive from Austin to Lubbock thankfully blew by quickly. Plenty of good company and good tunes passed the time. The spring rains made Texas -- even west Texas -- gorgeously green. Wind energy might one day power all our houses and gadgets. I wonder how many giant windmills it takes to power a cell phone?
Don Quixote wouldn't stand a chance against the Texas panhandle plains.
Jake's welcomed us with a fine bar food meal and stellar sound system. Andrew managed the sound expertly. Some folks enthusiastically turned up to see us. Lots of folks came for
Spoonfed Tribe's rock styled drum heavy beat-fest. The crowd responded well to our set. Despite the heavy smoke (are my eyes bleeding?), we enjoyed our Spring tour kickoff.
I don't think we'll stay at the Texas Motor Inn again. Nuje and Ian need to get
eye masks.
We're getting on the road. The van is about as full as it has ever been, and we've got enough cliff bars to feed an army. Plus, we've got a Wii, Lord Of The Rings On DVD, and wireless internet in the van.
Tonight, we'll be playing in Lubbock, TX, at
Jake's, opening for
Spoonfed Tribe. Lubbock folks, see you there.
Send us some good driving vibes. :)
Hey all - the
tour lineup is just about firmed up, but we're still looking for a couple dates. Specifically, we need bookings in
San Francisco on May 8th & 10th, and
Portland or Seattle on May 13th. We're easy to get along with, don't ask for much, and we'll be doing a ton of promo to get people in the door. Any ideas?
Update: We've got the 10th booked at
Kelley's Tavern in San Francisco, but we're still seeking the other 2.
Nuje Improv TrioBrasil (2604 Dunlavy @ Westheimer, Houston, TX)
No Cover / All Ages
930 - 1230
Featuring:
Thomas Helton (bass)
Al Bear from
Plump and
The Free Radicals (guitar)
Nuje (hitting things with sticks)
Thanks to everybody who came out to our show at Ruta Maya. We had a blast, and
Groovin' Ground and
Moving Matter were awesome. Pics to come.
And on Sunday, our very own
Patrick Flanagan was married to one Miss Ali Jennings. Congrats guys! Enjoy your honeymoon.