Greetings from the road. At the moment I’m in Tacoma, WA getting ready to perform and offer workshops at an event called Flutequest. It’s the tail end of my “Deep Peace tour.” It’s the end of July and most of August covering seven states and nearly twenty performances and workshops. Dates at Jackson Well Springs in CA and a house concert in Idaho didn’t pan out, but that’s okay.
It’s been a surreal adventure as most tours are. To survive you can’t even think about how many miles or cities are involved. Otherwise you’d become overwhelmed. It’s a one-day at a time mentality and a one “gig” at a time for sure. Mostly I drive for 8-11 hours then unload the car, set up for a gig, do the gig, tear down, reload the car then find my place to sleep. Usually that means staying up with my host till the wee hours then up at 6am to be on the road by 7am. Pretty sexy huh?
Those two hours when I get to share my music with an audience and make that connection are what it’s all about for me. That ephemeral moment when the sound vibrations touch heartstrings, soothe souls and inspires peace is the point of it all I believe. I Des Moines when I took my intermission, two listeners in the front row told me they were surprised how much better they felt than when they got there. They said the stress of their day just melted and they forgot about pressing things. Music does that. It takes you to a different place and allows for some better feelings and experiences. That’s why live music is best. You are in that “present” moment and can be taken away, your mind free, your spirit nourished.
I started in Rio Rancho, NM at the Unitarian Universalist Westside. Wonderful people and I look forward to it every year. I did a program on the Native story of how the Rainbow came to being interlaced with music and storytelling.
After that I went to camp at Clayton Lake State Park near Clayton New Mexico. I saw a storm coming but I thought it would skirt me. It didn’t. It began raining and my tent collapsed from the rain while I was in it. I fixed it and it happened again sending me to my car to try and sleep. Fitful night and no sleep. The tent was new and I hadn’t set it up right. Ugh. Early next day I headed out to Meade Lake SP in southern Kansas stopping at Dorothy’s house from the Wizard Oz movie in Liberal, KS.
Setting up a Unity of Joplin
I’ve camped here before and I needed to work on memorizing the script for Killing Buddha a play I’m collaborating on for Theatre Dojo. We were set to perform and debut it at the Great Salt Lake Fringe fest the following week. I set up camp in persistent 45mph winds. It was a super challenge to read. It was really hot out so I was glad for the breeze in a way. Some RV’s came by my camp to hear me play later that night. Next day I drove to Joplin, MO to do a concert at Unity of Joplin. My friend Gordon is their new Spiritual Director and we set it up. Such a beautiful venue. The audiences were so giving and appreciative. I listened to their stories and signed CD’s for over an hour touched by their generosity and openness. I was moved by how the community had come together after the devastating F5 tornado of 2011. I do hope to come back.
Next stop was the Des Moines area to do a house concert at the beautiful home of my friends Jeanne and Mark, two of the loveliest people ever. The weather cooperated this year and I played under a full moon to a nice sized crowed of attentive listeners. Des Moines is a beautiful area and I really like it there.
After that was the 11th annual World of Faeries Festival in S. Elgin, IL. My friends Gloria and Dave Yeager put this festival on through sheer love and passion and it is a highlight of my touring every August. This year was just as magical and I loved it all. Seeing my musician friends Matt, Sam, Julie, Bruce, Dave as well as Geoff and Joshua etc. is always a treat. I performed four sets and had a booth.
Photo by Chuck Isle
Next was to the Omaha area where I performed a house concert on the Iowa side of the Missouri river. The setting was absolutely stunning and I felt unworthy really of it. The crowd was just great and my friends Jeff and Brigitte did a fantastic job of getting the word out. The homeowners said they’d love to have me back next year so that was a huge compliment. It was pretty muggy and hot I must say and I felt a little woozy at times, but it’s all part of it. My flutemaker friend Colyn and his wife Kitty came outand I was very happy to see them. I only wish I had time to visit his shop.
Very early next morning I headed to Saratoga, WY, about a ten-hour drive. I wanted to meet the cousin of my late partner who lives there. I soaked in the Hobo hot pools there and floated in the river below where I met a Native artist from the area. I camped at Saratoga Lake and played my cigar-box guitar under the Milky Way. Beautiful.
I had to be in SLC the next day for a 2pm tech rehearsal of Killing Buddha. I met my partner Algernon D’Ammassa there. He’d just driven up from New Mexico for this festival, the Great Salt Lake Fringe fest. We hadn’t gone through the play yet nor even rehearsed so we were both tense and wound up from driving. We’ve worked together on our very successful touring collaboration of An Iliad and we synch well and trust the other’s skill. The venue space was in the Sugarhouse Fringe Factory. Our theater was a former loading dock with white pained cinder block walls and broken tiles on the floor and ugly florescent lighting. We LOVED it. That kind of space is perfect for us and we have a bare bones set up and focus on the storytelling. I compose and improvise live music on a variety of instruments as well as interact with Algernon as he acts out the story.
At the Great Salt Lake Fringe fest 2015
We never know what to expect and this time we were blown away by the reaction. People began to build a buzz about our show with standing ovations 3 of the 4 performances. We ended up receiving the “Pick of the Fringe” award from the festival board and staff for our play. We were humbly stunned. While there we “bringed” a word Algernon coined meaning we binged on fringe shows. Some were just spectacular. To see original, inspired works done well is so inspiring. We can’t wait to return. We, gratefully, snagged place to crash while there in the actual Sugarhouse area. We were going to tent camp at a KOA about an hour away as that was all we could find or afford. But a volunteer, Paul, came through at the very last minute and offered the apartment he shares with two other guys. We slept on couches and mine was in the kitchen haha. His roomie works graveyard and would get home just as I was waking up. We had very little sleep and during the day we worked and worked and worked on our show catching as many of the other acts as we could as well. It was exhausting, crazy, sleep depriving and a blast. Paul, also an actor and aspiring writer, has such an intelligent wit we laughed so much and got each other’s cultural references which is an amazing rarity.
We both loved Salt Lake’s Sugarhouse are with it funkiness, pubs, coffee shops and restaurants. Can’t wait to return. Our award means we get in next year and don’t have to pay the fees to perform. Yay! Here is a great write up of our experience show: http://www.demingheadlight.com/deming-news/ci_28622767/theatre-duo-delivers
I’m writing from Tacoma, WA. I’m here to perform and offer a couple of workshops at Flutequest, a Native American flute festival that’s been happening for a few years now in the northwest. I’m honored to finally be here and already offered a presentation to the Salt Water flute circle Tuesday night. I can’t overstate how beautiful it is here. I’m taking in the water, trees and seafood as much as I can. I feel very grateful to be able to share my music with audiences. There is something very healing and spiritual about live music.
presentation for the Salt Water Flute Circle in Des Moines, WA state park
Experience offers appreciation I’ve found. You have to choose this lifestyle and those who’ve come before didn’t have it any easier. I‘m most grateful when the host, organizer or venue has put thought and energy in the concert of festival. Anything that I don’t have to attend to allows me to focus on the music and performance. The minutiae and logistics of touring are daunting to the Nth degree. The performing is the best and easiest part for me having rehearsed for months to make sure I know what I’m doing. See you along the trail. Please come to and share my gigs with your friends.
Peace
Randy