Tuesday, April 29, 2014

4/29/14 day 22: Eislingen, Germany

A proper night sleep. Up before the alarm for breakfast which was fairly righteous. They even had tobasco, peanut butter, maple syrup... It was splendid.


After breakfast we all piled into the car and drove to Böblingen to pick up Peter and Emily's luggage that was stuck in the Zollamt. They were happy. They've been traveling the world for three months and were ready for a change of clothes!

Back at the hotel at 1 and met up with our awesome host Steffen. We discussed the plan for tonight's show. After that, we walked back downtown to a kebab joint and had the lunch of champions.
(Döner. This one was pretty damn good)

After lunch was nap time and then at 430 we met in the lobby and drove the 5km to Radio FIPS in Göppingen. Felt good to be back! Radio FIPS is an internet radio station with a couple studios and a little performance space where they do occasional shows.

Show time was at 9pm and was standing room only (roughly 45 people). We had a blast playing and we have a copy of the recording which I will post so everyone can hear it. Radio FIPS will also rebroadcast the show. Check it out: www.radiofips.de.

Many thanks to Steffen and crew for having us back. We love playing for you guys!

And like every year, we signed the guest book:


Night!

Monday, April 28, 2014

4/28/14 day 21: Eislingen, Germany

Sad to leave Öblarn, Österreich today. Caught a late breakfast at the hotel. While this Inn won't win the Best Breakfast of the Year Award, I still loved  staying here. It was kind of exactly how you'd imagine it to be: a little musty, huge wooden ceiling beams, freaky boars head on the wall watching you eat, etc.

I mean, come on, Michael the owner of the Inn stood at the door and waved goodbye as we pulled out of the parking lot. So cool. Maybe he was glad to see us go?!? No way! We were all buds! Although, he was probably a little glad the American tornado had departed. With us gone, the place was basically empty. He can enjoy the pace of a slow off season. I imagine he's jammed in the summer and winter months. I definitely want to come back in the Winter!! So bad ass!

Driving in Austria is a test of will; all u really want to do is look out the window at all the beauty but no, someone has to watch the road. So many beautiful colors in the valley. Imposing cloud capped mountains. Lazy little villages. It's pretty charmed. Very excited to come back and explore more in the future.


Made it to Eislingen, Germany unscathed in about 4+ hrs. Checked into the hotel and then we all walked to dinner. There is an Italian joint about ten minutes away. Enjoyed some baked Rigitoni with ham and peas. It was perfect comfort food.  Still a little shredded from all the Austrian schnapps over the weekend (all in moderation of course and I didn't want to be rude to our gracious hosts after all...) In any case, we all decided a couple large bottles of water were in order.

(Lamest. Prost. Ever)

Had a little band meeting back at the hotel and then called it a night. Luckily, there isn't much more driving this coming week but we still have shows basically every night. Need to get a good night sleep.

Loving this tour so far. So much fun and so awesome to see this music affect so many people. I'm honored and grateful for this opportunity. Trust me, I do not take these trips or my charge as an American musical embassador for granted.


Sunday, April 27, 2014

4/27/14 day 20: Öblarn

Slept in and it felt so good. When was the last time I played music until 5am? Unreal. Epic. Say no more.

I got my ass out of bed (it was technically afternoon) and met Hans our host and the band downstairs for a late breakfast of sliced bread, cheese, and salami. We then all piled in his car and switchbacked our way to his cabin in the mountains. It really reminded me of the fjords of Norway. It was at times hair raising, at times rally car-esque, but we made it. First impression, a stunner...
(That's Hans)
We got to the cabin, he lit a fire for coffee on the wood stove as we ventured into the valley for a walk. By the time we returned to the house, the water was boiling and we had coffee and nut cake in his very rustic cabin.

(This is the view from his porch)

(The coldest, finest, Austrian Spring water you've ever tasted)

There was an acoustic guitar hanging on the wall (as was a trumpet and tuba) so we started to play some songs... Fast forward two hours, the coffee and nut cake was put away, and Hans busts out the schnapps and some local beers...

(The scene at the kitchen table; coffee, nut cake, beers, schnapps, chocolate)

(Super tasty brew)

We sang Moving in Slow Motion (which was one of Hans' favorites), barrelman, here comes the sun, crumble, among many others.. It was awesome! We had visitors to the cabin too. Friends of Hans that came to the valley for the day stopped by for coffee, so there was much merriment. We sat in this perfect little wood cabin, played songs, drank schnapps, and ate cake. It was really hard to leave. We all agree it's the perfect spot for a writers retreat at some point. We all bring guitars and write in the Austrian mountains. Yup. 2015. I'm down.


After the session, we rallied back down the valley to the hotel. We were all feeling warm and fuzzy, which probably made the exceedingly fast descent bearable. We made it back to the hotel where we are dinner; I had a steak with pepper cream sauce and tater tots (apparently in Austria they are fine dining). It was delicious. We all decided to split a dessert of apple strudel with warm vanilla sauce.

(Doesn't look THAT appetizing but this was pretty tasty)

Afterwards we walked nextdoor to the venue. Hans told us he was judging a shooting contest at the venue. Of course... Totally normal...

No shit. Inside the venue a shooting range was set up and people from town would come in and compete. This is a thing. Nora the bar keep for example had like a perfect score. Nice skill to have in her profession.

(The targets were on the stage where we had just performed... So odd)

We all entered the contest which consisted of five small targets and then three small 'animal' targets; paper targets with some sort of elk or squirrel with one small white bulls eyes over the heart. It's hard to explain, just ask me when u see me..... I'll tell u all about it.

Anyway, we all entered the competition and here is the standing (out of 80 possible points)

Jeff "The Vegetarian Sniper" Vallone: 69 
Brian "The Shit Talker" Chartrand: 68
Emily "Its a Beautiful" Day: 51
Peter "Where are my Glasses?" Day: 34

Peter drew blood on his first shot; a nice little cut over his eye from the kick back of the scope. He pushed on and tried valiantly but his focus was badly bruised.

Hans (our host) shot a 70. How do u think he felt when a couple first timer Americans buzzed on his Schnapps come in and kick butt?? He was smiling but on the inside I think he was crying.

The one with the lowest score had to buy a round in the bar, so we went next door and chatted with our friends Nora and Harold.

It's been an amazing time. Austria is bomb. Can't wait to come back. And we will.

Goodnight for now.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

4/26/14 day 19: Öblarn, Austria

Up and out in Schwandorf at 10:45. It was a bucolic morning but we had to get on the road if we wanted to get to Öblarn w enough time to nap.

The ride was fine save the fine for driving on the autobahn without the right sticker. Apparently, u need a sticker to drive on the highway in Austria. We stopped for coffee on the highway and a van pulled up and issued us a 120 euro fine. Now I'm wondering if I should have played dumb American but Jeff made a good point, they might have charged us more. It's hard to hate Austria when it's so stinking beautiful; it was like a scene out of the Hobbit. Snow capped mountains, little villages nestled in the hills... At one point we were driving through more
Mountains than over. It was glorious. I was pissed, but not for long. It's too fucking beautiful to be mad.

We arrived in Öblarn at about 3. Luckily the venue is right next to the hotel so we checked in and had a beer and relaxed. I had just driven another 3.5 hrs. Ich war fertig. The hotel is an old Gasthaus, the rooms are a little bit of a time warp (think Austria in the 70s) but are spacious and the clean. Very Austrian...

(Prost in Austria)
(peter in repose)

took a nap after that. A serious nap. A nap where u wake up and don't know where u are. The guys were kind enough to let me sleep it out. I got up at 6, showered and then walked over to the venue.

The room was really nice; an old 12th century brewery with state of the art sound system with a crew of cats who knew how to run it. Everyone was extremely hospitable. Quick sound check and then we walked back next door to our hotel for dinner. I had Beef Stroganoff, Em and Peter had steak, Jeff had a local veggie dish. Dinner was off the chain. I would've taken a pic but I was so hungry it was gone in minutes.

We hit around 820. The room had 50+ people. Super attentive and super appreciative. I felt good about the show: things are coming together. The new tunes sound great and we had fun.

After an encore of Bid You Goodnight we signed CDs for about 30 mins. Next door everyone was congregating at the bar attached to the venue. We rolled over and received a standing applause as we entered. After that, we mixed it with the locals. 

(Fans from the show)

There were tables of folks who where at the show so we meeted and greeted and shared some laughs. At some point Peter and I grabbed our guitars and then from then on out it was a sing along. The entire bar was singing and we literally closed the bar down. It was epic. We sang John Denver, Beatles, Eagles, whatever. One lady had a birthday, so we sang to her. Then a couple started yodeling. It was awesome! An amazing night of music and fun and laughs. Once all the patrons left, we played for the staff; Harold and Nora. It was awesome.

(Jeff, peter and Em having a moment)

(Peter and Emily having a moment)
(This is schnapps made from a specific pine tar. I'm bringing a bottle home. That's all I know...)

Tmrw we have a night off so we are gonna check out the neighborhood and roll into the mountains for a look see. But first, Looking forward to a solid night sleep! No alarm. Gute Nacht!



Friday, April 25, 2014

4/25/14 day 18: Schwandorf, Germany

Holy long day batman.

Hit breakfast at 930. Standard fare; bread, cheese, meats, yogurt, strong coffee. We hit the road at like 1030. We had a long drive (5+ hrs) ahead of us and we all wanted a little RnR before the gig.

Everything was cool until we got outside of Stuttgart. There was a big accident on the autonbahn. Literally, traffic stopped. A chopper landed on the highway to cart some poor folks to the hospital. There was a very serious three car accident. Traffic stopped for miles. We turned the car off and stretched our legs and had a dance party.

We didn't arrive in Schwandorf which is deep in Bavaria until 5:45. From the sliver we saw, it looks like a very nice town. There is a river through town, nice little Marktplatz with restaurants...

We checked into the hotel over the hill, dropped our bags and headed directly to the venue. Felsenkeller is an old limestone, beer storage cave. It's on the side of a mountain. Very cool. Very vibey.



We had a quick sound check, and then walked back down the hill to Schmidt Bräu for dinner. Emily had Cordon Bleu, peter had schnitzel, Jeff Käse tortellini, and I had pork chops in a mushroom cream sauce. We devoured our meal in 20 minutes and had to get back to the venue for an 8pm start.



80 people jammed into the venue and vibed out with us for over two hours. Highlights were an unplugged version of Printemps à Paris, the new tune Crumble, Here Comes the Sun, and Moving in Slow Motion.

Great night. Really special. I quickly forgot how tired I was once we started playing. Music heals and I believe it.

Afterwards we chatted w the patrons and signed CDs. A local cat from the paper was there and will be writing a review of the show. He bought all the records. I think we will get high marks.

Had a proper double encore. We finished 1000 Little Pieces and the folks didn't stop clapping. We sang Bid You and then walked out of the room. They kept it going until I got up and fired a solo acoustic Blackbird across their bows. It was great. Special moment.



Now bed. Oblarn Austria tmrw. Need rest.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

4/24/14 day 17: Solothurn, Switzerland

Not gonna lie, I had to peel myself out of bed for breakfast. After the gig, we ended up singing for hours in the restaurant after they closed. We played John Denver, Nirvana, Beatles... It was a little bit of a scene in the best way possible.

Made it to Solothurn by 2. Crashed in the hotel for an hour and made it to Altes Spitel by 5. Quick sound check and then dinner with the staff and the other band.

(Family style dinner including fried shrimp and calamari, bread, grilled chilled and lamb, and a potato quiche type situation, oh and wine)

(Giverny works in the club. She was there last year too. She rocks)

(Even the views from the bathroom are stunners)

We had an opening act who was awesome; Pink is the cats name. Stellar band, great songs... Like a Swiss Elvis Costello. The place was completely packed. It was an amazing show. We had Oliver, the guitar player for Pinks bad sit in on Ghosts. Great vibes. 

We love it here. Chris, Eva, Giverny, Martin all take great care of us. Wish we could stay longer!

(70 people in Alte Spital feels like msg; such a great night. Pink Pedrazzi Band)
(TSR set)

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

4/23/14 day 16: Herrenberg, Germany

Show day! Up for breakfast and one last rehearsal.

I napped in the afternoon to refuel the tank for the show while the others wandered. 



Met at 445 in the lobby and walked a couple blocks to the venue. It's a beautiful old church converted into a restaurant and venue. Family owned. Really amazing attention to detail; from the light fixtures to the sound system.


They served an amazing dinner at the restaurant too. Thai Chicken Curry and a an amazing desert. Half baked chocolate cake and coffee ice cream.


Had a great show. Felt really juicy and comfortable. Had a great acappella encore and signed CDs for an hour after. Once everyone had left we had an intimate sing along w Johannes the owner and his friends.  Cheers to a great night!



4/22/14 day 15: Herrenberg, Germany

Up at 9 for breakfast today. The spread was pretty legit; had the standard rolls, cold cuts, granola, yogurt.. But with some really nice breads, cheeses, and a juicer. Had a tall glass of fresh OJ to kick start the day, it tasted amazing. I do miss eating fresh veggies and fruits on tour. Met Emily and peter in the restaurant and Jeff arrived shortly thereafter. I discreetly made a couple sandwiches for lunch (they don't like it when u leave with food) and stashed them in my jacket for later.

Rehearsal from 11-1 in peter and Emily's room. We targeted 20 tunes for the tour so we have our work cut out for us. We are doing mainly tSR tunes, but also some of my new tunes (including the brand new tune I started in Skals) and a couple new covers. It's all sounding really good. Jeff and peter are pros.

At lunch Jeff and I took a walk up the hill to the old castle ruins.  Amazing views over orange roofs, across yellow fields, all under a deep blue sky. 



Walked down the hill to the Marktplatz and had a couple afternoon beers in the sun.  



Back to the hotel for a 5pm rehearsal.  Stopped at 715 and we all headed out for dinner. Stopped for a really good (and cheap) döner and then walked around town looking for some activity. Found none, so we headed to the one spot we know, the Italian restaurant in the main square.



After that we went back to the hotel and sat outside and had a drink and chatted. I introduced everyone to Obstle, schnapps from the region, peter and Emily told stories of their three month long trip around the world, and just hung out. It was a nice night, but we still had the heaters turned on.

Night before tour start is exciting. Nothing to do, and spirits are high. We have very high expectations for this one. We are bringing the heat. Taking no prisoners. Dropping the goodness. Etc.

More tmrw. Nacht.

Monday, April 21, 2014

4/21/14 day 14: Herrenberg, Germany

Woke up to a beautiful sunny day in Frankfurt. I was a little hesitant to go to breakfast at the hostel because I wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, but Emily sussed it out and said the coast was clear, so I rolled up and joined them for rolls, coffee, and yogurt.



We put our stuff in storage and went for a little walk around town. The weather was super nice. We walked through the innenstadt and down to the river and then back along the river towards the hostel. We hit the road about 12. I was relieved the car was still there in one piece.

We got to the airport and returned my first rental car. The bill was pretty outrageous and it's because they added on the insurance even though I had cancelled it on the reservation. I'm gonna write them an email... Its almost double what I thought it was going to be. It's only money, but still, it's the principal.

We got the next rental car situated (Volkswagen Touran) and sat and waited for Jeff to arrive.  He was due around 130 and we had picked the Sixt rental booth in terminal two as our meeting place. He rolled up, we hugged it out, and then hit the road for Herrenberg. We were on the road for a while, about 3.5 hours. Traffic was pretty bad and there is crazy construction especially on A8 outside of Stuttgart. 

Herrenberg is a really quiant little town. Looking forward to checking it out tmrw. Beautiful old buildings at the base of a little hill. Really well preserved Innenstadt.

We got to the hotel, got our rooms situated, and decided to do some rehearsing. Everything is sounding good. We are adding some new tunes to the repertoire (including Takes Time and some of the new solo album) which is always fun.

After that we went to dinner at a little Italian restaurant on the Marktplatz and toasted the start of the tour.  We were all a little frazzled and hungry, especially Jeff. He's had a super long day of travel. The town was empty tonight. There were a couple kids playing soccer in the center square, but that was really it. Ghost town. Everyone is on Easter vacation I think.

We got back to the hotel and peter and Emily bust out some hassle nut grappa they got in Croatia, so we sat around for a taste before bed. Looking forward to tmrw and getting the tour started!

For some reason, I can't my phone to connect to the internet here at the hotel so unfortunately I can't upload pics. Check back for additions.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

4/20/14 day 13: Frankfurt, Germany

Another beautiful day in Walksfelde. Awoke to sunshine and coffee. Spent an hour or so getting cleaned up from the awesome show last night and then hit the road to Frankfurt. I took my time, stopping for cappuccinos and stretching the legs. It was about 6 hours all told.
Walksfelde>Frankfurt.

(Walksfelde)
(On the road to Frankfurt)

Rolled into Frankfurt around 7. Miraculously found a parking spot on the street and walked over to the hostel where peter and Emily are. It's right by the hauptbahnhof/red light district; an interesting part of town to say the least. Poached wifi in the lobby of the hostel and got an email from peter with their room number so I knocked on the door and was greeted by Peter Day himself! Holy cow! Our paths cross! So great to see Emily and Peter... 

We got caught up over dinner and beers and now it's time to crash. They've been traveling for months through Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Croatia, Italy...so I am looking forward to hearing more stories of thier travels. The Days!! So stoked.

Another long day tmrw; return rental car, pick up Jeff, pick up new rental car, start tour, take over Europe... One sweet melody at a time. 

(Prost)

Night y'all.

4/19/14 day 12: Walksfelde, Germany

Beautiful day today. Woke up to sunshine and chirping birds. The trees are bluming and the fields of flax are yellow, yellow. Blue skies, yellow fields, rolling hills, wind mills in the distance. It's so peaceful out here.

Had a quick breakfast with Sancho and then we spent the afternoon getting Die Alte Schmiede cleaned up and ready for the show. The house is split up into basically three living areas all with separate entrances. Sancho lives up top, then there is the musician wing with separate kitchen and bathroom, and then the performance space; Alte Schmiede. It's all Sancho's home, but it really feels more like a little venue. There is a stage, nice sound system, lights, a little bar, seats about 30.



We got everything cleaned up, sound checked and then Sancho made paella for dinner. People started arriving around 715 and we weren't quite sure what the turn out was going to be with it being Easter. We were both a little surprised how quickly the room filled. There were only a few seats left when I started around 735. It felt great. Sounded great. It was a really great evening. There was a request for Sign Your Name so I had to tell the "Parchim Effect" story. A great night. Told everyone to come back in October for the tSR show.

Another great night in Walksfelde. Thanks to all who came out to support and especially Sancho for opening up his home to me for the last fee days. It will b sad to leave.


Friday, April 18, 2014

4/18/14 day 11: Walksfelde, DE

Had a gloriously relaxing day. I almost feel guilty........ almost. Slept in, had breakfast with Sancho, and then began work on a new tune I started in Skals a couple days ago. An idea for the chorus hit me on the drive to Walksfelde yesterday so I was eager to flush it out. "like ruins on a hill, you picked a beautiful place to crumble." I wasn't really sure what it meant, but I thought it was cool.

Felt nice to get those juices flowing again and have the time, space, and solitude I need to write.  Brewed up some coffee, grabbed a pen and paper and shut the door. If I got stuck, Id walk around outside.  I am so grateful to be in a zone (mentally and physcially) where I am comfortable writing again. I can't believe I allowed myself to be in a relationship that stifled that and made me feel guilty. Humans need to be able to express themselves, period. I mean, that's what makes us human. Man, that other shit was for the birds (pun intended).

Worked on the tune for a couple hours and then took a break and watched a DVD of Dylan's 30th anniversary show at MSG in '92. That was inspiring. I found myself watching and strumming along, copping guitar licks from Clapton and others. You guy should check it out. Sancho has the blue ray version which apparently has more footage than the regular DVD. You can peep a young Eddie Vedder, a freakishly skinny Johhny Winter, a super cranky Sinead, a super high Tom Petty, an extremely inspiring Richie Havens, and there is even a .04 second glimpse of a big haired Sheryl Crow singing back ups. Good stuff. Oh and Roger McGuinn of the Byrds played too and I was getting ideas and taking notes for Live from Laurel Canyon. I had no idea he worked at the Brill Building in the early 60s. See, i was still working!

At about 630, Sancho and I went to dinner at a killer Turkish joint in neighboring Mölln. Will someone please open a Turkish restaurant in Phoenix? What's the deal, yo?! I'd be there, like, a lot of times a week. Seriously. Help a brother out.... I need me some skewered meats!

Afterwards, we cruised home and 
Sancho whipped up some chips and homemade salsa and we watched Iron Man 3. Seriously, it's almost like I'm on vacation. Love it. I'm kind of itching to play tho. This new tune has got me a little fired up for the sweet, sweet rock and roll.

No pics today. No crazy adventures. No shenanigans. Didn't even have my phone on me. Hell, I almost didn't even shower this morning (but I did, so chill out). Just a good old fashioned day off (sort of). Writing songs is technically my job. And man, I love what I do.

Night, suckas!


Thursday, April 17, 2014

4/17/14 day 10: Walksfelde, Germany

Had a nice sleep in today. Not gonna lie. Set a late alarm, put on my white noise sound machine, and drifted into the ether in my little suite at the school. 

Called Peter at 11am, who arrived minutes later with a bounty from the baker. Fresh rolls and the precursor to the Pop Tart, Hindbaersnitte. It literally was a freshly baked, authentic Danish pop tart. But this one, as you can imagine, was the real deal. We raided the kitchen and set out a spread in the cafeteria and checked out videos of Peter's students at their recent gymnastics meet. This is a uniquely Danish thing; non-competitive tumbling and dancing for young Danes. It started like a 150 years ago, the Danes were tired of being rolled over by the Germans so they started this program to help unify and physically strengthen young Danes and foster some national pride. Now, there are regional meets with hundreds of Danes from around the country showing their skills, and Peter runs the program at Skals. It's pretty badass. It's kind of like color guard meets gymnastics. Anyway, I was impressed. I can see why it's a vital part of the modern day Danish curriculum. In the states where art and exercise are being cut from budgets, this country seems to have its priorities in the right place.

Left Skals at 4. Peter sent me on my way with, no shit, a full box of food for the road (including the huge bottle of Curry dressing from Bente, Tak Bente!!); a carafe of coffee, sandwich, waters, apple... I was drinking hot coffee as I rolled into Walksfelde 4 hours later. Thanks to all the staff and students at Skals Efterskole for welcoming me and especially Peter for his unending hospitality. We have some ideas in the works for next October. Skals, I'll see you soon.

Met up w my old friend and European physician Sancho Panzer at Alte Schmiede in Walksfelde at 830. Alte Schmiede is Sancho's 'country' house where he hosts house concerts. I've played here a number of times. This is my home base when I'm in Germany. Sancho is a big sweetheart with hospitality for days. It's not uncommon to spend 3 or 4 days here at a time.

Threw in a load of laundry and spent an hour unwinding with The Dukes of September on blue ray. It's a concert w Fagen, McDonald, and Skaggs. Good stuff. Check it out. Night y'all. So blessed...


4/16/14 day 9: Skals, DK

Slept a proper 9 hours last night! Forgot how that felt. Up at 730 for breakfast with all the kids. I opened the door to a bustling cafeteria full of eager Danish minds. However, I was showered, and dressed properly, and my toothbrush was nestled safely with my other toiletries in the bathroom...(see yesterday's post for clarification on this).

Had breakfast w Peter, my host with the most and teacher extraordinaire, and the students and then he took me on a tour of some of the other rooms on the property. We ended up at the music room where 6 students and Bent the music treacher were jamming tunes. They rocked a contemporary Danish tune and when I was leaving they start shedding Fix You by Coldplay. I was impressed. These kids had the rock n roll spirit at 9 am!

Took an hour before lunch to start to think about how I wanted to approach the show and started tumbling into a new song. It doesn't have words yet, but some nice melodies and a chorus. For now it's called "Skals, DK." Made no progress on plan of attack for the show. Oh well.

Lunch with Peter and the students; potatoes with some sort of white sauce, baked salmon, salad. Super clean. Super healthy. So, as the last day before the Easter break, the kids have a HUGE party planned for the evening at the school. Parents were the chaperones. I immediately called bullshit. I couldn't believe that the kids would willingly plan a party with their parents as chaperones. But it's true and here's why... Peter explained that the position of the school is create mature adults ready for university and as such, it's important that these kids, in a sense, learn how to behave and, well, drink.... Drink? Yeah. At this school function, with 120 fifteen to seventeen year olds, beer was going to provided, even served by the parents. Mind. Blown. Everybody at the school, teachers and students, were open about how it was gonna be a blow out and I was like, wait up, everyone is cool with this?? Everyone is cool with this, man. I'm impressed. These Danes got it right. Let kids be kids. Help control the environment and their safety and that's it. Let them be idiots WHILE THEY ARE KIDS and when they grow up and mature, they'll b cool. I just think it's super progressive and just right. Can you imagine this happening in an American high school?! The teachers would be thrown in jail! These Danes... So progressive.

1:00 pm Skals, DK. The auditorium fills up with 120 students who quietly take their seats and stare at me. That's 240 eye balls, people. Danish eye balls, so they are piercing yet kind and 88.9% blue... "Hi, I'm Brian. I'm a touring musician/songwriter. I live in Phx, AZ..." Snap your fingers.  

2 pm Skals, DK. It was like that scene in Old School. Will Ferrell. Debate club. Blackout. He comes to... You know what I'm talking about. 

The show was cool. I kept it engaging and interactive (id like to think so, at least) I did music trivia with them, like "name all the Beatles," and I'd hand out a free CD. The kids would clap and cheer their classmate. I talked about my journey as a writer, my background, played my songs, played songs that they could sing along to to keep them present... I thought it was a huge success. The hour just flew by. It was fun as hell for me. Even had some friends come all the way from Aarhus to listen. Thanks Ulla!

After the show, they took a little break, more snacks and coffee, and then all reassembled in the auditorium for more singing. The students sang a bunch of tunes; some I'd never heard of "the streets of London" and some I knew "viva la vida" and the "I would walk 500 miles" song. Anway, it was a trip. These kids love singing.


All the singing wrapped up by 3. The kids have the rest of the week off so they split. I reconvened with the staff in the teachers lounge and they had wheeled in some carts with yet more snacks and drinks, but this time, the adult kind. It was go time. The kids were gone so the staff was kicking back.

There is a tradition at the school where all the staff hops on a bus and visits all the houses of the staff that don't live in Skals. There are about 8 folks that live around the area and the bus follows a one hour schedule where they drive around and visit the families of said staff and we snak on various things. I asked Peter how often they do this sort of thing; staff events. He said, well one trip for all the folks that live outside of Skals, one for all the folks that live in town... And don't forgot the summer and Christmas party... I laughed. We loaded the bus with beers and chips and off we went. We literally spent the next 10 hours (no shit, we got back to the school at like 1am) visiting he families of the staff. We'd roll past old Viking burial mounds, rolling hills, little villages, find the house, pull up, snack and drink, and then exactly one hour later we'd all load on to the bus and hit the next house. It was a riot. 

(Staff: L to R, Ole, Bent, Peter, 3/4 me on the party bus)

One house prepared potato soup, the next cheese and bread, the next pizza (and get this, they had a "shawarma pizza" which led to a lively debate, me being a professional and all). We ate green cake here, fresh fruit and coffee there. We ended up at an old remodeled farm house and played some dice game and ate red sausages.

(Staff L to R: Tina, Peter, Lars)

(Snack attack Danish style: red sausage w Ketchup, mustard, pickles, fried onions, fresh onion... Perfection)

I was so honored to have been included. I felt like I was apart of something so authentically Danish and had an opportunity to get to know so many of the amazing teachers and see how they live. I felt so welcomed. It was really a highlight of my trip so far. I gotta thank my host Peter for including me. It was so much fun! Thank you brother!

There was a brief jam session in the teachers lounge at the end of hour X as is sometimes the case after such excursions. A long but super fulfilling day. I feel like I am forgetting a ton of the details, so much happened, this might be an evolving blog post. But this gets it over for now. Tak fo i aften my friends.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

4/15/14 day 8: Herning>Skals, DK

Woke up to a cloudless Danish sky. This country is so beautiful with sunny weather. I have to figure out a way to be here in the Summer.  Wait... A spring tour, fall tour, AND summer tour? Yup, that sounds good.

Lazy day. Had coffee with Drake and Sarah at their friends new cafe/art gallery/wine store/performance space/place across the street and then walked around downtown and popped in some of the shops occasionally picking up perfectly ergonomic kitchen knick knacks wondering how you ever lived this long without it in YOUR kitchen. We walked on the sunny side of the street for an hour or so and decided to try Hernings best shawarma. And it was good. Really good. The meat was a touch dry actually. It had good flavor though, nice spicyness, a nice amount of yogurt sauce. Nice warm pita.

I'm kind of a shawarma expert. I've eaten it all around this beautiful globe (read: Western Europe) from Nordkap to Naples, Paris to Prague and all points in between. I've eaten it at noon, 6pm, and 3am. I like it hot and spicy.  I like all it's incarnations: döner, durum, kebab... Basically, if meat is rotating on a spit, I'm in. You can use a long serrated knife to trim off the meat, a small hand-held electric meat shaver, or a hedge trimmer (which I've actually seen). I don't care. You pack that meat down the middle of a pita, you sprinkle in some lettuce, tomato, onions, you squirt some sauces and spices in there, you roll that sucker up, and then u wrap it so impenetrably tight in tin foil you need an engineering degree to eat it.  Yeah, that's my jam. That's what I'M talking about.

If you like, I'll come to your town and eat your shawarma. I'll tell u if it's good or not. I won't charge you much, but I will need appropriate compensation as well as a detailed "hospitality" rider which includes, among other things, a functioning bicycle with a beverage holder and a front basket for storage, 2/3 cold beverages, one folded red and white checkered picnic blanket (it can be placed in the basket), along w one unscented tapered candle, one candle stick (preferably silver), one box of matches, a small travel box of baby wipes, and two tooth picks. I will come to your little European town, snack on your shawarma, and rate it either platinum, gold, silver, or bronze/street meat. Once the rating has been decreed, my work is done. I go home. 

Call me if you are interested in that.

Anywho....

Made it to Skals in one piece. The two lane "highway" to Viborg (Skals is outside of Viborg) was closed. No detour signs. No kind Danish man to help confused motorists. Just blocked off. Without so much as a "we apologize for the inconvenience, but we are replacing this road so future Danes will enjoy a smooth ride to Viborg." I had to dig deep and tap into my at times uncanny driving intuitions to guide me through miles of farm lands before popping back on the road to Viborg a little further down the line behind the construction. Let's put it this way, when Spider Man feels a weird tingle, he calls it his Briany Sense. I also had my trusty GPS. Which helped in a way. I ONLY looked at it when it told me to turn.

So I am performing a show tmrw at the Skals Efterskole here in Skals, Denmark. It's for smart Danish kids. They mainly focus on academics but there is a small music program and a killer little, fully loaded band room actually. Do you know any smart Danish kids? Maybe they go here! Check it oot, see what it's all aboot: www.skals-Efterskole.dk. And those aren't typos, that was me speaking Canadian. I'll be performing for an hour in front of about 125 students. If they ask for Bieber, I'm leaving. Ha. No I won't. But I will cry.

I was greeted at the school by Binte, one of the top ten sweetest people in DK at the time of this blog post. She runs the kitchen. She had prepared a dinner for me and had it wrapped in plastic wrap waiting for me to arrive. She took me on a thorough tour of the campus. She gave me her iPad because I was having issues getting the wifi. And she made sure I was settled before she took off. A super sweetheart.

I'm literally the only person on campus right now. I have my own little suite off the main cafeteria. All the students and faculty are at, what I can so far ascertain as some sort of gymnastics meet? I'll get the low down and report back, don't worry. They won't be back until late tonight so I figure I can do one or all of a couple things: run around the main building like I'm starring in a one-man Danish version of Breakfast Club, which I think translates to Frokøst Klub. I can break into one of the dorms and remove all the door handles, dip them in super glue, and then reattach them (where can I find an industrial sized tube of super glue in Denmark at 8pm though?). I might just call it a night and get to bed early for once. I should probably get to work writing my insanity plea speech for when tomorrow at 730 AM, I walk out of my suite into a bustling cafeteria full of eager minds wearing just my boxers, holding a tooth brush and start accusing students of stealing my tooth paste.

Monday, April 14, 2014

4/14/14 day 7: Engelsholm>Herning

Up at 8 this morning for breakfast and morning assembly with the students. Musli and yogurt and a cup of black coffee to start the engines. Every morning the students gather for a group song and then a presentation of some sort. We sang a Danish tune and then the photography teacher gave a short presentation on landscape photography. Chris and I had on wireless headphones and in the back of the room, one of the students was translating to English. Said goodbye to the students, thanked the principal profusely for his hospitality and then hugged it out w Chris. The tour could end now and I would be totally cool with it. (However, I am SO looking forward to these upcoming weeks! My life is pretty awesome). Chris was a great tour partner. His stories alone were worth the price of admission. Great attitude, a kind heart and an overflowing good soul. Really look forward to connecting with him again in NYC or another DK tour.


My original plan was to head to Copenhagen and scope the scene but decided to spend the night in Herning with my buddies Sarah and Drake instead. As much as I love Copenhagen, it was hard for me to justify the drive and the expense. There is a toll bridge to get to CPH and round trip it costs like $100 not to mention CPH is one of the most expensive cities I've ever been to. I hope to get there in October though and add it to the tour schedule. Many thanks to my friend Nanna for offering to host me!

Had a much needed quiet afternoon in Herning. Weather was windy and brisk but walked the outdoor pedestrian shopping area and found a cappuccino and some wifi. Rocked some Chinese food for dinner and then had a super fun night talking music and clowning around with Drake and Sarah.  They showed me around some of thier favorite spots and we ended up grabbing a beer at a locals bar where we met some really nice folks who loved testing out their English. We played "Two Princes" on the juke box in Chris' honor and called it a night.

4/13/14 day 6: Ebeltoft>Engelsholm

Missed breakfast by 15 minutes today. Who stops serving food at 9:15? The Danes... (Squints eyes and clenches fist).


Chris and I agreed to visit the town a little (and find lunch, he missed breakfast too) before hitting the road. He has graciously invited me Engelsholm tonight where he is doing a concert. Engelsholm is a art school housed in a castle. It's gonna be sweet.

Walked around downtown Ebeltoft and found a little cafe for a coffee and panini. Ordering food is still a little bit of a gamble. I think I just ordered a tuna melt panini sandwich with ementhaler cheese but I won't be surprised if something else is delivered, like, a fried egg and a slab of pickled herring. I think "med ost" means "with cheese" but it could be "add herring." U just gotta roll w it. (Ps. I did get my tuna panini.... Success!)



The weather in Ebeltoft literally changes by the minute. Sunny, blue sky, then a front blows in and it rains for 7 minutes, cold and windy, sun, rain, sun, windy, rain. It rains just enough to moisten the cobblestone then the sun dries them.

During one of the rainier spats of our expedition we decided to check out the tall ship dry docked by the water. I need to check out the pamphlet and read up on its importance... It's an authentic war ship from the 19th century. That's all I know at the moment.


These photos were taken like 10 minutes apart. See what I mean about the weather? Anyway, this shot is in honor of all the Danish Barrelmen...


After Ebeltoft we headed to Engelsholm. It was like in a fairy tale. The castles it's upon a lake, surrounded by a moat and is a school for the arts. I spent ten minutes on the grounds and I wished I had went to school here. I can't imagine my life if I went to a school that supported the arts in this way. I would have been in heaven! Drake and Sarah, Chris's friends, and now my friends, rolled up for the show. Tonight a couple of the songwriter teachers here at the school (including Chris) did a songwriter in the round type event. So it was two Danes and an American. One Dane writes tunes like Johnny Cash and the other a cross between like Radiohead and Rufus Wainright. All singing in English.

Afterwards there was a little songwriter jam session w some of the students and a couple of the teachers. We just passed the guitar around the table for hours. It was totally inspiring. I loved it. I want to coach songwriting to younger players. A student, Astrid, wanted to learn my song "Morning Sun". I've never analyzed the technique of the song. You start to realize how unique everyone's playing is. It felt amazing teaching a young guitar player how to play it.  Anyway, an inspiring night. Full of laughs and fun. So thankful Chris invited me along. I chatted with the principal about coming back in October. This is going to become a regular stop or me, for sure!