Show #31: Kearney, NE

Kearney High School Auditorium
March 4, 2006

Piano du jour: 6’ Baldwin; out of tune in the lower range; very stiff action (ouch!) and it sounded like there was a blanket between the hammers and the strings

We had a short trip today – a mere hundred miles. So we didn’t leave until 11AM. We checked into our hotel. AmericInn’s are great, and we’re staying in them from here on out. Thanks, Jody. Road-weariness continues… several of us, me included, laid down for a short nap after we checked in, and ended up sleeping very hard for a few hours.

Tim had a challenging day today. He arrived at the venue to find that they had erected the huge band shell onstage. When he asked why it was there, he was told, “Well, you’re doing a concert, aren’t you?” Well, yes, kind of, but we can’t have that onstage. So load in was delayed while that was being taken down. So meanwhile, Tim had to clean the stage, which was filthy. And so the challenges continued. But he ended up working his usual magic with the lights, even making their wrinkled and torn scrim look pretty good. He works so hard and does such a great job… bravo, Tim!

Tonight’s spotlight is on... THE BAND!

I am so pleased, night after night, to be able to make music with three such fine, sensitive and passionate musicians.

Travis is traveling with an electric upright bass, which I guess kind of looks like a regular upright bass that underwent gastric bypass surgery.

The sound is quite good and the size makes it nice for touring. In the last eleven years, Travis has owned a staggering 70 basses: 2 uprights, 1 electric upright, 2 six-string, 15 five-string, 47 four-string, and 3 basses custom-built for him.

Patrick is traveling with a very special, rhinestone-encrusted instrument – a Morbidoni Chamber President.

Aldo Morbidoni, whose family used to be in the coffin-making business (hence the name), is considered the Stradivarius of accordion makers. This used to belong to Aldo himself, and was left to Patrick by one of Aldo’s students. At home, Patrick owns ten accordions, including one custom-built for him by a Bayou accordion maker out of indigenous Louisiana woods.

JenDeen, who usually makes her living playing everything from jazz and big band to metal, is traveling with one of her smaller drum kits.

But at home she has quite a collection: 80 cymbals, 67 drums, 15 electric drum pads, 8 snares, and 1 gong! She’s also a film star. Her former band, All the Pretty Horses, was the subject of the documentary, Venus in Mars.

After the show, most of us went to Old Chicago for some food and beer. It’s nice to be able to relax a bit when there’s no show the following day.

Wow… only two shows to go.

Miles traveled: 100
Hotel: AmericInn