We had a bit of time off in August - played a rainy brief set at Antelope Butte ski area - does anyone have a video they can share? - Julie and Dave got married and went backpacking, Taylor broke rock at the quarry and convinced his family to ride out the storm with us up on the mountain after the Antelope Butte show and Fred has pretty much become our salsa making aficionado — yes, fall is once again upon us. Snow did fall lightly on the highest peaks at the end of August. We have shows planned. Today at home in Sheridan at Black Tooth Brewing Co., 7-9pm - even as the pandemic surges locally - we try to remain optimistic. We're all vaccinated, we wear our masks and encourage others to do the same in crowded public places. Big shows are still happening at places like Red Rocks with vaccination requirements. And while our hospitals are full, they are over 90% unvaccinated people. Last year we felt the need to lead by example - by not encouraging gatherings - even in our small rural community - we didn't let anyone into our house for over a year - since there were no tools (other than masks) to avoid the spread of this virus. But now that we have very effective vaccines to prevent serious disease from this virus, we're hoping we can keep playing. Keep doing what we love, so long as it's safe. These are unsettling times. Difficult times. The weird have gotten so much weirder and the loud so much louder, but we still believe truth, honesty and compassion silently reign supreme.
So we're headed out on the road. We've got some great shows to play coming up. New towns, new states even. So we're really excited. The details are on the tour page. Something we've learned from the past year and a half is to live by the now - take the moment and appreciate it fully - acknowledging that we have no idea what tomorrow brings, quite literally. Time with family and good friends is paramount. Time to cultivate the home place is priority. And - yes - writing and performing music - both old and brand new - will be the fire that keeps this engine going. There is a balance and this pandemic has taught us balance. It has also made our music better and we can't wait to share that with you all this fall.
Peace.
