ericcoleman: (Default)
I really should talk about the con ...

We got into the hotel around noon. Soundcheck was at 5 so we had some time to relax, we even got a nap in.

Sunnie came to the room and we ran bits of songs just to make sure we knew what we were doing. The rehearsal was superb and I had no doubts that the show would be as well.

Just before soundcheck Shawna asked us when we were going to head out, someone wanted to see us. I asked who ... she said "someone".

I knew immediatedly who it was. Katie MacDonald had listed herself as a maybe, but had not said that they were or were not coming.

We didn't get as much time hanging out with them as I would have liked, but we still got a lot. I suppose we have to go to a con on their side of the pond next.

I must rant for a brief moment ... I have a few favorite sound crews that I have worked with in fandom. Conflikt has one of the best. Cool toys too, you can run everything remotely from a tablet. Go on, start drooling gundo! Soundcheck was actually fun!

The show was great, Sunnie played like she had been a member of the band for a year, not just an hour. The response seemed to be great. People applauded, we sold CDs.

We watched CD Woodbury's show. I have to be a fan of anyone who covers Blue Oyster Cult (and not Reaper) and Screamin Jay Hawkins in one show. I have to be. He was great.

We didn't stay up for the circles. The train had messed with our sleep schedules pretty badly. We stopped at the con suite for some munchies and then went back and collapsed.

Saturday was spent running around. We went to breakfast with Steve and Katie and Shawna. After Steve, Lizzie and I went to GC. I'll let Lizzie talk about what she got there.

Lizzie and I were on a panel with Jeff and Maya and CD about forming a band.

Seeing as how Jeff and Maya were there, along with Cat and Bari and Steve and Katie, and Lizzie and I ... the solution is obvious. Find your perfect musical partner and marry them and write songs!

The rest of my day was spent listening to music and talking to lots of people. We went to dinner with Autumn and other folk ... yeah, that names thing ... Lizzie will fill this part in in comments (I hope).

The Bohnhoffs tore the place apart with their GOH set that evening. Astounding stuff. Some songs I hadn't heard them do live. They also had Betsy, Sunnie, Vixy and Dr Mary playing with them through much of the show. Jeff continues to astound me as a guitar player and Maya blows me away as a singer. One of the best shows I have ever seen at a con.

Circle that night was a little combative, but only a little. Kathy Mar stepped up and made sure that some of the quieter folks got heard. Two singers in a row, a young man and a young woman, were part of the highlights of the evening. Two amazing voices singing amazing songs acapella. I wish I had gotten their names.

We fell into bed around 2.

I went to Jeff's panel on alternate chord voicings. Wow, tons of new ideas in about 40 minutes.

We went to lunch with Dawn Marie and her fella.

We got back in time to get to sound check with Cat & Bari. We were substitute Unusual Suspects.

The song we helped out on, Wild Magic, IMNSHO, deserves a nod for best filk song.

It was really fun working with them and a great way to end the weekend. We took off right after and headed to the train station.

We sat and watched Puget Sound as the sun went down. We watched the scenery go by as best we could before we finally collapsed and went to bed.

We woke up in the mountains. It was getting toward dawn as we pulled into Whitefish MT. It is on an enormous lake and it is astoundingly beautiful.

Across the way in Glacier Park, was a huge lodge. As with so many things on this trip, I didn't see it in time to get a picture. We're taken very few this trip, mostly because we have been transfixed by the scenery. Just as well that Lizzie fallen asleep, there was a very high bridge that would have freaked her out.

We were back into the Montana scenery. Lovely, austere and quite snowy going this way.

Within an hour or so we were out of the snow. There were menacing looking clouds to the south and crystal clear skies above us and to the north. Taking the train is so much better than driving.

The rest of the ride back was quieter and less spectacular. We did go right through gundo's old neighborhood.

One more night trying to sleep on the train. We pulled into Minneapolis about an hour late, but that's ok. We retrieved our car from Celia's house and drove back home.

This has been the best time. In a lot of ways it was the honeymoon Lizzie and I hadn't gotten around to. It was also filled with great music.

Thank you everyone who made our trip wonderful, there were a lot of you.

I have to get back to Seattle again. Everything about it was amazing and I want to explore it more.

So far ...

Jan. 26th, 2013 01:20 am
ericcoleman: (Default)
1-24-2013

Montana is cold and starkly beautiful. Ridges pop up at random intervals. There are cattle all over, I saw what looked like wild horses an hour or so ago as well as a pack of what seemed to be some sort of deer.

The sleeping car attendant is Stanley. He is charming, smiles a lot and we realized sometime today, quite the fannish type. I would guess that he is in his 60s since he says that he is close to retirement. He loves comic books, anime and Brit TV shows.

One of the passengers and the attendant in the dining car bemoan "libruls" a lot, not to either of us so far. I'm staying out of it, this trip is for relaxation.

The room is tiny, as I said on FB slightly smaller than Groucho's stateroom in A Night At The Opera. I'm still looking for my hard boiled eggs. I think we will spring for the larger room on the way back, it's worth the money.

The sheets are rough, sleep last night was hard. I did wake up early and rested though. As the day goes along I get more tired, but I'm still ok.

The shower is a marvelous exercise in claustrophobia. The bathrooms are marginally better.

It's been amazing.

1-25-2013
We woke up before daylight and grabbed breakfast in the dining car. We ended up sitting across from the guy who hates "libruls", who was ranting about Obama when we sat down. Lizzie and I took control of the conversation and steered it well away from politics.

As breakfast ended we entered the Cascade Tunnel, all 7.8 miles of it. We came out of the tunnel to a wintery, mountainous fantasy world. The last two hours have been spent watching this amazing place go by. We're in the foothills now. I wonder how long I would have to live here for this to become ordinary to me. It is glorious.

Only about two more hours to go on this part of the adventure. Lizzie and I wrote two songs yesterday. The music I had written some time ago and the words she had written some time ago finally intersected. We will flesh these out during the weekend and the trip back. She also has some new words inspired by a view during the trip.

As before, it's been amazing.

Conflikt

Jan. 26th, 2013 01:18 am
ericcoleman: Cheshire Moon (Cheshire Moon)
What we played tonight ...

Daughter Of The Red
Out Of The Light
Village By The Sea
Disenchanted
Narrow Way
Widows Garden
A Song About Fog
If I Were The Rain
Stream of Consciousness
Lighthouse
Child Of Stars
Calvin's Girl
Critters

Special thanks to Sunnie Larsen for amazing fiddle and amazing vocals! And thank you to Autumn O'Leary for the amazing signing during the show!

And finally, there are a lot of good sound teams in fandom. There are a few brilliant sound teams. Tonight's was one of the best, thank you so much.
ericcoleman: Cheshire Moon (Cheshire Moon)
Lizzie and I have to get through work today. It will be tricky.

Tomorrow we are off to Minneapolis for the day, we plan on going to Willie's American Guitars, the search for a Mando for Lizzie continues (plus I get to spend a bit of time in that back room).

Then dinner with my evil twin, then a bit of time at my friend Celia's, who then gets the pleasure of driving us to the train station ...

the train station ...

We then take the train to Seattle. Yeah, 36 hours on the Empire Builder. Friday night we play a show at Conflikt. Lizzie and I are on a panel with Jeff & Maya Saturday about starting a band.

Sunday it's back to the train ... and another 36 or so hours.

It's going to be lovely.

Conflikt

Dec. 28th, 2012 08:58 pm
ericcoleman: Cheshire Moon (Cheshire Moon)
Lizzie and I will be going to Conflikt!

Cheshire Moon will be playing Friday night after opening ceremonies (I think). We will have a special guest fiddler for the show!

The part that is the most fun, we are driving up to Minneapolis earlier in the week and taking the train! 36 hours of travel through the North Dakota, Montana, a teensy bit of Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
ericcoleman: Cheshire Moon (Cheshire Moon)
We have shows coming up in the next two weeks here in Ames and a couple shows out of town in January.

This Thursday and next we will be at Ames British Foods from 4:30-7. This week will be all three of us, next week will be just Lizzie and I. There is a Facebook event here.

January 12 there will be a house concert at David & Erin's in Champaign. There is a Facebook event here. You do need to RSVP for that one. It will be a trio show.

January 25th we will be appearing at Conflikt, the Pacific NorthWest Filk Convention. We will have a special guest fiddler for that show.

We are working on getting more shows in the new year. If you know of a place that would be good for us or want to host a house concert, let us know!

A reminder

Dec. 3rd, 2012 08:08 am
ericcoleman: Cheshire Moon (Cheshire Moon)
We have shows coming up in the next two weeks here in Ames and a couple shows out of town in January.

This Thursday and next we will be at Ames British Foods from 4:30-7. This week will be all three of us, next week will be just Lizzie and I. There is a Facebook event here.

January 12 there will be a house concert at David & Erin's in Champaign. There is a Facebook event here. You do need to RSVP for that one. It will be a trio show.

January 25th we will be appearing at Conflikt, the Pacific NorthWest Filk Convention. We will have a special guest fiddler for that show.

We are working on getting more shows in the new year. If you know of a place that would be good for us or want to host a house concert, let us know!

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