Tales from the Side Roads: Oxford, MS & Little Rock, AR
Welcome to Tales from the Side Roads; a new blog series dedicated to encapsulating life on the road.
Side roads provide a different view - often times more beautiful. I’ve found myself on many side roads to solve problems… I’m the self-proclaimed Queen of side steppin’. Life requires constant pivoting. Sometimes you have to take a side road to miss the heavy traffic of a mundane life.
You’ve officially taken a side road. Welcome! This ain’t your momma’s blog.
Well, I’ll start by saying this… Wednesday was magical, in every sense of the word.
We kicked off the tour in Oxford, Mississippi. Oxford is the county seat of Lafayette County… which is known to be the inspiration behind William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County. Oxford was burned to the ground in 1864 by Union troops. The town square and courthouse fell victim to the flames ordered by Gen. Andrew Jackson Smith. The heaviness of history lives here. It still lingers in the air within places like this.
I keep thinking about full circle moments lately… and this sure seems like one. When I was writing The Hurt, I found myself being led to places like this - constantly. Places and side roads that remind us of our nation’s greatest trauma, the American Civil War. Those moments and experiences (that I believe were led by my ancestors) seem like a lifetime ago, and they were. Although so much time has passed, here we are again.
Indescribable major transitions and cosmic shifts have been happening in my life lately… but yet, I find myself being lead to familiar and pivotal places. There is such beauty within that thought.
Back to the magical part of this story…
We kicked off the tour in Oxford, MS at a venue called Proud Larry’s. What a cool spot! So many iconic artists have graced this stage… Sunny Sweeney, Bob Weir, Warren Zevon, Dick Dale, Béla Fleck, Jason Isbell, John Mayer, and Elvis Costello (just to name a few). Everyone in this band is really on the same frequency… that’s such a beautiful thing. Positive attitude, beautiful vibes, incredible music, and truly great company. What more could a bass player ask for? OH, an amazing drummer… that’s always the other thing we ask for! I’m so happy to have Brandon Barnes behind the kit. I always am. It seems to happen a lot - and for damn good reason!
I’m also thankful for Brandon’s road-approved coffee setup! Check this shit out.
Shout-out to drunk Larry for counting off songs, bird doggin’ Harley, making himself at home at the merch table, and attempting to kiss Erin Enderlin right on the mouth.
“Shoot your shot, Larry.” - Harley Husbands
Last night we played in Little Rock, AR at Stickyz (rock ‘n’ roll chicken shack)… and damn, what a time. Some of my favorite moments from yesterday -
Erin almost ran over my suitcase (Dukes of Hazard style). Just kidding, that didn’t happen - but it would have made for a great story.
While I was in the ladies restroom doin’ my business, a woman standing directly outside of my stall spoke to me - saying something like “excuse me, ma'am, is there a Sunny Sweeney show poster hanging in your stall? Unfortunately, there wasn’t. She was really jonesin’ for a damn Sunny Sweeney poster. Also, a few more notes on this… she had no idea I was Sunny’s bass player, and I thought it was Erin messin’ with me the whole time! Yes, that actually did happen… you can’t make this stuff up.
Our soundman Maestro was awesome… totally old-school (which I love).
In all seriousness, if y’all don’t know who Erin Enderlin is… wise up! She’s a beyond incredible songwriter, performer, and human. We had quite the bonding experience on the Country Music Cruise earlier this year.
Here are a handful of pictures from last night.
My goal is to blog on the regular - throughout this tour (and beyond). I want to provide a view from a different lens, if you will.
I’ll leave you with a clip of “Poet’s Prayer” LIVE from Oxford, MS (7.6.22).
See you down the road!
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A