1/22/18 FASCINATION SECOND LEG - PART 3
1/22/18 FASCINATION SECOND LEG - PART 3
I'm writing this in a coffee shop in Savannah, GA. Funny, this is starting to become an office spot for me... every time we drive down 95, we stop here, park the van, disperse for a few hours, and walk underneath trees draped in Spanish moss.
It's been a bit since I've updated you again. As we moved further south, we shed our jackets, then our sweatshirts, and now I'm finally down to flip flops and running shorts. Why, why, why, do I still call my home in a wintry climate. Might finally be time to convince Merch Girl Amanda and our kitties to relocate. (Friends, we're taking bids in your wonderful southern cities - basic requirements are great weather, an affordable cost of living, and a decent arts and music scene).
We played one of our favorite spots - 5th Wall Productions in Charleston, SC, as well as a quick midday set at The Vinyl Countdown. Charleston is the only city that gets acoustic Lonesome on the regular! Our good friends Jason Olson and Blair Cadden run a small theatre that runs unique plays. It's such a cool spot - and one that usually ends with us stumbling around The Recovery Room after, with friends (Tim Falvey, Kat Wensel, Chase Priest, and this time new friend, Kat #2!). The following morning, after a solid four hour of sleep, we were woken up to our Charleston tradition of shrimp and grits, ala chef Jason.
And then, we were on to Jacksonville. We had a killer show - definitely worth a writeup of its own. But something more unique happened, that I would rather borrow your set of eyes for. I was talking to Charlie Shuck before his set about various things, indie music, the #metoo movement, gentrification, the local culture...
When the topic of conversation switched too Jacksonville's downtown, he mentioned that the city had a homeless problem, but that the people were really nice - he knows a lot of them by name, and takes care of them when he can. The kindness in that sentiment struck a chord with me, especially after passing through Baltimore.
The following day, we headed down to the beach to watch the Patriots - Jaguars game by the beach, at the recommendation of the Kerins family (good friends, who graciously put us up, fed us, hopped us up on caffeine, and sent us back out on the road showered and with fresh laundry). There was not much time before the game, so I ran over to McDonald's to grab something quick. There was a man lying down on the sidewalk, using his backpack as a pillow. I was walking by (like I usually do) when a woman came out, tapped him on the shoulder, and pulled out a bottle of water for him. They exchanged a few words, and he asked her for some money. She graciously opened her wallet, and pulled out a $20 bill.
Jax, stay kind, stay cool. We'll see you down the road.