Spent over $900 Thursday to fix the van. Nic and Eric drove it in to Firestone and had to walk back to Cathy's (Nic's aunt) house. The mechanic said that he couldn't believe we made it this far without crashing. It was apparently the trek up the West Virginia mountains that destroyed our front wheel bearings and rods (the source of the noise). If we had taken a high speed turn, the bearings potentially could have let go of the tire rod which means the front wheels could have fallen away as we were moving. Thankfully the problem is now fixed although the reality is sinking in that we are not going to make any money this tour at all.
After returning home from work, Cathy showed us around down-town Northampton, Massachusetts. Northampton reminded me of Traverse City, Saugatuk, and other west-coastal towns in Michigan with the liberal vibe of Ann Arbor. Home to the elite all girls Smith college, Northampton is also home to a bunch of outdoorsy independent stores, organic everything stores, open 'alternative' lifestyles, and one Starbucks. Essentially, what passes for normal here would be considered radical almost anywhere in the mid-west except for the dorms of college campuses. I love it.
Cathy treats all of us to a delicious meal at a local restaurant. My descriptions are not sufficient to describe the deliciousness of this sandwich if you could even call it a sandwich. Fresh fancy lettuce, long strips of goat cheese or Brie, sliced turkey, on this multi-grain bread with more vegetables baked inside. I probably have the description completely wrong but this sandwich was unbelievable and unlike anything I have ever eaten before. I also drank a cup of delicious tea with honey which helped to sooth my aching throat.
After lunch, Cathy drives us back to the Firestone to pick up the van in plenty of time to drive to our gig.
Apart from being in Lowell and very close to Boston, I can't remember the name of the venue where we played. Its a cozy neighborhood sports bar with TV's broadcasting the baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Redsox. Eric immediately makes 'frienemies' with the locals when he says he is a Tiger's fan. It's fun being in a place where people take sports very seriously but also have a sense of humor.
The gig turns out to be pretty cool. I am stuffed in a corner again, whacking my elbows against the wall, but the audience is digging the music.
The most entertaining portion of the evening however are the accents. It's like listening to 'Car Talk' with expletives laden after every other word. Even though we aren't in Boston, we are close enough that we could be shooting a deleted scene for 'The Fighter' or 'Good Will Hunting'. People actually talk like that here. 'Pawk the Caw. Cam Awn! Faak!' R's disappear from some words and magically reappear in others. The later the evening goes, the more defined the accents become. It is really a trip.
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| Some of the locals listening to our tunes. |
At the end of the night, Cathy (who drove 2 hours from Northampton to hear us play) gives us an extra tip to pay for a hotel room...because she is the best aunt in the world. Thank you Cathy for everything.
