We possibly played the best gig of the tour Wednesday night in Athens, Ohio. Athens is home to Ohio University, not to be confused with Ohio State University, which was thankfully still in session. This was only our second appearance at Jackie O's brewery, but we played the main stage this time in front of a very large and receptive audience. Energy from the crowd was converted into energy for our performance, tightening the sound of the songs and the entire set.
Opening for us were two members of the band 'Duke Junior and the Smokey Boots', a local vintage country/rockabilly act. Kyle played a hollow body electric guitar filling in backing vocals while Jill carried the lead while playing rhythm acoustic guitar. Without bass or drums, their sound was rather limited to the softer side, but Jill's relaxed alto voice and Kyle's superior guitar skills gave each song a unique character that avoided the monotonous plateau that similar acts usually fall victim to. Kyle and Jess's sound begged comparison to the Zoe Daschenal's soulless, boring music project 'She and Him' which they easily out-rivaled. It was a pleasure to listen to and to watch. To top it off, they graciously offered us a place to stay at the end of the night. Thank you to Kyle and Jess for everything.
Brennan's Cafe satisfied my hunger just hours before the gig with a delicious Turkey Gobbler deluxe sandwich packed with fresh vegetables on a multi-grain baguette. The sandwich was accompanied by a tomato based Alphabet Vegetable soup and some hand-made strawberry yogurt. Oh, and of course, a full mug of flavored house coffee.
But my favorite drink of the night was the Dark Horse Smoked Stout on draft at Jackie O's. Dark Horse makes some of the best tasting beer in the nation right out of Marshall, Michigan and the Smoked Stout was no exception. I see many return visits to Athens. All in all, a great day.
(Picture 2 – 'Duke Junior' with mood lighting)
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| 'Duke Junior' with ambient mood lighting. |
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