Germany Installment #3 - Cologne

The weekend after the first English camp, we had a free afternoon, so the folks at Neues Leben took us on a day trip to Cologne (on German maps it is Köln). It was lots of fun. We toured the cathedral, which is one of the oldest in Europe, climbed to the top and had time to wander around on our own. Bex wandered around with me and we managed to fit in part of a mass at St. Mary's which was really beautiful. Other highlights were hanging out in the plaza listening to musicians (one guy brought a piano and was playing it for tips) and being accosted by bachelor/bachelorette parties selling trinkets for money so they could go and get drunk.
After dinner of Duerner (Turkish kebab, known as a schwarma in Spain), which was very tasty, we wandered to a store in the Turkish part of town, through a gate and generally around the city. It was fun relaxing and fooling around - here we have Bex and James enjoying themselves in a grocery store, and Dave imagining himself as Samson. Then back by the train station and cathedral we watched the guy with the maracas going to town. Here he gesticulates to a Beatle's tune - can you guess which one?
All in all, a good day.  

Cornerstone Music Festival

I have been out of the loop for a few weeks, with good reason. I took some time off working for Math U See in order to go to Cornerstone Music Festival in Bushnell, Illinois this past week. The festival is run by Jesus People USA, an intentional community in Chicago that has been around since the early 70s. Last time I was there was in 2001 with the Wycliffe World Music Band as a roadie, and this time I just went to enjoy the festival. It was a blast!
I actually did end up playing at the Impromptu Stage to a crowd of 15 people, 8 of whom bought CDs (pretty good average since 5 of the people were friends who already had my CD), but the highlights for me were Stavesacre (back together after 6-8 years), Dave Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) and Rosie Thomas. Family Force 5, Anberlin, and Me Without You were pretty cool too. And Brian 'Head' Welch (former Korn rocker). I brought my video camera, but totally forgot to carry it around with me. I couldn't find the song I wanted on YouTube, but here's someone else's video of Dave Bazan's show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19oHHGfifgU
And in this video of Brother Red Squirrel's show you can see me dancing and clapping at 10 seconds with the black shirt on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW1103I46WU

Lancaster City

It's really good to be home. Last weekend was Music Friday in Lancaster, and my friends Katie Becker and Cliff Lewis each played a set of music with their bands at Building Character, a neat grass-roots venue with a really cool vibe that started up just at the beginning of the new year. It was tons of fun to simply hang out with people and not have to play music - just enjoy it.
After the concert a bunch of us went across the street to The Belvedere, where our friend Matthew Monticchio was playing jazz with a bassist and drummer up in the martini lounge. I brought my video camera along and managed to get some footage of them playing (and riffing off of) Duke Ellington's tune 'In a Sentimental Mood'. It was a great night and it's good to be back in community again.

Things I've Learned from Tour

For 68 days, beginning on March 2nd, I was on the road - driving down the east coast and around through the midwest (as far west as Tulsa, Oklahoma) up to Chicago and back through Ohio to good ol' PA. I kept a log of each day here on my blog (scroll down) and took video as well. Some days I got better video footage than others.
I traveled 6,347.3 miles, according to the mileage I wrote down on my receipts when I filled up my tank in whatever place I happened to be. Some other data from those receipts (for you data-gatherers): the average price of gas during those two months was $2 per gallon, my car used 181 gallons of fuel and I averaged 35 miles per gallon. Not bad for a 1985 Toyota Tercel.
So what did I learn from the experience? Here's a few bullet points:
1. The United States is a big place. I never TRULY realized this until I started driving around on my own - the land itself is incredibly varied. Soil and land/elevation differences cause flora and fauna to change as you go south from PA through the hills of VA to the clay soil of North and South Carolina to the sandy and more tropical Georgia and FL. Tennessee is halfway tropical and then Arkansas starts into the plains and open spaces, which is what Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and most of Ohio is like - only when I crossed back into PA did I start getting back into mountain areas.
2. GPS is the way to go. I have to say that for this trip it was awesome to have a GPS to navigate for me - took a lot of the guesswork out of getting from one place to another. You do have to keep your wits and an eye on the road though - it's not a perfect system and there's lots of change in names of roads, etc... that still happens in the US.
3. Originality was not a strong suit for many of the early settlers. Everywhere I went I kept finding names repeated - of towns, cities, roads, etc.. I guess settlers were more concerned about having a name than that the name be unique. It makes me realize that our value of uniqueness may be a rather recent phenomenon.
4. NJ drivers are not the only bad drivers. Wherever I went this was pretty similar - there are always a few people on the road who are either completely oblivious to what's going on around them, or they aren't paying attention. There were a couple pretty hairy spots that I managed to escape from intact simply because I was paying attention to other drivers who obviously weren't paying attention and maybe didn't even care that they almost caused an accident.
5. People are friendly wherever you go. This was definitely true in every place I stopped, even when I was the only white person around - be friendly and direct, and people will return the favor. Probably my favorite part of the trip was spending time with friends and family along the way - sleeping over, sharing meals, helping out around the house, building community. It makes me realize how important it is to stay interested in people and to invest in each others lives, and that community only exists (and can even exist on the road) when you invest in it.
All in all, the trip was a great experience. I got some really positive feedback, played about 25 shows, sold about 250 CDs (10 per show on average, though some places I sold a lot more and some I sold a lot less). The average crowd was 20 people, which means I sold CDs to about half the people that came to my shows. It was extremely encouraging to me as a musician to have that kind of response, and it makes me think that I'm writing and performing music that really connects with people, which is exactly where I want to be.

Vlog Day 66 - Jim's Coffeehouse, Elyria

My friend Brandon grew up here in Ohio, near Elyria (it's his family I've been staying with). He told me about the open mic at Jim's Coffeehouse, so I stopped by. His friend Dan Sams shared some poetry and I played some songs. There were some other good acts too. Brandon's girlfriend Katie also made an appearance. The coffee is excellent, btw.

Vlog Day 65 - Bob Holmes

I'm staying with some friends in Amherst who work for Math-U-See. We went to watch Bob Holmes play volleyball against a couple teams by himself. Then he gave an inspirational message and the gospel. Here's some shots from the event.

Vlog Day 64 - Polymers, Quaker Oats, Wonder Bread

Jonathan Crissman showed me around the University of Akron and the town after his shift at the library. They have the science building sponsored by Goodyear (polymers used in modern tires were developed here) and down the street is the old Quaker Oats plant that has been turned into a hotel and tourist town. Apparently they don't get a whole lot of tourists anymore.
On the way home for dinner, we stopped at the Wonder Bread outlet as well - they bake bread here in Akron and it smells pretty good. Jonathan's favorite is Pumpernickel. I have to admit it is pretty good.

Vlog Day 63 - Akron

I visited my friend Jonathan Crissman in Akron, where he's getting his master's degree in guitar performance from the University of Akron. We hung out, made some rice and beans and celebrated the coming of Cinco de Mayo. We're not Mexican, but we celebrate St. Patty's Day too, though we're not Irish.
Jonathan's a cool guy though. We went to college together, and besides his classical training and hymn arrangements, he recently released an album of folk tunes. He also is finishing up a project with Kendall Ludwig called Stories of Clockwork in which they both play the Appalachian Dulcimer. In a couple weeks they'll be on tour in the Northeast, so definitely check them out if they get out your way.

Vlog Day 61 - Lucha Libre, Moody Bible Institute

I took the elevated train in to Chicago city (the Loop) from Pilsen. Down below the track there was a block party going on, and Lucha Libre was just getting started. The Mexican version of WWF, part soap opera and part fight choreography, it would have been fun to see. However, I rode the train instead and met up with my friends Anna and Emma at Moody Bible Institute, where they're finishing up school.
They showed me around the campus, which is bigger than it looks, and took me through the tunnels and around and about. They seem to know everyone and kept introducing me to people as their friend from Ghana (we grew up as fellow MKs). There was a fair being put on by the student government for students and the community, so we partook of cotton candy and popcorn and watched people on the bungee swings. They mentioned they wanted to see 'Wolverine', the latest X-Men movie, and so we walked downtown to the theater to see it - a really good film, if you haven't seen it yet. I would review it, but this isn't the place. Or maybe it is and I'm just lazy. If you comment on this post, I'll review it. Afterwards, dinner was Go Roma, a great pizza/salad spot downtown.

Vlog Day 60 - Chicago

I drove to Chicago, from Gridley (the kids made me a really great card, so just for that I have to go back to see them at some point in the future) stopping in Peoria along the way to get an oil change at Firestone. It was probably good I stopped, because they also changed the battery, which was leaking acid. Ended up being a bit more expensive but not terrible, and now my car runs again like a dream.
In Chicago I'm staying with my cousin Carolyn, who lives on Peoria street in the Mexican part of the city. We had a great time catching up - visiting Kristoffer's Cafe (which has Tres Leche Cake - very good!) and generally hanging out. I haven't seen her in 4 years or so. I love reconnecting with people, which has been kind of a theme of the trip.
In the evening I played at Uncommon Ground in northern Chicago, opening for my friends Lucrezio. Jennifer and I went to college together, and they have a really great acoustic sound. I also got to see my friends Anna and Emma, whose parents were missionaries in Ghana as well. They go to Moody Bible Institute and kindly took some video for me. It was a really vibey place, but the sound was a bit hard to get used to. We (I and the sound guy) figured it out halfway through, fortunately, and ended strong.

Vlog Day 59 - Goat Fence

I helped Duane put up the goat fence today. It was pretty windy - I had to wear my knit cap to keep my ears from freezing. Beautiful day though. It's been rainy, but it hardly rained at all today. The goats will be coming next week - they're planning on milking them and making cheese.

Vlog Day 56 - Grandview

I wandered around Grandview, Missouri a bit today - had lunch with my friend Phil, visited IHOP's prayer room, which has teams that keep prayer and music going 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's pretty cool - you'd have to experience it for yourself. The facilities are a bit spread out within the town of Grandview (part of the sprawl that is Kansas City), but part of the land is located across the street from the Truman Farm, which is where President Harry Truman spent part of his life, learned to farm, and 'gained his common sense', according to his mother. I stopped at what is left of the farm and was able to take the cell-phone guided tour. Pretty interesting, and not super involved, which was nice.

Vlog Day 55 - IHOP Kansas City

I'm staying with my friends the Samuels south of Kansas City. They are part of the International House of Prayer, which is dedicated to praying for the nations and teaching the gifts of the Spirit to the younger generations. It is a really neat place full of people here to seek God and to learn from the scriptures. They had a guest speaker this Sunday, Bill Wiese, who shared his experience of a vision he received about hell. It was really interesting to hear about his vision, and to hear the scriptural references he found to back up the experience. He's a really good storyteller.
I went with the Samuels to their home group in the evening, and we sang some praise songs together, and I also played 'I Am Not A Thief'. It's a great community they are part of, and I was blessed to be able to spend time with all of them.

Vlog Day 54 - Lawrence Tornado

Today was a pretty chill day - I visited the Watkins museum briefly (did you know they made electric cars at the turn of the century? Milburn did, that is) and then spent most of it in Signs of Life Books (google search it, it's a cool place in Lawrence), and half the time they were playing my music. I spent the time editing video, writing a letter, and talking to people. I also wandered around the bookstore, which rose incredibly in my estimation when I discovered a Square Halo book on its shelves!
Square Halo Books is a publishing company that my friend Ned Bustard started (Ned helped design my album cover and does other great stuff through World's End Images) which publishes great books on art and music - look for a new book out soon, on the business of art/music.
After Rachel got off work, we decided to ignore the tornado warning sirens and walk to get something to eat, which was perhaps not the wisest move. As the storm clouds overtook us (with lightning and beginning to swirl ominously) we took shelter in Wheatfields, a local bakery/pastry shop, and ended up waiting out the storm with other customers in their pastry kitchen. I managed to document the event. Fortunately, the tornado didn't touch down in Lawrence, passing northeast through the city before developing into an actual tornado of swirling wind.
I left Lawrence around 9pm to drive to my friend's house in Kansas City, and the last couple shots in the video are me trying to document the incredible lightning show I received on my drive - miles away and safe enough to drive past. I tell ya - weather is no joke out here.

Vlog Day 53 - Signs of Life Books

My friend Rachel lives in Lawrence, Kansas, where she graduated from college, and she is friends with people that work at Signs of Life Books, a bookstore with lots of great books - both Christian and non - that has managed to become a center for the arts and music in Lawrence, combined with a gallery and coffeeshop - just a really cool place to hang out. They set me up with a show at the bookstore, so I arrived from Tulsa, rented the PA system at Mass Street Music, and played for Rachel, her friends, and others that stopped by. It was a great night. Afterwards we went to a friend's house and hung out around the campfire.

Vlog Day 51 - Jump Zone

I went to JumpZone with my nephews Jack and Charlie today and my brother Ben - Jack was the one running around and jumping on the huge air-filled playplaces and slides, so I just followed him and got worn out. It's a pretty sweet place though, available for parties for both small kids and big kids like myself. And since they had a membership I got to play for free! I added some of the canned music from FlipShare to the video below - adds to the cheesy enjoyment factor. Enjoy!

Maybe I should get one of those head-mounts for the FlipVideo...

Vlog Day 50 - Peel Mansion, Wal-Mart Museum and Steakburger

I visited the sights of Bentonville, Arkansas today - saw a really neat old house built by Colonel Sam Peel, who was a soldier in the confederacy before moving back to Arkansas and becoming a statesman. It was recently renovated with the help of Wal-Mart and is a pretty cool place. Some really pretty gardens and one of the oldest oaks in the area. The largest sycamore is now in pieces, and they have a giant ring from the trunk sitting against the house.
Sam Walton's original 5-10 has now been converted into the Wal-Mart Visitor's Center, which acts as a museum for the company and catalogs its growth from a small variety store to the incorporated international company that it is today. The museum is really interesting, and shows how Mr. Walton's company grew through a focus on people promoted and exemplified by the man himself - this guy was really committed to providing decent goods to people at the lowest price possible, yet his passion for this was combined with a care for the customer and the people that worked for him, as well as a sense of humor. He was not a person that was wrapped up in himself, and I think the world has benefited from his efforts, for the most part.
Right next to the museum is The Station Cafe, which claims to have the best steakburgers in Northwest Arkansas. I have to admit they are pretty good - as are their chocolate malts. All in all, a great day!

Vlog Day 49 - Friends & Harvey's Video

My friend Harvey Robinson just finished the excellent video he took of me performing in his kitchen, so I'm embedding it below. Harvey does really good work and has some good equipment. When I traveled through Greensboro, NC I got in touch with him and set up a time to visit his home, where he films. His work with Monkey Whale Productions is pretty incredible, and I hope you'll check it out.
Back to the tour, today we generally hung out around the house and I helped with some chores (like mowing the back yard). It's been really great to have some downtime with family here in Arkansas. In the evening we went to visit Franny's family nearby and I played some songs for them. Here's part of 'One Girl for Me' in their living room, and playing with their dog Molly and nephew Charlie.

Vlog Day 47 - ChickFil-A

My nephews are 3 and 1, and some of the cutest kids ever. We took them to the playplace at ChickFil-A and they had fun running around and climbing. I had also never eaten at ChickFil-A, so this was my first taste, and it was pretty dang good. For those of you that don't know, ChickFil-A is a restaurant in the south that uses cows as its spokes'people' to get people to eat more chicken. The chicken itself is REAALLY tasty.

Vlog Day 46 - World Garden

I drove the 8 hours from Nashville to Bentonville, Arkansas today - stopped in Memphis for lunch, which I discovered was not conducive to a streamlined drive. Did you know that on half the streets in Memphis (maybe more) you can't turn left? This means that turning left involves intense circumlocution and lots of extra time. But all's well that ends well.
In Bentonville I played at World Garden Salads, a new soup and salad place that just started last fall and has a really neat focus. Through their sales they provide funding for orphanages around the world - a seventh of what they make from their soup and salad bar goes to seven different orphanages, so when you eat there (and the food is really good) you are making a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of children who otherwise would not benefit. Their food is great and they roast their own coffee - which is also phenomenal.
Rick and Mark's vision is to provide a fair-trade network for coffee growers and farmers both locally and worldwide that also benefits those who normally go without. They want to extend their food and craft resources to many different countries by purchasing coffee, tea, and spices directly from farmers, and crafts directly from artisans or through other trade resources such as Ten Thousand Villages. It is a really unique idea and one that really is working and making sense. World Garden is now beginning to think of franchising. You can hear directly from Rick in the video below - pardon the excited girls in the background. =)