26 shows in 31 days! Let’s do this! A whole month, you say? I don’t think I have enough clothes.
Midwest U.S.
We kicked off the tour in Chicago, which is one of my favorite cities to play. City Winery Chicago showed us a good time, and they even gave us our own bottle of wine!
Because Chicago was the first day of the tour, we got a massive shipment of merchandise. It was almost too much to fit in our vehicle! But we ended up with some cool items. Among other things, I got some t-shirts with a pretty rad-looking design.
Next was the Vox Concert Series in Marshfield, WI. While it seems like a random place for a tour to stop, it isn’t. I have played Marshfield probably 4 or 5 times. There is a guy named Brian who is very dedicated to bringing artists he likes to town, and he does a great job!
The next day we played in Milwaukee. This was a different type of show because Matthew Sweet was on the bill too. He had a full band. It was a decent night, but we had to head out early to drive after the show to Columbus. David Ryan Harris (DRH) and I both agree that waking up in the city you’re going to play in is preferable to driving all day and then playing. It’s amazing how much energy it takes to sit in a seat all day!
Columbus, OH ruled. That night, DRH let me use one of his secret weapons, the Shure Beta 91A mic. If you eq out the highs it turns your foot tapping into a bass drum. I played it for the rest of the tour.
I wish we could have played a second night in Columbus, but we had to get to the plains states of Iowa and Kansas.
While in Davenport, IA, I stopped by the Daytrotter offices to record a view songs live in the studio. It was a beautiful day.
Then we played The Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS! Here I am rocking the stage that night.
Let me just tell you, it was a long ride across Kansas from Lawrence to Denver, CO. Here’s the panoramic view from where I sat. Kansas is flat, Everybody! Really flat.
Denver & Texas
Colorado!! I haven’t played here in 5 years! What??? How does that happen? This time I played a venue called The Soiled Dove—fun fact: It was so named because the original location was formerly a brothel, and apparently “Soiled Dove” was a wild west term for “prostitute.” So there’s that. Ironically, this was a very classy place, and the perfect listening room for what I and DRH do.
What a lovely bunch of fans we had! At one point during my set, a woman yelled out “Further The Sky.” I hadn’t planned on playing it that night, but I said I would if she sang it with me. She said she wasn’t a singer but that she would give it a try. We brought the house down! It was a beautiful moment. Here’s a shot of the stage backdrop, and my setlist from that night.
Also, there was a beautiful rainbow outside of the venue before the show… just FYI.
Then we drove 16 hours from Denver to Houston. It was super boring, but scenic. And we listened to a lot of good music.
I was ready to write off Houston because I hadn’t had a good show there in a while. Well, I changed my mind after our show at McGonigels Mucky Duck (yes, that’s the name – two clubs back to back with dirty birds in their name. Go figure). The Texans showed up that night, and we all had a good time. Here’s a shot of me, DRH, and our friend who sold merch for us that night.
Next we went to Austin. This show was sold out two weeks in advance, which is always exciting. What was even more exciting for me was getting to play a real piano. I have a soft spot for venues with a real acoustic piano in the house. Maybe it’s my classical piano training. Piano can be such an expressive instrument, and real hammers and strings are so much more inspiring for me to play, especially on these solo shows. This one really helped me deliver that night.
So, at this point we had played a show every day of the tour, except for one day when we drove for 16 hours. I wanted to collapse! The good news was, I could! We had 3 days off in Austin, TX! As a vegetarian—and a massive fan of breakfast—I like to find places to eat that combine the two. I found a very unhealthy, but extremely delicious, sloppy-fantastic breakfast at this food truck, and followed it up with a red-eye coffee from this gourmet, yet unpretentious coffee place.
So, at this point we had played a show every day of the tour, except for one day when we drove for 16 hours. I wanted to collapse! The good news was, I could! We had 3 days off in Austin, TX! As a vegetarian—and a massive fan of breakfast—I like to find places to eat that combine the two. I found a very unhealthy, but extremely delicious, sloppy-fantastic breakfast at this food truck, and followed it up with a red-eye coffee from this gourmet, yet unpretentious coffee place.
Then DRH’s friend Kevin showed us some quintessential Austin sites. Local Austin guitar legend Redd Volkaert was playing the Continental Club for Hank Williams’ Birthday bash, so we checked him out for a couple of hours. He’s pretty badass, and people were dancing two-step and swing. I highly recommend checking him out in that type of setting if you get a chance.
The next couple of days in Austin were relaxing. I recorded a vocal on a song I had written before the tour, I checked out Barton Springs, saw a few sites, sat in at a local show, had a couple of meals with DRH, and mostly just chilled out, because I knew that the rest of the tour would be pretty relentless.
The next couple of days in Austin were relaxing. I recorded a vocal on a song I had written before the tour, I checked out Barton Springs, saw a few sites, sat in at a local show, had a couple of meals with DRH, and mostly just chilled out, because I knew that the rest of the tour would be pretty relentless.
The next couple of days in Austin were relaxing. I recorded a vocal on a song I had written before the tour, I checked out Barton Springs, saw a few sites, sat in at a local show, had a couple of meals with DRH, and mostly just chilled out, because I knew that the rest of the tour would be pretty relentless.
Northeast U.S.
After a show in Ft. Worth at Live Oak (one of my new favorite venues), then Lincoln, NE, Columbia, MO, and a brief stop in Nashville for a private performance, I drove up to Vienna, VA, near DC to play Jammin’ Java, one of the best venues on the East Coast. It was an excellent show, and they had a real piano for me! Here is a look at the stage setup we had that evening.
Next was Philly. I hadn’t played at Tin Angel since 2009. It’s just like I remembered it. I love playing clubs that have been around a while because sometimes you see old press shots on the wall of people who have played there. Hey, is that my friend and collaborator, Garrison Starr?
Next it was on to New York City, where I paid a visit to the folks at Relix Magazine to film a couple of songs for their video series.
I also made a stop at City Winery to film a couple of songs in the wine cellar among the barrels for their “Cellar Sessions” video series. Good times.
We played at the Hall At MP in Brooklyn, a new venue for me, but hopefully one I will play again. It was nice!
I had never played Elton John’s “Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters” live before, but I wanted to do something special for New York, so I chose that one. It’s one of my faves, and I’ve been playing it in my living room since I was 13! Here’s my whole setlist from that night.
We headed to Hamden, CT the next day, where they had a real piano for me to play and a decent crowd for us. Then it was on to Boston and Berklee College of Music’s Club 939. This was one of the best shows of the tour. They had a beautiful Yamaha Grand for me, and the crowd was hanging on every word. We recorded the whole thing, so that show may be hitting your eardrums at some point. Thank you Boston, you never disappoint!
The only downside to house concerts is… I can’t think of one. House concerts rule! This one was in Doylestown, PA in a totally decked-out barn. Here is DRH doing his thing that night. That’s a barn door on the right side of the photo.
Southeast U.S.
Raleigh, NC – I love you! When can I come back? “Deep South” had this piano for me—in-tune, full of character, and satisfying to bash on! I was so happy to be back in the south that I inserted “Carolina On My Mind” into the set. Raleigh, was that too “on-the-nose?” Yes? No? I don’t care—I love that song.
I ran into my second cousin, Prentice, at the Charlotte show. Can you see a resemblance? I have family all over, and they have always been so supportive. I’m so grateful.
Asheville was nice. Again, with the real piano! I love it! The Grey Eagle rules!
Atlanta City Winery. Enough said. Amazing crowd and amazing venue. Thank you.
Nashville – home sweet home!! I can’t think of a better city to close out the fall leg of the “Twobadours On The Run” tour. I can’t believe I get to do this for a living. Thanks to all of the fans who came to the shows. You guys are awesome! DRH and I will be playing dates on the West Coast in December, and I can’t wait. I hope to see you there!
-Gabe
