Semi- Live Blogging: On the Road w/ Mississippi Heat

Washington D.C. was a blast.

Who would've thought?

I don't know about you, but every time I'm in D.C., I always feel like I'm being watched. For some reason, my brain seems to notice many people wearing trench coats (it was 80 degrees) and sunglasses (it was dark), pushing a finger into their ears.

In this cesspool of scum and corruption, I hold everyone suspect.

Aside from that, though, it was smashing.

Madam's Organ is a really cool little dive. Dark and (formerly- how sad) smoky. It's actually not little. There are 5 bars on 4 floors, so it's quite huge. The music, and all things cool, were on the ground floor, right when you walked in the door. The stage was small and cramped, but it was good enough.

One thing that I noticed (which really stood out) was that the crowd was very diverse and mixed: Black, white, Asian, Latino. It was really a melting pot of cultures and peoples. Quite the opposite of Chicago, really.

We saw everyone coming through the door.

They saw us.

Really, it was a killer dance party. Everyone was into what they were into (read: wasted,) and they were all movin' and shakin' and dancing on tables and swinging from chandeliers.

The band was cookin'. We really had it together, especially since it was only my 2nd time with the band, ever (had I mentioned that I've never worked with this group?)

Like riding a bike.

This tour is featuring Carl Weathersby on guitar. I've been knowing him for years, yet this is the first time working with him. He's a really nice guy: military vet, former cop, and smokin' guitar- man. He used to be Albert King's rhythm player for a few years in the late '70's, early '80's.

Really, he's excellent. He's got a large vocabulary, able to pull out songs that go beyond the straight blues realm (when he's given the mic to lead the show, which is for about half of each set.)

We played "Cowboys to Girls" by the Intruders. You gotta be kidding me.

Sings as well as he plays, too.

After the show (a grueling 3-setter ending at 3am), it was back to the band house. Oh, joy. I've decided that instead of a take-it-or-leave-it attitude towards band houses, I'd just assume leave it, bite the bullet, and just get a room.

Sometimes it's worth the dough. Especially when there's a day off, like today.

Not only did the band have to share a fairly small space, but it turns out that other people lived there, too. So there were basically 9 people there. Unreal. They (the residents) had the upstairs, and the band had the downstairs, which consisted of a living room with 3 beds, and two bedrooms with a bed apiece.

Not exactly a bastion of privacy.

At least the hosts cooked us breakfast. I gotta say, it was quite a spread: eggs, bacon, sausage, ribs, chicken, grits, biscuits, and syrup. Wowee Zowee. Indeed, it was a major redeeming quality.

Should have gotten a room.

So it goes...