MUMBO JUMBO – July 2013

HAPPY JULY EVERYONE!

I spent the weekend in New England getting ready to hit the road for a month beginning in Ontario, Canada, this weekend. I’ve been unwinding up here for a few days after driving from California to the east and look forward to performing with two great guitar players on this tour, Dave Edmisten, and later Mike McAdam.

NOW AVAILABLE ON iTUNES!

Other news this month is that SOL SEARCHING is now available on iTunes and we are starting to post dates for the second annual Peter Mayer, Scott Kirby, Brendan Mayer acoustic tour, September 11th through 21st! Check out my web site for details and dates.

Postcard from the West:

Livingston, Montana!

Last month while touring the great American West, I performed at a charity concert in Livingston, Montana, a little windswept town an hour north of Yellowstone Park. Although I had a pleasant time I don’t recommend that you stop or spend any time there.

This old railroad town of eight thousand people hasn’t changed much in a hundred years. Although many romanticize the rails, I found the constant coming and going of the rusty locomotives, the singing of the steel wheels and the plaintive wail of distant train whistles annoying and disturbing to my sleep!

The majestic snowcapped mountains surrounding the old town are fine to gaze at for a moment or two, but after a while I found them annoying as they obscured the light and blocked the view. Because of their lofty elevation the sun rises late and sets early, and the evening moon comes up way behind schedule.

In fact, while sitting around a campfire playing guitar with friends one clear starry evening, we had to wait until damn near midnight for the poor struggling moon to finally show its face over the soaring black peaks! By then all our wine was gone and we had to resort to whiskey, a spirit not widely accepted here.

Although there are a number of fine saloons in this old western town, most of the locals seemed to be teetotalers and not very conversational with strangers. They would slip into the bar, nurse one drink and then disappear into the night for a quiet evening at home.

There is also a number of quaint local cafes and bistros but it seems the town could use a few national chains to move in and raise the culinary bar a bit. A blooming onion and bison on the barbie would be a nice addition and perhaps one of those glitzy bars that offers fifty frozen drinks in the big plastic blenders would put a little zip in the sleepy downtown!

But the most annoying thing in Livingston is the Yellowstone River! I was shocked to find that it only flows in one direction. How could this be? Where I come from on the East Coast, the rivers flow upstream when the massive tides roll in, and then reverse themselves downstream when the tide turns!

To add insult to injury, the local authorities here do not allow any form of motorized propulsion on the river, which means a Byzantine system of shuttles is needed to allow you to put in upstream and pull out downriver somewhere!

A group of a dozen surly locals reluctantly agreed to take me rafting one lovely Sunday. Unfortunately after too much sun and wine they were so confused shuttling cars and passengers back and forth that one of the oarsmen still can’t remember where his Ford truck is parked!

Another thing that irritated me in the absence of the comforting roar of boat motors, was the hordes of brazen deer and other wildlife that tend to loiter along the river, gazing at you for hours on end with their large peering eyes. Frankly I found the little voyeurs annoying and have no doubt they were urinating and defecating carelessly along the riverbank!

If jet skis and powerboats were allowed, it would eliminate the need for the confusing shuttle system and possibly nudge along some much needed development on the stark shoreline. In fact, with a little dredging the river could easily handle some of the bigger and faster muscle boats. This in turn would necessitate the building of fuel docks, fun restaurants and deck bars! A little hip-hop thundering through the valley would also help keep the wildlife down.

I was unfortunately delayed in Livingston for a few days to have some work done on my van. The mechanic was so overly helpful and seemingly honest it made me uneasy. I’m not certain what he was up to, but it must have been no good. So unless you’re stranded here with mechanical problems, or the children are screeching at you to stop, I recommend you stay safely on the interstate. It’s no surprise that I met several people in Livingston who pleaded I not write about their little town – I have to say I don’t blame them.

TOUR SCHEDULE

July 12 – Whistler’s; Toronto, Ontario, Canada

July 13 – Private Event; Burford, Ontario, Canada

July 14 – Jim Bob Ray’s; London, Ontario, Canada

July 17 – Club Gerz; Des Moines, IA

July 18 – Gus’ Food & Spirits; Coralville, IA

July 19 – Giovanni’s; Rockford, IL

July 20 – Private Event; LaGrange, IL

July 25 – Gin Mill; Ellicottville, NY

July 26 – Gin Mill; Ellicottville, NY

July 27 – Conchy Joe’s; Lansdale, PA

July 28 – The Stephen Talkhouse; Amagansett, NY