Lucky Gas and Arizona

Right after I wrote my last post via Crackberry while riding in the packed Tourmobile, we ran out of gas. At the top of steep and rocky Keebler Pass near Crested Butte in Colorado, we had no problem getting down the mountain. We coasted and coasted, passing bikers and bison, waiting for the road to flatten and our eventual fight against inertia.

The steep grade of the road gave way to valley highway and things looked desperate. The town of Crested Butte appeared below us and the highway led directly into town from the hills. Good thing, as our set was a mere hour away, and any uphill road would have foiled our efforts to make it on time. The townsfolk were not please as we proceeded to blow five stop signs in a row, asking passerby about the location of the nearest gasoline.

Just as the Tourmobile was about to lose all momentum and cease to move, a Phillips 66 appeared on the right. We rejoiced in the parking lot and caused a commotion while we filled our 42-gallon tank ($153).

After playing the Fat Tire Festival, we scored an unplanned gig in town at a local bar in return for free dinner and beer. We set up a tent in the national forest for lack of an open hotel when we were done, and set off for Durango in the morning.

After playing at the Steamworks Brewing Co. last night (excellent IPA's), we are contemplating what to do with our whole two days off! We are in Flagstaff on Tuesday night so we figure we will camp tonight in southern CO and head to the Grand Canyon for some spelunking tomorrow in Arizona.

Other than the stress of calling booking agents and managers for Mountainside Mardi Gras next year, tour is fun and easy.

First Leg

I'm writing this post from the car as we head into the mountains to play the Fat Tire Bike Festival.

We have four band members, a road manager, Jack, and a camera dude, Brian. Last night we saw our friends from New Orleans, Papa Grows Funk rip it up at the Fox theater. We packed up the '94 Suburban and trailer and headed out.

It's pretty packed in this cabin with camera equipment and our Vitamin Energy Sponsorship product (mmm...), not to mention our musical equipment and personal stuff. Tour is still awesome and the mountains are beautiful. More to come when I can type on something other than a handheld.

MOUNTAIN FROGS

Things are in full swing on tour with Frogs Gone Fishin'. We are on the fourth show of our 30+ date tour, in Vail, Colorado. Vail is a picturesque place, perfect for creativity and making music.

We have several exciting projects we are working on including:

-really cool t-shirts with Frogs on them that Mark(drums) is designing
-a couple gigs with a special New Orleans' artist in the Fall
-more gigs in the South and on the East Coast for September/October
-Some Mountain Jam, a festival in South Park, Colorado on July 12/13 w/ our friends Hustle, only $10 for camping, music and recreation :-)
-releasing an album on Tuesday at the Wash Park Grille in Denver
-4th of July in Vail with our disco buddies Hustle

The band would like to make a shout out to all our friends (bands and fans) who are at Bonnaroo this weekend, we know you are having fun and make sure to check out the New Orleans stage!

If you are in the mountain area, check http://www.frogsgonefishin.com for dates this weekend, and we'll see you at the show!

-Mark, P-Woo, Steve and Trevor

TOUR SEASON

We had an awesome tour kick-off last night at the Walnut Room in Denver. The club was recently named "best live sound in town", and we couldn't agree with the honor more. Check out the set list at the bottom.

Tonight we are playing in Colorado Springs at a club we've never played at before, but first, we'll groove down at one of our favorite outdoor festivals,
The Denver People's Fair this afternoon.

People's Fair embodies what we love about Colorado. There is great food, beer, and lots of beautiful people walking around. The city blocks off several major streets downtown and puts stages where traffic should be. It is an awesome temporary suspension of city life in the name of music and art.

I've often wondered if Denver and New Orleans could be any more different. People's Fair is about the closest to the outdoor-style festivals New Orleans is famous for. Where Denver shines in healthy outdoor living, New Orleans proposes a late-night strategy of bon vivant: buttery foods and much to drink. Denver is clean, New Orleans is dirty. Denver is efficient, New Orleans laid back. Girls in Denver love hiking. Girls in New Orleans are bootylicious.

The fact that People's Fair is a free event however, demonstrates that there are probably more commonalties than I realize. These similarities really break down to the people that live in both towns. The people in both New Orleans and Denver love music and enjoy having a good time with those who surround them. Sorry NY and LA, but some people in your cities are kind of angry and anxious. Cities like Denver/Boulder, San Fransisco, Austin and New Orleans have people who realize that life is not just about the rat race, its about enjoying the sounds around you.

FGF - Walnut Room 6/6/08

I: Crawl>>Hope You Find It
Mexico>>China Cat Sunflower>>Mexico
Tell Me True>>Imagine
Nepic>>PYMOYS
Wake
Life in a Magazine

For/Sure

We here at For/Sure Productions are on pins and needles today as we wait for word on whether or not we have secured a venue for the festival we plan on organizing next year.

The venue, Red Rocks Amphitheater, is one of the premier outdoor venues in the US.

Promoting is a scary venture sometimes. It involves a lot of waiting and timing and patience. There are only a few large companies who control the entire market, and they don't want anyone else cramping their style (profit).

I'd love to share all the details of our festival. But, you might work for one of those companies.

I already told you where it's going to be. But until we hear back from those people, no juicy gossip allowed.