![MARCH 23 – MAXINE’S, HOT SPRINGS, AR [SHOW #177]
[JT] Back in Hot Springs for the third time on tour. This time we got to town early enough to do some exploring. Devin, David and I toured the Fordyce Bath House, one of the many fancy bath houses in a row along central avenue. The houses, built upon the natural fresh hot water springs, have been in use since the nineteenth century for therapeutic, medicinal, and recreational uses. People would travel from far and wide to soak in the mineral-rich waters that come steaming hot out of the earth. The Fordyce Bath House is no longer in operation, but it is still fully intact as a museum. Other houses along the strip are still functional, however, and they are still popular destinations today. Afterwards we hiked up the wooded trails behind the houses up into the Hot Springs National Forest. We found the Mountain tower at the top of the trails. It cost $7 to enter and go up the tower, which would surely have an amazing view of everything in all directions. But it was too pricey of a view for our tour budget, so we poked around the ground-floor gift shop for a moment and then found a scenic viewing spot nearby that had a great view of Hot Springs and the lowly mountains surrounding it to the south and east. We relaxed there for a long time met a few people who were stopping for a view as well.
The sun was beginning to drop and we went back to Maxine’s for the evening’s show. We arrived just as the band Brass Bed had rolled up in their tour van. They are a great indie rock band from Lafayette, Louisiana that we have gotten to know in recent touring. Patrick and I first met them in November of 2007 when we opened for them in Nashville while on tour with Casper & The Cookies, and we’ve been fans ever since. We did not meet again until last October when we got to share the stage with them in Boulder, Colorado, this time as the full band. Tonight is the first night of our 2-week tour together, playing fourteen shows beginning here and continuing on all around the Midwest. It was a nice reunion, and hugs went all around.
It felt good being back at Maxine’s, one of our favorite tour stops, where we are getting to know the crew of folks who work there people who frequent the place. As always, we were warmly welcomed by the owners Kevin and Agnes, and bartender Sara. The house chef Frank was also there, and he whipped up some killer pizzas for the bands. We also met up with Paleo, a band from Iowa City that included our friend Skye Carusso who played a solo set at the Ames Progressive 3rd anniversary party back in February. They played first and their set was wonderful. Brass Bed took the stage second and we closed the show. Hoping that we would get a lot of overflow from the Valley of the Vapors festival that was taking place during the day, the turnout was disappointing. But still we had fun, and all bands put on a great performance. Our Hot Springs friend Kevin was there, and after some beers at the end of the night, he was able to convince us to come down to his tattoo parlor at 3am to give Patrick his first tattoo.
The word we heard: “Give a shot to God” -Patrick
The jam in the van: Tripping Daisy Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb
The pet we met: Hoppity
Thank you for the tattoo: Kevin
Dinner was a winner: veggie pizzas by Frank
Our friend the Bartend: Sara
Waitress did impress: Laura
Sound Tech we respect: Jake
The fill of the bill: Paleo / Brass Bed / Skye Carusso
Monument / Some Ordinary Vision / Pacific Sunrise / By the Wave / After the Holiday / Seagull / Start the Revolution / Porcelain Brain / Don’t Go / Terminal / When the World Sleeps](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj8jndkXjb1qahyhxo1_1280.jpg)
MARCH 23 – MAXINE’S, HOT SPRINGS, AR [SHOW #177]
[JT] Back in Hot Springs for the third time on tour. This time we got to town early enough to do some exploring. Devin, David and I toured the Fordyce Bath House, one of the many fancy bath houses in a row along central avenue. The houses, built upon the natural fresh hot water springs, have been in use since the nineteenth century for therapeutic, medicinal, and recreational uses. People would travel from far and wide to soak in the mineral-rich waters that come steaming hot out of the earth. The Fordyce Bath House is no longer in operation, but it is still fully intact as a museum. Other houses along the strip are still functional, however, and they are still popular destinations today. Afterwards we hiked up the wooded trails behind the houses up into the Hot Springs National Forest. We found the Mountain tower at the top of the trails. It cost $7 to enter and go up the tower, which would surely have an amazing view of everything in all directions. But it was too pricey of a view for our tour budget, so we poked around the ground-floor gift shop for a moment and then found a scenic viewing spot nearby that had a great view of Hot Springs and the lowly mountains surrounding it to the south and east. We relaxed there for a long time met a few people who were stopping for a view as well.
The sun was beginning to drop and we went back to Maxine’s for the evening’s show. We arrived just as the band Brass Bed had rolled up in their tour van. They are a great indie rock band from Lafayette, Louisiana that we have gotten to know in recent touring. Patrick and I first met them in November of 2007 when we opened for them in Nashville while on tour with Casper & The Cookies, and we’ve been fans ever since. We did not meet again until last October when we got to share the stage with them in Boulder, Colorado, this time as the full band. Tonight is the first night of our 2-week tour together, playing fourteen shows beginning here and continuing on all around the Midwest. It was a nice reunion, and hugs went all around.
It felt good being back at Maxine’s, one of our favorite tour stops, where we are getting to know the crew of folks who work there people who frequent the place. As always, we were warmly welcomed by the owners Kevin and Agnes, and bartender Sara. The house chef Frank was also there, and he whipped up some killer pizzas for the bands. We also met up with Paleo, a band from Iowa City that included our friend Skye Carusso who played a solo set at the Ames Progressive 3rd anniversary party back in February. They played first and their set was wonderful. Brass Bed took the stage second and we closed the show. Hoping that we would get a lot of overflow from the Valley of the Vapors festival that was taking place during the day, the turnout was disappointing. But still we had fun, and all bands put on a great performance. Our Hot Springs friend Kevin was there, and after some beers at the end of the night, he was able to convince us to come down to his tattoo parlor at 3am to give Patrick his first tattoo.
The word we heard: “Give a shot to God” -Patrick
The jam in the van: Tripping Daisy Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb
The pet we met: Hoppity
Thank you for the tattoo: Kevin
Dinner was a winner: veggie pizzas by Frank
Our friend the Bartend: Sara
Waitress did impress: Laura
Sound Tech we respect: Jake
The fill of the bill: Paleo / Brass Bed / Skye Carusso
Monument / Some Ordinary Vision / Pacific Sunrise / By the Wave / After the Holiday / Seagull / Start the Revolution / Porcelain Brain / Don’t Go / Terminal / When the World Sleeps
-
jameslepine liked this
-
thepoisoncontrolcenter posted this
