Today was our last day at Brett's grandparents' house and our last day in Virginia. I went for one last jog to downtown Halifax. My legs were a bit tired from yesterday's bike ride, but for the most part, no worse for the wear. I rounded out my workout with a session of push-ups and planks. Last night, there was fried venison waiting at the house after my biking adventure, and I partook with no regrets. So today, feeling I had consumed more than enough fried meat recently, I ate a plate of fresh fruit and fixed myself a salad of spring mix and peas for lunch.
It's fantastic being able to stay with relatives on our off days. The couple of times we toured in Colorado, we were able to crash at my sister's place in Colorado Springs. Besides saving money on the road, we get to visit with family. We cleaned out Mini Pearl for the next leg of our journey, loaded up, said our goodbyes to Papaw and Grammy, and started the four and a half hour drive to the Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City, TN.
Along the way, we checked the FloydFest Facebook page and found out we had not won the On The Rise competition. Damn. A few minutes later, Jen texted me that an envelope had arrived for Grandpa's Cough Medicine from the University of North Florida's English Language Program (ELP), where I am a substitute English as a Second Language instructor. She asked if I would like her to open it and I said yes. She sent me a picture of the envelope's contents. It was a thank you letter for playing and speaking at their community learning class, which we had done the week before starting our tour, and a photo of the class. Most of the other classes at the ELP had attended some or all of our performance/presentation, including the two classes from Changwon, South Korea, one of which I had taught during their three-week stay. I fondly recalled the band's afternoon at the ELP and my time with the Koreans, and soon our loss at FloydFest didn't seem to matter so much.
We arrived at the venue, and honestly, it didn't look like much. It was a small cafe/bar in a quiet neighborhood of what seemed to be a fairly small town. Our agreement was to play for "tips. a meal, and merch sales." Things were looking rather bleak. We hoped the laundromat next door might boost our show's attendance.
I noticed a few bicyclists riding around, so I decided to check my TrailLink app. It turned out there was a developing rail-trail called the Tweetsie Trail that had just opened this month. I would learn later that it will officially open Labor Day weekend. There was still a little daylight, so I unfolded Shadowfax and set out to at least find the trailhead. It was a beautiful, cool evening, and it felt good to get moving and get my mind off my concerns for how the gig would go. I found the trailhead and started down the trail. It was a popular path among cyclists and pedestrians. I would have loved to ride the entire ten miles, but it was getting dark, and I had to get back for soundcheck, so I headed back. The short ride helped me clear my head of some negativity.
The free meal part of the evening turned out to be quite delicious. The spinach salad contained many homegrown ingredients, and the Caribbean black beans were made with plantains. Things were looking up.
The gig itself was mediocre at best. There was a small group from Jacksonville Beach that came out to see us; we were certainly grateful for them as they made up the majority of our small, but appreciative crowd. Most of the younger locals seemed more interested in hanging out outside in the back courtyard than watching us. On a positive note, we played well and my voice was working better than it has for about two months.
I talked with the nice folks who knew us from home and showed them my folding bike. I keep hearing about this Virginia Creeper bike trail. It sounds lovely, but I don't think our schedule will allow me to check it out. I'll definitely have to do so someday. We got a discount at a nearby hotel for playing tonight, and we made enough in merch sales to cover the cost of the room. We've got a busy day tomorrow. We need to leave in the morning to get to Knoxville, TN and set up for a live radio performance at noon called the WDVX Blue Plate Special. Then at 7pm, we'll be in Gatlinburg, TN for a gig at Sugarlands Distilling Company. I understand we get a hotel room and free moonshine. It should prove to be a good test of my resolve not to drink.
Cheers, y'all!
- Jon
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