Sheboygan, WI - Paradigm Coffee & Music

Our fair neighbor-state to the North welcomed us with open arms and over-sized, cheese-filled sandwiches for our first evening of our summer 2k11 tour. It was a familiar scene – one we enjoy revisiting often - so we were pleased that Paradigm Coffee & Music was able to host us for our first show.

Paradigm Coffee & Music is an adorable café near downtown Sheboygan. As a community oriented small business, the café displays artwork supplied by local photographers and artists, local-ish coffee (Alterra), tasty locally grown food, and has an overwhelming welcoming feel. Everyone is friendly, well behaved, has a book in hand, and is eager to listen to any live music that happens to find it’s way onto Paradigm’s well-lit stage. There’s a co-op grocery store in the back, and their loose-leaf tea selection blows other cafes out of the water (other than the Bourgeois Pig Café in Chicago, and maybe Infinitea in Eau Claire). Kate, the owner, deserves a giant pat on the back from anyone that goes in there. Good job, Kate – give yourself a pat on the back in the meantime :)

Carl started the show around 8 with his first set since having his tonsils ripped from his throat. He did well, considering his surgery was less than a month before, in addition to the complications he had with healing... He was less than pleased with his performance, but we’re all our own worst critics. I think he sounded almost as good as new – it was great to hear his soothing voice croon over his light finger picking again. He’ll probably make someone cry with his mad skills somewhere along the tour. Watch for it, I’ll be sure to let you know.

before

after

I was up next. I kept it short and sweet (like me!).

The Brothers Burn Mountain were the headliners, and they stormed the stage as soon as I got off. Actually, they were very soft-spoken, and kind of slinked their way onto the stage. Then they started playing, and they were no longer quiet.



The Brothers Burn Mountain hail from somewhere in between Milwaukee and Madison. I’m not sure what they teach their kids in that region of the great Cheese State, but the curriculum must involve “how to be as expressive as is physically possible." No joke, the drummer is one of the most, if not the most, expressive musician one could see in an entire lifetime.


We sold a shirt, gave away a few buttons, got some coffee for the road, and headed down to Madison to spend the eve at my mom’s friends Crystal's and Jay’s house. They have a singing dog (one of her favorite melodies to sing to is the All Things Considered theme song). We had a lot of fun with that.

Next up: Red Stag Supper Club, Minneapolis, MN.

Driving Music:
Ray LaMontagne & the Pariah Dogs - God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
The Leadership - Frontiers
Robin Pecknold - Three Songs
Wilco - Summerteeth
Portugal. The Man - It’s Complicated Being a Wizard
Shipwreck - Rabbit in the Kitchen With a New Dress On
Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore - Dear Companion
Vandaveer - Daytrotter Session
Sigur Rós - Takk
Tune-Yards - W H O K I L L
The Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Fionn Regan - The End of History
Pink Floyd - Animals
Sharon Von Etten - Epic
Tom Waits - Closing Time

(the encore...)