The hosts for our evening in St. Louis were another one of my college classmates, Brandon, and his girlfriend Kirsten, who had just moved into a lovely little home just outside of the city. Like Yana in Portland, Brandon studied English and Secondary Education but ultimately chose not to become a teacher. Instead, he trained to become a police officer. (I must add that another classmate who decided not to become a teacher, Rayna, came to the show in St. Louis. My question is, where were all my classmates who actually ended up working as teachers during this tour -- too busy enjoying their summer off?)
Brandon was kind enough to offer a show and tell that covered each and every piece of equipment on his police belt, including his gun (the first one I'd held since Boy Scouts), a hefty retractable nightstick (which, I assure you, would be extremely painful to be bludgeoned with), and handcuffs (I offered my own wrists for the sake of demonstration). It was interesting to hear tales about being a cop from someone whom I know to be laid-back and reasonable, especially since many people are under the impression that the fuzz is always out to get them. No, most cops aren't actively looking to ticket you for driving 5 over, and no, most cops aren't going to tase you, bro. There are just a few jerks out there, and you have to remember that there are jerks in every profession. Just don't ask me if there are a disproportionate amount of jerks in the police force...
When Brandon left for his shift around mid-afternoon, Tricia and I watched a bit of baseball with Kirsten, took a much-needed nap, and then headed over to our venue for the evening, Lemmons.
When life gives you Lemmons, you actually end up having a decent show. Although the local Schlafly brews tasted a bit like discolored water, the complimentary pizza was satisfying, the audience listened (somewhat), and the people were friendly.
Michael Trieb kicked off the show with delicate guitar work and a set of pipes that was at times reminiscent of Ben Gibbard's. Two facts about Michael surprised us: 1) he had switched his major at Greenville College not once, but seven times, and 2) he had only been playing for two years.
After Tricia and I each performed, Jordan Heimburger took the stage to showcase his country blues solo project, Poorman's Tonic. As soon as the slide came out, twangy riffs in open G and open D smoked and sizzled from the PA speakers, and North Mississippi Allstars immediately came to mind. I thought it was fitting, then, that Jordan decided to cover R.L. Burnside's take on the traditional blues song "Peaches."
The final act of the night, The Rusty Shacklefords, had just taken on a brand new moniker inspired by the television cartoon King of the Hill. The duo was made up of an acoustic guitarist and an upright bass player, the latter of whom sang a song in public for the first time ever that night. (That takes guts.) The song we captured below, however, is not that song...
After the show, we returned to Brandon's and Kirsten's for a good but short night's sleep before beginning our trek up to hometown Grayslake.
Driving Music:
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
Wilco - Kicking Television: Live in Chicago Discs 1 & 2
Elsinore - Yes Yes Yes
Arcade Fire - Funeral
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