Omaha, Nebraska

We took I-80 all the way across Nebraska, camping for a night at the loudest rest stop ever, to visit our friend, Ben Thomas, in Omaha...of course, this was at the end of August but I'm just getting round to posting it now.  I met Ben through Couchsurfing when he came to Austin for a friend’s bachelor party.  Couchsurfing is a great website to meet people, find a free comfy couch to crash upon, and get quick local insight while traveling.  So here’s Ben’s shorthand take on Omaha, Somewhere In Middle America.

Home of the TV dinner, the Reuben sandwich (there’s some controversy over the originator but Omaha’s in the running), the one-time richest man in the Universe-Warren Buffet, five Fortune 500 companies, the largest indoor rainforest, and birthplace of Malcolm X.  They also have a ton of thrift, antique, and junk stores because he says jokingly, “we have no future so we’re tied to the past”.  Conner, Dan, and I rode our bikes down to the Old Market area (so cute!) and the boys went to go get a beer while I antiqued it up.  I went to three stores in two hours.  They’re huge with so many hidden rooms to scope out that before you know it, you’re down in the basement and you still have an hours worth of looking to go.  My favorite was Second Chance on Jackson St downtown.  I snuck a couple photos in.

Old Market St area downtown Omaha

Plastic Santas at Second Chance antique shop

Ben was super sweet and organized a last-minute acoustic gig for the boys at O'Leavers Pub. If I lived in Omaha this would probably be my go-to bar as well.  They even sponsor an adult Soapbox Derby.  How fun would that be?  Probably a lot.

Primus And Gogol Bordello At Red Rocks

The Primus/Gogol Bordello show was awesome!  The stadium benches were set at such a steep slant that we could see the Denver skyline above the stage; Denver at night with all it’s twinkly lights.  We were assigned seats but ended up camping out at one of the side areas that had been planted with trees…better to dance, you see.  I’ve loved Eugene, the lead singer for Gogol Bordello, ever since I saw him as Elijah Wood’s Ukrainian tour guide in Everything Is Illuminated; he’s hilarious and absolutely steals the show; and again in the Ukrainian gypsy music documentary, The Pied Piper of Herzovinia.  Plus, they have an awesome fiddle player…skinny guys with violins always steal my heart.

Primus used the natural rock backdrop of the stage for a neon lunar lightshow and had two large blow-up space suits on both sides of the stage.  They had various images projected onto the “glass pieces” of the helmets.  As I have been bad lately and never where my glasses, I have little idea of what the images were but Dan and I shared his glasses for a while and I did see some dancing skeletons projected up there.  I have never heard of Primus before Conner came along so I have no idea what they played or how this show measures up against other shows, but geez, they were great!  The band had arranged to have the show streamed on their website and I’m sure that you can find it still up there.  Apparently it’s de rigueur that the lead singer/bassist, Les Claypool plays a segment wearing an animal mask while playing a one-stringed bass that he made.  So he played his one stringed bass for us at Red Rocks wearing a monkey mask, and of course we all loved it.

On the way home, tipsy off of too many $7.00 beers, Jena, Dustin, Conner, Dan, and I all stopped at Wendy’s which we all downed without conversation the rest of the way home and it was the best damn Wendy’s I’ve ever eaten.  Of course.  But the next morning when the heart burn finally woke me up well, that’s when Johnny Cash’s “Sunday Morning Sidewalk” kicks on in my head and I make vows I rarely keep, ‘Never, never again will I eat fast food at 2 in the morning…’

A. Beadles Gallery and Lobster Fest

Conner and I went up to Carbondale this past weekend with the Gummersalls to play at the A. Beadles Gallery during Lobster Fest.  The lobster looked amazing but unfortunately it was $35 a plate and we simply couldn't swing it.  So we drank wine and played with Tyller and fiddler, Ally Marzulla.  Everyone at the gallery were amazing (Ashley, Allison, and John) and thank you so much for letting us stay at your home.  Oh man, it's wonderful to be able to step out of the house and walk across the street to the best pizza and be right in the middle of downtown.  Carbondale, CO is super cute.  I love quaint little towns.

Factory in...Smithfield?  From the car window.

Conner, Tyller, Ally Marzulla

Luke Nester of KDNK Solar Radio.  I loved his hair "necklace"

Jenny and Greg Gummersall

We went up to Aspen for dinner one night since it's only 20 minutes away.  Aspen is known as the "money town" in Colorado and you get it right away as you drive into town because you pass right by the airport which is only used by private jets.  Somebody associated with the Washington Redskins was in town that weekend, as evidenced by the big-ass jet with the Redskins logo printed on the tail.  Aside from the Prada, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton stores in between the cute ice cream shops, Aspen looks just like any other cute Colorado mountain town.  Oh, and aside from the ridiculous man who owns one of the many art galleries.  I had to leave although I did really want to check out the Swarovski crystal encrusted art guitars by Dallas artist, Amanda Dunbar.

New Gig In Carbondale

We're heading back up to Carbondale this weekend again.  I'm going to have to take some Dramamine before we go up those mountain passes again because I thought I would die the whole way up.

Playing in Aspen!

Conner has teamed up with Tyller Gummersall and Ally to play a couple gigs up in Aspen this weekend.  We leave tomorrow to caravan on up.  If anyone's in the area please do come out and join in on groupie parade.