Happy Holidays from the Mile High

I plan on updating this blog which started as a tour diary and now will be a diary for the production of my new CD.

I gave myself till the end of December to complete the composing of new music. Now I'm thinking I gave myself too much time. I have a ton of material to comb through now. I am going to have trouble cutting material in the end.

Tons of surprises ahead for you and me in 2010.

I will take pictures and shoot some video to post soon

Tour Recovery Plan

I have been home for almost a month now. I have the good fortune of living in Colorado. Great hiking, fishing, and camping.

Since being home I have taken advantage of 2 out of the 3. I hope getting in all three in the next month. I caught about ten trout mostly rainbow with a couple brown and cutthroat mixed in. I bought a new tent and all the camping supplies I needed.

I need to go biking and hope to get some time in very soon.

I am starting to pick back up on song writing for my CD to be released very soon. I have song ideas for days. I will have this project done by end of winter (producer and studio TBA). I will post more demos soon.

I have a couple of other projects in the works more details soon.

One of our dogs had surgery to repair rear leg ACL injuries. She is down for a bit and I'm taking advantage of this time to write music and get her back up to speed.

2009 N.W. Summer Tour Summary

I just wanted to write a blog to give a brief summary or my opinion of the tour.

I am writing this entry a few days after the completion of the tour. I think it gives me a little more perspective on what happened and some sleep and stop trying to figure out what day it is. On the road you lose grasp of those things - current events etc. You live in a bubble unloading, playing, loading, sleeping, traveling, trying to shower when you can and eat when you can.

I had an amazing time and would and will be doing this again (sooner than later). Holden and Eric are two genuine people who are cool and pretty laid back. I enjoyed my time playing with them and wish them the best of luck on their future endeavors. Our paths may or may not cross again (musically) but, it was fun while it lasted. They will always remain friends.

I met many amazing, friendly and giving people in those 18 days. There are a lot of of great people who appreciate musicians and live music in general. Every town is different and has it's own unique vibe and energy.

Hope all the people that caught one of our shows had an amazing time and will catch The Holden Young Trio again.

I hope to post some audio and video from our performances on my website very soon. Check my website out and the website for The Holden Young Trio. You can download their latest CD from their website for free spread the word.

I enjoy what I do and live for the music.

Peace and love, Jason

Fort Collins,CO

The last show of the tour was in Ft. Collins @ Hodi's Half Note as the support act for Juno What?!.

We arrived right on schedule @ 6pm for load in. We didn't actually get a sound check until close to 8pm. We were a little bit cramped for space on the stage but, we made the best of it and had a great show. I felt good to end the tour on a high note.

My wife, mother and friends made it out to the show. It was so great to see familiar faces and to just be back in Colorado. We went for Mexican food prior to the show and had a great visit and tried to catch up.

This was my first time in Ft. Collins and I had a great time and they seem to have quite the hopping night life.

It won"t be my last visit or show up that way.

Park City,UT

We played Park City on the 2nd to last night of the tour. The club was called The Downstairs.

We had a strong turnout at the show. Some people that had seen us the night before @ Mountain Stages came down to the show. We had one over enthusiastic fan that tried to get a hold of the microphone. We all had a great time and had a good response at both shows. I look forward to returning to Park City soon.

We headed out of town after the show toward Wyoming. Eric has a friend with a cattle ranch just outside Utah. We stayed there to get a head start on the trip to Fort Collins,CO.

Park City,UT

We made it into Park City in fairly good time to go on a 6 pm for their Mountain Stages Series.

As we started to set up the rain began to fall. We pushed on even with the wind and rain. We didn't actually end up going on until 6:15. The first set went well and I felt good about the performance. The second set didn't last more than 4 songs before they called the event due to lightning.

Everybody was friendly and complimentary. We had a good night in Park City.

We drove back to Salt Lake City to stay for the night. Eric has a friend who lives on the eastern edge of town so it was convenient.

Boise, ID

We had a day off which included a long drive from Portland to Boise. We made the trip back to Boise to visit with the members of Juno What?! the band we will be the support act for on the last night of this tour.

We went to Alive After Five in downtown Boise to check them out. A friend of Holden and Eric took us around Boise. First to a great a Mexican restaurant and then to check out some local artists and clubs. It was late night.

We got up early for the long haul to Park City, UT

Portland,OR

We arrived in Portland, OR to more rain. We quickly set up and did sound check and got our hotel room for the night.

I talked the guys into getting Hawaiian bbq for dinner (one of my favorites). Everybody enjoyed it and then we were off to the venue for the show.

The crowd was small but vocal about their enthusiasm for the band.

I'm still unsure about my feelings on Portland. I'll have to visit again to really get a feel for the town.

Puget Sound (Day Off)

We had the good fortune of having a day off on Puget Sound. Holden"s family has a home over looking the sound.

I took a 4 hour hike along the beach and trails. It was beautiful and relaxing. It was a great opportunity to prepare for the the last 4 shows of the tour.

Holden's family could not have been more warm and friendly. They had great stories about Holden, their family and their lives.

They fixed us a great home cooked meal which was much needed. The road food can become a little limited.

We our off to Portland in about an hour to go play the first of the final 4.This has been a great tour and I've met some amazing people and seen some beautiful places. I was very fortunate to get picked up for this tour. It has been a nice change of pace after the last several months.

See you in Portland.

Seattle, WA

We drove in from Bellingham to Seattle. I slept the whole trip. Cutting loose at the wedding I think had taken it's toll on me.

We arrived at the venue early and had to wait to load in. It was the first sunny day in Washington since Sequim (the first show in Washington). We waited at the coffee shop next door till the club owner arrived.

We quickly loaded in and had sound check. We had an early set that evening since the club was originally an art gallery they do an early Sunday matinee show.

We grabbed dinner at an italian restaurant and headed back to play. The opener was a singer/songwriter and a poet. They were great and extremely friendly.

We played a little over an hour to a small but, vocal crowd. The owner was happy (Chad who plays for No Quarter) and the crowd gave us positive feedback. Chad showed us around the facility after and connected to the club he has an amazing recording studio.

We had a good time- great production and friendly people.

Bellingham, WA

We arrived in Bellingham right on schedule. No traffic troubles or any other delays.

We stayed at a great hotel called The Chrysalis Inn. It was pretty plush for a group of musicians. We had an ocean view.

We went to the venue and quickly set up for this private function (wedding).

We asked the caterer if should could recommend a great place to have dinner. She was the manager for the restaurant upstairs called The Big Fat Fish Co. They hooked us up with some amazing seafood.

We were supposed to go on at 8 pm but, didn't go on until closer to 8:45 or so. We had an amazing response everyone got into it. We played about an hour and then it was time for the cover band to hit the stage.

We had a great time and cut loose.

Vashon Island, WA

We got an early start since we had to take the ferry to Vashon Island. We had a little trouble trying to figure out exactly which ferry to catch but, we figured it out pretty quickly. The Friday traffic didn't make it any easier.

We got to the island and just spent the day walking around town and going to all these interesting shops. We also spent a fair amount of time on the beach enjoying the breeze and solitude to recharge from the events of the previous night.

We played at the Red Bicycle and they serve some amazing sushi which we all really enjoyed before we went on.

Everybody was so friendly and outgoing. John the sound engineer recorded the second half of the show so hopefully I can edit it and put some pieces up on my site.

We were treated to a country style breakfast the next morning by a friend of the club owner. Biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage and fresh fruit.

We had to get back on the ferry to head to Bellingham for our next show. We all had a great time on Vashon Island.

Olympia,WA

We arrived in Olympia fairly early and had a lot of time on our hands so we walked around quite a bit. We were not to go on at The 4th Ave. Ale House until close to 10 pm. We checked into the hotel and relaxed until about 6 pm when it was time for load in.

We had some great Thai food on 4th Ave. at a place called Angels that was recommended to us by a local.

Everything was on schedule and normal when we started to set up on stage. We waited for the opener to strike their equipment. We got set up quickly and made some stage volume adjustments and looked at each other and started playing. Within a minute or two it started to sound like a jet engine. I had to turn up my stage volume and from the monitor system was deafening feedback.We stopped in order for the sound engineer to correct it. The monitor mix never got fixed and the feedback got worse. Holden got shocked about the 5th song in. We decided at that point to call it a night and head back to the hotel.

We went to Music 6000 the local music store (non-chain). They couldn't have been cooler or more helpful.

My experience with Olympia wasn't all bad and there are some very cool people in Olympia.

Port Townsend,WA

We played Port Townsend last night at the Upstage. It was a small but, enthusiastic crowd. The club served us an amazing seafood dinner (seafood linguine).

We were able to take some time and go visit the farmer's market and some of the local shops. I found the perfect hat box for my fedoras. Eric is the one who actually found the hat box. So I don't have to worry about my hats getting crushed.

All the locals and tourist could not have been nicer and more helpful.

I got up a little extra early to take walk along the shore.

We are off to play in Olympia tonight @ The 4th Ave. Ale House.

Sequim, WA

Last night we performed in Sequim (pronounced Squim). It was a beautiful outoor venue. The event was to raise money for local music programs. The town is located on the Olympic Peninsula. It was beautiful evening for a show, a cool breeze and amazing sunset.

We decided after the show to camp out by the ocean. Clear skies and a great ocean breeze.

Tonight we perform in Port Townsend,WA which is also located along the peninsula. It is a last minute addition to our schedule.

Day Off (Drive Day)

We spent the day on the road headed to Portland, OR to get the bulk of the drive to Sequim,WA out of the way. It was about 8 hours worth of driving. We stopped along the Hood River and had a quick dinner at Full Sail Brewery. We had a good meal and harassed the waitress. Some people take themselves to seriously. That would include myself.

When we arrived in Portland we went to the Good Foot Lounge had a couple of beers and played some pinball. After a day of travel I would have to say my hand eye coordination was not at it’s sharpest. We went downstairs to check out the open mike night and after a couple of local bands played we all had hit the wall and were ready to call it a day.

We went to another local spot in town to meet up with an old friend of Holden’s from Boulder who now resides in Portland.

I headed to a local hotel for a hot shower and some cable TV after a long day.

I woke up feeling recharged and ready to have a great show in Sequim tonight. Looking forward to seeing the coast.

We play Portland on our way back through. So I should get to see more of the area than I was able to last night.

McCall,ID

We played in McCall, ID at Crusty's last night after a brief drive from Boise. We took some time to soak in the cold river and re-charge after a busy few days. We had a brief rain storm blow in while setting up for this outdoor show. We chilled and had some amazing pizza while we let the storm blow through. Once we got started there were some moisture equipment issues but were quickly resolved. If you are in McCall check out Crusty's Vern and his staff are first class. The fans were great and friendly as they have been so far this tour. The only exception was "Mr. White" from Jackson Hole as he is know by us in the band.

Boise, ID

The next stop was Boise, ID and The Reef. The first thing I can say about Boise is that when we arrived it was much hotter than I expected. The staff was helpful and the sound engineer Pat Storey new his stuff check out his studio. We ended up with a great copy of the show so hopefully those will show up on my and or Holden"s website.

Jackson Hole, WY

Hey,
I have to play a little bit of catch up. It has been a couple a few days since we have had access to reliable internet.

I guess I'll pick up where we left off. First Jackson Hole,we played @ 43 North. The crowd was great and the staff were just great people. We did have one knuckle head trying to talk to the band (while performing) the first 4 or 5 songs. We were able to get him to leave of his own free will. It is one of those stories you always keep. It also helps make this blog more interesting.We had dinner with a friend of the band Colter he is a talented singer songwriter check him out at www.myspace.com/colterwilsonmusic

First Show a Success!

The first show went off without much problem. Some monitor issues that were quickly fixed.The songs need a little tightening, but nothing that can't be quickly be fixed.

The staff at the Ghost Ranch Saloon could not have been more accommodating. If you make it to Steamboat come check it out. They have great music and food.

We load up for Jackson Hole tomorrow, a short 6 hour drive.

No business like show business!

Later, Jason

First Night of the Tour (Steamboat ,CO)

We had a good drive to Steamboat Springs, CO yesterday. Rained a little bit on us as we went over Rabbit Ears Pass also mixed with some snow.

We arrived in good time and had three hours of rehearsal. We finally called it a rap about 10 or so.

Today Holden had to start the day by having his alternator replaced. We made it just in time for a short sound check and then we were off to KFMU (Radio Station) to play in studio and do a short interview.

I'm hanging out in the condo that is attached to the club pre-show.

I have pictures of everything, but forgot the cable to hook it up to the computer. I'll pick one up in the next day or two.

Wish me luck....first show jitters