Folias Music

Our concert today was on Bob-Lo, the local name for Bois Blanc Island (the big one next to Mackinac Island). We played in “The Coast Guard Chapel” a one room interdenominational church that is a converted boat house equipped with a bell tower, an anchor crucifix, and a non-electric pump organ! We played in front of the two huge boat loading doors in the back of the church that opened onto the woods. An appropriate backdrop for our “nature” music concert (which also took the place of the usual morning worship). Thanks to Carol VanRandwyk, a resident of the island, who wrote us the piece Genesis Wave that was featured at this concert.

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Every traveling musician has a secret. Touring is taxing work: driving late, getting up early, hauling gear, packing gear, waiting in transit…performing without rest or food…and finally putting on a cordial face for each new person at each new place who offer different expectations to negotiate.

These photos from our ferry ride over to Bois Blanc Island provide some clues into how each of us deal with the stress of touring.

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We played at the Albert House Arts Center in Sault Ste Marie last night and at Falling Rock Cafe tonight in Munising, MI.  Check the video from the Soo of us playing Lake Superior Fall!

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We woke up in Monacle Lake Campground in the Hiawatha National Forest today. We ate some oatmeal with strawberries and then headed off to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. On the way we stopped at a local’s house inside the Bay Mills Reservation and bought some home smoked trout. We had a tip off at the previous night’s concert that this fish guy was one of the only few people left in the area offering smoked fish and that his fish was great.  We knew we were at the right place because of the hand painted sign of a herring smoking a big stogy. We ended up buying a beautiful huge trout the size of my femur for only $10!

After that, the best moment of day happened when Kenny Burrell’s Monterey Suite came up on the CMU radio station out of Sault Ste Marie.  Driving to our next gig in the U.P.,  music on, sunshine, the windows down, smoked trout in the bag—this moment explains why we continue to tour.

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The first part of our Great Lakes tour we traveled with James Hughes, our boisterous Italian roadie.  Six months ago, James offered to drive his van for our summer tour. We decided that it might be a nice change of pace from our less roomy 1994 Buick with 190,000 miles on it!

James, also a fellow musician, offered everyone endless entertainment. And as far as roadie standards go, he is a strong person (and personality) who genuinely wants to help out for the good of the group. Thanks James for all the driving miles, CD sales, and laughs!

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