Nickel Creek 2007-07-14

Ashland, Kentucky was the site of my fourth Nickel Creek concert, and possibly my last. The band is taking a break after their 2007 farewell tour, so I had to make the seven hour drive to little Ashland, just south of Charleston, WV. An old favorite of mine, Glen Phillips, was opening for Nickel Creek, so it seemed as if the perfect storm of events had created the potential for an epic concert. It was Kentucky, known as bluegrass country. It was Glen Phillips, a Nickel Creek classic act. And finally, it was a farewell show. I wasn't going to miss all that...

However, I did. Some of it, at least. Putting the fate of my concert enjoying experience on the shoulders of Google Maps was a mistake I'll never make again, as Cain and I found ourselves to southern Virginia instead of northern Kentucky, on an accidental two hour detour. We are unsure of where exactly the mistake was made, but it was in fact a painful one: finally arriving in Ashland an hour late, we had missed Glen Phillips' set. This was quite an awful feeling, as I had been dying to see Glen play live for years. At this point I thought to myself, "Nickel Creek better put on one heck of a show to make up for our misfortune and erase such a blemish from my memory." Later on, that once depressing thought became a dream come true.

We dropped into our seats during an intermission between sets, and joined the sold out Paramount Theater crowd in a frenzy. The chatty crowd had taken on the image of a grade school lunch room, buzzing with a chaos of chatter. We, however, sat silent regretting our late arrival. Ten minutes would pass before Nickel Creek came on to stage and enriched our lives like they have done so many times before. Finally, the much anticipated show had begun.

Early on in the set, the band was on fire. I was especially impressed with about the first four songs, in which Nickel Creek seemed determine to play harder and better than ever before. They were hitting notes with such intensity and perfection that the act swept me off my feet. I was locked in on the miraculous performance, and realized there was something special in the air tonight. Each song had a mysterious intro of musical creativity only Nickel Creek could dream up, and they left me on the edge of my seat as I wondered what would come next.

Later in the set, however, the band seemed to fall into their regular routine of playing Nickel Creek classics to please the casual fan. They began to lose the intense luster the first half of the set offered, yet much of the crowd watched with great satisfaction. Here I began to understand why the band is taking a break: the same old was just getting old, and the lack of passion was reflected in the music. I could tell the difference, and began to sympathize with the band.

Mid-set banter, which was some of the best I have heard, seemed to reflect this sentient. Thile jokingly mentioned how he didn't care what the fans thought of the show because the band didn't have to worry about motivating fans to come back again, they were after all done touring and filling seats was no longer a concern. Although he was joking, one could tell there was some truth behind his humor. The band's banter was much more relaxed, honest, and open than I had seen in the past. They seemed to be enjoying the liberty of not having to worry about what they said. That was for me nice to see, and something I felt considerably worth noting for any Nickel Creek fan.

The second set, that being the encore, picked back up a little in intensity and excitement, but it still lacked the sheer musical madness of the first half of the first set. When the encore set was all said and done, I was thoroughly impressed and satisfied with yet another top notch Nickel Creek performance. The crowd was less responsive and grateful than I have seen in the past, as the cheering and vocal appreciation was short lived. The Ashland fans were less than impressive and hardcore for the most part, but altogether they sold the place out, Nickel Creek was fantastic once again, and I had a great time.

It was after the show, however, that really made this trip a memorable concert. As we waited outside the band's bus hoping to catch some autographs, Sara came out to take pictures and sign autographs. There were more people than I have ever seen waiting outside with us, but we were quickly able to catch a quick photo with her and say hello. Almost immediately after our memorable picture with the lovable Sara Watkins, her brother and Nickel Creek guitarist had began playing with Glen Phillips in the parking lot! This is where the night really became epic.

Right in front of me, within an arms reach, was Glen Phillips, one of my all time favorite musicians and the man I drove 9 hours only to miss due our late arrival. He had his guitar and a jar of moonshine and cherries, playing an acoustic set with Sean. After all that worry and sorrow for missing his set, there he was looking back at me with his guitar singing into the warm Kentucky night. He and Sean were just jamming, playing whatever they felt like, including some of Glen's classics. Soon enough Chris and Sara joined in, and the epic night became a dream. For the first time ever, I was watching Nickel Creek with Glen Phillips, all acoustic, playing right in front of me. They were no longer performing, they were just enjoying the night and the last few months together on the road.

The parking lot acoustic set was unplanned, as the band took requests from the crowd. Even the band's guitar tech came out with a few beers, danced in the moonlight, and played a song under the peer pressure of the hilarious Glen Phillips. It was quite an honor and pleasure to see all the guys together just having fun, really enjoying the music and each other's company. The only thing that made me sad to see was people kept on being rude and asking Chris to play songs he told them he didn't want to play. Sort of mocking someone who kept requesting Lighthouse, Chris played some backwards version of the song and said, "There, you happy?" Then, another time, while playing Green and Grey Chris just stopped playing and said, "I forgot the next verse." When someone started singing it and asked if he remembered now, he said, "Nope, still don't remember. How about no more Nickel Creek songs." It was an unfortunate reality of how selfish fans had challenged the integrity and joy of the music, and helped me further understand why the band has decided to take a break.

At the end of the day, Cain and I walked away with our most memorable Nickel Creek concert ever. We caught a fantastic set at the Paramount, and then got to live the dreamy experience of a personal acoustic Nickel Creek jam with Glen Phillips and friends added to the mix of brilliance. This will be a night I will remember forever, especially because of the parking lot show. It was a great way to end years of enjoying Nickel Creek's music and their appreciation for their fans. Hopefully other bands will take a note from Nickel Creek's story and begin to make their fans their friends, just as Chris, Sean, Sara, and Glen did with us that memorable night of July 14 2007.

Cold Comfort Band And Summerfest

This weekend trip back home was comparable only to seeing the Rockets bench in 2005. For those who don’t know how exciting of an experience that was, Patrick Ewing was stationed directly next to Yao Ming, and if that wasn’t enough, when I was fortunate enough to see this roughly ten feet away Ervin Johnson was getting his legs stretched out. Only in America my friends (Honorable mentions on that bench: “Skip-to-my-Lou”, T-Mac, and Luther Head. I’m absolutely shocked that the universe is still functioning after that night). Seeing my parents, brothers and friends was the break I needed.
The music started my first night in town. The venue was an alley behind Whelan’s Coffee and Cream. For a local show the venue gets a solid “A” for atmosphere. Serving great coffee and ice cream, the locally owned shop created a truly captivating vibe. Not all types of music would hit a home run here, but The Cold Comfort Band certainly did. This 8 piece ensemble from the Lake Country Area of southeastern Wisconsin had me feeling it. Think solid indie rock thrown in a blender with vocals on a trapeze and horns playing hooky from band camp and looking for an adventure. The mix is awesome.
That night, the band made the venue and the venue made the band. It was the kind of night to remember my younger days by. Great coffee and great local music in an alley. If you get a chance to see these guys, go for it. If you get a chance to stop by Whelan’s, go for it. If you get the chance to see them together, don’t miss it.

The following Sunday I made the trip to Summerfest. For those who don’t know, Summerfest is an annual music party in Milwaukee. It’s huge. There is live music from 2:30 PM until about 12:30 AM on a bunch of stages for 11 days. They bring in a lot of really big artists too. This year there was a really good sampling from all over the place. Panic! At the Disco, Toby Keith, Brian McKnight, and Dashboard Confessional were just a few of the awesome acts to be found over some of the days.
I caught the last day of the festival, and it was a great day to go. We started the day seeing Plumb Loco. Plumb Loco is a local Wisconsin band with world class talent. They keep an electric atmosphere up for the entirety of the show with great personality and musicianship. With a track record of bringing the house down for over 30 years, they are as electric as ever.
After the opening show I decided to check out the festival. Most festivals are too crowded, the food is over-priced, and people generally smell bad. These complaints hold up, but with a little stick to it, this is no reason to stay home. Think amusement park with no rides and great music. While walking around, I stumbled upon a tiki hut stage with some pretty good jams going down. Shortly after, an Elvis impersonator took stage on the mini tiki hut. This was nothing short of epic, and I’m sorry that you missed it, but Elvis covers in a tiki hut is something I will not soon forget. After some lounging around on the rocks by Lake Michigan and an ear of roasted corn, The evening’s headliners were getting ready to start.
For the headlining show, I saw three different bands: Brian McKnight, G. Love and the Special Sauce, and Lupe Fiasco. All three were good shows, but Lupe Fiasco tore the roof off of the outdoor venue. We’ll call it a high energy hip-hop show with all the makings of a great concert. I also have to hand it to the Milwaukee hip-hop scene for making a killer atmosphere for this emerging artist. If you don’t know Lupe Fiasco, get to know him.
G. Love was good too, good jam but didn’t stand out all that much. Brian McKnight set it off as well. You can tell he was a seasoned veteran that had the crowd the whole way.
Good shows, and the atmosphere was great for a festival. I wouldn’t go to Summerfest to see a band I was on the fence about, but I wouldn’t stay away from the show just because it’s at a festival.
After all was said and done, it was a great trip home. Next update: Cain AND Mike reviewing Nickel Creek and Glen Phillips. Oh snap, its bananas.

A More Urban Affair

Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Cain Anderson, the co-conspirator for this blog. I'm much obliged to be invited to share my adventures with all of you.
I intend to bring you my take on life through the lens of adventure. Adventures of both a grandiose scale and of a more common nature. Adventure is proving to be more of an attitude or approach than an event, so it looks like I'll be facing down a lot of adventure.
My latest adventure has been my trip home to Wales, WI. I know Wales may not seem exceedingly exciting, but there is plenty to keep me, and in turn you, entertained.
But, I'd hate to get ahead of myself, so I'll begin where I started at 6:00 AM on July 6th (that was last Friday). Coincidentally my problems started just about then. Have you ever poured yourself a big bowl of cereal in a ravenous breakfast rage only to find out that all the milk has been wasted on everyone else's cereal? It's the same feeling you get when you forget to "shake well" the orange juice before pouring and you have a whole glass of orange tasting water that you can't justify pouring out because, well, you brought this on yourself and why should the orange juice suffer? The worst part about that feeling is that you know the rest of the OJ will be too strong because you just messed up the concentrate to water mixture like a pro. Truly heart wrenching. You can't get a good glass of the stuff until you pop the cap on the next carton. Well, missing your flight is that feeling on HGH (that's human growth hormone, the stuff that home runs are made of).
My flight was scheduled to take off at 6:00 AM, and me waking up then just didn't cut it. So after a minute or two of scrambling and freaking out while checking my flight info like it was the refrigerator to my missing milk, i decided to eat my proverbial cereal dry.
After my great roommate and his dog got me to the airport, i bid them fairwell and told them that I would be able to figure it out and that they shouldn't let it ruin their day, because I wouldn't let it ruin mine. Then, following a humbling discussion about my inability to wake up in the morning, i sat down to do some word puzzles, because nothing is more frustrating that the "easy word puzzle" books. Can anyone actually complete these? Or is this some sick joke by the failures that create these things. Too close for missiles; switching to guns, or in this case Bon Appetit.
A successful trip to the airport is defined by three things:
1. Being able to avoid the tourist traps known as news stands. You probably already predicted my utter failure at this from the last paragraph. Also bought a Golf magazine.
2. A good snack on the flight. This is critical. I do OK with the pretzels, I like peanuts more, but those cookies on Midwest Express are the definition of in-flight baller status. I fell asleep on my flight far before I could get a snack or a drink, so this flight couldn't pass this test either, although again my fault.
3. Decent conversation with the other passengers. I usually try to spark up a conversation with my fellow travelers. This time, however, I happened to notice that I was sitting next to the "annoying guy" on the plane. There is always one. If you can't find one, its you. I found him, and fell asleep. He liked to make conversation with all the people on board about the weather, and his golf game. Thinking that my magazine may offer up means for discussion, I went with the frustrating puzzles for roughly 13 seconds.

So with my flight a failure completely, I got in my Dad's truck and went home to see everybody that makes me happy. And, all of this before lunch.

I'm sure you're as tired of reading as I am of typing. I'll tell you all about after lunch and the amazing Cold Comfort Band next time.

Cain Anderson

Quick Update

Just a little update. I was back in Wisconsin for a week, spent the day with my wonderful girlfriend in Chicago, and am now back in Williamsburg. My camera has been MIA lately due to some dead batteries, but I should get it going again soon.

This afternoon, however, I wish I did have my camera. While biking the Colonial Parkway along the James River, I encountered two bald eagles fishing in the river. It was absolutely incredible watching them hunt and fly around just over my head. Hopefully soon I'll get back there with a camera and a full report. Nonetheless, the James in Williamsburg shows some real adventure promise...

Mountain Orientation

Well after spending the last few days relaxing on the beach in Virginia Beach (and a quick trip into North Carolina's outer banks), we decided a trip to Charlottesville was in store. The last week has been exhausting, and living out of a hotel is certainly getting old. Dad and I have been running back and forth from Portsmouth to Norfolk to Virginia Beach, so a trip to the mountains sounded promising.

Since getting here, Charlottesville is quickly becoming one of my favorite places around. The University of Virginia boasts a breathtaking campus, as it is rich in history and culture. Charlottesville is a very vibrant town, and it seems to encompass the lifestyle of those living within its boundaries. It is a town with incredible character, and is very easy to fall in love with. I have a feeling that each time I visit, it is going to be harder and harder to leave.

However, most of the pictures posted here are from much smaller towns, including Lovington, Scottsville, and similar towns hardly appearing on the map. Many of the pictures are from orchards just off the highway, which happened to feature some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. The pictures hardly capture the depth of these orchards, but I promise their beauty does not fall short of my claim. (And just for the record, we only touched on the outskirts of the mountains. The Appalachians boast a whole different level of intensity further West of our expedition.)

As we drove through small mountain towns and passed by the incredible views, I began to wonder how differently people would view the world if they were able to experience these landscapes. There is not doubt in my mind that if all of America was like this, or at least all of America were able to experience it, our nation would be much more patriotic on the whole. I found myself to be overwhelmed by a certain pride for my country after learning of its beauty and purity.

Furthermore, the simple inspiration of these landscapes is powerful. As you drive through the mountains, orchards, and forests, the landscapes and their history seem to breathe life into you. With each town that we explored, I found myself desiring to see more. I began to realize that there is so much more to life than my troubles and everyday routine, and I've got to get out there and see it! I found myself wanting to live longer just so I could have more time to explore it all, in turn leaving me with a desire to live healthier. I figure, the healthier I am, the more life I have to breathe, the more of God's creation I get to see. It is a strange addiction and inspiration, but I am willing to bet you will find the same joy in your adventures.

My hope in sharing these pictures is that those not so close to the beautiful landscapes of our historic land would find inspiration in what I am sharing. Hopefully, it will open your mind not just to new images, but to new ideas and perspectives on life. This is a country worth exploring, one to be proud of, and it is up to you to live a lifestyle than will someday enable you to do so.

Civil War Weekend

Life continues to move at an incredibly fast pace, and I can confidently say this "immersion week" in Virginia has been an unbelievable experience. Over the past week, we have done and seen some spectacular things. However, I don't think any of them were approached with the anticipation of this next adventure. This time, we were going back in time to the most remembered era of American history - an event that defind Southern culture as we know it today. This weekend, AdventureVA was all about Civil War Weekend.

Civil War Weekend is an annual event hosted by Pamplin Historical Park in Petersburg, Virginia, and destiny had in store for Petersburg to be the soil for my first ever Civil War reenactment. After reading the book "Confederates in the Attic", there was nothing I wanted to do more since getting here than experience a hardcore Civil War reenactment. I had read about the legendary stories of the most "way hardcore" reenactor, Rob Hodge, and nothing was going to stop me from getting to Petersburg to embrace my Civil War craving.

Arriving at the park was at first a bit disappointing, however. There was a very small crowd, and the event looked more like a tourist act than it did the hardcore reenactments I had read about. The crowd was small, and the Confederate encampments were thin. The Union encampments were nowhere to be found.

We did end up seeing a demonstration, among a few other things. I don't need to go into extravagant detail of the day itself, but I do want to make note of the fact that there is a significant difference between a demostration and a reenactment. Demonstrations usually contain only a small handful of park rangers shooting a few cannons and guns. A reenactment contains sometimes hundreds of reenactors, from both armies, acting out a battle with the integrity of historical preservation in mind. So when you decide to take on your first Civil War experience, just make sure you are seeing a reenactment instead of a demonstration.

Reenactment versus demonstration set aside, the demo was still actually pretty cool. The park rangers-turned Confederate soldiers shot cannons and rifles, which was exciting in itself, and it left me salivating over the chance to see what a real reenactment would look like. Guess I will just have to do my homework next time... but you can bet this won't be the last time I'm drooling over a Civil War battlefield.

My favorite part of the day was when we went to see the 97th Regimental String Band play. They had a bass, guitar, mandolin, and banjo, and played traditional Civil War songs that were normally heard around Confederate camps. Now of course, I'm naturally going to love the string band more because of the mandolin. But these guys were more than just musicians, they were true Civil War entertainers. They acted quite well in character, telling a number of Civil War era jokes (OK, so they were kind of cheesy by today's standards) and keeping the mood humuorous. They also worked hard to encourage the crowd to sing along, as many of the songs were familiar. Overall, seeing these guys was a blast, the music was actually good, and I think walking away from the experience, I'm a little turned on to Civil War string bands. Maybe I'll try and catch another show sometime down the road...

Well after all the Civil War Weekend festivities came to a close (there were other things we saw, but again I'll let the pictures tell the story), we wandered to the more permenant exhibits at the park. The museum at Pamplin is actually outstanding, and free. There is a wonderful walk through tour in which you are given headphones, which auto-play audio narration in your ears when you walk up to certain exhibits. That way, you only hear the things you want to hear. The best part is, when you aren't listening to a narration, the headphones play the sounds of a Civil War camp, which really makes you feel like you have traveled in time. I had a blast just sitting around the exhibits, and the museum does an outstanding job of really making the tour an experience as opposed to a traditional history lesson.

The best part of the museum was a short part of the audio tour, in which you enter a virtual battlefield. You walk through what a haunted house type area, where you are walking through deep forest and into a battlefield in which the armies have engaged in combat. As you walk through this "haunted house," air cannons shoot at you, explosions go off, and the ground shakes. You can literally see the flash of a shot, feel the bullet whizz past your head, and feel the ground shake as men around you fall. I have never seen such an impressive exhibit of a battlefield, and this alone is worth your trip to Petersburg.

In conclusion, it was a fun day at Pamplin, despite the fact that the reenactment wasn't hardcore. The part was beautiful, well preserved, and very interesting and educational. And at the end of the day, I'm even more fascinated with Civil War culture. Just remember, Yankees beware: the war may be over, but Pamplin is still Confederate territory.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Norva

Old Crow Medicine Show : Live @ The Norva June 21, 2007: The barn is still burning from last Wednesday. I would have written my review earlier, but the coals were still hot and most of my days were spent daydreaming about my time at the Norva. In the midst of my awestruck imaginary recreation of my first ever OCMS show, I really had little time to sit down and tell you about it. But without further adieu, here is AdventureVA's account of an Old Crow Medicine Show encounter at the Norva. And I promise, that's the last time I'll speak in the third person.

Now let me start with the Norva, since not only was this my first Old Crow concert, but it was also my first time at the Norva. In fact, it was my first night in Norfolk altogether. But that's a different story. The Norva is a wonderful venue in downtown Norfolk, humble on the outside but a wonderland on the inside. The Norva was quite dark before the stage was occupied, but to my delight it was smoke free and decorated quite well once Old Crow came out. There are some tables and seating stage-left on the main floor, and an upper balcony with more of the same above. You'll find a couple of bars on both levels, but they were far enough off to the side that I never found them to be of any annoyance.

Before the show, people were very friendly and willing to chat mostly about Bonnaroo, Floyd Fest, and nearby venues. To my surprise, there seemed to be a fair number of people in attendance who were also there to see OCMS for the first time. The show itself didn't start until about 45 minutes after the scheduled launch, so we definitely had enough time to meet and greet. It was a late arriving crowd, which isn't something you really see happening back in the Midwest. It was a little frustrating, but the guys more than made up for their late appearance when their performance.

The show itself was honestly the best concert I have ever seen. In fact, in order to make sure I wasn't just on a high from the concert, I waited to contemplate my review until the buzz had wore off. Four days later, I still think it was the best concert I have ever seen. Check that, it was the best concert I have ever seen. Very much to my surprise, it even passed some great memories of classic and mind-blowing Nickel Creek performances.

The band's energy and enthusiasm was unbelievable, as they went from one song to the next without any hesitation. By time it was all said and done, I was honestly surprised that none of them passed out from exhaustion. The set list was one of the best I have seen from OCMS, including two full sets and a feverishly memorable encore. Some of my personal favorites included New Virginia Creeper, Are You From Dixie?, Wagon Wheel, Down Home Girl, and the Tell It To Me finale.

It is always hard to put a band's performance into words when it is as magical a show as the boys put on at the Norva, so let me take a moment to share my thoughts on the crowd at the Norva. For the most part, everyone was real nice and easy going. There was plenty of dancing, and no one seemed able to sit still at any time during the show. My only complaint was that by the end of the show, an army of sloppy-drunk high schoolers had pushed their way to the stage and proceeded to soak us all in beer while attempting to dance. Around the same time, someone also threw beer onto the stage at the band, and Ketch didn't seem to appreciate that. But all in all, the crowd was a shocking mix of people and ages, and was quite tolerable.

Gauging the reaction of more regular OCMS fans, it sounds like the Norva show was one of the finest of late, and I couldn't agree more. This was hands down the best concert I have ever seen, OCMS has probably surpassed Nickel Creek as my all time favorite band, and I must pass my enthusiasm on to you and recommend you find yourself an OCMS show and get ready for one of the best times of your life.

Visit the oldcrowfans forum for pictures and a set list of the magical night...