Hey Everyone,
November is here, today we are driving north to Michigan after an amazing tour of Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida where we experienced some toasty warm weather. Prior to our Southern states tour we headed east with shows in Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. We got to experience several new clubs for us- The Armour Inn in Hamburg, NY (amazing food) and The Abilene Lounge in Rochester, New York (very cool), the stunning "Dusk" in Providence, Rhode Island and the Elks Lodge in Franklin, New Hampshire (down home and bluesy). We had fun shows at them all and plan to return soon.
On our trek south it was great to visit Brackin's Bar, The Empty Glass and Blue 5. The Columbia Blues fest in South Carolina was an incredible day. Several thousand attended the event and the sun was shining. We had sold out of CDs by the end of the set so I guess we did good!! My band and I went to the after party and hung out with all the festival staff. One of the staff kindly offered me a ride back to the hotel. Within one minute after leaving the club, we were pulled over by the police. My kind friend was arrested for DUI and I received a ticket for not wearing a seat belt in the back seat. OUCH!!! Then I had to pay for the taxi fare as the other passenger had no money. What a night!!!
On the following Monday, Bobbi and I went to one of the local elementary schools in Columbia to give a presentation on the didgeridoo and Australia. It was very cool because the school's emblem was "the kangaroo". The kids really dug learning about Australia. Then we headed to our favorite music friendly Inn- The Paradise Inn in Pensacola Beach where we got to chill out for a few days. For those of you who have never been to the pure white sands of Pensacola Beach it really is worth the trip. Lots of wild life- Bobbi and I saw several stingrays plus many sea birds and fish. We performed at Alabama's best Juke Joint- The Blues Saloon then on to the incredible Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee. You just can't beat the fish fry, the huge bonfire and the cool blues at Bradfordville Blues. It certainly is a unique club. We finished the week with a show at The Backroom in its new location in Delray Beach.
We performed a Halloween show for our dear kids at The Buckingham Exceptional Student Center. I went as a pirate, Bobbi was a witch, Chris was a china man, Matt was a snooza man and Scott was a scare crow. The kids had a great time. That evening we performed to a packed house of gouls, witches, vampires plus many more at the Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda. Our show at Guanabanas, The Coconut Creek Casino, The Buckingham Bar, and Aces were alot of fun. Our final show of the tour was a double bill with Mike Zito at Earls Hideway. Despite the wind and the rain we had a packed house and the jam with Mike and myself was the highlight of the day.
Coming up in November we have a three shows in Michigan followed by a jam packed tour to Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri and Iowa. Our show at Wilebeski's Blues Saloon on Saturday November 26 in St Paul Minnesota has been canceled as the club suddenly closed with out warning. We were fortunate to book a second show at Byrons in Pomeroy Iowa for a Harperfest weekend on Sat November 26 and Sunday November 27. We hope you will spread the word
We hope to see you out on the road this Fall.
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
Monday, November 7, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Harper and Midwest Kind October Blog part 2
Hey Everyone,
Fall is upon us and we are having some amazing "Indian Summer" weather here in Michigan this week. We had a fairly easy month in September after all the major touring of the Spring and Summer. It was nice just to chill out a little bit. Ive been working on the new live CD which we hope to release in early Spring, 2012 (March/April) for my Southern Hemisphere friends. Our shows at Scooters in Michigan, Fitzgeralds in Chicago were a lot of fun. The new Bring It Festival in Flint, Michigan was amazing. The organizers had an entire wall of original graffiti styled artwork being created while the festival was running. It was incredible to see. There were arts and crafts booths full of interesting items such as jewelery, Flint Comic books, clothing and art. Very cool! Our show at The Livery in Benton Harbor, Michigan was also alot of fun. At The Player's Pub in Bloomington, Indiana we got to jam with our good friend Justin Brown who just about stole the show.
On the way to the Rootenanny Festival in Ellsworth, Michigan as we were driving up highway 131, I started to feel quite ill. Bobbi offered me a banana so I ate it thinking that it might calm my stomach. What happened next was like something out of a horror movie. With my two hands on the driving wheel, my stomach launched a huge projectile of creamy banana colored vomit all over the dashboard and the entire front section of the van. This all happened while I was driving. I managed to pull the van safely over to the side of the highway. I guess it was that jalapeno burger that I scoffed down at Wendy's about an hour earlier. That's road food for you. Oh My God, what a drama!!. Thankfully our guitarist Matt Besey had a roll of toilet paper to mop up the mess! We made our way to the fabulous Rootenanny with an incredible road story to tell.
On a sad note, our amazing drummer Marc Dixon, after five years of touring with my band "Midwest Kind", will be going off the road. His last show will be on Sunday October 9 @ Scooters in Flint, Michigan. We wish him all the very best for the future and thank him for his fine contribution to my music. We welcome Scott Key our former drummer, who Marc originally replaced in 2007. Its very cool to have Scott back in the band. In October we will be heading to Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida. Included is our regular visit to our special needs kids at the Buckingham Exceptional Student Center in Fort Myers Florida for a Halloween show. Can't wait!!
We hope to see you out on the road this Fall.
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
Fall is upon us and we are having some amazing "Indian Summer" weather here in Michigan this week. We had a fairly easy month in September after all the major touring of the Spring and Summer. It was nice just to chill out a little bit. Ive been working on the new live CD which we hope to release in early Spring, 2012 (March/April) for my Southern Hemisphere friends. Our shows at Scooters in Michigan, Fitzgeralds in Chicago were a lot of fun. The new Bring It Festival in Flint, Michigan was amazing. The organizers had an entire wall of original graffiti styled artwork being created while the festival was running. It was incredible to see. There were arts and crafts booths full of interesting items such as jewelery, Flint Comic books, clothing and art. Very cool! Our show at The Livery in Benton Harbor, Michigan was also alot of fun. At The Player's Pub in Bloomington, Indiana we got to jam with our good friend Justin Brown who just about stole the show.
On the way to the Rootenanny Festival in Ellsworth, Michigan as we were driving up highway 131, I started to feel quite ill. Bobbi offered me a banana so I ate it thinking that it might calm my stomach. What happened next was like something out of a horror movie. With my two hands on the driving wheel, my stomach launched a huge projectile of creamy banana colored vomit all over the dashboard and the entire front section of the van. This all happened while I was driving. I managed to pull the van safely over to the side of the highway. I guess it was that jalapeno burger that I scoffed down at Wendy's about an hour earlier. That's road food for you. Oh My God, what a drama!!. Thankfully our guitarist Matt Besey had a roll of toilet paper to mop up the mess! We made our way to the fabulous Rootenanny with an incredible road story to tell.
On a sad note, our amazing drummer Marc Dixon, after five years of touring with my band "Midwest Kind", will be going off the road. His last show will be on Sunday October 9 @ Scooters in Flint, Michigan. We wish him all the very best for the future and thank him for his fine contribution to my music. We welcome Scott Key our former drummer, who Marc originally replaced in 2007. Its very cool to have Scott back in the band. In October we will be heading to Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida. Included is our regular visit to our special needs kids at the Buckingham Exceptional Student Center in Fort Myers Florida for a Halloween show. Can't wait!!
We hope to see you out on the road this Fall.
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
Friday, September 9, 2011
Harper and Midwest Kind October Blog
Hey everyone,
Autumn here we come! What an amazing summer we have had. Just back from Nebraska, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island. Woohoo quite a drive! We performed at the legendary Zoo Bar, (despite a double booking with Levee Town), Southside Johnnies and Lincoln's Roadhouse. The highlight was the amazing Trinidaddio Blues Festival in Trinidad just south of Colorado Springs. We arrived one day early for the pre festival party which was just fabulous. Our dear friends Richard & Michelle Sukup also came along for the ride. We started the night with dinner at local Restaurant "Rino's" where were treated to live blues and opera. An interesting combination, but somehow it worked because of the incredibly talented staff/performers. We then headed down to El Rancho for a Zydeco treat with Rosie Ledet and her band. The atmosphere was electric and we all had way too much fun. The next day was the festival. We had our own limo driver called Ron who ferried us around all weekend. The lineup was stellar with Rosie Ledet, Charlie Musslewhite, Dave Specter and many more. The hospitality of Trinidaddio was about the best there is!
We drove back to Michigan for one whole day and then we were out on the road again to the East Coast where we performed at House Of Buds in Hyannis, MA. We then headed to Rhode Island for the much awaited Rhythm n Roots Festival in Charlestown's beautiful Ninigret Park. We had stunning weather and amazing music with Marcia Ball, Raul Marlo, Red Stick Ramblers, Steve Earle, Mitch Woods plus many many more. It was so nice to hear all these great performers. The sound was pristine and the vibe very friendly. A great weekend was had by all. We finished our East Coast run with shows at the picturesque "Inn on The Blues" in York Beach and our favorite Timeout Pub in Rockland, Maine- we love this place. Its always nice to meet up with old friends.
We have a last minute booking- a double bill with Mr Blotto at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn, Illinois (Sept 17)plus The Bring It Festival in Flint, Michigan (Sept 18). We will be revisiting The Livery in Benton Harbor, MI (Sept 24) followed by Michigan's Rootenanny presented by our talented friends "Rootstand" (September 25) in Ellsworth, Michigan. Great camping, music and good times at the Rocky Top Farm. We will end the month of September with a show at The Player's Pub in Bloomington, Indiana (Sept 30). We were very sad to hear that Owner Greg Hill suddenly passed last month but thankfully the Pub continues his love of music.
October will see us heading back to New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania then south to South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida and Alabama. Woohoo- Im tired already!! LOL!!!
We hope to see you out on the road this Fall.
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
Autumn here we come! What an amazing summer we have had. Just back from Nebraska, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island. Woohoo quite a drive! We performed at the legendary Zoo Bar, (despite a double booking with Levee Town), Southside Johnnies and Lincoln's Roadhouse. The highlight was the amazing Trinidaddio Blues Festival in Trinidad just south of Colorado Springs. We arrived one day early for the pre festival party which was just fabulous. Our dear friends Richard & Michelle Sukup also came along for the ride. We started the night with dinner at local Restaurant "Rino's" where were treated to live blues and opera. An interesting combination, but somehow it worked because of the incredibly talented staff/performers. We then headed down to El Rancho for a Zydeco treat with Rosie Ledet and her band. The atmosphere was electric and we all had way too much fun. The next day was the festival. We had our own limo driver called Ron who ferried us around all weekend. The lineup was stellar with Rosie Ledet, Charlie Musslewhite, Dave Specter and many more. The hospitality of Trinidaddio was about the best there is!
We drove back to Michigan for one whole day and then we were out on the road again to the East Coast where we performed at House Of Buds in Hyannis, MA. We then headed to Rhode Island for the much awaited Rhythm n Roots Festival in Charlestown's beautiful Ninigret Park. We had stunning weather and amazing music with Marcia Ball, Raul Marlo, Red Stick Ramblers, Steve Earle, Mitch Woods plus many many more. It was so nice to hear all these great performers. The sound was pristine and the vibe very friendly. A great weekend was had by all. We finished our East Coast run with shows at the picturesque "Inn on The Blues" in York Beach and our favorite Timeout Pub in Rockland, Maine- we love this place. Its always nice to meet up with old friends.
We have a last minute booking- a double bill with Mr Blotto at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn, Illinois (Sept 17)plus The Bring It Festival in Flint, Michigan (Sept 18). We will be revisiting The Livery in Benton Harbor, MI (Sept 24) followed by Michigan's Rootenanny presented by our talented friends "Rootstand" (September 25) in Ellsworth, Michigan. Great camping, music and good times at the Rocky Top Farm. We will end the month of September with a show at The Player's Pub in Bloomington, Indiana (Sept 30). We were very sad to hear that Owner Greg Hill suddenly passed last month but thankfully the Pub continues his love of music.
October will see us heading back to New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania then south to South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida and Alabama. Woohoo- Im tired already!! LOL!!!
We hope to see you out on the road this Fall.
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Harper and Midwest Kind September Blog
Hey Everyone,
We are getting ready to head West next week to Colorado for the Trinidaddio Blues Festival in Trinidad. Really looking forward to this one. July was festival month for us. After the Ottawa Bluesfest we performed at the London Blues Festival, also in Canada. This was another great event. The weather was picture perfect, the sound incredible and the artists were amazing. We caught up with Cassie Taylor, Daughter of Otis with her band "Girls with Guitars" who put on a great set. We also saw the amazing Thornetta Davis belt out a few tunes. The Michigan Beer Festival in Ypsilanti was a nice show and the beer was flowing. Thankfully this year we actually got to play. Some of you may remember that last year our show was cancelled due to the torrential down pour which engulfed the festival. The temperature was soaring in the low 90's, we were very happy to perform in the air conditioned comfort of Guy Hollerins in Ann Arbor that evening. We celebrated Bobbi's birthday (our manager) at Flint town's Scooters Bar. Bobbi was blown away by some of the music fans giving her birthday cards and a birthday balloon. It made her day! The next week we headed north to the Cheboygan Music Festival which was followed by shows at The Eagles Lodge and The Cabbage Shed in Elberta, Michigan.
The first week of August we performed a fun show at the Crossroads Music Festival in Downtown Ypsilanti, Michigan then we headed to The Kitchener Blues Festival in Canada. Kitchener was a blast. A huge event held in downtown Kitchener. We had a minor hiccup getting to the Clock Tower Stage, the mini van which was provided for us by the festival, simply would not fit in five people, guitars and didgeridoos. So the guitars and didgeridoos got to ride and the band walked, which wasn't so bad since the stage was only a couple of blocks away. We had a fabulous show, the crowd really dug the set. Edgar Winter followed with a rockin set which had the crowd on their feet. Brother Johnny Winter also performed on another stage, close by. We managed to catch Jimmie Vaughan's set, which was very cool to see. We performed an afterfest show at McCabe's Irish Pub which really went off. Three encores and much happiness! After the show our driver Al surprised us with a huge white stretch limo which promptly took us back to the hotel. We all felt like rockstars! Kitchener we love you! The next week was an all Michigan tour with a show for the kids at The Williams Syndrome Camp in Grand Rapids. If ever you feel depressed, doing or should I say giving to these wonderful kids just makes your heart glow. It was such a wonderful experience. The next day we headed to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a packed house at The Blackstone Pizza Company in Iron Mountain. The next day we performed at the amazing Grand Marais Music Festival. Grand Marais is simply stunning. Situated right on the blue waters of Lake Superior. We visited water falls and sat with our toes in the fresh water of the lake. It was fantastic. The festival was alot of fun and the audience were super cool! The next day we drove south to the Cow Pie Blues Festival in Grand Rapids. The weather turned for the worse, we were pelted with heavy rain for a full six soaking hours. As we drove into the festival we visualized a calm blue sky with warm sunshine and were eventually rewarded with both. Unfortunately our good friends- the Rusty Wright Band had to cut their set short, to the disappointment of many. The good news is that we will be doing a double bill with the Rusty Wright Band on Saturday October 2 in Linden, Michigan at the Janelle's Event Center. This should be a great show. Another amazing festival we have coming up in September is Michigan's Rootenanny presented by our talented friends "Rootstand" (September 23-25) in Ellsworth, Michigan. Great camping, music and good times at the Rocky Top Farm.
September will also see us heading East to Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island.
We hope to see you out on the road this Summer and Fall.
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
We are getting ready to head West next week to Colorado for the Trinidaddio Blues Festival in Trinidad. Really looking forward to this one. July was festival month for us. After the Ottawa Bluesfest we performed at the London Blues Festival, also in Canada. This was another great event. The weather was picture perfect, the sound incredible and the artists were amazing. We caught up with Cassie Taylor, Daughter of Otis with her band "Girls with Guitars" who put on a great set. We also saw the amazing Thornetta Davis belt out a few tunes. The Michigan Beer Festival in Ypsilanti was a nice show and the beer was flowing. Thankfully this year we actually got to play. Some of you may remember that last year our show was cancelled due to the torrential down pour which engulfed the festival. The temperature was soaring in the low 90's, we were very happy to perform in the air conditioned comfort of Guy Hollerins in Ann Arbor that evening. We celebrated Bobbi's birthday (our manager) at Flint town's Scooters Bar. Bobbi was blown away by some of the music fans giving her birthday cards and a birthday balloon. It made her day! The next week we headed north to the Cheboygan Music Festival which was followed by shows at The Eagles Lodge and The Cabbage Shed in Elberta, Michigan.
The first week of August we performed a fun show at the Crossroads Music Festival in Downtown Ypsilanti, Michigan then we headed to The Kitchener Blues Festival in Canada. Kitchener was a blast. A huge event held in downtown Kitchener. We had a minor hiccup getting to the Clock Tower Stage, the mini van which was provided for us by the festival, simply would not fit in five people, guitars and didgeridoos. So the guitars and didgeridoos got to ride and the band walked, which wasn't so bad since the stage was only a couple of blocks away. We had a fabulous show, the crowd really dug the set. Edgar Winter followed with a rockin set which had the crowd on their feet. Brother Johnny Winter also performed on another stage, close by. We managed to catch Jimmie Vaughan's set, which was very cool to see. We performed an afterfest show at McCabe's Irish Pub which really went off. Three encores and much happiness! After the show our driver Al surprised us with a huge white stretch limo which promptly took us back to the hotel. We all felt like rockstars! Kitchener we love you! The next week was an all Michigan tour with a show for the kids at The Williams Syndrome Camp in Grand Rapids. If ever you feel depressed, doing or should I say giving to these wonderful kids just makes your heart glow. It was such a wonderful experience. The next day we headed to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a packed house at The Blackstone Pizza Company in Iron Mountain. The next day we performed at the amazing Grand Marais Music Festival. Grand Marais is simply stunning. Situated right on the blue waters of Lake Superior. We visited water falls and sat with our toes in the fresh water of the lake. It was fantastic. The festival was alot of fun and the audience were super cool! The next day we drove south to the Cow Pie Blues Festival in Grand Rapids. The weather turned for the worse, we were pelted with heavy rain for a full six soaking hours. As we drove into the festival we visualized a calm blue sky with warm sunshine and were eventually rewarded with both. Unfortunately our good friends- the Rusty Wright Band had to cut their set short, to the disappointment of many. The good news is that we will be doing a double bill with the Rusty Wright Band on Saturday October 2 in Linden, Michigan at the Janelle's Event Center. This should be a great show. Another amazing festival we have coming up in September is Michigan's Rootenanny presented by our talented friends "Rootstand" (September 23-25) in Ellsworth, Michigan. Great camping, music and good times at the Rocky Top Farm.
September will also see us heading East to Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island.
We hope to see you out on the road this Summer and Fall.
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
Monday, July 18, 2011
Harper & Midwest Kind August Blog
Hi Everyone,
Summer is definitely here and it is Hot Hot Hot!!!!. During our June tour we tried to dodge all the rain but weren't successful on many occasions. Our show at Mixer On the Mall in Kalamazoo went well despite the threatening rain clouds. Amazingly the rain hit hard just as we were loading out our equipment, which was great for the crowd but not so great for us, as we were all soaked. We weren't so lucky for The Rathskeller in Indianapolis. It looked like the show would be cancelled, but the storm passed and many folks came out to see us, which was very cool!. Our shows at The Empty Glass and Papa Mojos went really well. Infact quite a rowdy crowd turned up for the Papa Mojo's show in North Carolina. Our show at Blueridge Big Sky saw its biggest turnout to date. A stunning setting in the mountains of Moravian Falls, North Carolina. We planned to record a live CD, but were faced with a number of mishaps, firstly we were pounded with 15 minutes of torrential rain then my Harp mic decided to be temperamental by cutting in and out. Hopefully we will be able to work with the rest of the tracks. Our last show in June took place at Kiawah Island, Night Heron Park in South Carolina. This time we were hit with over an hour of pelting rain drops and heavy black clouds. It looked for sure that the show was going to be cancelled. But the organizers of the concert decided to move the show to a dry location. So the sound people and the band had to move everything to another venue. It seemed to be a huge effort to do a show for no one because of the bad weather. But we did what we had to do. As I looked at the two sound engineers struggling with their heavy speakers, soaked from head to foot, with not a word of complaint, I realized this is what is mean't by "the show must go on". So instead of the usual full on electric show, we stripped it back to an acoustic set up. And wow it just sounded amazing. And you know what- the people did come out as soon as the rain stopped. It was a great show. Even the clown dude on the stilts who made balloon animals for the little kids, had a a huge lineup. Some of the kids got so excited that they started to argue and jostle each other. Just like a session of Congress (LOL) Soooo funny to see!
The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Iowa was a blast. The day started with a didgeridoo/ harmonica workshop then in the afternoon we performed a show at the tent stage. The sound was excellent and the crowd really dug the show. Then it was off to Ottawa Blues fest in Canada. We didn't have too much trouble getting through the border which was a huge relief. The Ottawa Bluesfest is a huge multi stage, multi musical genre event. My band and I performed at the Hard Rock Cafe Stage. The sound and hospitality was top notch. We had a great crowd for our show. Unfortunately the band after us "Hey Rosetta" had to cut their set short because a huge storm hit Ottawa. The wind was howling and the rain was hard hitting. All the stages were closed down. It turned into a bit of a party back stage because you really couldn't go any where. Finally the storm passed and the music flowed. We were very sorry to hear of the collapse of the main stage at the Ottawa Blues fest the other day. We send all the hard working crew all our very best. Our final show at the Ottawa Bluesfest was an acoustic show at the Barney Dansen Theatre. We had a capacity crowd and very intimate and beautiful sounding set. After our show we saw Larry McCray and his band perform on a stage near by. We all hung out with Larry and the boys for the rest of the evening before heading back to Michigan the next day. The London Blues Festival in Canada was also a great experience. Despite the scorching temperatures there was a large crowd to see us. Again the sound was excellent and absolutely not a rain drop in sight !!! We have some great Michigan festivals coming up plus another short trip to Canada and Colorado in late July and August.
We hope to see you out on the road this Summer,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind (just for ch
Summer is definitely here and it is Hot Hot Hot!!!!. During our June tour we tried to dodge all the rain but weren't successful on many occasions. Our show at Mixer On the Mall in Kalamazoo went well despite the threatening rain clouds. Amazingly the rain hit hard just as we were loading out our equipment, which was great for the crowd but not so great for us, as we were all soaked. We weren't so lucky for The Rathskeller in Indianapolis. It looked like the show would be cancelled, but the storm passed and many folks came out to see us, which was very cool!. Our shows at The Empty Glass and Papa Mojos went really well. Infact quite a rowdy crowd turned up for the Papa Mojo's show in North Carolina. Our show at Blueridge Big Sky saw its biggest turnout to date. A stunning setting in the mountains of Moravian Falls, North Carolina. We planned to record a live CD, but were faced with a number of mishaps, firstly we were pounded with 15 minutes of torrential rain then my Harp mic decided to be temperamental by cutting in and out. Hopefully we will be able to work with the rest of the tracks. Our last show in June took place at Kiawah Island, Night Heron Park in South Carolina. This time we were hit with over an hour of pelting rain drops and heavy black clouds. It looked for sure that the show was going to be cancelled. But the organizers of the concert decided to move the show to a dry location. So the sound people and the band had to move everything to another venue. It seemed to be a huge effort to do a show for no one because of the bad weather. But we did what we had to do. As I looked at the two sound engineers struggling with their heavy speakers, soaked from head to foot, with not a word of complaint, I realized this is what is mean't by "the show must go on". So instead of the usual full on electric show, we stripped it back to an acoustic set up. And wow it just sounded amazing. And you know what- the people did come out as soon as the rain stopped. It was a great show. Even the clown dude on the stilts who made balloon animals for the little kids, had a a huge lineup. Some of the kids got so excited that they started to argue and jostle each other. Just like a session of Congress (LOL) Soooo funny to see!
The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Iowa was a blast. The day started with a didgeridoo/ harmonica workshop then in the afternoon we performed a show at the tent stage. The sound was excellent and the crowd really dug the show. Then it was off to Ottawa Blues fest in Canada. We didn't have too much trouble getting through the border which was a huge relief. The Ottawa Bluesfest is a huge multi stage, multi musical genre event. My band and I performed at the Hard Rock Cafe Stage. The sound and hospitality was top notch. We had a great crowd for our show. Unfortunately the band after us "Hey Rosetta" had to cut their set short because a huge storm hit Ottawa. The wind was howling and the rain was hard hitting. All the stages were closed down. It turned into a bit of a party back stage because you really couldn't go any where. Finally the storm passed and the music flowed. We were very sorry to hear of the collapse of the main stage at the Ottawa Blues fest the other day. We send all the hard working crew all our very best. Our final show at the Ottawa Bluesfest was an acoustic show at the Barney Dansen Theatre. We had a capacity crowd and very intimate and beautiful sounding set. After our show we saw Larry McCray and his band perform on a stage near by. We all hung out with Larry and the boys for the rest of the evening before heading back to Michigan the next day. The London Blues Festival in Canada was also a great experience. Despite the scorching temperatures there was a large crowd to see us. Again the sound was excellent and absolutely not a rain drop in sight !!! We have some great Michigan festivals coming up plus another short trip to Canada and Colorado in late July and August.
We hope to see you out on the road this Summer,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind (just for ch
Friday, June 17, 2011
Harper & Midwest Kind July Blog
Hey Everyone,
Summer has arrived! We are looking forward to all the festivals that we will be performing at this summer. To finish up our tour to Massachusetts and Maine we visited our favorite Timeout Pub in Rockland, where the peeps know how to party. We also hit House of Buds in Hyannis. After the show as we were driving to York Beach Maine, we were nearly hit by a drunken driver swerving all over the highway. Bobbi was driving and she hit the horn loudly to stop the drunk from hitting the van. Now the drunk took offense to the horn blast, so then decided to pull behind us and tailgate us for a few miles with his high beams on. What a nice guy!!!! Where are the cops when you need them! Thankfully the drunk eventually turned off the highway. We arrived safely in in York Beach, Maine where we were welcomed by sunny skies and smiling faces.
After being out on tour for five weeks performing in North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and Maine and gigging just about every day, we finally headed back to Michigan. We had an easy drive home, but once we arrived in Grass Lake, we were greeted by three foot high grass. OMG- we've never seen the grass so high. So for the next week or so, mowing the grass was a main priority.
While back in Michigan we performed at our favorite Flint bar- Scooters. We also had an outdoor concert at Rogue River in Rockford which had a great turn out. We had some major problems with the sound system cutting in and out, but the folks remained calm. We found to the horror of Marc our drummer, that a couple of friendly wood ticks had decided to take a ride home with us after the show. Our shows at Lakeview Lodge and Treasure Lake Ski Lodge in Pennsylvania were canceled the following week, through no fault of our own. We apologize for any inconvenience.
We visited the fabulous Fat Fish Pub in Galesburg, Illinois, which was an amazing show. BB's in St Louis was also a fun time. As we drove west from St Louis we were greeted with dark ominous clouds. The sky became so dark that it looked like it was night time not 1pm in the afternoon. There was an eerie green tinge to the sky, which really alarmed us. We hoped there would be no tornadoes in the area, especially after what had happened to Joplin, Missouri only a short while ago. Thankfully it was only heavy rain which soon turned into sunshine. We look forward to some great festivals coming up: the Parkville River Jam, Missouri, Mixer On the Mall, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Bluerige Big Sky Farm, Moravian Falls, North Carolina, The Ottawa Blues Festival, The London Blues Festival and the Kitchener Blues Festival, Canada plus many more. We plan to record a new Live CD on Sunday June 26 at Blueridge Big Sky Music Farm in Moravian Falls, North Carolina. We hope loads of NC fans will come out to the show to yell and scream on this new recording.
We hope to see you out on the road this Summer,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind (just for chatting)
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads
Summer has arrived! We are looking forward to all the festivals that we will be performing at this summer. To finish up our tour to Massachusetts and Maine we visited our favorite Timeout Pub in Rockland, where the peeps know how to party. We also hit House of Buds in Hyannis. After the show as we were driving to York Beach Maine, we were nearly hit by a drunken driver swerving all over the highway. Bobbi was driving and she hit the horn loudly to stop the drunk from hitting the van. Now the drunk took offense to the horn blast, so then decided to pull behind us and tailgate us for a few miles with his high beams on. What a nice guy!!!! Where are the cops when you need them! Thankfully the drunk eventually turned off the highway. We arrived safely in in York Beach, Maine where we were welcomed by sunny skies and smiling faces.
After being out on tour for five weeks performing in North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and Maine and gigging just about every day, we finally headed back to Michigan. We had an easy drive home, but once we arrived in Grass Lake, we were greeted by three foot high grass. OMG- we've never seen the grass so high. So for the next week or so, mowing the grass was a main priority.
While back in Michigan we performed at our favorite Flint bar- Scooters. We also had an outdoor concert at Rogue River in Rockford which had a great turn out. We had some major problems with the sound system cutting in and out, but the folks remained calm. We found to the horror of Marc our drummer, that a couple of friendly wood ticks had decided to take a ride home with us after the show. Our shows at Lakeview Lodge and Treasure Lake Ski Lodge in Pennsylvania were canceled the following week, through no fault of our own. We apologize for any inconvenience.
We visited the fabulous Fat Fish Pub in Galesburg, Illinois, which was an amazing show. BB's in St Louis was also a fun time. As we drove west from St Louis we were greeted with dark ominous clouds. The sky became so dark that it looked like it was night time not 1pm in the afternoon. There was an eerie green tinge to the sky, which really alarmed us. We hoped there would be no tornadoes in the area, especially after what had happened to Joplin, Missouri only a short while ago. Thankfully it was only heavy rain which soon turned into sunshine. We look forward to some great festivals coming up: the Parkville River Jam, Missouri, Mixer On the Mall, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Bluerige Big Sky Farm, Moravian Falls, North Carolina, The Ottawa Blues Festival, The London Blues Festival and the Kitchener Blues Festival, Canada plus many more. We plan to record a new Live CD on Sunday June 26 at Blueridge Big Sky Music Farm in Moravian Falls, North Carolina. We hope loads of NC fans will come out to the show to yell and scream on this new recording.
We hope to see you out on the road this Summer,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind (just for chatting)
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Harper and Midwest Kind June Blog
Hi Everyone,
We are coming to the end of a fantastic five week tour which took us to North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine and Massachusetts. At the end of April, in North Carolina we performed to 750 middle school kids at the Wilkes Central School in Moravian Falls, which was pretty cool. Then it was on to the fabulous Merlefest in Wilkesboro. What a festival! Some of the most amazing music Ive ever heard. Bluegrass, Celtic, Roots, Blues and a little Country thrown in the mix. Over the weekend 80 000 rapid music fans attended an alcohol free music feast for the ears. We had some amazing shows at Merlefest. We sold out of CDs after the very first performance, which just about took my breath away. Some of the highlights were: the Zac Brown Band, Lyle Lovett and my personal favorite- Robert Plant and his band of Joy. Plus there were a multitude of artists who were just amazing musicians- people I had never heard of before, but whose musicianship was astounding. To all those new North Carolina fans we will be heading back your way Saturday June 25, Papa Mojos, Dunham and Sunday June 26 at Blueridge Big Sky Farm in Moravian Falls for a very cool out door concert. We just can't get enough of North Carolina.
Our tour to Florida was filled with warm sunshine and gentle surf. The Paradise Inn in Pensacola Beach was alot of fun, (maybe too much fun, some would say). Then it was on to our favorite Juke Joints: The Blues Tavern, Mobile, Alabama and The Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee. The Clearwater Blues Festival was another great experience, we got to hang out with Trampled Under Foot and Shemekia Copeland and heard the sweet sounds of Taj Mahal. What a day!!! We visited our favorite special needs Kids at the Buckingham Exceptional Students Center in Fort Myers. These kids and their teachers have become like old friends. After every show we feel our hearts and souls lifted to higher plain every time. Then it was on to the fabulous Bostons On The Beach in Delray Beach and Guanabanas in Jupiter. After two shows at The Coconut Creek Casino, we performed at the new and improved "Backroom" which is now located in Delray Beach. You have got to check out this new club. The decor is stunning- filled with art deco artwork and some of the most amazing lamps you will ever see, plus the sound is brilliant. Then we headed back to the cold of Sharon, Pennsylvania for a packed house at The Quaker Steak and Lube. Our shows at the Dinosaur BBQs in Rochester and Syracuse were well represented. We finished the week with a very muddy blues festival at the Spyglass Winery in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, where our new Chevy Express became bogged in a sea of soaking mud. We had to get a tractor to pull us out and Bobbi lost her shoe! Now that was a first for us. It was a great day of music and it was good to see Big Bill Morganfield doing his thing. We had a fleeting glimpse of the Skyla Burrell band who were leaving, just as we were arriving.
After an amazing show at The Timeout Pub in Rockland, Maine on Monday night, we have two more shows to go until we head back to Michigan for a little bit.
We hope to see you out on the road this Summer,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind (just for chatting)
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads
We are coming to the end of a fantastic five week tour which took us to North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine and Massachusetts. At the end of April, in North Carolina we performed to 750 middle school kids at the Wilkes Central School in Moravian Falls, which was pretty cool. Then it was on to the fabulous Merlefest in Wilkesboro. What a festival! Some of the most amazing music Ive ever heard. Bluegrass, Celtic, Roots, Blues and a little Country thrown in the mix. Over the weekend 80 000 rapid music fans attended an alcohol free music feast for the ears. We had some amazing shows at Merlefest. We sold out of CDs after the very first performance, which just about took my breath away. Some of the highlights were: the Zac Brown Band, Lyle Lovett and my personal favorite- Robert Plant and his band of Joy. Plus there were a multitude of artists who were just amazing musicians- people I had never heard of before, but whose musicianship was astounding. To all those new North Carolina fans we will be heading back your way Saturday June 25, Papa Mojos, Dunham and Sunday June 26 at Blueridge Big Sky Farm in Moravian Falls for a very cool out door concert. We just can't get enough of North Carolina.
Our tour to Florida was filled with warm sunshine and gentle surf. The Paradise Inn in Pensacola Beach was alot of fun, (maybe too much fun, some would say). Then it was on to our favorite Juke Joints: The Blues Tavern, Mobile, Alabama and The Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee. The Clearwater Blues Festival was another great experience, we got to hang out with Trampled Under Foot and Shemekia Copeland and heard the sweet sounds of Taj Mahal. What a day!!! We visited our favorite special needs Kids at the Buckingham Exceptional Students Center in Fort Myers. These kids and their teachers have become like old friends. After every show we feel our hearts and souls lifted to higher plain every time. Then it was on to the fabulous Bostons On The Beach in Delray Beach and Guanabanas in Jupiter. After two shows at The Coconut Creek Casino, we performed at the new and improved "Backroom" which is now located in Delray Beach. You have got to check out this new club. The decor is stunning- filled with art deco artwork and some of the most amazing lamps you will ever see, plus the sound is brilliant. Then we headed back to the cold of Sharon, Pennsylvania for a packed house at The Quaker Steak and Lube. Our shows at the Dinosaur BBQs in Rochester and Syracuse were well represented. We finished the week with a very muddy blues festival at the Spyglass Winery in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, where our new Chevy Express became bogged in a sea of soaking mud. We had to get a tractor to pull us out and Bobbi lost her shoe! Now that was a first for us. It was a great day of music and it was good to see Big Bill Morganfield doing his thing. We had a fleeting glimpse of the Skyla Burrell band who were leaving, just as we were arriving.
After an amazing show at The Timeout Pub in Rockland, Maine on Monday night, we have two more shows to go until we head back to Michigan for a little bit.
We hope to see you out on the road this Summer,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, E Book & T Shirt orders
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind (just for chatting)
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads
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