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
Friday, June 17, 2011
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
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Harper and Midwest Kind May Blog
Hey Everyone,
Just back from the West Coast of the US, landing back in Michigan for a couple of weeks. We are asking you all for a big favor. We need you all to vote for Harper & Midwest Kind for the Mixer on the Mall concert series in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Just go to this link and tick Harper & Midwest Kind and vote at the bottom of the page . Its quick and simple and the voting ends on Saturday April 23. We really need your help!!! Here is the link: http://wvfm.fm/mixer-on-the-mall/
Well our tour to the West coast was pretty wild. After our very frightening drive through the Colorado mountains it was nice to hang out in Salt Lake City for a few days. Our shows at The Sun and Moon Cafe and The Wine Cellar in Ogden, Utah were alot of fun. We had one night in Reno, Nevada as a stop over to California. Thankfully we didn't lose too much money. We hung out with our dear friends Mary Anne and Dave from Syracuse, New York, who were newly relocated to Reno. Our show at The Torch Club in Sacramento was pretty cool as always, then it was on to San Jose for The Poor House Bistro where we got to hang out with some more dear friends Leslie Marple and her crew. Then it was back to Reno for a show at Third Street where Bobbi got to experience the best chocolate cake ever, courtesy of the friendly staff at Third Street. Then it was an amazing scenic drive along a winding Highway 50 though to Cedar City, Utah. Marc, Chris and Matt stayed at the Chicken House, hosted by Joleen and Steve Wise. We call it the chicken house because there is a flock of free range hens who the lay the most delicious eggs you will ever eat. We had a show at Mike's Tavern near by, thanks to good friend Tim from Groovacious Records. One of the cool things when we go out on tour, is that we get to do some touristy stuff along the way. On this trip we went to the phenomenal Zion National Park. Zion truly lived up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful sites here in the USA. We saw water falls cascading from sheer red stone cliffs, an amazing fast flowing river and stunning canyon and rock formations. It was a great day. That night we had a show at Jazzy's Rock n Roll Grill in St George then it was on to Southern California for The Mint and Cafe Boogaloo. Then we headed to The Rhythm Room in Phoenix, Arizona, where Marc was suprised by an unexepected visit from his Mum. Our final show of the tour was Railroad Blues in Alpine, Texas, a very out of the way place near Big Bend National Park. We almost didn't get there because we were held up by the Border Police near El Paso who threatened Bobbi with Jail and fines for not having her green card on her. Little did we know, her passport and green card were safely packed away in her brief case just below the passenger seat of the van. Well no harm was done! At Railroad Blues, we could smell thick smoke in the air. We knew there were wild fires close by, but it was only the next day that we realized just how close the fires came to the town of Alpine. Thank God for the brave fire fighters who managed to put the fire out before too much damage was done.
We made it home safely to Michigan. Last Friday we were inspired by 400 didgeridoo playing children from the Davisburg Elementary School, where my band and I presented a didgeridoo workshop. It was an amazing day and much fun was had by all. We performed at a new club for us in Ann Arbor at The Holiday Inn, called Guy Hollerins and on Sunday we visited our favorite Flint Club- Scooters. We are about to head out on tour again for five weeks where we will be heading to North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine and Massachusetts
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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
Just back from the West Coast of the US, landing back in Michigan for a couple of weeks. We are asking you all for a big favor. We need you all to vote for Harper & Midwest Kind for the Mixer on the Mall concert series in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Just go to this link and tick Harper & Midwest Kind and vote at the bottom of the page . Its quick and simple and the voting ends on Saturday April 23. We really need your help!!! Here is the link: http://wvfm.fm/mixer-on-the-mall/
Well our tour to the West coast was pretty wild. After our very frightening drive through the Colorado mountains it was nice to hang out in Salt Lake City for a few days. Our shows at The Sun and Moon Cafe and The Wine Cellar in Ogden, Utah were alot of fun. We had one night in Reno, Nevada as a stop over to California. Thankfully we didn't lose too much money. We hung out with our dear friends Mary Anne and Dave from Syracuse, New York, who were newly relocated to Reno. Our show at The Torch Club in Sacramento was pretty cool as always, then it was on to San Jose for The Poor House Bistro where we got to hang out with some more dear friends Leslie Marple and her crew. Then it was back to Reno for a show at Third Street where Bobbi got to experience the best chocolate cake ever, courtesy of the friendly staff at Third Street. Then it was an amazing scenic drive along a winding Highway 50 though to Cedar City, Utah. Marc, Chris and Matt stayed at the Chicken House, hosted by Joleen and Steve Wise. We call it the chicken house because there is a flock of free range hens who the lay the most delicious eggs you will ever eat. We had a show at Mike's Tavern near by, thanks to good friend Tim from Groovacious Records. One of the cool things when we go out on tour, is that we get to do some touristy stuff along the way. On this trip we went to the phenomenal Zion National Park. Zion truly lived up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful sites here in the USA. We saw water falls cascading from sheer red stone cliffs, an amazing fast flowing river and stunning canyon and rock formations. It was a great day. That night we had a show at Jazzy's Rock n Roll Grill in St George then it was on to Southern California for The Mint and Cafe Boogaloo. Then we headed to The Rhythm Room in Phoenix, Arizona, where Marc was suprised by an unexepected visit from his Mum. Our final show of the tour was Railroad Blues in Alpine, Texas, a very out of the way place near Big Bend National Park. We almost didn't get there because we were held up by the Border Police near El Paso who threatened Bobbi with Jail and fines for not having her green card on her. Little did we know, her passport and green card were safely packed away in her brief case just below the passenger seat of the van. Well no harm was done! At Railroad Blues, we could smell thick smoke in the air. We knew there were wild fires close by, but it was only the next day that we realized just how close the fires came to the town of Alpine. Thank God for the brave fire fighters who managed to put the fire out before too much damage was done.
We made it home safely to Michigan. Last Friday we were inspired by 400 didgeridoo playing children from the Davisburg Elementary School, where my band and I presented a didgeridoo workshop. It was an amazing day and much fun was had by all. We performed at a new club for us in Ann Arbor at The Holiday Inn, called Guy Hollerins and on Sunday we visited our favorite Flint Club- Scooters. We are about to head out on tour again for five weeks where we will be heading to North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine and Massachusetts
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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
Friday, April 15, 2011
Harper and Midwest Kind April Blog Part 2
Hey Everyone,
Just a quicky! Please help us out by voting For Harper and Midwest Kind for the Mixer On the Mall Concert Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Here is the link.
http://wvfm.fm/mixer-on-the-mall/
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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)
Just a quicky! Please help us out by voting For Harper and Midwest Kind for the Mixer On the Mall Concert Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Here is the link.
http://wvfm.fm/mixer-on-the-mall/
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Harper and Midwest Kind April Blog
Hey Everyone,
We are currently on our annual tour to the West Coast of the US. We are in Salt Lake City, Utah today with a show at The Wine Cellar tonight in Ogden. March has been an eventful month. I found out that my new CD "Stand Together" was nominated for a 2011 Detroit Music Award for "Most Outstanding Recording" and to top it off I will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at The Blues Museum in Windsor, Canada by the South Canadian Blues Society on September 17- Wooooohhoo!!!
We started the month of March with a show at one of our favorite Michigan clubs- Billy's in Grand Rapids. We had an amazing show and this time we made it home without having our van flipped over :) We headlined a show at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn, Illinois which had a great turnout then we headed down to Bloomington Indiana for a show at The Players Pub. My good friend Justin Brown celebrated his birthday with a peanut butter cake and a jam with the band. Our new friend Patty also celebrated her birthday. Johnny Rawls also performed a great soulful set. We were so glad that Des Moines, Iowa has new venue for us- at The All Play Stadium Bar and Grill. BB's in St Louis was alot of fun, then we hit The Trouser Mouse in Blue Springs, Missouri, another new club for us.
Then it was onwards to Colorado where we had some perfect Spring weather. We hung out and relaxed in Evergreen for a few days. Such a stunning place to be, with an amazing mountain backdrop, a bright blue sky with just the right amount of snow on the ground. We broke our curse at the Little Bear Saloon where for the last few years, every time we performed there was a massive blizzard, but not this time. Another new club for us was Southside Johnnies in Colorado Springs. Great harp player "Maddog" got up and jammed with us at Jakes Roadhouse. After a crazy show at Lincolns Roadhouse in Denver, we did an over night drive through the mountains. Although the weather in Denver was sunny, that was not the case for the Rockies. As we headed up the mountain, 10 000 feet above sea level we experienced blizzard like conditions. We all know now what is it like to live in a snow globe. It was with great relief that we made it through the Vail Pass at a very slow 30 miles per hour. But there was more, once the snow eased, then we were hit with torrential rain and flooding on Interstate Highway 70. We could only relax for the last hour of the drive to Grand Junction. It was a hell of a night, that's for sure! We made it to Salt Lake City the next day for our show at the Sun and Moon Cafe which was a sell out. Great folks there and we hope to return soon.
My band Midwest Kind and I continue on our annual tour to the West Coast We will be performing in Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Texas then its back to Michigan then down to North Carolina for Merlefest.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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 currently on our annual tour to the West Coast of the US. We are in Salt Lake City, Utah today with a show at The Wine Cellar tonight in Ogden. March has been an eventful month. I found out that my new CD "Stand Together" was nominated for a 2011 Detroit Music Award for "Most Outstanding Recording" and to top it off I will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at The Blues Museum in Windsor, Canada by the South Canadian Blues Society on September 17- Wooooohhoo!!!
We started the month of March with a show at one of our favorite Michigan clubs- Billy's in Grand Rapids. We had an amazing show and this time we made it home without having our van flipped over :) We headlined a show at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn, Illinois which had a great turnout then we headed down to Bloomington Indiana for a show at The Players Pub. My good friend Justin Brown celebrated his birthday with a peanut butter cake and a jam with the band. Our new friend Patty also celebrated her birthday. Johnny Rawls also performed a great soulful set. We were so glad that Des Moines, Iowa has new venue for us- at The All Play Stadium Bar and Grill. BB's in St Louis was alot of fun, then we hit The Trouser Mouse in Blue Springs, Missouri, another new club for us.
Then it was onwards to Colorado where we had some perfect Spring weather. We hung out and relaxed in Evergreen for a few days. Such a stunning place to be, with an amazing mountain backdrop, a bright blue sky with just the right amount of snow on the ground. We broke our curse at the Little Bear Saloon where for the last few years, every time we performed there was a massive blizzard, but not this time. Another new club for us was Southside Johnnies in Colorado Springs. Great harp player "Maddog" got up and jammed with us at Jakes Roadhouse. After a crazy show at Lincolns Roadhouse in Denver, we did an over night drive through the mountains. Although the weather in Denver was sunny, that was not the case for the Rockies. As we headed up the mountain, 10 000 feet above sea level we experienced blizzard like conditions. We all know now what is it like to live in a snow globe. It was with great relief that we made it through the Vail Pass at a very slow 30 miles per hour. But there was more, once the snow eased, then we were hit with torrential rain and flooding on Interstate Highway 70. We could only relax for the last hour of the drive to Grand Junction. It was a hell of a night, that's for sure! We made it to Salt Lake City the next day for our show at the Sun and Moon Cafe which was a sell out. Great folks there and we hope to return soon.
My band Midwest Kind and I continue on our annual tour to the West Coast We will be performing in Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Texas then its back to Michigan then down to North Carolina for Merlefest.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Harper and Midwest Kind March Blog Part 2
Hey Everyone,
Just a quick one! My new CD "Stand Together" (Blind Pig) has been nominated for a 2011 Detroit Music Award for "Most Outstanding World Music Recording". Not too shabby for an Aussie now living in Michigan.
My band Midwest Kind and I continue on our annual West Coast Tour. We are touring Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Texas.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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)
Just a quick one! My new CD "Stand Together" (Blind Pig) has been nominated for a 2011 Detroit Music Award for "Most Outstanding World Music Recording". Not too shabby for an Aussie now living in Michigan.
My band Midwest Kind and I continue on our annual West Coast Tour. We are touring Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Texas.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Harper and Midwest Kind March Blog
Hi Everyone,
Spring is nearly here in the USA. During the month of February we had an amazing tour to Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and North Carolina. It was so nice to leave the frigid temperatures of - 3 F in Michigan. We welcomed the 80 degree temperatures F in Florida with open arms and flip flops. It was nice to meet many other snow birds at The Coconut Casino, Ace's Lounge and Earl's Hideaway (which had a big, big turnout). Our Valentines Day show at The Celtic Ray was a huge success. It is wonderful to see this club back to its former glory. My favorite show of the year was our visit to the lovely special needs children at the Buckingham Center for Exceptional Students. As always it was a truly spiritual experience which filled my heart with joy, inspiration and light. Our new guitarist Matt Besey also fell in love with the Buckingham kids.
Guanabanas in Jupiter, Florida was a new club for us. Situated amongst large trees and leafy palms, this surf styled bar, complete with waterfalls, is really something to see. The world famous Buckingham Bar was another first- another capacity crowd- a superb show with great sound. We got to hang with our dear friend Ken McKenzie- former owner of the Mckenzie Inn- a great supporter of touring bands and just a great guy!. A quick stop at the Funky Buddha in Boca Raton then it was on to Pensacola Beach for the Paradise Inn. We had a huge crowd of over 300 peeps at The Paradise. It was very cool to see so many folks come out. Pensacola Beach really suffered along with Louisiana last summer because of the BP oil disaster. I can verify that Pensacola Beach is just as stunning as I remember. Our final show in Florida took place at the very new Beal St Bottle Club in Fort Walton Beach, where you can bring your own booze. Another superb listening room with amazing decor. Congratulations to Beale St for winning the Beachcomber Best Music Club award.
Then it was on to Alabama for a show at The Green Bar formally Littles Willies and the newly opened "Shed" in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Our drummer Marc Dixon had a terrible bout of food poisoning and was too sick to perform for part of the first set at Humphreys in Huntsville, Alabama. The wonderful staff really took care of him. After a swig of pickle juice, Marc suddenly felt well enough to perform. What a trouper!!!! Our final show of the tour took place at stunning Blue Ridge Big Sky Farm in North Carolina, where we recorded part of the live show. We plan to return in June to record another show and then hopefully a new live CD will be born.
Our drive back to Michigan was a trip. Torrential rain, flooded highways and fog so dense that we could not see 2 feet in front of the van. It was tough that's for sure. Thankfully we made it safely home without any further mishaps. I would also like to offer up a prayer to the families of the victims of the devastating earthquake in New Zealand which destroyed the beautiful city of Christchurch. Also the blues world lost one of its extraordinary sons- Mr Eddie Kirkland in a car accident in Florida. Our heart felt condolences go out to Eddie's family, friends and fans.
In March we head out on the road for our annual West Coast tour. We will be touring to Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Texas.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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)
Spring is nearly here in the USA. During the month of February we had an amazing tour to Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and North Carolina. It was so nice to leave the frigid temperatures of - 3 F in Michigan. We welcomed the 80 degree temperatures F in Florida with open arms and flip flops. It was nice to meet many other snow birds at The Coconut Casino, Ace's Lounge and Earl's Hideaway (which had a big, big turnout). Our Valentines Day show at The Celtic Ray was a huge success. It is wonderful to see this club back to its former glory. My favorite show of the year was our visit to the lovely special needs children at the Buckingham Center for Exceptional Students. As always it was a truly spiritual experience which filled my heart with joy, inspiration and light. Our new guitarist Matt Besey also fell in love with the Buckingham kids.
Guanabanas in Jupiter, Florida was a new club for us. Situated amongst large trees and leafy palms, this surf styled bar, complete with waterfalls, is really something to see. The world famous Buckingham Bar was another first- another capacity crowd- a superb show with great sound. We got to hang with our dear friend Ken McKenzie- former owner of the Mckenzie Inn- a great supporter of touring bands and just a great guy!. A quick stop at the Funky Buddha in Boca Raton then it was on to Pensacola Beach for the Paradise Inn. We had a huge crowd of over 300 peeps at The Paradise. It was very cool to see so many folks come out. Pensacola Beach really suffered along with Louisiana last summer because of the BP oil disaster. I can verify that Pensacola Beach is just as stunning as I remember. Our final show in Florida took place at the very new Beal St Bottle Club in Fort Walton Beach, where you can bring your own booze. Another superb listening room with amazing decor. Congratulations to Beale St for winning the Beachcomber Best Music Club award.
Then it was on to Alabama for a show at The Green Bar formally Littles Willies and the newly opened "Shed" in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Our drummer Marc Dixon had a terrible bout of food poisoning and was too sick to perform for part of the first set at Humphreys in Huntsville, Alabama. The wonderful staff really took care of him. After a swig of pickle juice, Marc suddenly felt well enough to perform. What a trouper!!!! Our final show of the tour took place at stunning Blue Ridge Big Sky Farm in North Carolina, where we recorded part of the live show. We plan to return in June to record another show and then hopefully a new live CD will be born.
Our drive back to Michigan was a trip. Torrential rain, flooded highways and fog so dense that we could not see 2 feet in front of the van. It was tough that's for sure. Thankfully we made it safely home without any further mishaps. I would also like to offer up a prayer to the families of the victims of the devastating earthquake in New Zealand which destroyed the beautiful city of Christchurch. Also the blues world lost one of its extraordinary sons- Mr Eddie Kirkland in a car accident in Florida. Our heart felt condolences go out to Eddie's family, friends and fans.
In March we head out on the road for our annual West Coast tour. We will be touring to Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Texas.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
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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