Harper and Midwest Kind December Blog, 2014

Hi everyone,

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Winter/ Summer Solstice and a Happy Holiday Season.    In November we welcomed our new drummer from Chicago - the amazing Cam Lewis, who we met earlier  this year in Pensacola Beach, Florida.  I prophetically told Cam at the time that we would be working together someday!  Funny how things turn out.   We had a fabulous acoustic show at Trinity House in Livonia, Michigan, followed by the amazing and very wild Mash Bar in Ann Arbor and the fabulous Celtic Ray in Lexington over Thanksgiving weekend.

In early December we headed out on tour to The Alamo in Springfield, Illinois.  The next day Bobbi and I presented Australian Didge-ucation to the beautiful children of Montessori's Children's House.  Afterwards we visited the Illinois State Museum's Research and Collections Center. Curators: Terrance J Martin and Jonathan E. Reyman gave us a tour of an ancient Australian Aboriginal collection from the 1800s, Western Australia.  There were ancient didgeridoos, shields, spears, boomerangs, jewelry plus more.  It was an amazing collection of artifacts.  The plan is to return the collection to Canberra, Australia.   We then headed south to Brackins in Maryville, Tennessee which was a fun show.  Then its was on to Charleston , South Carolina for Fiery Ron's Home Team BBQ.  We had a great show and the BBQ was fabulous.

Unfortunately early on Saturday December 6th my van was broken into at The Sleep Inn in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.  The front passenger window was smashed and the door was damaged.  Mike's Gibson Les Paul guitar and Jame's 5 string Fender Jazz Bass guitar were stolen.  The thief also tried to get into the back of the van but was unable to.  Two other cars were also broken into.  I made a police report and have been checking Craig' s list, music stores, pawn shops- you name it, since.  Such a horrible thing to happen.  Our insurance covered the damage to the van but not the guitars.   We had the window taped up with plastic so we could make our show at Darwins in Marietta, Georgia.  Two wonderful local musicians loaned us their guitars for the evening.  Then the next week our good buddy Steve Arvey loaned us two guitars to finish the rest of the tour to Florida.  A big thank you to these generous musicians and also to our friends and fans for donating some cash to Mike and James to help them replace their stolen guitars.

Bobbi and I finished the year with an Australian Didge-ucation presentation at the JVS in Detroit for the PTS veterans.  These programs put together by the JVS really do work.  One veteran in particular was so sad, isolated, depressed and defensive when we met him earlier in the year.  We were astounded by this his beautiful smiling face this time around.  He had been transformed.  Bobbi told Psychosocial Specialist Donna Rhoades that she had given back this man's humanity.    It was so beautiful to see.   Thank you all for sharing this journey with Bobbi, my band "Midwest Kind" and me, this year.  We truly appreciate your support and love.

May 2015 best a year of peace, prosperity, joy and love for us all.  See you out on the road next year!

Thanks and Peace,

Harper and Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, Tee Shirts
http://www.harper.biz/workshops.html    Australian Didge-ucation
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.musicpage.com/harper
www.reverbnation.com/harperandmidwestkind

Harper and Midwest Kind November Blog, 2014

Hi Everyone,

Its starting to get cold here in Michigan and my log fire is getting quite a lot of work.  Very sorry to announce that we had to reschedule our Australian tour.  The day before we were due to board the plane to Sydney, I was involved in a car accident.  I was the passenger in a friend's car, when another car drove right through a stop sign and barreled right into us.  I sustained three fractured ribs.  Very very sore but not serious.  My doctor put me on the "No Fly List" so we were forced to cancel our tour.  Thankfully all our Aussie clubs and festivals have graciously agreed to rebook us for the same time next year.  So we will get there eventually!  Very sorry for the inconvenience to our Australian fans!.

October saw us heading back to the Downhome Blues Festival in Camden, South Carolina.  it was fun to run into Chef Jimi and his lovely wife Leslie plus many more familiar faces.  We also visited Asheville, North Carolina- Westville Pub which was a lot of fun.  Then it was down to Florida for an amazing visit with our special needs kids at the Buckingham Exceptional Student Center in Fort Myers.  We've been performing for these kids since 2009 and every show is an absolute blessing.  New principal Doctor Ruthie Lohmeyer was absolutely blown away at the way the kids were reacting to the music especially the didgeridoo session at the end of the show. Ive known for many years that  music is a very powerful and healing force!. After Fort Myers we headed to the stunning Guanabanas amidst a tropical rain forest then it was Englewoods on Dearborn.  We also performed at the Inaugural Camping with The Blues in Brooksville.  Got to see Doug Deming and Bryan Lee perform.  We had an all star jam at the end with about ten musicians on stage which was just magical! The festival was a lot of fun with good vibes all round.  We finished our tour at a new club for us-  Two Brothers in Punta Gorda, a very nice outdoor show indeedy!

 We hope to catch you all out on the road this fall and winter with dates in Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska!

Thanks and Peace,

Harper and Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, Tee Shirts
http://www.harper.biz/workshops.html    Australian Didge-ucation
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.musicpage.com/harper
www.reverbnation.com/harperandmidwestkind

Harper and Midwest Kind September Blog, 2014

Hey Everyone,

October is upon us and we are having some amazing Autumn weather here in Michigan, USA.   After our beyond crazy summer tour it was nice to have an easy September, a time to regroup and write some new tunes for a new CD, I hope to release in early, 2015.  A big thank to those of you who bought our Aussie Tee Shirts.  They were all sent out this week.   The last weekend of August was spent at a new festival for us- The Snowy Range Music Festival in Laramie, Wyoming.  A 19 hour drive from Michigan but well worth the trip.   Unfortunately the weather was not the best.  We were having a great set and the crowd was really getting into it when a huge storm blew through.   The wind was howling and the rain started to pelt down, my band "Midwest Kind" and I kept on playing.  The overhead lights were swinging and then suddenly the backdrop ripped and fell- landing  on our drummer's head.  Like a pro, Greg kept playing and didn't miss a beat.   The backstage crew removed the back drop and the show went on.  This was a great festival to catch up with a huge bunch of friends: such as Erika Brown and Billy Branch. Also got to see the incredible "Dumpstafunk" perform!  The backstage hospitality was fabulous - great food/drinks and even several masseuses.  It was heaven!   We did a late night jam- I got to play some harp with the amazing Billy Branch and the next day I presented a didgeridoo workshop.  

September brought us a new Ann Arbor club - called Mash which was fun.  Then the next week we played the Niagara Falls Blues Festival.   Great crowd, sound and good vibes but again it was ccccold!!!!   The next week we played the Old Town Bluesfest in Lansing, Michigan.  WKAR Backstage Pass filmed the show for PBS- The weather was just right and the sound was superb.  I think we will have a nice TV feature coming  out in 2015.   It was so much fun catching up with all the Michigan musicians after the show.  We then headed south to the Rathskellar in Indianapolis.  We were kinda rained out for a bit but then the weather cleared and all was well.  Our good friend Justin Brown did a great version of "Help Me" which brought the house down.  We finished the month at our favorite Lexington, Michigan pub- The Celtic Ray!   We head to Florida next week, then our much anticipated tour to Australia for the Sydney Blues & Roots Festival and The Wangaratta Festival of Jazz!!   Hope to see you out on the road this fall and winter!

Thanks and Peace,

Harper and Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, Tee Shirts
http://www.harper.biz/workshops.html    Australian Didge-ucation
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.facebook.com/pages/Harper-and-Midwest-Kind/163124467948
www.musicpage.com/harper
www.reverbnation.com/harperandmidwestkind

Harper and Midwest Kind Blog - August 2014

Hey Everyone,

Hope you enjoyed the summer here in the northern Hem!   We had a huge summer festival season this year.  As you all know we have a tour coming up to Australia at the end of October. Its been 7 years since my last visit and over 10 years since Ive seen my folks in Perth  :(   We have put together a limited number of Harper and Midwest Kind Australian Tour Tee Shirts which will be available until October 10th or until stocks run out.  We have all sizes and will also throw in a signed poster by the band.  The shirts go for $25 which includes free shipping within the US.  Add $5 for shipping for the rest of the world.  All the shirts will be mailed out in early October.  All the proceeds will go towards our band airfares and touring costs of our Aussie Tour.  Here is the direct link to our the merchandise page:   http://www.harper.biz/merch..html

In July we made the big road trip from Michigan to Oregon, 35 hours!  We did it in three and a half days, making it safely to Prineville, Oregon for Picnic in the Park. Unfortunately it wasn't "picnicing" weather as we were rained out.  Now as you all may know we musicians rely heavily on GPS navigation to get us from place to place.  Well the GPS who we affectionately call "Jane",  didn't work too well in Oregon.  On our way to the Rhythm on The River Festival in Clatskanie, we were literally guided down a lumber jack's track and ended up on the edge of a cliff.  Now you may well laugh, but this is the second time this has happened to us.  The first time was on our very first Australian national tour, where we had no GPS, just our own stupidity guiding us.  So as a general rule when you hit the dirt, usually something is wrong!  Up next was the Calgary International Blues Festival in Alberta, Canada.  An amazing drive through the mountains. We stayed at The Downtown Ramada Hotel in Calgary and we had "Jake the female mini van driver" pick us up and deliver us to the festival.  Full back line and pretty decent hospitality .  We went on just before The Mannish Boys.  My first time seeing these guys, the singer- Sugaray Rayford was brilliant. At the after show concert, the beer was flowing.  One musician got so drunk he fell into a garbage bin and couldn't get out.  No one could work out who he belonged to because he had no ID on him, so the Cops were called and he spent the night in the slammer. The next day we drove from Calgary, Canada to Washington State, USA.  This was probably the most beautiful part of the trip to date, driving through the Canadian Rockies.  Miles upon miles of lush pine forest and mountains.  You could see some devastation from the mountain pine beetle which has wiped out large portions of pine forest in Canada and the US due to Global Warming.  But I was happy to see lots of baby pine trees springing up everywhere.  We finished the weekend with the fabulous Mt Baker Blues Festival in Bellingham, Washington.  This was our second visit to this great festival.   I would have to say this was the best set of the summer.  The sound was superb, both onstage and front of house.  The hospitality was incredible, lots of smiling faces and the after party jam was brilliant.  Got to hang with my good buddy Scott Holt.

Since we were heading to Montana for the Magic City Blues Festival, we thought it would be fun to visit Yellowstone National Park.   We had one day to do it in and we were determined to see as much as possible.  For those who don't know much about Yellowstone, its renowned for its geysers. The wildlife is prevalent throughout the park.  But its the tourists that make you laugh the most.  We saw some Japanese tourists with their little kids jump right in front of a huge male buffalo with horns, like it was a dairy cow!  Its no wonder that park rangers are constantly on the prow looking for tourists doing stupid things.  We left through the North East entrance taking us to Billings, Montana.  We didn't realize that the road that we took, snaked its way right up to the top of Bear Tooth Pass, some 13000 feet high. We reached the summit right on sunset.  Absolutely breath taking views but one scary drive! In mid August- we had a set at the Magic City Blues Festival in Billings, Montana.  The Friday night show was held downtown in the street.  Some cool acts were performing - Johnny Lang and The London Souls.  We had a great spot just before Johnny Lang- so the crowd was large and into it. The next day I had to do three didgeridoo workshops at the other festival site.  I wasn't sure how they would go across but all three were really well attended.  My band "Midwest Kind" and I got to see Trombone Shorty perform- who put on a very solid set.  The whole band were very talented.  We also caught a few songs of Charlie Musslewhite and Ben Harper-.  22 hours and 46 minutes later, we made it back to Michigan for two whole days off then we were on the road again to New York for three shows. The private show at the Bathhouse in Rochester was a lot of fun!!  The next week, wow it was HOT- right up around 100 F.  We had a hot and sticky set at 8.30pm at the Old Capitol State Blues Festival in Springfield Illinois.  The band before us were soaked in sweat from head to foot.  It wasn't so bad for us, but it was muggy as hell.   Got to hang out with Victor Wainwright and his band. Then it was on to the Paola Roots Festival in Paola, Kansas.   We had a 5.50pm set and man its was sooo hot- 106 F but it had to be even hotter on stage especially with the stage lights on.   Thankfully it was only a 50 minute set.  But it was one of the hottest sets of music, in terms of temperature Ive ever performed. It was rough.  The sun was blaring right in my face.  I did my best, and so did my guys.  I had a killer head ache afterwards.  Thankfully the hospitality folks really looked after me and the band.  They even supplied me with some head ache tablets and let me keep the bottle.  The following week we headed to The Snowy Range Music Festival in Laramie, Wyoming.  I 'll give you a full report next month. We will be filming for WKAR Backstage Pass on Friday September 19 at the Old Town Bluesfest in Lansing, Michigan.  Come on down Michigandas and you might get your head on TV.  Hope to see you out on the road this summer and fall!

Thanks and Peace,

Harper and Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs, Tee Shirts
http://www.harper.biz/workshops.html    Australian Didge-ucation
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.facebook.com/pages/Harper-and-Midwest-Kind/163124467948
www.musicpage.com/harper
www.reverbnation.com/harperandmidwestkind

Harper and Midwest Kind July Blog

Hey everyone,

I hope you are enjoying the summer.  My band Midwest Kind and I are on the road in beautiful Oregon and Washington, USA as we speak.  We have been hitting the road pretty hard this summer, but it has been a lot of fun.  In late June we had a very cool tour to Colorado for some Australian Didge-ucation Library performances then on to amazing Utah.   We performed at the fabulous Groovefest in Cedar City, Utah.  Great audience, loads of cool vendors with interesting jewelry and clothes.  We had a fabulous show and really enjoyed the Reggae band after us called "Stranger".  Then it was on to The Utah Arts Festival in Salt Lake City.  This festival was huge with multiple stages and an eclectic mix of music, art and theatre.  We saw the Australian theatre group who perform on stilts called "Strange Fruit" which was a unique experience.  Our show at The Park Stage, closing the festival was a huge buzz.  Big crowd and good vibes all round.  We really enjoyed playing The Wine Cellar in Ogden, Utah, so nice to catch up with owner Mitch and his awesome staff.

Then it was Salt Lake City to Ottawa, Ontario Canada.  Not the best routing but the festivals were amazing.  The Ottawa Bluesfest is beyond huge, up to 30 000 people per day, multiple stages and many many amazing bands.  We performed on the Black Sheep Stage with the Honey Island Swamp Band.  They had big screen jumbo trons at the back of the stage.  It was kind of bizarre to look behind you and see yourself ten times bigger than life.  After our set Bobbi and I rushed over to The Bell Stage to catch up with bass player: Ross Valory after his set with Journey.  There were literally 30 000 people in front of the  Bell Stage.  We had special Journey back stage passes, so we had a really close up view of the band.  It was cool to hang out with the wives of the band and to see the band after their killer set.  Our Saturday show on the Claridge Stage was fun.  This stage was huge, complete with even bigger jumbo trons on either side of the stage.   The sound, back stage crew, hospitality at this festival were fabulous.  We hung out with Matt Anderson and JJ Grey back stage.  Had a lot of fun. Even got to see Lady Gaga drop a load of F bombs during her performance..  Despite that, she did put on an extravagant  show with her 24 tour buses and 150 person crew and entourage.  The next day we headlined the final day of Sab Stock in Pembroke, Canada. This was a very nice ending to a great tour.

The next week I performed ten shows in seven days- the highlights were Jamming in Jackson, Briggs Farm Festival and Blues in the Vineyard in St Catharines, Canada!!!   No Rest for the Blessed!!!! Hope to see you out on the road this summer.

Thanks and Peace,

Harper and Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs
http://www.harper.biz/workshops.html    Australian Didge-ucation
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.facebook.com/pages/Harper-and-Midwest-Kind/163124467948
www.musicpage.com/harper
www.reverbnation.com/harperandmidwestkind

Harper and Midwest Kind June Blog, 2014

Happy July 4 everyone,

Just back from amazing Utah.  Such breath taking scenery and Colorado's Rocky Mountains weren't too shabby either!!!!   Now we are heading to Canada's Ottawa Bluesfest !!!! We have an amazing festival season going right through to the end of October, which will include a short tour to Australia.  The first festival of the season was the fabulous Camp Jam in the Pines in Buena, New Jersey.  This was the second time we performed at this festival and we were certainly not disappointed.  Very cool folks and great vibe.  Our drummer Greg Sauceda and guitarist Mike Howe picked up an extra gig with Paul Ceber and the Tomorrow Sound as some of their guys had their fights cancelled in Wisconsin and couldn't make the show. You never know what can happen on the road!!  Amazingly the gig went very smoothly and most were none the wiser !!  The following week we had the pleasure of performing at the grand opening of The Celtic Ray in Lexington, Michigan.  We were very shocked to see a lot of the staff from the sister club- Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda, Florida in Lexington.  We performed a double bill with the very talented duo - Brigid's Cross in the adjoining Theatre- The Lexington Theatre!!  The new pub is absolutely stunning.  I think Kevin Doyle and The Chief  will have a huge success in this new pub!.

Early June saw my band "Midwest Kind" and I performing at a few Michigan festivals- Blues in the District in Kalamazoo,  Pumpstock in East Lansing and the Nor East'r Festival in Mio.  Its always nice to play festivals in your home state.  We had great shows at all and got to see many old and new friends.  I did a harp workshop for the kids at Pumpstock and also a harp and didgeridoo workshop at the Nor East'r Festival.. A huge thank you for the great hospitality and good times!  Bobbi and I had a few days up in Traverse City, Michigan for three Australian Didge-ucation presentations.  We took our Kayak along with us plus some bikes in the hopes of doing some Kayaking and bike riding in between shows.  Unfortunately the weather was not too cooperative- so the Kayak stayed on the roof of the van.  We did get to ride our bikes though.  We also had the pleasure of working with a group of blind teenagers and adults at The Braille Camp up in Lapeer, Michigan.  It was such a beautiful experience and so very fascinating to observe how people can see through their hands and ears.  We played some didgeridoo and even got a three part harmonica blues jam going!

Hope to see you out on the road this Summer!!

Thanks and Peace,

Harper and Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs
http://www.harper.biz/workshops.html    Australian Didge-ucation
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.facebook.com/pages/Harper-and-Midwest-Kind/163124467948
www.musicpage.com/harper
www.reverbnation.com/harperandmidwestkind

Harper and Midwest Kind May blog, 2014

Hey Everyone,

Wishing you all the very best for Memorial Day Weekend here in the USA!.  Happy to announce that I won a 2014 Detroit Music Award for "Outstanding Vocalist".  Woohoo, what an honor!!   I was out on tour in New England when I heard the good news.  My amazing friends : Dianne Shute and Steve Lambert received the award on my behalf.  Steve even gave a speech.  His New Zealand accent might have fooled just about everyone there. LOL!!!!.  Also very excited to announce that Midwest Kind, Bobbi and I will be touring Australia in late October for three weeks.  We have some great festivals booked plus it will give Bobbi and me, a chance to catch up with our family.  Our last trip home was in 2007, so its been a while!

Our tour to New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine was a lot of fun.  The Dinosaur BBQs in New York are always welcome on every tour.  Plus we get to play Dinosaur in Buffalo, New York in July.  New venues:  Johnny Ds and the house concert- The Brick House House were very cool.  Great folks and hospitality!  Also it was great to revisit The Elks Lodge in NH and of course the Legendary Time Out Pub in Rockland, Maine.  We then headed south to a full tilt  College gig at On The Rocks in Florence, Alabama. Followed by the amazing Darwins in Marietta, Georgia.  Then it was a trip to the wild woods of Tallahassee, Florida for The incredible Bradfordville Blues Club.  Some of our band members were new to the BBC- so they got to experience for the first time, the best fish fry in the USA, courtesy of Miss Ernestine plus the warm gathering around the huge bon fire.  We hung out with former band mate and good friend Tyler Mac at The Paradise Inn in Pensacola Beach.  Got to see his very cute little daughter .   Then it was on to Englewoods On Dearborn and The Bayside Grille in Key Largo.  Another new venue for us- The Blue Rooster in Sarasota.  Instant good vibes at The Blue Rooster, as the management put out orange cones to reserve a parking space for us in front of the club. So VERY considerate!  Fabulous food, good sound and nice peeps all round!  We finished our tour with a fabulous show on Mothers Day at The Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda, Florida.

This weekend we head to the brand new Celtic Ray in Lexington, Michigan.  This is the sister club of our much loved Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda.  The Friday show will be held in the Pub. The Saturday show will be held in the Theatre attached to the pub.  Bridget's Cross will be joining us in a double bill throw down!

Hope to see you out on the road this Spring and Summer!!

Thanks and Peace,

Harper and Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) CDs
http://www.harper.biz/workshops.html    Australian Didge-ucation
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.facebook.com/pages/Harper-and-Midwest-Kind/163124467948
www.musicpage.com/harper
www.reverbnation.com/harperandmidwestkind