Hey everyone,
The month of June brought us some exciting news. The new CD "Stand Together" (Blind Pig Records) is now number 10 on the national US blues charts (Roots Music Report) & climbing. Thanks to you all for getting us to such a great position. Its an amazing achievement considering that I am a harmonica/ didgeridoo playing dude from Australia.
Our show at The Flint Art Fair, home of our drummer Marc Dixon, was sweltering hot. Our performance at The Ann Arbor Summer Festival in Michigan was cut short by tornado warning sirens. Thankfully no tornadoes hit the area but the storm was very fierce and we were lucky to arrive home in one piece.
We didn't do too many shows this month as I needed to get my Dodge Sprinter Van repaired due to the accident we had in May. We were worried about the transmission, as the engine was making some strange noises, but we were assured by the Dodge mechanic that the transmission was in good shape. Famous last words, so as to speak!!!!. On our way to Burlington, Iowa for a show at The Washington with the band Indigenous, my van just died on a little back road just north of Carthage, Illinois. With very little phone service and not knowing what to do, we were blessed by the arrival of a complete stranger who hooked us up with a tow and a mechanic. Bobbi then called our good friend Matt Eimer who was the music director for the Simply the Blues Festival in Fort Madison. Matt came to the rescue with only one hour's sleep. He turned up with his truck and horse trailer and his son followed with a mini van. Matt's incredible generosity enabled us to make it to our shows in Burlington, Iowa and the Bear Creek Blues Festival in Slater, Missouri. Matt even let us drive his mini van back to Michigan, where we now await the verdict of our sick Sprinter, which had to be towed to Peoria, Illinois. We hope our insurance company will cover the repairs. I still can't believe that these kind people came to our rescue without a moment's notice. A huge thank you to Matt and his son Josh and that kind lady who to stopped to help us and even let us use her phone. Many thanks also to the Riverbend band who let us use their drum kit and bass rig at the Bear Creek Blues Fest.
We have a summer packed with many great festivals which will take us to New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Quebec, Canada, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Massachusetts and Maine. For those in the New England area we have an open date on Saturday September 4 (Labor Day Weekend), so if anyone would like my band and I to play at their summer party, please let me know. Hope to see you all out on the road this summer.
Peace,
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, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Harper June Blog
Hey Everyone,
Well May was a month of trials, tribulations and triumphs. The month began with a great show with Rootstand at The Savoy in Michigan. We then drove to North Carolina and had a fabulous four days at The LEAF Festival in Black Mountain. We saw some amazing performers: The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Ozomatli, Big Sam's Funky Nation and many more. The festival hospitality was unbelievable - the food was just incredible- organic and tasty yum yum good. We also made didgeridoos out of PVC pipes with the Kids of the Montessori School who then performed with us at the festival, which was alot of fun. The next week was spent in PA, upstate New York, York Beach, Maine and Hartford, Connecticut. We then made the big drive south to Florida. On May 16 we celebrated the 200, 000 mile mark on our faithful 2005 dodge sprinter (nick named-the silver bullet). The next day, whilst driving through North Carolina in torrential rain, an out of control speeding driver aquaplaned across highway 85 south. All we saw was a glimpse of a Ford Taurus doing 360 degree spins towards our van. With a loud bang, we came to a sudden halt on the side of the highway. The Ford Taurus then bounced back across the highway. We were all shaken but not hurt and amazingly the female driver of the Ford was OK too, but her car was totaled. The passenger side of our Dodge Sprinter sustained damage on every panel and the middle door was almost impossible to open. We were very lucky and thankfully we were able to close that middle door, so we were able to continue our tour.
It was such a relief to arrive at the Paradise Inn, Pensacola Beach, Florida that evening. We had a few days to chill out and to gather our thoughts. On May 18 the new CD "Stand Together" was released through Blind Pig Records and we celebrated with a show at The Paradise Inn. The next day we were invited for a sail by our new friend Frank Toney around the inlet in Pensacola, we were joined by our Texan friend Michelle Sukup. Thankfully the huge BP oil slick near Louisiana hadn't reached Pensacola Beach- so it was a beautiful day. We had some more great shows at The Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee, Ms Newbies in Panama City Beach, The Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda and the Riverfront Music Festival in Sebastian. Florida was hot and humid and the shows were alot of fun. We even caught up with former drummer Scott Key at the festival and made many new friends. Our final show took place at Buckingham Exceptional Student Center for the special needs kids in Fort Myers. For me this was the highlight of our tour. When you see these exceptional students in action, you realize it is they who are the mountain climbers.
Just yesterday on our way to Maryville, Tennessee, we saw a huge lightning bolt hit a tree on the side of highway 75 just north of Atlanta during a powerful storm. Its loud boom sounded like an explosion and it scared the hell out of us. Man this tour has been quite the trip!
On a positive note. The new CD "Stand Together" is getting rave reviews far and wide and is already getting airplay on Sirius/ XM Bluesville and is due to become a pick to click very soon. So please request a track at your local radio stations to help us chart on the national radio charts. UK's Blues Matters Magazine has added the new CD to its top ten discs for 2010. There will also be a feature article in the Alternative Root this month- So life is good! Hope to see you out on the road this summer.
Peace,
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)
Well May was a month of trials, tribulations and triumphs. The month began with a great show with Rootstand at The Savoy in Michigan. We then drove to North Carolina and had a fabulous four days at The LEAF Festival in Black Mountain. We saw some amazing performers: The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Ozomatli, Big Sam's Funky Nation and many more. The festival hospitality was unbelievable - the food was just incredible- organic and tasty yum yum good. We also made didgeridoos out of PVC pipes with the Kids of the Montessori School who then performed with us at the festival, which was alot of fun. The next week was spent in PA, upstate New York, York Beach, Maine and Hartford, Connecticut. We then made the big drive south to Florida. On May 16 we celebrated the 200, 000 mile mark on our faithful 2005 dodge sprinter (nick named-the silver bullet). The next day, whilst driving through North Carolina in torrential rain, an out of control speeding driver aquaplaned across highway 85 south. All we saw was a glimpse of a Ford Taurus doing 360 degree spins towards our van. With a loud bang, we came to a sudden halt on the side of the highway. The Ford Taurus then bounced back across the highway. We were all shaken but not hurt and amazingly the female driver of the Ford was OK too, but her car was totaled. The passenger side of our Dodge Sprinter sustained damage on every panel and the middle door was almost impossible to open. We were very lucky and thankfully we were able to close that middle door, so we were able to continue our tour.
It was such a relief to arrive at the Paradise Inn, Pensacola Beach, Florida that evening. We had a few days to chill out and to gather our thoughts. On May 18 the new CD "Stand Together" was released through Blind Pig Records and we celebrated with a show at The Paradise Inn. The next day we were invited for a sail by our new friend Frank Toney around the inlet in Pensacola, we were joined by our Texan friend Michelle Sukup. Thankfully the huge BP oil slick near Louisiana hadn't reached Pensacola Beach- so it was a beautiful day. We had some more great shows at The Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee, Ms Newbies in Panama City Beach, The Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda and the Riverfront Music Festival in Sebastian. Florida was hot and humid and the shows were alot of fun. We even caught up with former drummer Scott Key at the festival and made many new friends. Our final show took place at Buckingham Exceptional Student Center for the special needs kids in Fort Myers. For me this was the highlight of our tour. When you see these exceptional students in action, you realize it is they who are the mountain climbers.
Just yesterday on our way to Maryville, Tennessee, we saw a huge lightning bolt hit a tree on the side of highway 75 just north of Atlanta during a powerful storm. Its loud boom sounded like an explosion and it scared the hell out of us. Man this tour has been quite the trip!
On a positive note. The new CD "Stand Together" is getting rave reviews far and wide and is already getting airplay on Sirius/ XM Bluesville and is due to become a pick to click very soon. So please request a track at your local radio stations to help us chart on the national radio charts. UK's Blues Matters Magazine has added the new CD to its top ten discs for 2010. There will also be a feature article in the Alternative Root this month- So life is good! Hope to see you out on the road this summer.
Peace,
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, May 18, 2010
Harper Blog "Stand Together" is Released today!!!!!
Hey everyone,
Tuesday May 18 marks the release of my new CD "Stand Together" through Blind Pig Records. It features Marc Dixon (drums/ percussion) and Chris Wiley Smith (Bass) from my touring band "Midwest Kind" with specials guests: Gregg Leonard on electric guitar and Chris Du Nord on acoustic guitar and Kurt Wolak on piano, hammond organ and wurlitzer. We are all really excited about this new release. I feel its the best work I've done to date.
On a dramatic note my band and I were involved in an accident yesterday, Monday May 17, as we drove down Highway 86 south in North Carolina heading to Florida. Another vehicle spinning out of control in torrential rain hit us hard on the passenger side of our van. Everyone is OK- just a little shaken. The female driver of the other car is also OK. Our van sustained damage to all panels on the passenger side, but is still drivable. The middle door barely opens but we are still able to continue with our tour. We have arrived in Gulf Breeze, Florida and will be able to finish our May / June dates. Once we get back to Michigan, the van will be taken in for extensive repairs.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring and summer,
Peace,
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 May 18 marks the release of my new CD "Stand Together" through Blind Pig Records. It features Marc Dixon (drums/ percussion) and Chris Wiley Smith (Bass) from my touring band "Midwest Kind" with specials guests: Gregg Leonard on electric guitar and Chris Du Nord on acoustic guitar and Kurt Wolak on piano, hammond organ and wurlitzer. We are all really excited about this new release. I feel its the best work I've done to date.
On a dramatic note my band and I were involved in an accident yesterday, Monday May 17, as we drove down Highway 86 south in North Carolina heading to Florida. Another vehicle spinning out of control in torrential rain hit us hard on the passenger side of our van. Everyone is OK- just a little shaken. The female driver of the other car is also OK. Our van sustained damage to all panels on the passenger side, but is still drivable. The middle door barely opens but we are still able to continue with our tour. We have arrived in Gulf Breeze, Florida and will be able to finish our May / June dates. Once we get back to Michigan, the van will be taken in for extensive repairs.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring and summer,
Peace,
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 30, 2010
Harper May Blog/ CD & Book release
Hey Everyone,
Well April just flew by and here we are in May. Finally after much anticipation my new CD "Stand Together" (Blind Pig Records) and Bobbi Llewellyn's E book "Nasty Motels, A Wombat And a Big Red Van" are now available on our website: www.harper.biz We will be doing a special pre CD release offer for all the members of our blog for a limited number of CDs prior to the CD Release date of May 18. I'll even sign the new CD for all pre orders. All pre CD orders help us chart on the national radio charts through out the USA. So we would love to hear from you all. 'Stand Together" features my fabulous dummer Marc Dixon and my amazing bass player Chris Wiley Smith. Guest guitarists are Gregg Leonard, who was heavily featured on "Day By Day" and Chris Du Nord on acoustic. The very talented Kurt Wolak plays grand piano, wurlitzer and hammond organ. The new CD was recorded at our favorite recording studio" Big Sky Recordings" in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We are very happy with the way it turned out. There is alot of harp and didgeridoo. Fans of my plastic slide didgeridoo nick named "scum bag" will be happy to know that he makes his debut performance on "Stand Together"
For those who are curious about what life is like out on the road, check out Bobbi's E Book "Nasty Motels, a Wombat and a Big Red Van" on our website. Its a hilarious and insightful commentary about our life on the road from the early days in Australia to the US and beyond. These real life situations are hilarious, terrifying, inspiring and at times bizarre. It's a wild ride and not for the faint of heart. For fans of our blogs- the E book will take you to a whole other dimension. We also have a new Harper shirt available to coincide with the release of the new CD and book.
During April we had a pretty relaxing month after a full on March tour. No major dramas to report this time, which is unusual for us. Our shows at the Livery in Benton Harbor and Rubes Bar & Grill in Flint, Michigan were a lot of fun. Bobbi and I donated a didgeridoo presentation to the kids at the Detroit Merit Academy in down town Detroit. It was pretty scary driving through all the burnt out, barely standing buildings of inner city Detroit. You actually forget just how impoverished this area is. Its very sad to see. And then we came upon the Detroit Merit Academy- a small oasis in the midst of all this devastation. The teachers at this Charter school were absolutely superb and the children were an inspiration. Everyone really appreciated our presentation on the didgeridoo and Australian indigenous culture.
We ended the month with a wild weekend at the Pee Dee Blues Bash & International Festival in Florence, South Carolina. We had alot of fun and met many great new friends. Those folks in Florence are a crazy bunch. We hope to head back in November for the Pecan Festival. We were happy to miss all the tornadoes that rolled in to town just a few hours after we left for our long ass drive back to Michigan. For all you Michigandas, we have a last minute booking at a great new music room called The Savoy in downtown Ypsilanti, Michigan. We will be performing a double bill with the very popular Rootstand.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring and summer,
Peace,
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)
Well April just flew by and here we are in May. Finally after much anticipation my new CD "Stand Together" (Blind Pig Records) and Bobbi Llewellyn's E book "Nasty Motels, A Wombat And a Big Red Van" are now available on our website: www.harper.biz We will be doing a special pre CD release offer for all the members of our blog for a limited number of CDs prior to the CD Release date of May 18. I'll even sign the new CD for all pre orders. All pre CD orders help us chart on the national radio charts through out the USA. So we would love to hear from you all. 'Stand Together" features my fabulous dummer Marc Dixon and my amazing bass player Chris Wiley Smith. Guest guitarists are Gregg Leonard, who was heavily featured on "Day By Day" and Chris Du Nord on acoustic. The very talented Kurt Wolak plays grand piano, wurlitzer and hammond organ. The new CD was recorded at our favorite recording studio" Big Sky Recordings" in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We are very happy with the way it turned out. There is alot of harp and didgeridoo. Fans of my plastic slide didgeridoo nick named "scum bag" will be happy to know that he makes his debut performance on "Stand Together"
For those who are curious about what life is like out on the road, check out Bobbi's E Book "Nasty Motels, a Wombat and a Big Red Van" on our website. Its a hilarious and insightful commentary about our life on the road from the early days in Australia to the US and beyond. These real life situations are hilarious, terrifying, inspiring and at times bizarre. It's a wild ride and not for the faint of heart. For fans of our blogs- the E book will take you to a whole other dimension. We also have a new Harper shirt available to coincide with the release of the new CD and book.
During April we had a pretty relaxing month after a full on March tour. No major dramas to report this time, which is unusual for us. Our shows at the Livery in Benton Harbor and Rubes Bar & Grill in Flint, Michigan were a lot of fun. Bobbi and I donated a didgeridoo presentation to the kids at the Detroit Merit Academy in down town Detroit. It was pretty scary driving through all the burnt out, barely standing buildings of inner city Detroit. You actually forget just how impoverished this area is. Its very sad to see. And then we came upon the Detroit Merit Academy- a small oasis in the midst of all this devastation. The teachers at this Charter school were absolutely superb and the children were an inspiration. Everyone really appreciated our presentation on the didgeridoo and Australian indigenous culture.
We ended the month with a wild weekend at the Pee Dee Blues Bash & International Festival in Florence, South Carolina. We had alot of fun and met many great new friends. Those folks in Florence are a crazy bunch. We hope to head back in November for the Pecan Festival. We were happy to miss all the tornadoes that rolled in to town just a few hours after we left for our long ass drive back to Michigan. For all you Michigandas, we have a last minute booking at a great new music room called The Savoy in downtown Ypsilanti, Michigan. We will be performing a double bill with the very popular Rootstand.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring and summer,
Peace,
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 21, 2010
Harper Late April Blog
Hey Everyone,
Just a quicky!!!!. We have a last minute show added for Saturday May 1 at a great new music room called "The Savoy" in Ypsilanti, Michigan, 8pm- a double bill with the happening "Rootstand". So please come on down. Also we have a new Release date for new CD "Stand Together" for Tuesday May 18. We will be offering pre orders for the new CD at the end of next week on our website: www.harper.biz There will be a limited number of preorder CDs and they will be signed. So stay tuned for our blog which will come out next week.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
Peace,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) (CD orders, new book & T shirts)
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads)
Just a quicky!!!!. We have a last minute show added for Saturday May 1 at a great new music room called "The Savoy" in Ypsilanti, Michigan, 8pm- a double bill with the happening "Rootstand". So please come on down. Also we have a new Release date for new CD "Stand Together" for Tuesday May 18. We will be offering pre orders for the new CD at the end of next week on our website: www.harper.biz There will be a limited number of preorder CDs and they will be signed. So stay tuned for our blog which will come out next week.
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
Peace,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website) (CD orders, new book & T shirts)
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Harper April Blog
Happy April Fool's Day Everyone,
The big news is that my new CD "Stand Together" (Blind Pig) and Bobbi's book "Nasty Motels, A Wombat And a Big Red Van" are due to be released on May 11. Not too long to go now!!!
My band "Midwest Kind" and I have just returned from a month long tour to Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Utah, California, Washington and Vancouver, Canada and what a wild ride it was. I performed two didgeridoo presentations with the band to well over 1000 kids in Fort Dodge, Iowa preceded by a fabulous show at Byrons in Pomeroy, Iowa complete with Jerry Garcia paraphernalia. Much to our Drummer Marc's delight.
Mostly we had great weather except for the blizzard like conditions on the way to The Stage Door in Mount Shasta, California. The highway was actually closed down, just after we made it through. Our shows at The Torch Club and Half Moon Bay Brewing Company were well attended and alot of fun. As was, The Yale Hotel in Vancouver, Canada- with no problems crossing the border. Our Washington shows at The Upstage, Highway 99, The Spar and Anacortes Rockfish were all alot of fun.
We had two shows scheduled for the legendary Little Bear Saloon in Evergreen. I drove our Sprinter van from Groovacious in Cedar City, Utah to Evergreen, Colorado. It was a brilliant drive, the amazing rock formations of Utah are really something to see. When we set off from Cedar City, we had just over half a tank of gas. Both Bobbi and I thought it would be enough to get us to the next gas station once we had driven through the mountains. Wrong! When we rolled into Gas station in Green River, we had one eighth of tank of fuel left- woah- that was close! We arrived at The Little Bear around 9pm the day before our shows. Our band was staying in The Little Bear’s band house, while Bobbi and I booked a room at The Brook Forest Inn about five miles away. We were both famished once we arrived at the Inn and checked into our rather pokey but comfortable room, after puffing our way up three flights of stairs. We headed down stairs to the bar and asked the barman Rod if we could order some food. He told us that the kitchen had closed for the evening, but he would try to get us some bread to eat. Within minutes a huge platter of ham and cheese sandwiches were brought to us and we weren’t even charged for them. We were so appreciative. The next day, one of the cleaners suggested that we change rooms, so that we could use the wireless internet on the second floor. I was told I could pick whichever room I liked. So I choose a beautiful room called “The Chateau” with a huge wooden king bed, with a purple lace canopy, antique lamps and a large hot tub. I couldn’t believe our good fortune. That night we arrived at The Little Bear for our Friday night show. Drew our guitarist, told us that Chris, our bass player had a dizzy spell on the outside wooden veranda of The Little Bear, the night before. Chris had passed out and badly cut his ear. When I saw Chris I could see that his left ear was very swollen and a deep shade of purple. He told me that his fall had caused him to lose his short term memory for a while, but gradually the memories began to come back to him. Drew had wanted to take him to the hospital, but Chris had begged him to wait. Thankfully he recovered.
On Saturday morning, at the Brook Forest Inn, Bobbi and I were treated to breakfast in bed. I just could not believe the hospitality of the folk at the Brook Forest. We never asked for a thing and yet they kept doing nice things for us. That evening Harper and the guys had a lively show at The Bear. After the show, we hung out with some of the Bear staff for a few drinks and a chat. I guess the guys in the band were all a little toasted, but nothing over the top. The problem with drinking alcohol in high altitudes is that you become drunker a lot quicker, so you really need to pace yourself and drink lots of water. Bobbi and I left the club early to drive back to the Inn. Apparently The Forest Brook Inn, which was built in 1913, is considered to be haunted. When I opened the front door of the Inn around about 2.30am, we startled an unusual group of five very well dressed people in the lounge room, who didn’t say a word when I greeted them. They just stared at us. It was weird! At first I thought they maybe ghosts, until Bobbi pointed out that the attractive black woman with long dreads had a laptop computer in her hands. Bobbi thought that they were paranormal investigators. When I made some inquiries the next morning, Bobbi was proved correct.
The next day when we met up with the band, only Chris our bass player was at the band house. Chris explained what had befallen Drew our guitarist and Marc our drummer. Drew had walked into the kitchen of the band house to make some popcorn shortly after leaving the Little Bear the night before. Marc heard an almighty crash, and ran into the kitchen to find Drew unconscious on the floor with a thin stream of bile seeping out of his mouth. He tried desperately to revive him, he even splashed some water on Drew’s face, but nothing seemed to work. Drew was breathing but was out for the count. We had no cell phone service at the Brook Forest Inn. So Marc did the only thing he could do and dialled 911 for an ambulance. Marc placed Drew on his side and waited for the ambulance to arrive. The paramedics told Marc he did the right thing once they had examined Drew. After working on Drew for a few minutes, the two paramedics were able to revive him. Drew was held for observation at the St Anthony Central Hospital in Denver until Sunday morning. It was a combination of high altitude and booze which caused him to pass out. I honestly believe that Marc saved Drew’s life that night. Like a trooper Drew insisted on performing at our Sunday show at Jake's Roadhouse in Arvada. Sitting on a stool, because it was too difficult for him to stand, Drew shakily played his guitar. What a way to end the last day of our tour!
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
Peace,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website)
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads)
The big news is that my new CD "Stand Together" (Blind Pig) and Bobbi's book "Nasty Motels, A Wombat And a Big Red Van" are due to be released on May 11. Not too long to go now!!!
My band "Midwest Kind" and I have just returned from a month long tour to Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Utah, California, Washington and Vancouver, Canada and what a wild ride it was. I performed two didgeridoo presentations with the band to well over 1000 kids in Fort Dodge, Iowa preceded by a fabulous show at Byrons in Pomeroy, Iowa complete with Jerry Garcia paraphernalia. Much to our Drummer Marc's delight.
Mostly we had great weather except for the blizzard like conditions on the way to The Stage Door in Mount Shasta, California. The highway was actually closed down, just after we made it through. Our shows at The Torch Club and Half Moon Bay Brewing Company were well attended and alot of fun. As was, The Yale Hotel in Vancouver, Canada- with no problems crossing the border. Our Washington shows at The Upstage, Highway 99, The Spar and Anacortes Rockfish were all alot of fun.
We had two shows scheduled for the legendary Little Bear Saloon in Evergreen. I drove our Sprinter van from Groovacious in Cedar City, Utah to Evergreen, Colorado. It was a brilliant drive, the amazing rock formations of Utah are really something to see. When we set off from Cedar City, we had just over half a tank of gas. Both Bobbi and I thought it would be enough to get us to the next gas station once we had driven through the mountains. Wrong! When we rolled into Gas station in Green River, we had one eighth of tank of fuel left- woah- that was close! We arrived at The Little Bear around 9pm the day before our shows. Our band was staying in The Little Bear’s band house, while Bobbi and I booked a room at The Brook Forest Inn about five miles away. We were both famished once we arrived at the Inn and checked into our rather pokey but comfortable room, after puffing our way up three flights of stairs. We headed down stairs to the bar and asked the barman Rod if we could order some food. He told us that the kitchen had closed for the evening, but he would try to get us some bread to eat. Within minutes a huge platter of ham and cheese sandwiches were brought to us and we weren’t even charged for them. We were so appreciative. The next day, one of the cleaners suggested that we change rooms, so that we could use the wireless internet on the second floor. I was told I could pick whichever room I liked. So I choose a beautiful room called “The Chateau” with a huge wooden king bed, with a purple lace canopy, antique lamps and a large hot tub. I couldn’t believe our good fortune. That night we arrived at The Little Bear for our Friday night show. Drew our guitarist, told us that Chris, our bass player had a dizzy spell on the outside wooden veranda of The Little Bear, the night before. Chris had passed out and badly cut his ear. When I saw Chris I could see that his left ear was very swollen and a deep shade of purple. He told me that his fall had caused him to lose his short term memory for a while, but gradually the memories began to come back to him. Drew had wanted to take him to the hospital, but Chris had begged him to wait. Thankfully he recovered.
On Saturday morning, at the Brook Forest Inn, Bobbi and I were treated to breakfast in bed. I just could not believe the hospitality of the folk at the Brook Forest. We never asked for a thing and yet they kept doing nice things for us. That evening Harper and the guys had a lively show at The Bear. After the show, we hung out with some of the Bear staff for a few drinks and a chat. I guess the guys in the band were all a little toasted, but nothing over the top. The problem with drinking alcohol in high altitudes is that you become drunker a lot quicker, so you really need to pace yourself and drink lots of water. Bobbi and I left the club early to drive back to the Inn. Apparently The Forest Brook Inn, which was built in 1913, is considered to be haunted. When I opened the front door of the Inn around about 2.30am, we startled an unusual group of five very well dressed people in the lounge room, who didn’t say a word when I greeted them. They just stared at us. It was weird! At first I thought they maybe ghosts, until Bobbi pointed out that the attractive black woman with long dreads had a laptop computer in her hands. Bobbi thought that they were paranormal investigators. When I made some inquiries the next morning, Bobbi was proved correct.
The next day when we met up with the band, only Chris our bass player was at the band house. Chris explained what had befallen Drew our guitarist and Marc our drummer. Drew had walked into the kitchen of the band house to make some popcorn shortly after leaving the Little Bear the night before. Marc heard an almighty crash, and ran into the kitchen to find Drew unconscious on the floor with a thin stream of bile seeping out of his mouth. He tried desperately to revive him, he even splashed some water on Drew’s face, but nothing seemed to work. Drew was breathing but was out for the count. We had no cell phone service at the Brook Forest Inn. So Marc did the only thing he could do and dialled 911 for an ambulance. Marc placed Drew on his side and waited for the ambulance to arrive. The paramedics told Marc he did the right thing once they had examined Drew. After working on Drew for a few minutes, the two paramedics were able to revive him. Drew was held for observation at the St Anthony Central Hospital in Denver until Sunday morning. It was a combination of high altitude and booze which caused him to pass out. I honestly believe that Marc saved Drew’s life that night. Like a trooper Drew insisted on performing at our Sunday show at Jake's Roadhouse in Arvada. Sitting on a stool, because it was too difficult for him to stand, Drew shakily played his guitar. What a way to end the last day of our tour!
Hope to see you out on the road this Spring,
Peace,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website)
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Harper March Blog
Hey everyone,
Spring is on its way finally. After digging my van out of a three foot snow drift that blew across my driveway this week- Im so ready for some warmth. Today we begin our annual trek across the USA hitting Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Utah, Northern California, Vancouver, Canada, Washington State, Colorado then home to Michigan. This is one of my favorite tours of the year, the scenery is just stunning. We plan to visit the Redwood Forest again in Northern California on the amazing highway 101 and we are certain to be stopping many times to take in the view amidst the mountains of Utah and Colorado. We will be also be visiting a few schools this week where my band and I will be demonstrating the deeply spiritual didgeridoo (yidaki).
We have some exciting news just to hand, Bobbi- my wife and manager will be releasing her new book "Nasty Motels, a Wombat and a Big Red Van" sometime in April. The book is about our life on the road and all the crazy, inspirational, bizarre and life threatening situations (LOL) that we have faced over the years. It will include many pictures and paraphernalia from our various tours, including the early days in Australia when we first started all this madness, plus tours of the US, Europe and the UK. So stay tuned for more details next month.
The new CD "Stand Together" through Blind Pig Records is set for a May 11 release. Can't wait!!! I really think that this CD is the best one Ive written and it features my fabulous band "Midwest Kind" plus some special guests. Im sure you are all going to dig it. Listen out for some of the new tunes during our upcoming tours.
Sad to hear about the passing of blues guitarist Li'l Dave Thompson in a car accident on his way home to Mississippi from the Low Country Blues Bash in South Carolina. We were on the same festival as Dave. It just goes to show how dangerous it can be out on those roads. So please buckle up! Our heart felt sympathy goes out to Dave's wife and family.
Hope to see you all this spring.
Peace,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website)
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads)
Spring is on its way finally. After digging my van out of a three foot snow drift that blew across my driveway this week- Im so ready for some warmth. Today we begin our annual trek across the USA hitting Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Utah, Northern California, Vancouver, Canada, Washington State, Colorado then home to Michigan. This is one of my favorite tours of the year, the scenery is just stunning. We plan to visit the Redwood Forest again in Northern California on the amazing highway 101 and we are certain to be stopping many times to take in the view amidst the mountains of Utah and Colorado. We will be also be visiting a few schools this week where my band and I will be demonstrating the deeply spiritual didgeridoo (yidaki).
We have some exciting news just to hand, Bobbi- my wife and manager will be releasing her new book "Nasty Motels, a Wombat and a Big Red Van" sometime in April. The book is about our life on the road and all the crazy, inspirational, bizarre and life threatening situations (LOL) that we have faced over the years. It will include many pictures and paraphernalia from our various tours, including the early days in Australia when we first started all this madness, plus tours of the US, Europe and the UK. So stay tuned for more details next month.
The new CD "Stand Together" through Blind Pig Records is set for a May 11 release. Can't wait!!! I really think that this CD is the best one Ive written and it features my fabulous band "Midwest Kind" plus some special guests. Im sure you are all going to dig it. Listen out for some of the new tunes during our upcoming tours.
Sad to hear about the passing of blues guitarist Li'l Dave Thompson in a car accident on his way home to Mississippi from the Low Country Blues Bash in South Carolina. We were on the same festival as Dave. It just goes to show how dangerous it can be out on those roads. So please buckle up! Our heart felt sympathy goes out to Dave's wife and family.
Hope to see you all this spring.
Peace,
Harper & Midwest Kind
www.harper.biz (Official Harper Website)
www.myspace.com/harperband
www.youtube.com/harperband (for live video clips)
www.facebook.com/harperandmidwestkind
www.blindpigrecords.com (for CD orders & downloads)
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