On Tour 2025

Take Time To Give Thanks    Make Time To Be Giving   I'm Gonna Stop And Think Twice About The Way That I Am Living    Did I Say A Kind Word      Am I Proud Of My Actions      You Know A Job Well Done Gives Me Satisfaction        Can I Earn Your Trust    Your Love And Affection   Just One Step At A Time In The Right Direction    I'm Gonna Aim For The Sky    Keep My Feet On The Ground    Raise My Voice To The Heavens    Make A Joyful Sound   na na na na na na na nah 

The String Cheese Incident 

Outside Inside 2001 

DANIEL: 

As I previously mentioned , first night of the tour materialized Wednesday Evening at the atrocious Mesa Theater. Well , technically I never waltzed through their front doors and that saved me some righteous $$$$. The sound inside was deafening!! I was able to comfortably enjoy the music from a bench on Main Street minus the undesirable tinnitus. Which is a bummer because I would have happily paid the day of charge. Daniel and the Cosmic County Band are worthy of catching for sure. No Worries

LEFTOVER:

Thursday was a night of thunderous bluegrass and way more unequaled than I anticipated as The Dude & I were hooked up with VIP/Backstage passes from Kalinderrrrrrrrs. Total Score

The extraordinary Infamous Stringdusters opened for Leftover Salmon and both bands brought their A-Game for the tiny GJ Crowd. And just check out that mesmerizing sunset to boot. Obviously Leftover threw out a few Dead Cover Tunes in honor of the SF Shows. I have an iPhone clip from their cover Deal that showcases a gorgeously awe-inspiring sunset from that side stage perspective. But under an almost full moon , free VIP TIX , and night number two of a five night run was pretty whipping. Yes Please

Day two on tour and I am already ahead of the stokeage curve. Below is a photo of The Blue Z checking his phone when I sent a few photos to himself. He couldn't believe that The Dude & I were side stage for the show. The highlight for me was when Drew Emmitt turns our way , he definitely recognizes me but doesn't recall from where , gives me a quick head nod of Whats Up Man. If I explained my short residency in Crested Butte to him , he would certainly recall our many encounters. But on this night , he only knew my face but politely made my night as if we were brothers in arms. Way Cool 

BIKE NIGHT:

Friday Night Bike Night was off the flipping hook like a fighting slippery wet rainbow trout!! 

137 rides took part as we rolled through Main Street ringing bike bells , north on 10th street as we socialized , through the college campus to cheer on the mens soccer team in action , and west to Sherwood Park for some casual meeting and greetings. One of my favorite routes for sure. Might have spent more time at the park than we should have and back towards town we rode. Dig It 

The ending brewery location was Trail Life on Main Street. After a few brief interactions , our tribe became restless , another adventure began. Keep in mind , my plan was to go easy this night as I have about a three hour drive Saturday morning. A Three Hour Tour - Sing Along - A Three Hour Tour 

Rounding off the cruise around GJ , we found ourselves at the Warehouse 2565 for an outdoor country western show. All the local rednecks were in attendance. This band claimed to have a #1 hit song back in 1991 but did the Ludacris thing all night. Sing only 20 seconds of an iconic song and then talk Sh*t. At one point , kid you not , they covered Neil's Sweet Caroline for a few bars and then the front man started talking about earwax. No Sh*t , Earwax 

SATURDAY:

In the middle of the night , thanx bladder , I awoke to smoke. The LEE fire that I previously mentioned in my last post vaulted to 45,000 acres and filled the Grand Valley with coking smoke. Sucked 

The Dude & I were motivated to boogie out and we hit the road by about 10:30am. Give or take a half of an hour or so. The drive was a complete blur as The Dude downloaded a bunch of information into my already fully loaded gigabyte mind. Heavy 

Without racing , maintaining my lane , and refusing to pay for any speeding tickets for stupidity , we made the trip to Red Cliff in two hours and forty minutes. Somehow the flow of traffic caused us to make excellent time. This photo below was off the front deck at Stacy and Justin's place and clearly you all are able to make out the hazy smoke scene there. It wasn't bad but it was aloft unfortunately. Check out my new shades that I purchased for myself as a birthday gift back in July. Joe Cool 

Stacy went above the call of duty and supplied all of her friends from Houston , Blake from the front strange , Mike 's crew , and us with endless amounts of party snacks , heated brie with cranberry sauce , beautifully homemade humus , and pounds of chicken legs off the slow cooked BBQ. We were offered plate after plate after plate until the high end party bus arrived. Yes , Stacy is a veteran party goer and ordered a bus!! We all bounced into our comfy seats with a stocked ice chest and Vail here we come. Rock Star Status 

This would be my first time at the swanky Presidential Gerald Ford Amphitheater and I was absolutely ecstaic. Well , there was one missing piece. The bus parked just above the amphitheater and within minutes of walking , hello front gates. Easiest to and from for a show ever. First Class

Stacy decided that a group photo was essential as we paraded our way along the meandering path towards the entrance. A random gal offered to snap off commemorative digital photos and these are the two best shots that she captured of us. From here on out , magical evening. Simply Magical 

This would be my Madian Voyage to this exclusively fashionable amphitheater and what a prominent feature my friends. And I am here to witness The Cheese Live!! Little did I know , I was actually there to see long lost friends. The Dude & I originally walked up to this grassy area for a simple overview and for gaining our bearings before locating our seats. Gorgeous 

Now , I purchased these birthday tickets for The Dude back in February when Stacy disclosed the inside information. She explained that I needed Pavilion IV tix and directions is exactly what I followed. I bought the Pavilion 4  E 5 and 6 tickets. However , I had no clue that The Dude & I would be five rows from the stage. Marvelous 

After opening with Sweet Spot , Little Hands was next and that song merged with Turn This Around for a three song banger to start the show off right. Midnight Moonlight is also a main staple for the occasion and On The Road totally made sense for a travel day the next day. At least that is how I perceived it anyway. I mean , the whole first set wasn't predictable by any means , wasn't built for me , but all the tunes resinated with my happy A$$. More?? Yes Please 

Finishing off that first set , where did this song come from , Trip The Light Fantastic. Thats a new one on me and what a delight. I even vividly recalling right now as I type away just how bummed I was when that song ended and they were announcing another big set and we love you and be right back and all that. I definitely wasn't ready for that song to end. In A Trance 

Incredibly versatile first set , full moon rising through the fire red cloud cover , and then locating our California posse was rather simple, Boom shakalaka Boom. So at set break , The Dude & I wandered on over and that is when the starship took flight. Back here on earth , The Cheese were creatively getting after it. When somebody over analyzes or makes the assumption that you might need to speak with a therapist , nope , you just need friends , dancing , and The String Cheese Incident. Highly Recommended 

Every time I took a quick photo or look towards the stage , two members of The Cheese were smiling at each other. The Cheese is clearly in a good place and making amazing jams together. Back like in the 2003 era in my humble opinion. And this ( HERE and jump to the 2:30 time stamp - this is a NUGS YouTube link in HD ) is the first song titled Sweet Spot for opening the first set at the Ford Amphitheater. If anything , please watch that link for the toe tapping beat and for checking out the stage , flowers , and how happy the band members appear to be. They were feeding off each other all night long!! You could easily comprehend how much they enjoy one another and how synced up they made us all feel.  Love That 

The venue is ideal for any musical act , the backstage floral arrangement brought out the depth of the stage itself , the lights accented all aspects of the evening , The Cheese were on wordless communication of higher powers , and countless times my eyes would come back into focus and here stands before me is another wonderful face of a friends from years , if not tens of years ago , starring right into my eyes. Endless amount of times I heard " Cant Believe You're Here " and " I Love You " and " Where Have You Been " and " It Is Really You" and once I heard " Holy Sh*t , It's The Padre" and I always focused with all my might to shout back ," You Look So Good " and the hugs were on. Big Hugs

SUNDAY:

The morning was a little rough but not bad. The Dude & I crashed out in Stacy & Justin's trailer after an evening on the deck of story telling , stargazing , and eventually solving all the world problems the way that we do after hours. All I could hear as my eyes rolled back into my head were the serenading sounds of the creek washing over the river rock just below the camper. Deep Sleep 

Inside the house , not a creature was stirring. Thankfully , the kitchen is perfectly laid out for easy navigation as I fired up the coffee marker for all. Once the humans caught wind of fresh ground coffee , the kitchen was full of life as we reminisced over our personal highlights from the night before. Giggles were exchanged , relived excitement built once again , heated breakfast burritos were served , hugs were shared , and The Dude & I were back on the road towards the Big City of GJ. The down side would be , the LEE fire had doubled in size and reached 120,000 acres overnight!! We chatted that the band is going to cancel the GJ show for sure. Glenwood Springs was awful and from the canyon you literally couldn't even make out the towering rock walls. Then , at the top of Debeque Canyon before dropping onto the valley , we bust through the smoke to Blue Bird Skies!! It was just like a cinematic war movie the way we drove through the last bit of nasty forest fire smoke to open blue skies of beauty. Totally Beautiful 

Here is the first song ( HERE and jump to the 9:12 time stamp for another NUGS YouTube video in HD ) from the GJ Show titled Song In My Head. This performance blew my mind. You have to understand , we thought that the fires would cause a cancellation. We then thought that the show would just be a canned show after the spectacular Vail experience. We figured that it would be a traditional Sunday Bluegrass first set and then a quick second set before they boogied on out to the Northeast for the rest of their tour next weekend. NOPE 

The Cheese blew this Los C Amphitheater off the map. I interpreted that it was just me and my preconceived attitude about how much I love these guys. And I am bias when it comes to The Cheese. I enjoy The Panic , I so dig Moe , big fan of UM but The Cheese does it for me. And it wasn't even like they played ALL my favorite Cheese tunes or anything. It was just them!! Exquisitely Praiseworthy

Think reggae , Kieth Mosley breaks out the best improvised lyrics while covering Steve Miller Band's Joker with "Shake Those Palisade Peach Trees" instead of wanna shake your trees. I mean , class act by The Cheese. They even dropped into an original greasy jam Rhythm Of The Road and morphed that into Other One by The Grateful Dead without missing a beat. Like legendary acts while working back into another original It Is What It Is for about a 20 minute non stop jam of three songs. Personally , my favorite journey started with a nonstop mix of Sirens > Birdland > Lonesome Road Blues > Birdland. Mind Melting 

MONDAY:

This photo below made my weekend. I was already having the time of my life when Susan busted out this surprise. Way back in about 2002 we shall say , we all lived together at Amber Acres. During one of our Holidaze , I stitched the bottom of the appropriate shirts for the appropriate human for a reusable laundry bag. Susan brought hers out from California and here it is. Slapped Me Way Back In Time

Pure validation here folks. Hippie Jim , Sweet Susan , Uncle Karl , DC , Lisa B, Snowmass REED , Erin & Jack are all texting friends with the band and obviously CrackBooking friends. All day Monday , everyone was chatting about how unexceptionally good the GJ show was. The band was texting back about how much they enjoyed GJ. Kyle wrote a CrackBook post about playing on fire with his brothers in the band and on and on and on about GJ. See , it wasn't just my gravitas. The Cheese vibrated the Los Colonias Amphitheater with life and substance. The String Cheese Incident intertwined a full spectrum of notes from a Caribbean vibe to a rock vibe to a jam band notion to a reggae infused feel to a bluegrass traditional sound with a hint of classic rock and roll after a dancing jazz fusion tease. All in one set!!! They literally played a song for anyone and everyone no matter your musical preference. All Encompassing 

And to hear from the band , to hear from friends , and to contribute with my own twisted insights , unimaginable evening with The Cheese. Speaking of astonishing , the above photo captured the not so Mighty Colorado River. Yes , that is the boat dock! J & K even mentioned that they have NEVER seen the river this low and they bought their place back in 1992. Shocking 

So I hope that you enjoyed this write up as much as I enjoyed reliving it. My soul fundamentally begged for this five night run of musical stimulations. Dancing while connecting with friends was momentous and beyond meaningful for all parties. I am thankful for the golden opportunity and so thankful for the golden ticket to do so. Thank you Stacy & Justin , Thank you Cheese family , and Thank you for reading along. And if you would be so kind , Please watch this 5 min video from the weekend with The Cheese. Thanx In Advance 

Spread Love ,

Cheers 

When In Doubt Pedal It Out

There's A Port On A Western Bay     And It Serves A Hundred Ships A Day   Lonely Sailors Pass The Time A Way    And Talk About Their Homes    There Is A Girl In This Harbor Town    And She Works Laying Whiskey Down   They Say Brandy Fetch Another Round   She Serves Them Whiskey And Wine  The Sailors Say Brandy   You're A Fine Girl  What A Good Wife You Would Be  Such A Fine Girl   Yeah Your Eyes Could Steal A Sailor From The Sea

Looking Glass

Looking Glass 1972  

ENGLAND:

Once again , for another four years , the Lady Lions are champions!! I won't bore the Americans readers with useless details but this particular match was right in my wheelhouse. Loved It

I am completely fascinated with goals scored off a header. In the first half , Spain scored on a header for a 1-0 halftime score. The Lioness forwards answered with their own header in the second half. Then , the game went into Penalty Kicks. Its been a trip watching the Premiere League forever and how strong their strikes are and then catching the ladies was eye opening. Meaning , their kicks were totally predictable and the goalkeepers made numerous saves as the velocity of the flight was soooooo slow. Not weak , just slow. England won on Penalties 3-1. Thats correct , a total of 10 shots and only four goals were made. But for me , I enjoyed every minute of it and congrats to the the Lady Lions on back-2-back championships and another four years of top Lionesses. Yahooo00000

DOG:

Another wonderful weekend of dog sitting and this would be my first time with this girl here. She is a delightful little girl and an excellent car rider. That always makes the difference for sure. And Beautiful 

She listens well , champion walker , and fairly enthusiastic about eating. My favorite was that she used my ankles as a pillow every night. Good little cuddlier she is. You know , just one of those dogs that you enjoy spending time with. Good Girl 

DEVISATION:

Yes , devastating crisis that I have covered ad nauseam lengths. Yes , we have zero run off from this past winter. Yes , our Monsoon Season has been nothing but clouds. Yes , the Mighty Colorado River is running at 550cfs and normally the first day of August regulates around 1,000 - 1,200csf. Screwed  

I went up Turkey Flats , haven't been there since The Boy Dog Passed , to capture this photo of the Turner fire that rages 40% containment and over 26,000 acres charred. Now , in two days , the Lee Fire has exploded into a 45,000 acre monster and there is no stopping this one. That Lee fire is located in a forest of Beatle kill dead trees , temperatures in the upper 90's / 36C , 7% humidity , and about 40mph / 64kph winds all afternoon. Deadly Recipe 

So my riding miles have been ONLY commuter miles and I wore my mask three times during my last four commutes into town. Yuck 

Above is the Colorado River and if you zoom in , that is a homeless guy walking across it. That green patch in the middle has become tent city. It is not just the animals defecating in the "river" these days. Enjoy that glass of water there Smell-A California. Toxic Waters 

UPCOMING:

Do I ever have a desirable weekend in front of the whites of my eyes. Yes , I am going on tour!! Experienced a soft opening with a wild reggae show up in Paonia last Friday Night. One of the many lead singers for Black Uhuru is touring with a throw together band. The Blue Z , The Dude , & myself went for the occasion. For me personally , it was more about socializing with friends than hearing all the Bob Marley / Steel Pulse Cover Tunes. Classic 

Last night was Daniel Donato's and Cosmic Country here at the Mesa Theater. And that place is still a royal Sh*T Hole on Main Street. If your home stereo showcases a volume knob up to 10 , the Mesa plays it at 11. Sucks 

Tonight , I am heading down to The Los C Amphitheater for a double bill. The Infamous String Dusters are "opening" for Leftover Salmon. It will be another free show for me and both bands are top shelf quality. Really looking forward to it and I gotta believe that I will know a few folks in the crowd. Sure wish I that could wear a sundress. Boom Shakalaka Boom

Friday night will be my first Friday Night Bike Night in about 6 weeks. I believe that our last ride was with Robert and that was mid June BEFORE our Pagosa Springs adventure. So pretty dang stoked about getting involved in all kinds of shenanigans tomorrow night. Rowdy 

Above Photo - Our Tribe After The Demolition Derby At The Fairgrounds - Then , after the food pick ups on Saturday morning , its a two and a half hour drive to Red Cliff Colorado. The Dude & I are heading up to Stacy & Justin's place there in Red Cliff. That will be home base and then a van is coming to chauffeur us over to Vail. This will be my first time at the Gerald Ford Amphitheater for an evening with The String Cheese Incident!! The Dude & I will then boogie back to GJ as The Cheese are playing again at Los C here in GJ. So yes , my first tour since 2016 and it could not have landed at a better time. Hippie Jim sent me this birthday card with a two dollar bill , a bicentennial quarter , and this Polaroid from a Cheese Show with Amber The Human years ago. Field Trips Are The Best 

Until Next Week , Stay Brilliant & Prevail My Friends ,

Cheers 

And Just How Did That Happen

Well , You Can Just Believe    I'm The Only Girl In Your Life    I'll Be Your Sugar In The Morning  And The Sweet Stuff You Need At Night     And You Can Just Make Believe     When It Comes Down To Makin Love    I'll Satisfy Your Every Need     And Every Fantasy You Think Up     So When You Need A Little Peace Of Mind     Come On Over Boy , Anytime       I'll Keep You Happy And So Satisfied   In My House , In My House    So When You Need Some Lovin Tenderness     And It's Me Baby That You Miss  Here's The Key To Unlock The Door    To My House , To My House    wo-oo-oo-oo- In My House   wo-oo-oo-oo-oo- In My House 

Mary Jane Girls

Bitchin' : The Sound And Fury Of Rick James 1985 

PHUC:

Well , another trip around the sun came and went. I must have more than just added income to show for my efforts. There must be more to this life than hours logged. Gotta believe that I accomplished something astonishing. ANYthing ?? Bueller

Wait , I definitely stratagem a few obstacles along the way. Wait , a few things?? Hold on here ! Hold On Just One Mighty Second Here. I still ride my bike to all job sites. That isn't bragging from a last years achievement but riding the daily commuter bike is still admirable in my white eyes. Chugging  

This latest trip around the sun offered up numerous challenges and I feel as if I meet them head on and conquered each task with grace and the jury is out on the beauty front. Securing a job giving back to the youth would be a highlight for sure. Reaching out to Misty and creating the Foxie Flo duo would also be a tip to the cap. Finally erasing a looming debt lifted an incredible amount of weight from my weathering shoulders. Surfed the vegan lifestyle with minimal amount of efforts and excuses. Successfully performed during Porchella and nobody got punched. And lastly , simply making it through another year was a feat unto itself. Right 

MARBLE:

I do love the Sh*t out of this place!! Marble Colorado is one of those last places without a Micky D's or a Starbucks or a Shell Gas station on every corner. Nothing Commercial 

Marble also happens to be free of light pollution and that is my true turn on. Space is one of those amazeballs mysteries to me and its the reason why October Sky lands on my top 20 all-time favorite movies. And please , don't ask me what my favorite movie is because that is an impossible question for me to answer. I mean , what is your favorite song?? Unattainable

As I have spoke of this particular top at length and mentioned here before ( both Al Gore and Walter Cronkite ) The Inconvenient Truth is in full effect. This photo below captures the creek once known as the Crystal River. I have personally stretched out along the smooth river rock with the cold current washing over my soul countless times as my elementary way for a quick rinse off. I have NEVER witnessed such a shocking sight. Not only is the river almost gone but the water is so warm. Algae is taking over the white marble stone below the water's surface , the once happy fish have disappeared , and I haven't seen a Bald Eagle soaring within the thermals in a few summers now. But evidence of man is always close by. Phuc-R's 

QUEEN:

The lovely Queen Olga Girl began her new journey last weekend and that one hurt way more than Ozzy's passing. Now obviously I never had the privilege of meeting Olga Girl or her humans but I grew attached to her through blogging photos and Brother Steve's delightful story telling. Such As , Steve was unable to carry her , he placed her in a wheelbarrow for transport. Classic 

I was holding up fairly well with Olga Girl encroaching the dreadful day , Steve gave us all the heads up the day was near , keeping my chin up when the Orange Shot Of Death was administered , but I broke down in tears when Steve so elegantly shared how the garden dropped flowers on her lifeless body as she was carried way. Basically , Olga Girl was wrapped up safely in blanket and when the blanket brushed by pedals on the way out , she was showered with garden kisses saying good bye girl. Still Rips Me Heartstrings 

There is no doubt in my mind that The Boy Dog welcomed Queen Olga Girl and together they are chewing their way through the fields of freshly baked doughnuts. On a lighter note , this blog has gained a few new followers. As you long time readers know , I once ALWAYS replied to each and every comment out of respect. Once this Free Blogger format hit the updated digital waves , I no longer am able to comment on my own blog. So I welcome Linda's Relaxing Lair and sandy. Thank you both for reaching out. Gr8ful 

Now this time lapse above from Marble Colorado could/might be my last time lapse video. I say this because my trusty GoPro3 Silver from 2012 finally died. Poor little guy refuses to fire up no matter what I methods of coercion tried. So I am the proud owner of more electronic uselessness , piled on my already looming digital gravesite. Yuck 

Keep Breathing ,

Cheers