Chasing the moon

I took the graveyard shift again last night, and in no way am I bitchin. There's nothing like an empty interstate at night....the last time I drove graveyard was on our recent trip back to Wisconsin, so I took it again last night on the way back to Washington. This time instead of a sky full of diamonds I had a nearly full moon riding with me throughout the night.
Driving at night is amazing enough, but when the moon lights your way it is eerily comforting. Mountains, valleys, rock formations, animals, trees pop out of the landscape like opaque glass statues. I truly felt like I was on the dark side of the moon....it probably helped when "time" came on my rotation in the iPod, nonetheless it felt like I was on another planet.....and I wasn't on no wacky neither!




I don't know how far away Gilette, Wyoming and Butte, Montana are from each other, but that was my graveyard......my constant: the moon.



(the moon at dawn...heading down)
So my auggested music listening pick this time has to be anything from "Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd....cliche, I know, but listen to an entire song and think about driving 8 hours in the dark high desert.......and pick a good song like "Breath", or "Great Gig In the Sky", or "Brain Damage".....especially the last one since I haven't had solid sleep since Saturday night......and look at a map....driving from Madison, wi to Mt. Vernon, wa is comparable to driving accross Europe, or equatorial Africa......or South America.......laterally, of course........bye!



(the sun sneaking up on me from behind)


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Brava Article

This is a bit of old news, but in case you havn't seen the May issue of Brava Magazine here is a helpful link:

http://bravamagazine.com/article.jsp?department=8734&id=9674

Thanks Mollie and all involved! 

Summer Tour 2010: Hotter than ever!

Had you told me that when we headlined Everett, Washington's 4th of July festival, i would have smacked you.....prebably not, that's just not me....i would have smirked, then turned away so you couldn't see how I really felt, and continued to drink the sweet, sweet local brews that Washington has to offer.  Let's just say it was cold; and an equally if not greater than cold wind was blowing off the puget sound onto the stage.  Acouple beers and a spring coat later, The Lucas Cates Band was off and running(it was still really cold).  Accually the Summer 2010 tour began six days and six shows earlier in Madison, WI.  We drove about 10 hours each day to our show; unloaded, set up, played, broke down, slept(most of the time), and drove.  Our week in Washington began as a cloudy windy holiday, but ended a cloudless beautiful northwestern adventure as we had 7 days of total sunshine beginning July 5th. 
The tours have been great as the crowds are multiplying and merchandise is flying off the shelves.  The Pacific Northwest as been offically labeled (by me, so really not that official) a "hot spot"(but official enough for quotations) for the band.  There is a lot of excitement for the music and amazing response from concert goers which is why we will return to Washington and Oregon in 10 days to wrap up the summer tour. 
One cool band thing of note happened about a month ago.  We will soon(which means hopefully soon) be in "E-Cast" jukeboxes around the country as an unsigned band.  Both All the Pieces and Live at Sullivan Hall will be in the data base for all ecast boxes....pretty cool.  We are working with Touch Tunes currently to secure the same type of deal.  So say you are on vacation and you want a drink.....no brainer....go to the bar, BUT let's say you are on vacation....at that very same bar and you say "I'd like to make everyone in this bar listen to what I want to listen to," so you go over to the sweet juke box, AND you've already decided that like an unhealthy addiction you NEED to listen to The Lucas Cates Band.......NOW........well damnit you are in luck, cause we'll be there for you.  Now if it just so happens that you are staring a Touch Tunes Jukebox in the face, make sure you write them or your local congressman(or woman) and tell them we should be in Touch Tunes as well......simple, delicious, fish.

Suggested Music Listening:  Caravan (Single) - This is some serious new stuff from Rush.  You won't believe what you are hearing.

Sure gets hot 'round these parts

An obvious statement, yes, but if you are a "Yankee" like myself the heat of the south is warm, wet, and thick......gross. So if you were around any of the member of the Lucas Cates Band within the past two weeks you might recall us making jokes about the Helen Keller festival in tuscumbia, al. We'd say "well, we can't screw up cause they won't see or hear us anyway.". Well we cursed ourselves cause the terential downpour which began during our soundcheck put a two-hour delay on the festival. This delay subsequently bumped us from the show which sucked but we still hot the hotel room and out gaurenteed and all that so it could have been worse. What I was most impressed with, however was the dilligence of this crowd. Most of them stayed on the grounds through downpouring rain and close lightning, huddled in shelters.....AND, some just sat in their chairs like nothing was happening! Check this out!






Where are we? Now you can't see the rain a much from this picture, but it was absolutly pouring! But damn it, this was Saturday and the Helen Keller Festival, and there is nothing else going on in town, and it takes more than a little rain,deathly close lightning, and a flash flood warning to waver these laid back country folk. Maybe that's why it took four years for the North to with the civil war.....maybe they were excited to see the Lucas cates band, or maybe folks down here just take what comes along with humble patience.....yea....maybe.
Well, we are heading west. Tuesday in Madison, Wednesday In LaCrosse, Thursday in Paxton, Friday in Pocatello, Saturday in Medford, and Sunday(4th of July) we headline Everett washington's festival. Keep up if you can.... We love a good caravan.

Oh and your suggested music download is a song called "Brownville(mockingbird medly)". I think is an album only thing but worth the 30 second preview. We heard this on the radio driving through the backwoods of the Alabama- Mississippi boarder......mood music.


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Location:Alabama

Seaside rendezvous

Words won't describe the week we just had.... Really, they won't......i guess we just have the best friends anyone could have, and we are lucky. Thank you friends.... You know who you are. It means the world to us.



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Location:S Serenata Dr,Ponte Vedra Beach,United States

On the rocks

I can't party like I used to...or maybe I am just around better parties these days.....regardless, Salem, Illinois rocked my socks. We always have strange and unique expirences in Salem....I've met cage fighters, rock stars, local heros and county legends.....watched the drama like reality tv. This las time We had the unfortunate expirence of playing candlelight for the widow of a friend. Jeff, was a super fan...the guy who without any bs whatsoever would come to me and ask, "so Nox, you're pretty much the best bass player out there, right," o which I would laugh at his kindness and the genuine nature of that question. Anyway he passed away in November leaving two young ones. His wife, mother-in-law, and a group of friends sat crosslegged on the floor f the bar crying when we played candlelight, a song which was featured at his funeral..... A reality check for what is truley important and how much music means to everyone.
My hangover the next day was as heavy as the subject matter of this blog.....rough :-)
We played in Florence Alabama last night for a packed house at On the Rocks.....it was a chaotic evening with everyone getting as drunk as possible.....I had water! The people in Florence are super kind and very appretiative of live music....the night ended with a rousing chorus of Old Suzanna as performed by a bar stompping, fiddle playing, Kenny. I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee....hey!





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Location:N Court St,Florence,United States

tWas the Week of the Tour

tWas the week of the tour and all through the house,
The laundry was stirring Tide, Bounce, and Shout.
Kenny was sick but I'm sure he'll be better,
Out of Illinois and into good weather.
The Dodge DMC stands prepared in the driveway,
In hopes the new tranny can handle the highway.
With backpacks and blankets and pillows and packs,
We'll most likely crash at your house....you cool with that?
The olympics are over and there's nothing on tv,
Except for that Nascar which seems strange to me,
So gather your friends and go out for a night,
For a spot of live music and cool flashing lights,
We'll dance and we'll sing, we'll drink and be merry,
Cause TLCB is music worth sharing.



See you on the road everyone!



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