Dearest Reader,
I’m writing from the green room at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland. It’s been a busy start to tour, with a week left to go. We played a lovely little festival called Red Wing Roots in the mountains of Virginia, met some really kind musicians and had a great show on stage built like a front porch. We had to high tail it out of there right after our set to start the drive up to Lafayette, New York for our three band bill with Waxahatchee and M.J. Lenderman.
First of all, what a dream lineup, I had as much fun playing as I did hanging out and watching their sets. I sincerely think we should take this show on the road, so just putting that out there..
We arrived to beautiful Beak and Skiff Orchard to a perfect day with enough clouds passing through to keep up from burning up on stage. I was relieved to see folks got there right on time, as it’s always a bit mysterious when you open the night if anyone will be there. I’m so grateful it was packed, and I met so many dedicated music fans afterwards including one sweet couple who came from Toronto. We played 45 mins and I felt really good about it, a tight set of PISA songs along with the new jam Pyramid Scheme. The band is on fire right now. I felt proud looking over seeing Katie watching our set, and of course emotional. We’ve known each other for a long time now, and she has been so supportive as a fellow songwriter. Watching her band blew me away, a wave of joyful, cathartic energy that is needed right now. The thing about Katie Crutchfield is she writes classic songs. I left our hang inspired and feeling like I was right where I should be.
Next we headed to a sacred place for me, Levon’s Studio in Woodstock, NY. I have been a huge fan of Levon for decades now, I’ve even read his memoir This Wheel’s on Fire. Back in the early days of Hurray I heard tales of him hosting nights in his barn upstate, and if you were lucky he would even come out and play a song with you. In those first years of working on my songwriting and scrapping together this band, I held this goal in my heart as a navigation tool. Imagining one day I would make it there and get to jam with him. Though I never got to meet my hero, I feel very grateful to now call his studio a second home. This was my third time playing at Levon’s Studio, and I can tell you every single person working at this spot does their job with love. When you attend a show there, there’s so much intention behind the scenes.
I have decided one of my life goals is to create a place like this myself, when I reach an age that I feel more settled down and can dedicate some time to a space where I welcome bands on tour. I would love to create an intentional space meant for coming together and experiencing the church that is live music. Third time must be the charm because this trip to the Studio was one of my favorite shows of all time. Amazing things can happen when you are well fed, feel love and supported, and inspired by the people around you.
While talking with our friend Tom of Zero Overdose (who tabled at the show) and our amazing lighting director for the night (who is also a paramedic) we came to the conclusion that HFTRR is music for social workers. You can expand on that as you like. I think about Health Care workers, Teachers, Immigration Lawyers, and yes, of course the punk kids handing out narcan and fentanyl testing strips to folks in the park. The givers of our communities who are taking action into their own hands.
So many emotions on this Summer Solstice, I’m grateful to be on the road seeing friends and hearing the music of Greg Mendez. I hope you’re doing good out there, happy summer, don’t rank Cuomo and let’s go Zohran Mamdani for NYC Mayor!!
don’t take any shit!!!
xo alynda mariposa segarra xo