10/12/11 Furthur Fall Tour

With an hour to decide to go halfway across the U.S. and back in a week, we set off to gather a rental car and there we were once again on the road back to the west coast. Three packed in a four seat sedan, we packed in all we could leaving most of our stuff behind and rushing off down the road. After a long haul through the night, I found myself once again in the bright city of Vegas. Upon our arrival into the city we drove straight to the Hard Rock Cafe where the next Furthur show was held. Making my way around the casino I was on the lookout for a miracle ticket with no luck until I met Madia, who already had a ticket but found a miracle ticket for me. 

Grateful for the kindness, we made our way inside "The Joint" where Furthur kicked it off with China Cat Sunflower followed quickly by a New Minglewood Blues with a western twist. The first set kept the crowd going with more great tunes including Cosmic Charlie, Like a Rolling Stone, and a Casey Jones to finish it off. As the strings of reality began to warp, the second set began with an epic Viola Lee Blues sandwich that will never be forgotten. Between the lights and the people, I danced my ass off all night, glad to have made it back furthur west one last time.

After a short night in a Vegas hotel, we quickly made our way to Los Angeles, to the Greek Theater, a venue located in a fantastic park in the city. Beginning the set with The Music Never Stopped, we kept the music going through out the two days while spending more time with new friends Madia and Dan. After Madia got me a ticket at The Joint in Vegas, I picked on the banjo at the Theater for a miracle ticket and was able to get her inside this show.

 Interesting how what goes around comes around. Making our way to Monerey, Ca, we set up on Shakedown Street selling merchandise at the Monterey Fairgrounds. When the second night came around, the security decided to shutdown the Shakedown lot, not knowing how the crowd would react. Soon enough people set up merchandise everywhere on the street outside of the fairgrounds and in the CVS parking lot across the street, with too many people rallied together for the police to do much about it. Spending the weekend with another traveler, Paula, and Krista and Troy, we set off with our goodbyes back on the long haul to Colorado as we only had a few days until Harvest Festival began in Arkansas.

Back in Colorado a week later, we dropped the rental off at the airport, and piled into my two seat truck off on the road to the Spring. Luckily I was able to pick up a $500 check from working a temporary roofing job in the Colorado Springs that I worked for a week which helped make my way to southeast Kansas. This was where the trip originally began for Krista and myself as she convinced me to join her after busking in front of her tye-dye tent in Denver. In Winfied, we stayed at Kyle and Jan's house, great friends from the Walnut Valley festival and set off again. Never have I done as much driving in one week as I did then from Colorado to California, back to Colorado, to Kansas, and then to Arkansas. Harvest Festival begins tommorrow and I can't be any more ready for more bluegrass before I make my way back to Georgia. 

10/03/11 Some Mountain, Colorado

There I was packing up my gear, getting ready to hit the long road back to Colorado catching a ride with a new friend, Ben. With our many goodbyes we left with high spirits and drove the truck out of the campground out on the road. Just like any road trip movie, we made it about twenty miles out of Winfield when his truck breaks downs on the side of the highway. With the help of friendly Kansas kin, we landed ourselves
back in Winfield for yet another night to wait out the repair on the truck. Once it was all said and done, we embarked once again on the journey back the following day, this time breaking down forty miles north in Witchita, Kansas where the starter failed and landed us stranded once again. Without the proper time to fix the vehicle we had to push start the car every time we stopped on the way. Not only dealing with car problems, my phone was submerged in water while taking a sharp turn and four hours down the road
to fill up on gas, Ben lost his wallet thinking he left it back in Witchita at the grocery store. At this point I was making a sign to start hitch hiking out of there while Ben here was about to have a breakdown due to the misfortune of the ride out of Kansas. Thankfully, he found his wallet hidden in the car and we set off once again to Colorado, this time with no more issues to deal with.

Back in Denver, I made my way south to Manitou Springs, where I was to get some final repairs on my banjo from the luthiers who fixed her up during the bluegrass festival. Making my home base in Manitou for the week, I quickly found some temporary roof work and worked out some more street performing there in the Springs including busking at the dulcimer shop, and giving out banjo lessons in the square. After a week of the
manual labor and jams, I left north for Red Rocks once again, this time to see the Furthur shows there that lasted all weekend. It was during this time that I met up again with Tye-dye Krista and various Kansas friends to stay at a log cabin nestled deep in the mountains.

After an incredible weekend at the Red Rocks and making some cash with beer on Shakedown Street, Krista asked me if I would like to go back to Las Vegas and California to follow the remainder of the Furthur tour. With an hour to decide to go halfway across the U.S. and back in a week, we looked at each other and with the thumbs up we set off to gather a rental car and there we were once again on the road back to the west coast.

9/19/11 Winfield, Kansas

Never in my whole trip did I believe I would spend time in Kansas, but there I was for 2 weeks camped out in Winfield, KS. Arriving at the campground we started land rush, where hundreds of folks line up to set up camp in the Pecan Grove. We stocked up on Pabst and began the madness that can only be described as one of the best times of my life. Upon entering the campground we set up a full line kitchen with plenty of space for all of our friends to camp at the Rainbow Circus. After plenty of brews, I wandered around the campground amazed at all of the bluegrass musicians jamming all night long on the street. Never in my life have I seen so many musicians at one place as I start to see that this was a festival for musicians, and with 10 days before the festival even started I hardly left the banjo from my side.

Being a "Winfield Virgin" I got dressed in a white T-shirt as I wandered through the random camps gathering signatures to people who I would learn to know and love within the time we spent together. Friends giving out drinks, plenty of green favors, and more hillbillies and bluegrass enthusiasts than ever before. Krista who I traveled with to Winfield introduced me to Hipbillies, a folk bluegrass band who was more than welcome to have me join the band for the weekend on the stages.

There was a main stage at the Grand Stands, but not once did I make it there as the real party was in the Pecan Grove where stages were set up in the campground, mostly acoustic with one set up with microphones. In the Grove was Stage 5, the main grove stage where the top bands played with live sounds, Stage 7, where respect was held as the crowds would hush up and give full attention to the band, and Fine Time, which was the rowdy, crazy crowd getting funk down. During my stay, I played on Stage 5 twice, Fine Time three times, and Stage 7 once, which I was very honored to be allowed to join with fellow musicians on the stages with my first year at Winfield.

Winfield was the place where you take a nap in the porter john, fireworks shoot off high in the sky and light up the magnificence and beauty of the Grove as more and more folks fill up the camps until it is jammed packed with even more musicians than I thought could ever be in one place. It is the place where your banjo breaks in half and a Luther in the campground fixes it up the next day. A place where you sign up for a set on stage and have an hour to find a band to jump on and piece music together. This is the place you realized you havent drank water in 10 days due to the amount of PBR in my system, as you meet members of the bands that you love on stage at the other festivals I have seen. A place where you have to watch your back due to cougars and under aged girls, and more missing teeth in one week than ever before. This is the place where the Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament is held, and bike races where folks catch hot dogs in their mouths from strings overhead.

Never did I ever think I would say this but... Kansas has been by far one of the best stops on my journey and I look forward to the festival again next year. The words here will never describe the events that happened at Winfield, you will have to see for yourself next year.

9/7/11 Lawrence, Kansas

Following my first week in Colorado, I searched the Vail valley for a day time job. Car insurance bill came up and landed me flat ass broke in the ski valley of Colorado. Summer has come to a wrap and there was no work to be found in the area. With the money from playing the awesome venues not coming in for another week I gathered what I could and made my way to Denver. While still unable to find a job in the state, I went back to what I have been doing for the past 6 months as I set up at an arts & crafts show downtown to pick the banjo. The Taste of Colorado started off by making great money busking while I left for the Phish shows each evening to make some more. After a stressful week, the weekend turned everything around and had such a great time with my friends on lot outside of the Phish weekend show. It was an awesome surprise also to see my cousin Kyle who drove all the way out from Michigan to make the weekend show.

It was yet another incredible weekend with the people I love as I got to see many old friends that I haven't seen since the east coast. There was Phil, the food vendor I worked with on Futhur tour, go figure at the Phish weekend festival selling burgers and pizza left and right. It was also pleasant to see the friends that I saw in Miami and Atlanta about six months before. Three crazy nights spend on Phish lot as I would walk 100 yards from the venue to crawl into my truck and sleep for the night. With tons of music in the venue, and more musicians jamming in the lot outside, it was yet another fantastic time being able to playing music with new folks.

After the madness outside of Phish, I started the Labor Day hung over playing the banjo once more in the Taste of Colorado. During the whole weekend, the tie-dye vendor Krista was trying to convince me to join her to the next event in Kansas, setting up at the vendor tent for a week while jamming with bluegrass musicians for two weeks, to celebrate the upcoming bluegrass festival. Never have I ever seen myself spending time in Kansas but so far I have seen the best of it with much more to come. By hearing the bands and stories of past times, it sounds like this is going to be one hillbilly, hippie, buckled knees drunk, bluegrass jamming, absurd week.

Cheers to the best of the Midwest.

8/23/11 Denver, Colorado

After the rained out show in the town of Larimie, we convoyed back to Denver where I stayed the night. The next day was the Yonder Mountain, Infamous Stringdusters, and Railroad Earth show at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. After arriving early to the show, I soon realized that the show was sold out as numerous folks walk around scouting for tickets. Numerous people meaning, hundreds scattered around hour before the show begins. There I was, scouting for a ticket, with no luck and no tits to help me out. The hours flying by, people giving up and going home while the music begins and I'm sweating my ass off, pickin' the banjo at the red rocks road entrance, trying to get inside for the Railroad Earth show.

Low in spirits ready to give up, a car pulls in for a stop while two girls rush the car for tickets. Ticked off knowing that the pair of girls were going to get the tickets, the guy points at me, then I realized that I knew the fellow. It was Nick, who I ran into in Yellowstone a few days earlier with the Frog's Gone Fishin' band. Sure enough he helped me out with a ticket as I quickly made my way inside the awesome venue. The large, red boulders stretch out into the sky as thousands of people dance the night away to Railroad Earth. With four more songs to go on the single set, I took in the magnificence around me as my feet moved around like never before. After the talents of Railroad Earth and a prolonged break, I took my place near the front as Yonder Mountain String Band rose out of the shadows onto the famous Red Rocks stage.

I'm not sure what it is about the music, but much like when I am alone in the wilderness of the mountains, I get filled with emotions that I would never have felt back at home. Along with everyone else in the crowd, I danced my ass off with that same smile that I have had so often since I left in March. My body vibrates, as the bass tones run through me once again, the music shouting at the earth and running through my mind. Also, it was to be kept in mind that this was now in the great state of Colorado where there are more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks. "If you are certified with your lovely medical location, then reach inside your pocket....  let us make a cloud of smoke that can be seen from space! Don't be a wuss.. Hold it in and let it fly!!!"

Oh sweet mama, two hits and the joint surely turned brown. Followed by a reprise of Keep On Going they kept the night alive until the time came to pack up and leave the venue. After the show, I drove back to Denver where I stayed at "The Pond" where the band Frog's Gone Fishin' resided. It was yet another late night with the crew as we played more jams, had a few drinks, and found time to sleep before the sun rose about the mountains. The next morning, we gathered our gear, (which for me consisted of my banjo and wallet ) and piled into the large chevy van to head off to Statesbridge, nested deep in the Colorado hills. After receiving my wristband I sat back and enjoyed the Rock & Roll mixed with Jazz until my name was called to play a few songs on the second set. A good night filled with free drinks and food, jams on stage during the day, and long jams all night in the huts.

Leaving midday on Monday, we left for Aspen, the richest area of Colorado to play at the Belly-Up, one of the fanciest venues in all of the state. It was awesome to get the chance to perform on a stage where artists including David Grisman, Allman Brothers, Yonder Mountain String Band, B.B. King, Bela Fleck, Ben Harper, STS9, and more have also played. The venue also treats the artists right as we were provided with a full buffet dinner and two large boxed stocked with cold Fat Tire and Sierra Nevada brews. With a large turn out for a Monday night, it was awesome to watch the people dance to music that you help create. Needless to say, it was yet another crazy night as Trevor, Dax, and myself stayed in Aspen for the night with this gorgeous girl, Adrianna.

The rest of the band left that night after the show saying there would be a ride provided in the morning If I decided to stick around Aspen. Waking up in the morning to Trevor and Dax getting ready, they had no room in the car as it was packed to the brim with music gear, so I laid my ass back down to sleep since It was only three hours since I had begun to rest.

After realizing that I had no ride back to Denver with the fellow being caught up in some trouble in the area, I made a sign and started hitch hiking back to the city. It was yet another reminder of just how fun hitch hiking really is, as I met some great folks along the way including Richard, a criminal attorney with hook-ups at the University of Georgia if I was interested in attending the school, and Lorie, a high school principal who was so intrigued by my playing. She gave me the numbers of her son who was also an artist/musician residing in Colorado Springs. I spent a few hours with these folks as they set up to watch the 3 day bike race through Vail Pass. Over 12,000 feet high at Independence Pass, it felt wonderful to be able to enjoy the road again without a vehicle. Two rides later, I found myself back in Denver with the band, relaxing for the night with some netflix and blogging.

8/19/11 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Leaving Stanley, Idaho, I drove eastbound to catch the bluegrass festival at Grand Targhee Ski Resort in Alta Wyoming. Just a week earlier I was accepted as a volunteer, so after paying the camping fee I started my first shift searching bags and wristbands into the venue. That night was the first time I saw the Infamous Stringdusters as they rocked out the venue under the full moon that shone overhead. After the show it was time for bluegrass picking as I wandered around the small camps listening for the musicians that were around. Jamming along with some and watching others, I saw tons of talent in the hills of the Grand Tetons hidden away at 8,000 feet.

On Saturday, Yonder Mountain String Band once again threw out an excellent performance which was followed by more activities in the forest and Sunday was started off volunteering backstage finding time to converse with the various artists of the day including The Greencards, Railroad Earth, and others. Sunday night following the show I met Wendy and Jen, two gals that worked at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. With my next stop in mind being Yellowstone, they offered a place to stay for the week. We departed ways and stayed at the resort for one more night.

Then began the drive to the first National Park sitting on top of the largest volcanic system in North America. The park sits on the Yellowstone Caldera also known as the Yellowstone Supervolcano which is filled with hot spring boiling with extreme heat, mudpots, and geysers that at times could shoot water hundreds of feet high. Upon my arrival, I also soon realized that this was one of the largest tourist attractions in our country. Arriving at Old Faithful, hundreds of people would gather around the predictable geyser to see the magnificence it holds every ninety or so minutes. This is when I also realized I could make some decent money playing music for the people leaving after the show.

That night I met up with Wendy and Jen again crashing at their place gearing up for a ten mile bike and twenty mile hike through the backcountry. I was very fortunate to have met them as they gave me a map to use along with bear spray to hike out in grizzly bear country.

It was wonderful to experience the national park without being around all of the tourists as I hiked out to the largest backcountry lake in the U.S. Following the hike I began to play music for tips for the people clearing out of Old Faithful every hour and a half for the next two days which worked out well with car insurance and bills coming up. I had a great time on my stay at Yellowstone meeting part of the employee team and gathering peace in the volcanic terrain away from the tourists.

While jamming out on the banjo in front of Old Faithful, a fellow approached me named Dax, who was part of a band touring called Frog's Gone Fishin'. They are based out of Denver and with Colorado in mind for the next month, they asked if I would come along and jam some songs on stage with them and get a job working in the awesome state of Colorado. Departing ways, I enjoyed one last day of the beautiful park as I took the long, scenic route across Wyoming to the college town of Larimie.

8/12/11 Stanley, Idaho

I arrived into Stanley just one week ago as I walked around the small town walking into each place looking for some temporary work before the festival. After the half hour, I found a job at a local restaurant working dishes and prep. That evening I got to experience the Stanley local street dance, where they bring out a band in the middle of town and all of the locals dance the evening away. (They really know how to dance too..) That night I camped out at the local campground meeting some new folk who worked as whitewater rafting guides and Mike mentioned he held an open mike at the bar the next night after the local street dance. Although I was too lit up to play right on the stage I met more great folks and got more connected with the great people in it. Getting to know the "Lucie's Crew" It didn't take long to meet some great friends to spend time with. After a night of heavy drinking, hot springs, and raising hell, it was time to start the morning shift washing dishes.

Sunlight peers through the sawtooth ridges, covered the town in a warm ray of light while bald eagles fly the ridge overhead. The restaurant opens up bright early to get ready for the breakfast crew as the owners walk 100 feet from their cabin to get started making food. This was the type of place you work all day, and drink all night until your crawling on the roof laughing your ass off at the stories being told of the past years. This was the place where you try to hold a serious conversation with the owner and he lets one rip to fill the entire diner with his infamous stench. Although the folks there were far from normal, every single one of them were downright awesome people.

Most of the week in Stanley was spent with Jerad, Tony, Rocky, and Dakota, raising hell jumping off cliffs, cruising in hot springs, watching It's always Sunny, and drinking every night. Apart from those four awesome folks, I also give props to Mike and his crew taking me whitewater rafting after hours for no cost. Also much credit to Josh and Adam for hiring me for a week at one of the best jobs I have ever worked. I also give credit to the coffee and energy drinks that kept me alive that crazy ass week.

Never have I been to a place so welcoming, generous, and friendly. As much as I would love to stay, I must keep moving as the Bluegrass festival, Grant Targhee in Wyoming, begins today.

08/02/11 Stanley, Idaho

After the bluegrass festival, I hit the road towards Washington not quite knowing where I was heading to but eager to press on. Going northbound, I saw two hitch hikers on the ramp to the interstate while I was taking a stop at the store. They were rainbow kids and with the sun setting and them seeming friendly company I made room to give them a ride. They had set out from Portland that day to get to Seatlle where they would spend another day before they left back home again, and without gaining much ground they were extremely grateful and gave me $30 to fill up my tank. Now having a destination for the night, we arrived at a friend's house and I was able to shower up and drink with some new friends.

The next day, after some busking in Seattle, I left to catch the ferry to Bainbridge, where I would be able to reach the Washington Peninsula in the northwestern area of the continental U.S. This place consisted of the Olympic National Park, which housed three ecosystems with snow capped mountains overlooking the rainforest by the coast. My first stop in the Peninsula was straight to the beach, in the northwest corner. It was at that point that any further I traveled, would be back towards home in the east. On the western coast again, the boulders loom above the ocean floor as I climb the rock to isolation. 3,000 miles away, I threw off my shirt and bag, and placed my bare feet in the chilly water. In the wave-pool, the ocean rose above the rock and crashed down below me as the water ran high above my head and soaked me with it's natural touch.

After a peaceful night camped out in the back country, I hiked a section of the Hoh River Trail, residing in one of the few and largest rainforests in the United States. What made the climate so spectacular was the supporting climate for air plants, that grow solely on the nutrients in the air. All of this moss would hang off of every tree as mushrooms the size of a dinner place crawled up of the multiple trees in the area. This place of natural beauty, along with the Redwoods of California, were part of the oldest forests with the largest trees in the country. Unfortunately I was only able to hike so far with my leg still acting up after hiking 10 miles in. After the sights of the rainforest I left back where I came from to the Northeast, passing through the town on the way to play some banjo.

Washington was excellent for music as far as the direction I was in as I made $204 playing the banjo in one day on that Friday. I have never made that much money in one day in my life, let alone playing music. yay. It's all hit or miss though folks as I only made $40 the next day on Saturday. Heading east, I took the mountain roads to see the small towns and the scenery of Washington. Passing through Idaho, I was on my way to Montana when I stopped at Coeur d'Alene, a wealthy tourist town, to play some music. With multiple warnings about the cops writing me a ticket in the area, I kept on truckin' to Montana, where I camped out for the night in the Bitterroot National Forest. There I took the mountain bike out for a ride and enjoyed the wildlife and scenery of the great state of the north.

Southbound on highway 93,  I was on my way to Stanley, Idaho, gateway to the Sawtooth National Forest. After a short walk through town looking for work, I found a small town cafe' that was more than willing to bring me along for the next 10 days. Shortly after while set up on my laptop at the lodge, I got the confirmation that I am scheduled to volunteer at the Targhee Bluegrass Festival next weekend. On top of that I am scheduled to work the Yonder Mountain Harvest Festival in October in Arkansas. Things have a great way of working themselves out and I am so grateful for all the great, beautiful people that help me out along the way.

I am looking forward to settling down for the next week camped out, as I'm a bit tired of driving. Found myself stuck in the middle of Idaho, which is far from being a bad thing. Much love to my friends and family back home,

Tyler

7/25/11 Horning's Hideout, Oregon

After my adventuring in the Mt. Hood wilderness, I left back west past Portland to catch the 10th annual bluegrass festival, Northwest String Summit located at Horning's Hideout nestled in the forest of North Plains.

The weekend was kicked off with a bluegrass band competition to see who will come back to play a set the following year. Next on stage was Cascadia Project with Darol Anger and friends followed by Keller and the Keels. Last but not least, Yonder Mountain String Band opened up the Friday night with Ten and jammed through the night until it was time to shut down. The music maybe have stopped on stage, but the night was more alive than ever as people scattered in the forest forming groups as many others wandered around, stumbling into other tents. A man in a full on chicken suit clucks by as a pirate dances with his pet parrot who gave anyone a beak kiss who passed by. Drunkards wake up from slumber with sharpie written all over themselves as other walk the path butt ass naked selling clothes.

Missing a handful of shows the next morning I slept off the night before and kicked it in the woods with new friends camped out nearby. I made it to the stage bowl just in time to catch Railroad Earth in action playing many songs unknown by me but I could feel their music rolling through my body, feeling the body heat bear on me from the beautiful audience around me. YMSB joined up on stage for one of the most spectacular shows I have ever experienced as they gave tribute to the 10th anniversary of the Northwest String Summit. Also Darol Anger, "the unofficial 5th member of YMSB, fiddle madness" joined the band on stage for every single show! Not only that, but they did not hesitate to bring up all of their friends to jam including performances from Drew Emmit, Keller Williams, Danny Barnes, Todd Snider, and Larry Keel.

This was not just a festival for the people. This was a festival for the bands, as you could see it in each and every one of them that this was a place for family and joy all around. I found great spot right under Dave Johnson, the banjo player, as I tried to study his finger picking style while the world around me begins to bend. The lights on stage glow bright and the music falls deep inside me as they began to wrap up for the night.

After the Saturday night encore, I grabbed my banjo and beer and wandered the forest on a musician's march, gathering anyone with an instrument I could find. It began with a mandolin player to the guitar player and somehow ended up with the largest bluegrass jam I have been apart of with more than fifteen musicians joining in on the mystical night. We found ourselves playing bluegrass all night long until the sun came up under a large disco ball nestled in the forest with people all around dancing and getting into the groove. We were in a music groove, zen mode, without any recollection of time until it was daylight all of a sudden and we could see everyone around us. It was at this time we decided it would be best to stop and catch any rest possible.

With only a couple hours to sleep, the next morning began with a shot, a few beers, brownie and chocolate mushroom as I set off towards the stage to catch Elephant Revival, which played with my mind all morning as the melody ran through my soul and off into space. Deprived of sleep and feeling the effect of the chocolate I ate earlier I sat and observed the beauty of the festival around me. While my mind was working on gathering consciousness in this reality, Danny Barnes along with Drew Emmitt and Larry Keel took the stage to warm us up for the final upcoming show.

Jeff Austin, the mandolin madness, joined on stage with a unifying yell as he opened the final act with Ramlin' in the Rambler, one of my all time favorite songs, as I secured a spot in front stage in front of the bass amp feeling Ben Kaufmann's melody echo inside of me. Maybe it was the essence of the festival, maybe it was sleep deprivation , or possibly the psilocyben influence on my dopamine neurotransmitter that made me feel the spiritual presence that day, but whichever it may be, it was an experience of a lifetime. Not being able to hold back, I break down into tears as a large jug is passed around accepting donations for Lilli. At 8 months, Lilli was diagnosed with leukemia and the band ever since has supported her with donations to her family and to various children's cancer foundations. The band played their most heartfelt song as the crowd filled the tub up with money, as tears of pain and joy filled through the audience.

                                           Photo Courtesy of Emages "a.k.a. Eric Martin"


I felt emotions that weekend that I had never experienced before and with a near death experience a few days earlier, I had never felt so alive. The festival closed out with the song Southern Flavor, as the people leave back to the tents where we would camp out just one more night, wishing it would never end. After another night of camping, I packed up the car and drove on my way to continue the journey a more peaceful man than before. Leaving Horning's, the two peacock's residing on the festival grounds say their goodbyes along with the volunteers as I head off north to Washington.