Music
- 9:14a: Left 14 mins late for Montpelier, VT.
- Brunch at Three Penny Taproom.
- Check out Vermont State House.
- Escape Room at Greatest Caper.
- Afternoon coffee and chocolates at Rabble-Rouser.
- Drive back to St. Johnsbury.
- Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium for exhibits and two showings in the platerium.
- Dog Mountain very cool, the Chapel was moving. 😢
- Dog Mountain Levitt Amp Conert to see Mike Mains and The Branches. 🎶
- Dinner at Kingdom Taproom & Table.
Tina Schlieske at The Dakota
Tammy and I saw Tina Schlieske doing her Sinatra to Simone show at The Dakota and it was incredible. She puts so much passion and energy into it that you cannot help but be moved. She was also joined by her sister Laura who did a number of songs and then they teamed up for several duets. It was a fabulous night of live music. Also our first time back to the Dakota since the pandemic! 🎶🎉
The Big 5 O Song!
Tammy surprised me with an amazing gift for my 50th Birthday today — my very own song! A full on rock song for me featuring the family. I love it! It is on YouTube but is also published on Apple Music and Spotify!
Song by Songlorious! 🎶
We had a fun time at the Washburn High School production of Grease tonight. 🎭🎶
I really dig the clear vinyl of Brandi Carlile’s newest album. 🎶
Vermont Road Trip Log: Day 9, Sunday
Weather: Still a bit rainy in the morning, but cleared up. Fairly warm in the afternoon. Evening turned out nice.
Jump to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 of Vermont Road Trip.
Levitt Amp Conert on Dog Mountain with Mike Mains and The Branches performing. 🎶
Great evening with The New Standards at Crooner’s Lounge. Rupert made an appearance! And was then taken off the stage by the venue! 🤣🎶
Fabulous performance from The New Standards at Crooners Supper Club tonight. It is so great to see live music!
Brandi Carlile at the Ryman Auditorium
We were excited to watch Brandi Carlile stream her first live show tonight from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Brandi and the Twins have done a number of streamed shows from their home during the pandemic. But this was the first show with the band, on a professional stage, and a limited number of vaccinated folks in the audience. It was amazing! 🤩
Carlile started with her powerful cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, just her and a guitar. She was then joined by the Twins, and then the band on the third song. She hit every song you would want to hear. The whole band was filled with so much energy, so excited to be playing together on a stage for the first time in over a year, that it came all the way through the Internet and out the TV in our family room. ⚡️
We’ve been seeing Brandi Carlile sing for years now and we only get more impressed with her. She is an amazing performer, songwriter, and musician. Our whole family enjoys her music!
She finished the evening with an incredible performance of Amazing Grace. It was so beautiful I was wiping the tears from my eyes. If you haven’t seen Carlile, you really should. Her talent is amazing.
The Cactus Blossoms at First Avenue
Tonight we streamed The Cactus Blossoms as they played live to a limited 50-table audience at First Avenue. It was great to see them play live, and the production from First Avenue was really good with multiple cameras sweeping through the room. I hope that they continue to offer streaming options for shows. I like the idea of having an option to see bands live in the main room, but also being able to see them streaming opens up a lot of additional options to see live music that otherwise aren’t available.
Today is the longest segment on our drive back home.
Over an hour driving through extremely dense fog.
5:31a MT Left Moriarty, New Mexico as of on Central Time.
5:55a Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show. 🎶
8:55a CT Entered Texas.
9:58a Gas stop at Loves with crazy wind.
11:49a Enter Oklahoma.
4:19p Enter Kansas.
8:10p Drive-thru at Culver’s in Liberty, MO.
8:15p Check-in at Home2 Suites in Liberty.
Long day! One final jaunt tomorrow to home!
Driving to Tucson for the day and introducing the kids to some country music with Hank Williams Sr., Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and even The Cactus Blossoms. Tyler declared it “not modern” and I fully agreed. 😊🎶
Kicking off our family New Year’s Eve with a French 75 and getting the fondue started! 🥂 Sinatra, Brubeck, and the New Standards are on shuffle. 🎶
Fondue is our tradition for New Year’s Eve. Cheese Fondue to start.
Then the Tenderloin fondue.
We also play Clue every New Year’s Eve. This year Mazie won!
Brandi Carlile’s Campfire Singalong
Streaming Brandi Carlile’s Campfire Singalong. Love the intimate feel, like joining them for a jam session around the fire. 🔥 It’s great to get some live music; warms the heart. 🎶
“The Twins” playing Homeward Bound by Simon & Garfunkel is amazing. Sounds great.
The acoustic cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” amazing as well. We need a Brandi Carlile cover album!
I could listen to Brandi and the Twins singing “The Eye” over and over, and never get tired of it.
Brandi is intent on going on and on, but we are calling it a night after “The Mother”, two hours in. Will have to see tomorrow how long it actually does go!
Travail Rooftop Patio Cantina
Tammy and I went to the opening night of Travail’s Kitchen and Amusements Rooftop service tonight. We were lucky enough to grab tickets right when they went on sale and it was a southwest tasting menu that looked absolutely delicious to us.
Travail did a very good job managing social distancing, keeping everything outside with fresh air, and making sure that people moved through promptly but not too fast. I love seeing that restaurants are figuring out how to adapt to the pandemic.
Watermelon Slurpee with Tajin
Pinto Bean & Cannellini Bean Salad
lime creme fraiche, roasted pepper salsa, gustavo romero’s nixta tortilla chips
Ceviche
coconut lime marinade, lime segments, almonds, avocado, green tomatoes, king crab, smoked swordfish, basil, fresno, cilantro, taro root
Mezzo
piña colada slurpee with coconut cream
Mexican Curry Corn & Roasted Poblano
oaxaca cheese tamale, herb and lime crema
Pescado ala Talla
cage-grilled mexican striped bass: morita chile sauce, grilled vegetables, gustavo romero’s nixta tortillas
Mezzo
Strawberry cardamom creamsicle pop
Stuffed Smoked Chicken
herbs, mesca bbq sauce, green mole, crema, mexican pickles
Mexican Chocolate Mousse
coconut cream, cinnamon waffle round
Dessert
tres leches cake, strawberry flambe, strawberry jam filling, whipped cream
Take home
churro ice cream with chocolate
Drinks
I had some delicious drinks along with dinner.
Paloma
Repasado Tequila, Spicy Grapefruit Cordial, Fresh Grapefruit & Lime Juice, Highball Soda Water
El Valiente (The Brave Man)
Tommy’s Margarita, the simple and famous blend of Tequila, Agave, Lime
Music
To top off the beautiful evening on the rooftop patio we also had delightful music from Riverside Unplugged. They played a wide variety and were seemingly ready to play anything. We requested Prince and Brandi Carlile and they did both without hesitation. 🎶
Brandi Carlile celebrated her 39th birthday with a streaming concert from her home. It was great, and a wonderful time to embrace some beautiful music in these troubling times.
Enjoying Tina Schlieske doing solo acoustic show at the 318 Cafe in Excelsior. 🎶
Small and intimate concert with Matt Wilson and his Orchestra at the 318 Cafe in Excelsior. 🎶
Courtney Marie Andrews did an amazing opening set for Brandi Carlile. Check her out! 🎶
