Archive for the tag "sweden"

A spooky bridge I saw in Sweden on our late-night drive from Göteborg to Oslo, Norway

Part of Woody West, a roving series of concerts featuring indie folk/country/rootsy type bands

My band: Ryan Hembrey (electric bass, backing vocals)

My show in Stockholm got reviewed yesterday in Aftonbladet, one of Sweden’s biggest newspapers. I don’t really know what it says — I think they liked the show in general but since it was only a duo and not a full band, they only gave it 3 of 5 stars. Whatever dude, I played my best!

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Opened for Christian Kjellvander, former lead singer-songwriter of the Swedish band Loosegoats

My band: Ryan Hembrey (electric bass)

Note: This is a journal entry — it was written on paper or on my computer, then transferred to my website, maybe years later.

We’re playing tonight in Lund, at a club called Mejeriet.  We’re opening for Kristian Kjellvander, who’s been described to me as the Richard Buckner of Sweden.  We just finished soundchecking; Kristian’s band finished their check earlier in the day.  Very nice theater, sort of like Park West in Chicago.  Dinner’s at seven, doors are at eight and we play at nine.  Thirty minute set tonight, which is fine by me since my voice is getting tired of the daily grind!  Kristian has an enormous amount of gear onstage here.  I imagine we’ll be crowded out of the dressing room once the band gets back, but I don’t mind.

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This was the view from the window of my cabin on the Malaren, a hostel on a big red boat where we stayed after our show at Debaser

Note: This is a journal entry — it was written on paper or on my computer, then transferred to my website, maybe years later.

The show at Debaser went sooooo great.  Had a lotta superfans there singing along with all my tunes and making requests I couldn’t begin to fulfill.  They fuckin’ loved it, which made us play so much better.  Ryan and I agreed it was probably — no, definitely — the best show of the whole tour.  I doubt we’re going to be able to top that one.  :-) We’re staying at a hostel tonight, it’s a boat on the river.  A red boat.  I can’t feel it moving or anything though I know it must be.  It was so groovy in the club that Ryan and Jan really wanted to stay, but Baby Edith was tired and wanted to go find the hotel before it got too late.  Jan got all drunk tonight.  Well, we were all having a lot of fun, I guess I can’t fault him for that.

I can’t find an electrical outlet in this place so I’d better shut the computer down before I run it out of juice!

With: Ep’s Trailer Park featuring Ane Brun

My band: Ryan Hembrey (electric bass)

Photo by Lars Sjögren for Aftonbladet

Torbjörn Söderman, who drummed for Ep’s Trailer Park, came onstage to play with us for about 30 seconds of the last song in our encore.

Pics I took at our show at Debaser…

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Note: This is a journal entry — it was written on paper or on my computer, then transferred to my website, maybe years later.

Well, we made it to the club in Stockholm after only about an hour of confusion negotiating the streets, with all the bridges and waterways, overpasses, underpasses etc.  It’s a very nice large rock club called Debaser.  There are posters advertising all manner of bands whose names are well known to us, i.e. the Apples In Stereo, Hawksley Workman, Swearing at Motorists, The Faint, Low and even the Rivulets (who opened for John’s band awhile back at the Hideout in Chicago).  Tonight we’re playing with a band called Ep’s Trailer Park; I’m not sure what they’re like.  Might just be one guy playing rather than a full band, I don’t know.  We’ll find out soon enough!  Tonight we’re staying in a hostel, but it’s on a BOAT.  A red boat.  I just hope we can find it.  Tomorrow we have a pretty hellacious drive to Lund, like eight or nine hours.  Ryan will have to do the driving as usual, which is fine by me.

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With: The Stills

My band: Ryan Hembrey (electric bass)

We arrived very late, that was good times. A few members of the Stills had to improvise some music while they waited for us to get ready.

Note: This is a journal entry — it was written on paper or on my computer, then transferred to my website, maybe years later.

Hey there, happy Halloween!!  I just got back to the hotel after the show in Sevilla at the Fun Club.  I KILLED tonight.  Swear to god.  The sound was really really good, at least for me, so that made it a lot easier to hear myself well and put on a good show.  Also, all the employees of Green UFOs were there (the folks who put this Spanish part of the tour together), so I guess I wanted to do really well so they could see what a kickass performer I am.  Hahaha!!  Good thing they didn’t see me last night in Puerto Real.  ;-)

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