We’ve finished the first big leg of summer touring in 2009. It has definitely been one of the (if not THE) best west coast tour we’ve had–our fourth total. The band had solid performances throughout with our strongest line-up to date. There are probably too many interesting, memorable, and/or hilarious things to talk about, but a few outstanding highlights. We witnessed, and were surprised by, the overall rowdiness of the Boise bar scene early in the tour. We also found an amazing spot to camp on the way there near the Anderson Dam in Mountain Home, ID. It was our first time to the Northwest and we’re convinced that we need to hit up that region of the US more often. The Oregon Country Fair may have been the biggest highlight of our trip. After a warmly received performance on the main stage, we were later invited to sit in on the 2 1/2 hour night time jam with Bill Kreutzmann (drummer, Grateful Dead), Scott Murawski (Max Creek), and Papa Mali. The entire band sat in for a long, surprise jam session for a crowd of thousands. And the vibe there was beyond intense–40 years (since the summer of ’69) in the making.
All of our shows were memorable for one reason or another, but the major Cali shows were some of our best yet. We were treated to an unexpected wild party on a Sunday in Eureka at the Red Fox. Yoshi’s in SF was incredible, and the scene at Zanzibar in LA blew us away. Looking forward to getting back out west as soon as we can.
Metromix Chicago has named Chicago Afrobeat Project one of the Top 10 Acts at Taste of Chicago.