Trapped in Time

Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins - Handle With Care (feat. M. Ward and Conor Oberst)

(via christinefriar)

Great cover of my favorite super group

This look is pretty irresistible, especially on a rainy evening.

GPOYW: last weekend of summer tour edition (via fromtheroad)

I ended up driving out to Maryland by myself on Friday where I met up with a bunch of my Butter Room friends to see Saturday’s Merriweather Post Pavilion show. Saturday was my 19th Phish show of the summer, and the 9th on this particular leg (the long one). It was supposed to be a reprise of the end of the first leg, in which the Brothers Blum (Matt and Martin) both joined me. However, Martin is a big wimp who wouldn’t drive 8 hours, so he gave his ticket to his friend Dana who I met down in Louisville back in July. It was her first Phish show ever, so I was happy to bring her into the fold!

I also got to spend some time with Matt, Graham, and their old Phishin’ crew. I was happy to see that after more than a decade, they were still able to get everyone together and have a quality weekend of bonding. Likewise, we also saw the show with my old friend Zak and his wife Gretchen.  Zak and I have met up to see shows for over 5 years now, and always enjoy our time together, even if it’s sporadic when those times come.

I’m still trying to find the right words to convey my feelings on this summer. It was more than I could have hoped for. I’ve made lasting relationships with great people that I hadn’t even met 3 months ago, and have plans to see most of them again in the near future.

It’s hard to believe that things kicked off at Fenway Park in May.  Since then, I’ve driven almost 13,000 miles.  I’ve traveled through 27 states, I’ve seen 20 Phish shows and two music festivals, been to almost every major city on each coast, seen desert, coastal valleys, cornfields, industrial strongholds, mountain nooks, and added a lot of valuable perspective to my life in the process of it all.

Phish and its community are often stereotyped, misunderstood, or just plain confusing to people.  Yet, it’s pretty amazing that a community like this even exists in 2009, and I feel very humbled for all the positives that have come out of it the past few months and know that only more positives will emerge from this summer in the future.

Summer Tour Leg 2 Mileage: 8,242.6

I greeted Forbin for the first time in 3 weeks wearing his shirt. We’ve missed each other quite a bit

PHISH at The Gorge 8.8.09

Goin’ Down The Road…

Phish @ The Gorge 8.7.09

Watching Phish play while enjoying the sunset to my left and the Columbia River beneath to my right… not something I’ll soon forget.  It was breathtaking.

Beautiful windmills landscaping the high desert above the Columbia River

The Gorge

After 14 days, 6,085 miles, and a 1,250 mile straight shot drive from Billings, Montana today, we rolled into Chicago at 5:15 A.M. listening to a Ben Harper cover of “Sweet Home Chicago.”  I’m going to need some more time to properly reflect on this entire experience, but it’s definitely changed me for the better. I’ve spent valuable time with some great friends, met a lot of kind people, and seen places that I’ve dreamt of visiting for many years.

I also realized how much I miss my family and dog, and how much I truly love them.  I couldn’t feel more blessed to have such wonderful people in my life, nor the opportunity to see so much of this beautiful country.  The West is by and large so vast, empty, and yet full of natural beauty that it’s given me a new perspective on our country and the possibilities that lie out there.  I’m still considering driving out for Saturday’s show at Merriweather Post Pavilion where I’ll probably see many of my friends for the last time this year.  It would fulfill a long standing dream of driving coast to coast (and half way back again). Regardless, I could be quite content with what I’ve received from this trip just so far.

I’ve seen some amazing music from my favorite band in venues I have spent years dreaming of visiting (Red Rocks and The Gorge), while visiting natural treasures such as Moab, visiting Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Portland.  Tonight, for the first time in my life, Phish will be playing in MY city.  I’m excited to share it with with those closest to me and cap off this adventure just a few miles away from my apartment. I’ll never forget the past two weeks, or all of the joy and self reflection I’ve gained from it.

Golden Gate