California Dreaming

Since the last blog, I've made my way westward...

Though Hobbs, NM where I had a lovely show with great wine and sushi at Pacific Rim...

Over mountains in Cloudcroft into White Sands...

To see friends outside of Tucson in their lovely homes...

Through the southwest Arizona desert...

... and now back to Slab City! There are many videos, blogs, and photos of Slab City out in the world.  If you've never been here it can be hard to describe.  The place is an abandoned WWII military base being squatted on by a menagerie of artists, musicians, snowbirds, dropouts, hippies, punks, and runaways.  To me this is a place of community and music.  I first hitched a ride in on a whim 9 years ago.  I was turned off by the post-apocalyptic mess at first.  Then I started meeting people.  I had just picked up the guitar for the first time that year and I found a great place to learn and perform without judgement.  I had planned to stay a week and stayed 5 months.  This year Joe Stevens joined me here for a few days.  We got to play together for the Talent Show at The Range.  It was a 12 hour party with trade blankets out front, tailgaters in the parking lot, burgers on the grill, and music on the stage.  Here's our set...

The next day and night were full of high wind, dust storms, and even a little rain.  At the end of the day we saw this...

I'll be in Slab City for a couple more weeks playing around the campfires, Saturday nights at The Range, and this Thursday at the VIPer Lounge opening for Jimi James.  Stop on out if you're in the area!  

Till next time... 

Enjoy the ride!

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