It’s baseball season, and you know what that means—time for a doubleheader!
Super XX Man hits the road this week, playing Pendleton, OR on Wednesday, then rolling into Moscow, ID on Thursday. It’s bound to be hot in both towns—and I’m not talking about the weather, folks. The full five-piece band is coming, and we are on fire!
Check out this nice piece from Inland 360 to whet your appetite.
I last played a solo show in Pendleton about seven years ago, and it was fabulous. Before that, the only show I’d ever seen there was Willie Nelson and Family at the Rodeo Grounds in 2002. My dad called me up in Portland and said, “Scotty, I’ve got tickets to Willie. Can you make it? He’s playing with Ray Price.” I thought, “Hot damn, yes!”
I jumped in my 1995 Nissan pickup, windows cranked down, something surely blaring from the cassette deck. As I left the city behind, I melted into the stunning landscape of the Columbia River Gorge. When I arrived, thanks to my dad’s Pepsi distributor connection, we had amazing seats. Ray Price sounded beautiful, though a little worn around the edges vocally. My dad reminded me that Ray was the first to hire Willie to play bass in his touring band. I remember Ray singing “Night Life” and “For the Good Times.” Willie was, of course, Willie—his band never disappoints.
We stayed at the Red Lion and cooled off in the pool on a hot summer day. The next morning at breakfast, my dad said, “Scotty, there’s Ray Price over there. Go introduce yourself.” He was sitting with one other guy. Before I could even look up, my dad was already on his way over to say hello and get an autograph. That was just who he was—never missed a chance to connect with someone. That trip ended up being one of the last truly spontaneous and awesome adventures I had with my dad. I'll be thinking of him when I drive from Portland to Pendleton on Wednesday.
Here’s some video from last week’s San Francisco house concert, including “Box Store”—for you, Dad.
Quick Bandcamp update: 10 copies of “Rusted Hues” available as of this writing. Treat yourself to a new LP. It's summer!