Brooklyn based band Salt and Samovar is on tour as they make their way down to Austin for SXSW next week (where they will be playing The After the Jump Backyard on Friday March 14th and the KCRW showcase). Singer D.S. shares with us their trials and tribulations as they traverse the snowy roads of New England...Leaving new york is never easy as Michael Stipe says. But I think he was talking emotionally. Leaving new york is never easy to me because of the beat traffic. No matter how you go, you'll get stuck. You will inch past the years of dust lying beneath the broken roads. The only road I have found in the U.S. that compares in number of potholes + general crappiness is the highway that runs through jackson, mississippi.
It was 2 1/2 hours before we breached the looming smokestacks of Bridgeport, CT. Finally we were en route to burlington to begin our spring tour. Our poor van had died in Austin, TX during our fall '07 tour. This time we are squeezed in an suv. It has 214,000 miles on it! The windows do not roll down. Outside it is freezing. As we drive north, the cold enters through the cracks, carrying the scent of pine woods with its undertone of what my sis + I call "the bacon smell."
But it is great to be back on the road with the boys. We have spent our time between tours hustling in restaurants+ bars. Like squirrels saving acorns for winter. We are happy to be leaving. If the time between musical events drags on too long you begin to think, what am I doing w my life? You serve food + drink to successful people who have the time to rest with their friends. You become frustrated. You begin to plan business ventures-ways out of the torpor of the service industry. You see your future full of silverware + smiles. Going to your work, is actually the least productive thing in your day. You cannot work on th music or the business while there..
We rolled into burlington a half hour after we were supposed to go on-a first for us, a very punctual band (if not chronically early). The club was understanding of the traffic. We set up quick + launched into loudness-too much for the room. The soundman asked us to turn down. Its always a bummer when this happens. But we tried to. Tone it down w an acoustic set including some rare covers-the traditional hesitation blues + the hymn "lead me gently home father" + the velvet's "I found a reason."
But soon the thunder rolled again + we turned back up. People whistled especially when we played our country songs. Vermont is like the south in the north. People are friendly, relaxed, and love a good fiesta. The beards twitched + the beers poured + we made merry until midnight.
When we finished, the dj began blaring loud hip hop + a new crowd entered. Within minutes the place was swarmed with every hiphopper in burlington. Who new? The jaggermiester must have gone to my head, for when "juicy" by biggie came on, I rapped a few verses while trying to break down in the madness. The club had transformed in a the blink of an eye. The beards left and the helmet hair entered.
We made our way to kelli (our keyboardist)'s friends house. Where we drank white wine + ate omelettes til 3 in the morning. It had begun to snow (the thin dry glassy type) + the quiet was all around. In the morning, we drove thru the countryside admiring the snow covered trees dotting the mountainous landscape.
Our next night was in boston-dane(bassist) + I's stomping ground. We spent the day taking pictures at dane's house - built in 1829 + overlooking the cold new england sea. We rummaged through old clothes + meandered around the porch + lawn.
We took in the sea with her fresh salty air, and especially her bounty at kelly's roast beef-a favorite childhood haunt which has the best fried clams, shrimp, + ta(r)tar sauce in the world. I had a lobster for dinner too! Although Legal Sea Food has kind of rookie moves cooking lobsters.
The show was fun since many of our old friends + family came out. We played mostly songs from our album "Old Joy, New Joy" but also rocked some new ones like "The Wolf" one of our Bo Diddley inspired songs. We are hoping to make a Bo Diddley EP soon.
We are happy to tour again + look forward to our SXSW showcase for KCRW. It is good to roll thunder on the road + on the stage. Rolling wheels. Rolling toms. Playing American music in America. Passing through the lands that hold the secrets to our favorite songs.
D.S.
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