The Glamour of a WayGood Summer

 
After arriving home from Ontario early in the day yesterday, I had time to reflect on the all of the events happening in the WayGood World and realized how lucky I am to have the opportunity to spend time with Switchback out on the road.  It's true that while we're loading the van in the rain at 11:00 p.m. and Marty smiles and says, "Welcome to the glamour of Switchback!" it's a little hard to see that glamour at that point, but there is SO much more to it!
 
For example, after Switchback's hellacious flight from Florida last Monday we jumped in the van and drove 6 hours to the Settlement Inn of Door County, Wisconsin. At this beautiful resort under a starry sky, we had the pleasure of hearing not only Marty's and Maggie FitzGerald's duet "In My Glory" but also Marty's brother Fran was called up to sing some beautiful harmonies on "Galway Shawl."   We went home Tuesday morning to get ready to head to Michigan for a 6:30 concert in Boyne City on Wednesday.
 
Arriving in Boyne City a little before 6:00 we had time to set up and do a quick sound check as people arrived to claim their spots for the concert in the park.  After using the nearby Dairy Queen as a dressing room (ahh, the glamour!),  Switchback played a wonderful concert to a crowd of over 150.  While they were playing a young man came up to me to tell me how much he was enjoying the concert.  He picked up the open copy of Falling Water River and asked me about it.  I explained the concept of the album and he told me that he is a former Marine who was wounded in Iraq when he was 19.  When I thanked him for his service and gave him a copy of the CD he told me that he would like to put us in touch with the Wounded Warriors (a national group of wounded veterans).  As we exchanged contact information, it occurred to me again how blessed I am to have this privilege.  After the concert, we had a line of people who wanted to thank us for "bringing this beautiful music to their little town."  I particularly remember the couples who danced in each others' arms as Marty and Brian covered a Hoagy Carmichael song, which was declared by one lady with a tear in her eye  "the best version she'd ever heard."   I imagined she was remembering dancing with her beau in a ballroom, perhaps when he was home on leave from WWII.  Who needs glamour when you can help in some minute way to bring that kind of joy to someone?  Then it was on to Saulte St. Marie, Michigan for the webcast concert!
 
Technical difficulties prevented the Syzygy boys from being broadcast, but it was a "go" just as Switchback walked onstage. When Marty stopped the concert to announce that we were being broadcast live online all over the world, you could feel the excitement in the theater ratchet up a notch.  I was thrilled when the Colonel said there was a request for either "Golden Jubilee" or  "Sue B. Honey" because I knew then that I was watching the concert with my best friend I haven't seen in over a year!  It was a really great night, lots of energy transferred back and forth between the stage, the live audience and the online fans!  And again after the show people lined up to thank us for being there, which is both a humbling and gratifying experience.  Next we were heading even farther north, to Ontario, Canada for a benefit dance party.
 
The Dew Drop Inn Again is a storage barn in the off-season, and a dance hall in the summer! It had the feel of a rural speakeasy from the 1920's, and what a time was had! Syzygy opened up the night by getting everyone on the dancefloor with their rendition of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," and Switchback played dance favorites from "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Jailhouse Rock" to "Rock Your Heart"  and "Mayfly Dance!"  The final song of the set was "Apple of My Eye," a great jam with Syzygy and Kevin Gallagher, who joined the band on trumpet throughout the night. This was a great night in Canada, and the prelude to the biggest party the Algoma district has seen -- "Davestock!"
 
Davestock is an annual birthday party so far back in the woods that Dave himself has to meet us on the main road to lead us back to his property. Upon arrival, the party is set up on DeBrats Lake, with swimming, jet skis, kayaks, a sauna, and of course music by Syzygy and Switchback! There is an area cordoned off for the 30 "athletic events" of the Beer Olympics (a huge hit with the under 30 crowd!) in which Team USA gave a strong showing!  There are three things people look forward to at Davestock:  Switchback, Beer Olympics, and the 45 chickens, beef and pork Dave roasts over hot coals  throughout the afternoon!  This party ended with a fabulous fireworks display. I had to laugh when one of our our Syzygy boys commented on the fireworks and got the good natured response, "When it comes to fireworks, go big, or go across to America!"  As Davestock wound down we headed back to our WayGood North basecamp (i.e., the Colonel's cabin) for one last late night, then a few hours sleep before heading home to Chicago!  We'll do this thing again Wednesday as we head back up to Charlevoix and Beaver Island Michigan -- I wonder what sort of glamour we'll find then!