Canopy of Crimson

21 days, 19 shows, 26 states, and 8,800 miles later, the Teething Veils Canopy of Crimson tour is over, and we’re back home in Washington, DC, among our familiar homes, humans, and animals. We saw many old friends from past eras, and met people who were strangers and who felt familiar and became friends. We visited the crossroads where Robert Johnson made his deal with the devil circa 1930. We saw the birthplaces of Jimmie Rodgers, Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, and Buddy Holly. We saw the gravesites of Jimmie and Buddy. We saw the childhood home of Wanda Jackson. We saw the place where Lee Harvey Oswald extinguished the life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. We played songs as old as 1999 and as recent as 2021. We told stories of living and dying, harm and healing. We played in a cave hundreds of feet beneath the Earth’s surface, on a ranch in the desert, in record shops, in a bookstore, in bars, at farmers markets, and at a party place for kids. We dressed wounds and applied heat to aching

We left old friends in Milwaukee yesterday morning to make our way to see old friends in Indianapolis. Indiana feels closer to home than it's felt in a while. Maybe it's the eastern air, maybe it's being back in the eastern time zone again. We made our way to the home of an old friend who we've known and played shows with going back fifteen years. It felt enveloping to be in the guest room, and to wake up in Indiana this morning. The State Street Pub was just as I remembered it from the last time I played it on April 24, 2016. We played for our old friends, and wrapped up our tour. At the State Street Pub, Indianapolis, Indiana The spongy moth of Indianapolis Nineteen shows, twenty days, twenty-six states, 8,700 miles, gulf humidity, desert heat, snow drifts, black ice, springtime. The Teething Veils tour wraps up tonight, but we can see the routing on our bodies now. Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker The Castaway Between a Niche and a Ditch Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hu

We left Iowa into Illinois and Wisconsin, pulling into Wisconsin in the late afternoon. It's great to see the old Milwaukee friends. Some of these are people we've known and played shows with going back fifteen years. One of these is someone who I'd not seen since 1992. This person was there in 1991 when I played music in public for the first time. Situations, aka Ashley Altadonna, and Mildew, a noise duo, played nourishing sets. It feels like being that much closer to home, being in the guest room of old friends and talking well into the night. At the Lion's Tooth bookshop, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Situations Mildew Teething Veils Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker The Castaway Between a Niche and a Ditch Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands Yellow Walls The Microphone Died Tied to Nowhere Pinhole Camera Road music: Loretta Lynn

We got onto the road from where we'd stopped for the night in Oacoma, South Dakota, across to the Iowa border that hugs along the side of Nebraska. We had the chance to stop in Simon Joyner's new shop Graprefruit Records, and find delicious burritos on the way to Pageturners. It was good to see Ben Eisenberger again just a couple of months after our show together back home in DC. His set was once again gorgeous, filled with delicate lyrics and beautiful finger-picking. He and everyone else were incredibly welcoming and kind to us. We venture onward tonight to Newton, Iowa, to give us a bit of a jump start on tomorrow's Milwaukee show. Outside of Pageturners, Omaha, Nebraska Ben Eisenberger at Pageturners, Omaha, Nebraska  Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker  To Have and to Hold The Castaway  Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands Yellow Walls Webbed Dinner Date Pinhole Camera Paper Lanterns

We had a fair amount of snow in Bismarck overnight, and our best bet for making it to Rapid City was to head westward and then south, to avoid the worst of the road closures and the weather. Still, the conditions were treacherous, with snow drifts making traction unpredictable and visibility poor. Slow and steady won the race, and we gave ourselves plenty of time and made it into Rapid City with just enough time to exhale meet our hosts. We didn't expect that the DIY space "the cave" would be an actual cave, hundreds of feet below the surface of the Earth. We walked down the steep rock stairs, around and around, deeper and deeper, to a nook with soft red lighting, and played our music. I've never played a show like this in my life. What a special place that they have outside of Rapid City, into the hills, beyond phone service, in a quiet corner of the world with big-horn sheep and few people.  The roadway out of North Dakota At The Cave, Rapid City, South Dakota Loadi

We had a far less treacherous journey today, with only about thirty miles of dirt roads. The hilly terrain through North Dakota is gorgeous. We made our way into Bismarck and Rhythm Records, found food down the block, and made our way back to the shop for an excellent four-act bill. Shea Lea, Waters and Zion, and Richard Loewan all played with delicateness and power. We played The Human You Were as a cello and piano song. At Rhythm Records and Music Cafe, Bismarck, North Dakota Waters and Zion at Rhythm Records and Music Cafe, Bismarck, North Dakota Richard Loewan at Rhythm Records and Music Cafe, Bismarck, North Dakota Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker To Have and to Hold The Castaway Between a Niche and a Ditch Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands Pinhole Camera Yellow Walls The Human You Were The Microphone Died Paper Lanterns Road music: Lucinda Williams

We made our way in to Billings in the late afternoon, with a couple of hours to spare to go to bookstores. Kirk's Grocery is a gem of a gallery and music space. We felt right at home. Nathan is a duo who played their first show and lifted the spirits. It felt comforting to be received with such enthusiasm. When we played "Paper Lanterns," people danced together with partners. Parts of the interstate were closed following the snow of recent days, and the only route to Miles City, Montana from Billings took us through a series of dirt roads, with bumps of their own formation and bumps of snow and black ice. We did not see another car for a good hour. The main signs of life met us when we passed Forsyth, Montana. An older fellow told us of when he played in a country and western band, and as he aged, he slowed his life on the road in favor of playing in nursing homes. After one show, he approached an older gentleman who appeared to be in rough shape. He said "I hope you

We hustled up the road from Winnemucca, Nevada to Pocatello, Idaho to make load-in. The mountains get mightier, the basins deeper, the lakes bluer. The Party Barn has been around for about a year, run by a lovely family. The room sounds warm and rich, and there are children dancing, zip-lining, and playing with hula hoops while we play our music. One youngster learns to hold the cello from Hester. It feels replenishing to play for people of all ages, from babies to grandparents. Somewhere in Nevada, not far from the Idaho border Outside of the Party Barn, Pocatello, Idaho Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker To Have and to Hold I'm Waiting for My Love to Sleep The Castaway The Eulogist The Poor Clare Monastery A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands Littleton Mill Bare Trees, Silver Sky Showered in the Sunlight Before Sunrise Webbed Dinner Date Auburn Aumbry Walking with You, Walking with Me Pinhole Camera Christmas in Virginia Road music: Suzanne Vega, Townes Van Zandt, Andrew Bird

We departed the Lavender Ranch in Yucca Valley, California and made our way up 395 toward Nevada, passing mighty mountains and crater lakes along the way. The Elbow Room is one great bar. They couldn't have been more welcoming of us, and we had a great time playing after sitting still in the car for nine hours. We have a bit of a trek to get to Pocatello, Idaho tomorrow, so we started out straight after the show, landing for the night in Winnemucca, Nevada.  With Adam de Boer, who's painted every Teething Veils album cover Outside of the Lavender Ranch, Yucca Valley, California Somewhere in California, along 395 Hester at the pinball machine at the Elbow Room, Sparks, Nevada At the Elbow Room, Sparks, Nevada Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker To Have and to Hold The Castaway Between a Niche and a Ditch Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands The Poor Clare Monastery There's Nothing to Explain The Microphone Died Tied to Nowhere

We had a day off in Tucson yesterday, spending Hester's birthday with Erin M. and her nine delightful cats. The trek through Arizona and into California today offered otherworldly landscapes. We played a special show in the home of Adam de Boer, the painter who's made every one of our album covers. It feels monumental to be here at the Lavender Ranch. At the Lavender Ranch, Yucca Valley, California With Adam de Boer, who's painted all Teething Veils album artwork Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker To Have and to Hold The Castaway The Poor Clare Monastery Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands Pinhole Camera Cobblestone Everything Foul Rained Down The Human You Were

We left our friends in Santa Fe in the morning and headed to Tucson, with a stop for lunch in Las Cruces, through the desert, the clay, and some small dust storms. Groundworks is a terrific arts space run by lovely people. Jessie Williams, Bennie, and Barefoot on Bumblebees all played stellar sets. We met up with our dear friend, who's putting us up for the night. There are nine wonderful cats in this house. Outside of Groundworks, Tucson, Arizona Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker To Have and to Hold The Castaway Between a Niche and a Ditch Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands Pinhole Camera Paper Lanterns Road music: Sawbones online radio program                                                                   

We awoke in Roswell, New Mexico, and split up to spend time visiting with the extraterrestrial artifacts and to stock up on supplies for the week ahead. The drive through New Mexico is breathtaking, with the vastness of the terrain, the clay, and the mountains. We found our way to the home of old, dear friends in Santa Fe, and rested and restored ourselves through the afternoon. The trip over the Madrid took us deeper into New Mexico, and we found the haunted old tavern the Mine Shaft as an oasis along the landscape. Michael Umphrey, former musical director of the New Christy Minstrels, was as warm and welcoming as his wonderful music was. He closed with "Over the Rainbow." We played music for the living and the unliving.  At the Mine Shaft Tavern, Madrid, New Mexico Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker To Have and to Hold The Castaway Between a Niche and a Ditch Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands The Poor Clare Monastery Pinhole Camera You're an Act that Can'

We bid our Dallas friends farewell, and headed west to Lubbock. We visited the gravesite of the great Buddy Holly, paying our respects, thinking of how incredible it is that he left such a wealth of songwriting, singing, and guitar playing on this planet during such an awfully short lifespan. We drove past his childhood home, not far from the place where we played. Flippers Tavern is a fantastic place, with great people and top-notch food. It was really special to play music on the same soil that birthed Buddy Holly. We drove through oil fields and along bumpy dirt roads in west Texas into New Mexico, stopping in Roswell for the night.   At the gravesite of the one and only Buddy Holly (b. 1936, d. 1959) We made it to Flippers Tavern, a fantastic place Set list: Baltimore Broommaker To Have and to Hold The Castaway Between a Niche and a Ditch Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands The Poor Clare Monastary Pinhole Camera There's Nothing to Explain The Microphone Died Tie

On the way out of Tulsa this morning, we visited the Outsiders house. We stopped off in Oklahoma City to see the home where Wanda Jackson lived as a teenager with her family when they came back to Oklahoma from Los Angeles. While living in that house, she began to sing on the radio and perform live for Oklahoma City audiences. It was special to be at the site where her incredible landscape-changing musical journey began. We drove through the dusty southern Oklahoma terrain into Texas, and landed at Dealey Plaza. The show was terrific, playing for a lesbian happy hour event, seeing an old friend from high school, and Little Beards performing a fantastic set. The Outsiders house, Tulsa, Oklahoma Wanda Jackson's home during her teenage years, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Dealey Plaza, Dallas, TX, a murder most foul Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker To Have and to Hold I'm Waiting for My Love to Sleep The Castaway The Eulogist The Poor Clare Monastery Between a Niche and a Ditch A House Aft

We left Hot Springs, Arkansas in the late morning drove along curvy roads through gorgeous hills through western Arkansas and into Oklahoma, making it to Tulsa with time to settle in at Josey Records, a wonderful shop with really nice and welcoming people. David Hernandez's set was excellent. After the show, we found dinner and a large Woody Guthrie mural.  At Josey Records, Tulsa, before the show At the large Woody Guthrie mural in downtown Tulsa Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker To Have and to Hold The Castaway Between a Niche and a Ditch Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands The Poor Clare Monastery Pinhole Camera The Human You Were The Microphone Died Paper Lanterns Road music: Dusty Springfield "Stay Awhile / I Only Want to be With You," Norma Tanega "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog," Bridget St. John "Ask Me no Questions," Phil Ochs "Gunfight at Carnegie Hall" and "In Concert," Warren Zevon "Excitable Boy," Cul

We drove last night until Tupelo, slept for five hours, and drove down the street to the house where Elvis Presley was born. We drove into the Delta and stopped at the crossroads of old highways 61 and 49, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where Robert Johnson made his deal with the devil circa 1930. There's a sinister buzz and a gripping energy about the place. We rode over the Mississippi River into Arkansas, traveled on to Hot Springs, and played our first set of the day at the RC Coffee and Collectibles, a large warehouse of a shop with a gazebo in the center where people listened to us play. We played a long-form set and talked with people before going down the road for our dinner hour set, which turned out to be one baby's first concert, whose parents picked up music and a button to remember the occasion.  Here are the crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where Robert Johnson made his deal with the devil circa 1930. Elvis Presley was born in this house on January 8, 1935.

Waking up in Birmingham, I visited the East End Memorial Hospital, where Emmylou Harris was born on April 2, 1947. Today it's known as St. Vincent's Ascension. We went into the town and found a vegan spot run by a Howard University alum who came up on Soul Veg. The venue reminded me of my favorite places back home, like if Slash Run was stretched into the size of the Runaway. We headed westward after the show and stopped in Tupelo for the night. The birthplace of Emmylou Harris, East End Memorial Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. Teething Veils at The Nick, Birmingham, AL Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker The Castaway Auburn Aumbry A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands Between a Niche and a Ditch Road music: Emmylou Harris

We woke up in Gulfport, Mississippi, and stepped out to the Gulf of Mexico to feel the sand and the ocean at our feet. We found our Sunday farmers market filled with people of all ages who were appreciative of our songs. People have been picking up our records and posters over these past couple of days. We went to Meridian and visited the birthplace and the gravesite of the great Jimmie Rodgers. We stopped for the night in Birmingham. We met the Gulf of Mexico Littleton Mill, the only song of the day played with guitar and not cello The birthplace of Jimmie Rodgers, Meridian, Mississippi The gravesite of Jimmie Rodgers Setlist: Baltimore Broommaker I'm Waiting for My Love to Sleep The Castaway The Eulogist The Poor Clare Monastery A House After a Hurricane Sewn Hands Littleton Mill Bare Trees, Silver Sky Showered in the Sunlight Before Sunrise Webbed Dinner Date Auburn Aumbry The Human You Were Between a Niche and a Ditch The Microphone Died Tied to Nowhere There's N