Fall 2018 Tour through the Midwest

During the last week of October, we ventured once again from Chicago to Pennsylvania and back on a short tour to play venues that we’ve never been to before. Cliff Bell’s in Detroit reminded us a lot of our favorite club in Chicago, The Green Mill- the art deco wood work and speak-easy decor made us feel right at home in that historic venue.

From Detroit, we headed west to Cleveland to play at The Bop Stop, which is a venue created and operated by the folks of The Music Settlement: a local organization that offers performance, educational programming, and mentorship to young and rising Ohio musicians. The space is extremely well designed and its operator and performance booking manager Gabe Wallace single-handedly created a warm and welcoming environment for us to present our music.

In Butler, PA (Artie’s hometown) we revisited the Butler Little Theatre to play for a packed house of friends, family, and neighbors. We were joined by our good friends and fellow Chicagoans Twin Talk and ended the evening with a collective rendition of the title track from our first record, "Mandala.”

a massive moraine in the woods near the house where Artie grew up

For the last stop on the tour, we caravanned with Twin Talk from PA to South Bend, IN to play at the truly one of a kind venue/piano studio Merriman’s Playhouse. Stephen and Mary Merriman are truly the kindest and most thoughtful venue operators, concert programmers, and music appreciators we have come across. They do so much to support creative music from around the world. If you’re in the area, stop in for a concert and say hello. They have a wonderfully intimate and cozy space and plenty of stories to share.

The “merch-piano” featuring music from Black Diamond, Twin Talk, and all of our collective and individual recordings.

We are looking forward to the next month of writing before our next performance at Constellation (Chicago) on December 5th, supporting the record release of our friend, pianist Andrew Lawrence.