Adventure #24: Fall 2010 Tour (Day 9)
I woke up before the camp opened again (Apparently you need to check in to camp there. And register your car and camping spot. And pay...). I decided as soon as I got to Milwaukee I'd break down and get a hotel room for the night. And take a nap. After about 2 hours, I passed a sign for “Ronald Reagan Birthplace.” I couldn't resist. I followed the signs to Tampico, IL, which much like Springfield, had converted itself into a shrine to its' favorite son. This is Pen Pen hoping there's less cholera and snake bites on the Ronald Reagan Trail than on the Oregan Trail.
I followed the trail for a few miles, hoping to find his actual birth home. Maybe some sort of museum. At the very least, a 30 foot tall statue. After about 15 minutes of seeing nothing other than more signs for the Ronald Reagan Trail, I got bored, and turned around. The opportunity to annoy the anointed clerics who keep whatever shrine there is that lies at the end of the trail, wasn't really worth driving miles into farm country with poorly marked streets. There was a detour on the way back that forced me into what could only charitably be described as the Middle of Nowhere. I finally found my way back to the highway after about an hour and a half, and resolved that as soon as I get to a city, I'll buy a GPS. So I lost two hours, and never found much more than a plaque and a mural. I think Saint Ronnie would be proud to know that even 6 years after he died, he's still making life hard on poor people. This is Pen Pen paying tribute to the greatest Republican actor to ever star in a movie about chimps, who's not Charlton Heston.
The Days Inn was just outside of Milwaukee near the airport. It was the closest hotel to the venue that I could reasonably afford, and all things considered was pretty nice. I checked in around 3 and promptly proceeded to indulge in the official comfort food of travel: Law and Order reruns on TNT. I'm not sure exactly when I fell asleep, but I woke up disoriented and confused with about 20 minutes left to get to the venue. So much for exploring Milwaukee. This is Pen Pen just prior to totally trashing the hotel room like the rock star he is.
The venue is a little divey place that reminds me a lot of All Asia and O'Brien's in Boston. The guys from The Commuter Exit were already there when I showed up. White Elephant showed up shortly thereafter. But no word from the acoustic act who was supposed to open. We agreed that if he didn't show up by 10:30 or so, we'd just get started. I spent most of then night hanging out with The Commuter Exit guys, who are generally awesome. They reminded me a lot of Placebo circa Sleeping With Ghosts. The show was fun, but I was pretty beat from the 3 hour set the night before, and the general lack of sleep in between, so it maybe wasn't my best performance. But people seemed to enjoy it, and Edwin from The Commuter Exit said next time I'm in town he'd try to set something up. Next up: The Elbo Room in Chicago. This is Pen Pen playing a short set of Screaming Jay Hawkins covers.
This is a song I wrote this one time. You should download it and share it with your friends.
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