Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Tour: Day One

HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS--Day One of the tour went well. There was a lot of rain for most of the trip (which kept me from really getting any good pictures of this place; maybe tomorrow on the way out?), but things went smoothly, and the bus is very nice--the kind that has airplane-like overhead bins, a DVD system, and enough seats that everyone in the touring group got two to him/herself.

Our gig tonight was in the Malco Theatre, a movie house-turned-performance hall in downtown Hot Springs (a short history may be found here). The venue is now the home of illusionist Maxwell Blade's magic show as well as the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute, but the Hot Springs Jazz Society also hosts events there on occasion, including our concert tonight.

The theatre is a nice, intimate place--a little cozy for a big band, but I've certainly played on smaller stages. The band played well, and we were received warmly by the sizable audience. All in all, it was a great way to top off our first night. It's an early morning again tomorrow, as we head out at the crack o' dawn to drive to a college just south of St. Louis, so I'll call it a night here as well.

Dining tip: If you do happen to come to Hot Springs, you can't go wrong eating here.

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