Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Thursday May 12, 2022 - Yorkville, IL

Road Blog
May 12, 2022
Yorkville, IL

We left home at 1pm, picked Jake up in Ann Arbor, and headed west down I94, through Ann Arbor. AC/DC’s Highway to Hell was on the stereo and we were very excited to be on the road again. Our last run was cancelled when our guitarist got Covid and it’s been 2 long months. The drive was smooth for about 40 minutes `til we hit Jackson and it was pretty much construction and congestion the rest of the way. There were breaks where we were able to pick up some speed but never for long. Gabriel was cursing annoying drivers while I played on my phone and Jacob worked on his laptop.

Our goal was to hit Left ‘Round Records in Plainville, IL by 5pm so we’d have time to chat with John, the owner, and shop a bit, but we pulled in around 6:10 with all the delays. He stayed open for us and we hung out and bought a couple records and they’re now carrying our record Candy Coated Cannonball, so stop on in if you’re in the area – it’s a fantastic store with a very well curated inventory and comfortable browsing! Tons of great metal, 80s pressings still sealed even.

Now we were behind schedule so we high-tailed it west to Yorkville in need of food and running a bit late for load-in, so we stopped at Fast Burrito because, obviously, it’s fast burritos, and got about 14lbs of Mexican food and went to the bar.

The Law Office Pub & Music Hall is a great place sitting a block off the Fox River on the main drag through Yorkville. It’s a long room that kinda looks like a legal office on the inside with large bookshelves and collections of books on one side, a long bar on the other, and a nice stage against the back wall that backs up to the street. Routine Faces, some new friends from Chicago, were setting up while we loaded in. We said hellos, ordered beers, and gulped down some food. Ben and Danella, the owners, are wonderful humans who always have a big smile and hug when we pull in, and Joshua, the sound engineer, was relieved that we didn’t need a soundcheck after he’d dialed in the Routine Faces.

We had concerns and some adjusted expectations about this show because our local headliner had to bow out with a positive Covid test. This is our world now – cancelled shows, lineups in constant flux, and members dropping in and out just to salvage the shows you can. They did the right thing, and it happened to us in April, so we completely understand and support their bowing out, but it also meant there were essentially two road bands on the bill without a draw in the area. We collectively agreed to make the best of it, have some fun, and forge ahead.

Routine Faces went on around 9pm. They’re an indie-synth band, which made for an interesting, diverse contrast to our guitar-rock, but that was no issue. Their songs are great, their harmonies were soaring, and they’re wonderful people. We played after them for about 45 minutes and enjoyed the fantastic sound, despite some sloppiness from each of us. May pal from high school Dave and his girlfriend Jen came out and we got caught up, hanging with Benjamin, Danella and Routine Faces `til it was time to call it a night.

We crashed in the apartment above the bar, with fans in windows and the sounds of the city below. We’d each been a bit over-served, so it was some quick leftovers, critiques and evaluations of each other’s performance, a small nightcap, and lights out.

I can’t say enough about The Law Office. It’s a treasure of a venue, and they do it because they love music. Even a night like last night where the crowd was thin was still a blast. We’ll be back for sure. But tonight it’s off to Brooklyn, Wisconsin, just south of Madison, where we last played exactly 6 years ago to the day. Come see us at the Main Street Music and Event Venue! Mackenzie Moore opens at 7 and we’ll hit at 9PM!