Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Wednesday October 16, 2024 - Bozeman, MT

Road Blog
October 16, 2024
Bozeman, Montana

I left Laramie at 7:40am and just as I was leaving the downtown main drag a pronghorn antelope ran out in front of me, stopped, turned, and looked at me like I was an idiot. He then trotted off the road. I caught my breath, started to accelerate, and his buddy bounded out right behind him, right in front of me, trotting across the road. If I wasn’t awake before, I was now. The next 4 hours were sagebrush plains and brief stretches of mountains and hills. There wasn’t a single gas station for the first 4 hours of my drive, and by the time I got to Casper, Wyoming I was at about 40 miles left in the tank. Entering the on-ramp to the interstate (finally) I was confident that there would be a gas station soon. Nope. The gas gauge started beeping at me, so I called on Karen Jacobsen - The GPS Girl who told me there was one 20 miles away. Turned out it was 7 miles off the expressway in Midwest, Wyoming, no signs, nothing but desert, but it was out there, and I filled up for $3.07 a gallon and a $1.98 cup of coffee that could wake the dead. 14-mile detour but I was on my way again.

By now there was a pretty good haze in the sky and I could tell I was getting close to the fires. I crossed into Montana and took a left onto I-90 West. The smoke was getting intense. I could smell it pretty good at times, and the air quality went from clear to terrible on and off for some time. East of Billings I could see the fires on the mountains south of the expressway, varying sizes of smoke plumes filling the air. It was something I’ve never seen and it was pretty intense, especially when the smoke was getting thick and exits and roads were closed because of the fires. Things cleared up after Billings, I saw a mountain lion road kill (poor fella), another fuel stop, and I pulled into Bozeman, just shy of 8 hours after I left Laramie. I made great time but I was feeling road-worn.

My first stop was The Wax Museum, owned by my pal Kels. I know Kels from his Nashville days, and the early days of The Tucos; one of those meet-on-socials and eventually become friends in real life things. His store is awesome on the outside and well stocked and arranged on the inside. He’s carrying my new album “Dynamite Alley” and The Tucos “Candy Coated Cannonball” so stop in and pick one up! We had a quick visit, but there was a chatty ol’ hippie in there demanding Kels’ attention, and I was majorly strung out from the drive, so I didn’t stay long.

I checked into my dive motel, did my best to come down from the drive, and called TrooperGirl22 back home. I was feeling pretty frayed but there was little time to relax. I headed back downtown and got some dinner at Nina's Tacos. Terrible beer selection??, but great food and fantastic service. The enchiladas were amazing and the street corn appetizer was right on!

Tune Up Bar is a basement lounge beneath the swanky Armory Hotel in downtown Bozeman. There was a pretty good crowd gathered for the early 6-8 set by a guy who’s name I knew I wouldn’t be able to remember, but hopefully he’ll hit my up and I can add it in the comments. He did some great originals and some cool covers with a great voice. Always cool to hear someone doing a Townes Van Zandt tune. His last tune was really cool, sort of ascending in minor keys till the end with great lyrics. We were exchanging pleasantries right after his set and he was helping me with the PA when this Tommy Lee looking dude walks up to him, interrupts us, and says “Do you know the band Three Dog Night? Do you know them!? Do you know the song `The Show Must Go On?` Dude brother you would NAIL that! You have to learn it. That last song you did? Yeah, it sucked, not good. Lean that Three Dog Night Tune.” It was offensive as hell, but also kinda funny that someone would be that obnoxious, oblivious, and rude to actually say that. I told the singer guy that I thought the last song was awesome (it was) and F that rude Tommy Lee MFr.

I went on at 9PM to a respectable crowd that ebbed and flowed throughout the evening. Some were more interested in socializing than listening, and others were dialed in and digging it. One attractive young lady walked up after a few songs, stepped on the stage, waved a $20 in my face and asked me if I could “play something from the 80s.” I went around a big circle in my little brain trying to think of what I might possibly do to honor this request, but had nuthin. Damn I knew I shoulda' learned “Jessie’s Girl.” I told her I play my own songs, and that songwriters work really hard on their songs, and it would be cool if people would listen with an open mind. “But don’t you want this place to come alive?” she asked, confused (and oblivious), but innocent and well-meaning. I said I could try a couple things she might know, but probably not from the 80s. She said ok, threw the Jackson in the tip bucket, and sat back down with her companion. 5 songs later I stumbled through “Beth” by KISS, which I keep in my pocket since someone requested it in Milwaukee in 2011. She seemed happy and satisfied and left before I started the next song.

I did good on merch – this dude Brendan was very supportive – thanks dude! Without getting too deep into the weeds or airing any dirty laundry, it took some work to get paid, but after some negotiations with a bit of stubbornness, it all worked out as it was supposed to. The people at the bar/hotel are good people, and they made sure it was cool. Kels and I got caught up a bit, geeked out about LESLEY GORE, and said our goodbyes `til next time, whenever that might be. As I loaded up my gear, Brendan was on the sidewalk looking for somewhere to grab some food. I got the distinct impression that there was an opportunity to hit the town and get into some trouble with him, which under different circumstances I’d be down for, but the voices of angels and my exhaustion won out this time and I headed back to my dive motel. After a nightcap and some TV I crashed out around 1am.

This morning kicks off the final stretch – Spokane>Vancouver>Seattle>home. The next 3 days are going to be intense with plenty of travel, a couple late-night drives, a snow storm, 2 international border crossings, a brief rehearsal, 3 more gigs, and a very early flight on Sunday. It’s a miserable, cold rain outside, the first I’ve seen since I left Michigan and landed in Seattle a week and a day ago, and there’s supposed to be a mountain blizzard coming. Good times. See ya at the Jackson St Bar and Grill in Spokane tonight for 2 sets at 8PM! xx