Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Saturday December 21, 2024 - Lexington, KY

Road Blog
December 21, 2024
Lexington, Kentucky

I left my motel just north of Charleston, West Virginia and stopped off at Sheetz to get a cup of coffee for the drive to Lexington. I’ve gotten coffee at gas stations before, I pretty much know how it works, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to get it without milk, and I take my coffee black. After several stressful, futile attempts, I said F*** it and took my coffee with cream to the counter, resigned to choking it down as is. The nice young girl asked if I was able to find everything I needed in a thick southern drawl, and I scoffed about the coffee, opened the lid to show her, and it was black. Turns out it just comes out a bit frothy but then basically settles down to a normal cup of coffee. I felt like an idiot and apologized and she smiled and giggled, called me honey, and told me it was on the house. Southern hospitality, right there.

The drive was mostly uneventful, except for the presence of blue skies and the sun, which have been in short supply over the last week. Somewhere around Moreland, Kentucky I got off the freeway and headed into the hills through some…interesting areas of habitation, worn hard and put away wet, as they say, but some beautiful country nonetheless. Just outside of the town of Salt Lick I stopped in on my friends J Tyler and Anj and had a great visit in their lovely home, sitting on a beautiful plot of land. I got to meet their kitties Lilly (17 years old and fading) and Blowout (recent addition to the family, after she walked out of the woods while J Tyler was changing a blown tire on the freeway) and their flock of chickens. We had a great chat, and it was wonderful to get a short hang that didn’t happen in the context of a dive bar before a show for a change. Great friends.

I checked into my motel south of Lexington around 3 and called home to check in on TrooperGirl22 who seems to be keeping the house more or less standing. I got some needed downtime after the late night and drive, and a little computer work done while watching the nauseating Chiefs win again and the Ravens beat up on the Steelers. I headed into the city, stopping first at Liquor Barn to stock up for the holiday, and single-handedly keep the Kentucky economy afloat. From there I headed over to Al's Bar, where my good pals the Vibrolas were setting up for their show. It was a surprise visit and we had a quick chat and catch up, traded copies of our new albums, grabbed a photo, and said so-long `til next time. I love those guys.

As often as we’ve played Lexington, we’ve always struggled finding a good dinner place. I came across a new soul food joint called Sassy Bleu Fine Southern Dining right up the street from The Fishtank, so I stopped in there and demolished some shrimp and grits with sides of collard greens and mac and cheese. It was AWESOME! Great flavor, presentation, and service. I was seated at the bar next to the owner Herb and his friend Delana who were engrossed in the UK basketball game, and we had a common enemy in Ohio State. We talked about possibly having me play there sometime. We’ll see! HMU Herb!

The Fishtank is a dive bar/music venue that the Tucos played some 6 years ago or so, when it was called Best Friend’s. I got there in time to say hey to NP Presley and meet his fiancé Alexandria and my good pal Ben Aubrey before he played. Ben is a great friend and we go back a few years and it’s always great to see him play. He’s got a fantastic voice and writes some great songs. Up next was a late-add to the bill Jungle Steve, a friend of Alexandria’s from Buffalo, NY. Great songs and picking, and a great voice. Really enjoyed his set. We talked Buffalo and hope to cross paths again in the spring.

I played next and had an ok set, including a request from Nate to play my Scorpions cover, that I haven’t played in at least a couple years. I fumbled through it but it went ok and a gave the stage over to Mayking , a great Lexington band with Nate on bass and Michael Newsome on guitar and vocals. They’re loud and heavy but great dynamics and songs, and tons of energy. Another fantastic set from a great band. We traded vinyl and that’s gonna get some spins for sure.

After the show I sold some merch, gave some hugs, and headed south, back to the motel. By now my stomach had gone a bit sour and I could tell that a potential digestive event was forthcoming, and as lovely as The Fishtank was to me, that ain’t the place, so I stepped on the pedal. By the time I got to the motel and parked it was nearing condition-critical (Quiet Riot reference) so I grabbed my guitar and headed towards the back door of the motel, closest to my room. OF COURSE my key didn’t work. Of course. I high-tailed it to the front of the hotel where the night clerk was casually vaping on the sidewalk, not too concerned about the pending disaster. He followed me in and asked to see the key card. As I handed it to him my heart sank a bit and I realized just before he said “You got the wrong motel bud.” Um, no, I am at the right motel, but that is the key card from LAST NIGHT in West Virginia. I was trying to get into this motel with the key from the night before. I am so stupid. Just like the coffee at Sheets 14 hours earlier. He gave me a new card, just to be sure, and major catastrophe was averted. Sorry if TMI, but the struggle is real, friends, and it’s not all groupies and blow out there.

After a little South Park I crashed out around 2am. The alarm went off at 6:30, a short 4 ½ hours later, with plans to make it home in time for Lions kickoff at 1pm. A quick shower and load-out, a cup of lobby coffee and a breakfast buffet banana and I was on my way. The eggs-from-a-bag and sausage patties looked tempting, but my tummy was still a little sour and I was a bit gun shy, wanting to minimize stops, so I passed. Just south of Lexington the freeway was closed for an accident, so I sat with hundreds of other travelers at a standstill for 25 minutes. Once on my way, it was a quick stop at Love’s, the greatest of all travel stations, for a cup of coffee (no incidents) and a not-the-greatest-of-all breakfast sandwich, and that was it. The next four hours went quickly, listening to back-episodes I’d missed of the Eddie Trunk show and seeing endless hawks in the trees and grass along the highway. As I got on the bypass around Toledo, a bald eagle flew overhead, and that’s something that’s always a treat.

I got home around 12:45 and traded weekend battle stories with TrooperGirl22. It was a great weekend of fun shows and a great way to wrap up the year. Big thanks to everyone who helped make it happen – especially Brian in Akron, Andrea in Charleston, and Nate in Lexington.

And thanks to YOU for reading and hanging in there this fall! It’s been a bit crazy, but a real gas, and I’ll be back at it in the new year. Have a great holiday, thanks for reading and supporting independent music, and I love you all. Xx