Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Friday December 20, 2024 - Charleston, WV

Road Blog
December 20, 2024
Charleston, West Virginia

I left the motel in Canton, Ohio around 11:30 and headed southwest towards the little town of Massillion, Ohio. My destination was a record store called Erie St Vinyl, probably the only one I’ll have time to hit on this run, but they didn’t make it easy. Downtown Massillion seems like a quaint place, but pretty much every street was closed for constriction and Karen Jacobsen - The GPS Girl didn’t know what was going on so it took me a bit of work to find the joint. As I walked up to the store, I saw that the OPEN sign was off, and they were, in fact, closed. Right about then a guy walked by in rock and roll regalia – combat boots, cargo pants, spiked mohawk, piercings and ink. “They’re closed.” He said. “Family stuff.” Aah, ok, bummer, thanks man.

I walked back across the street and was getting back into the truck when he came back up and introduced himself as the owner of Art Bomb Tattoos. We got to talking made some arrangements and now you can get my solo album Dynamite Alley and the last couple Tucos records (GTG Records) at Erie Street Vinyl! Thanks TJ! Above and beyond, and some great small-town hospitality right there. Next time I’m in the area I’ll definitely swing by again.

The rain picked up and the snow melted as I drove south into the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It’s a beautiful part of the country, south-eastern Ohio and West Virginia, and I always enjoy those drives. Passing through some of those hollers and small mountain towns is a bit of a throwback sometimes, and a very different way of life than I live in suburban Detroit. I crossed into West Virginia around 12:30, stopped at Sheetz in Ripley, West Virginia for gas and Cheetos, and hit Charleston around 3PM. It’s a beautiful city nestled in the hills surrounding the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers. I checked into my motel and snagged me a day-old leftover muffin from the staff Christmas party on Thursday night (winning!), and called TrooperGirl22, who was driving around the city with her friend Wendy Webb, doing some sightseeing and Christmas stuff for Wendy’s birthday (Haps girl! Xx). Couldn’t find any Little House reruns so I watched some of The VIPs, staring mega-sexy Liz Taylor as a woman who was done taking any shit in a loveless marriage (to Richard Burton) while on a delayed layover in London. Great flick with a great ending.

After some chill time I headed into Charleston and had some dinner at Black Sheep Burrito and Brews downtown. I played the Huntington location in 2019 (with Walter DeBarr, RIP ?) and pretty sure I’ve been to this one with Gabriel and Jacob before, but not positive. I got the Hot Mess burrito with ribeye and black beans and barely made it through half before I was stuffed. I did a lap on foot around the downtown strip after dinner, stopping for a selfie in the Christmas-themed park nearby. It was a mix of snow just barely doing its best to not be rain, so it was wet, and not a lot of foot traffic out. From there I headed towards the venue, but did a drive around the West Virginia capitol first, saying hello and grabbing a pic.

The Empty Glass is a Charleston institution – it’s been around for 50 years, hosting live music. This was my 5th time playing Charleston, always at The Glass, though this was my first solo-acoustic show in the city. The first time was in 2016, and as last night, The Tucos were playing with The Charleston Rogues – a Pogues tribute band. My friend Andrea works at the bar and plays in the Rogues and she’s a sweetheart who first got us in there. It was great to see her again after a few years.

The Rogues went on around 10 and played a great set of Pogues classics. Energy was high, Guiness was flowing, and I was singing along from my seat. Sometimes I forget how strong those songs are. I did about 40 minutes between their sets, which was a tough gig, playing solo-acoustic, after such a rambunctious set of great Pogues covers, but most people were courteous and attentive.

The Rogues played a second set and wrapped just short of 2am. We said our goodbyes and I was back to the motel where I watched some Drain the Ocean on NatGeo and crashed out around 3am after a long night.

This morning it was up and at `em; motel breakfast, blog, and shower, as usual, before hitting the road. Out my window are the first patches of blue sky I’ve seen in a week, and what better omen could precede a day of driving to Kentucky and seeing all my pals. I’m at The Fishtank tonight with Mayking , Ben Aubrey, and Jacob Crawford. Gonna play the hits and some new stuff and some deep cuts and put a big blue ribbon on 2024 in style!

Big thanks to Pepper, The Charleston Rogues, and The Empty Glass for another fun show! Safe travels to DC today and have a great show! I saw The Pogues in DC in 2006, and I can say first hand: that city will love you guys! Xx