D.C. gave us some of our best moments and also one of our only bad moments. But the good parts were very good. When we arrived in the city we met up with our friend Tushar, a longtime friend and Ames Progressive collaborator, who recently moved to D.C. to work as an assistant producer for BBC America. We took the subway to the BBCA headquarters and he gave us a tour of the facilities, including the control room where he runs sound and lights for the network’s daily news program and the studio where the program’s anchor is filmed delivering the news. We all took turns sitting behind the desk impersonating TV anchors and watching ourselves in the monitors.

Tushar came to the show with another Ames High alum named Darshana, a current D.C. resident, and we directed our Ames pride at them during the show. We played at a nice place called DC9 which reminded me of the M-Shop in Ames because it has a short stage with standing room on three sides of the stage, making for a tight and intimate atmosphere. This was the second sold-out show of the tour and the room was electric.

By coincidence, the woman Leslie chose from the audience to have her gem sweater ceremonially named was also named Leslie Hall. It was the fan’s birthday and she brought a piece of cake decorated with a picture of Leslie Hall (the Keeper of the Gems, that is) and gave it to her. Her friends cheered “Leslie Hall!” after her sweater was named.

The downer of the evening came after the show. When we went outside to begin loading the car we discovered that the front passenger window had been smashed and my backpack stolen. The backpack contained a few books, a laptop and an audio recorder that belongs to Ames Progressive editor Gavin Aronsen. Sorry Gavin! But it also contained a journal I had been keeping, which was given to me as a gift by my sister. I was most upset about the journal. I looked all over the street for the journal but it was gone. To keep the spirit of the gift alive, I bought a new journal and have been keeping it going. Much love to my sister.

Chris had the window replaced the next morning and we got back on track.

In Atlanta we played at a fantastic club called The Earl. Crazy good burger and salad selection. Among the myriad band stickers littering the walls of the place was a sticker for Frankenixon, a classic Ames band from the early 2000s; nice sign of home. The opening act for the evening was called Danger Woman. I strongly recommend looking her up on You Tube. She is a highly empowered autistic woman who lives her life as the superhero Danger Woman. This is not just a performance. She dresses and behaves as Danger Woman at all times, is accompanied by her sidekicks (her pet dogs) and is particularly adamant about eradicating cigarette smoking. Her show began with a sing-along called Disabled but Able to Rock. During the show a belligerent drunk was making a scene in front of the stage and she took the time to use her powers to tame him and quiet him down. It wasn’t clear how much his embarrassing drunkenness had to do with his submission to her, but it was nuts either way. The Atlanta residents we met told us that she is a well-known figure throughout the Atlanta area, a local character. A documentary about her is in production. We were honored to share the bill with her.

Tour tip #5: It’s a good idea to bring your valuables with you into the venue or the place where you are staying for the night. Since we got robbed, we’ve been taking everything in with us, just to be safe. It’s a little bit extra work but at least you’ll know that your shit is secure.