The Haymarket Squares

It’s been a great start to the tour so far. A quick recap, with pics to follow…

Dia Uno: We didn’t know what to expect when we rolled in to Silver City, N.M. The first surprise was how different New Mexico is from AZ. Some of us imagined that the Land of Enchantment was just like home, just a little further east. But NM has its own desert vibe, and there seems to be way more vegetation. Silver City’s a cool little town with a historic downtown that’s teetering between “vibrant” and “insolvent,” like many mining towns in the West. We played at Javalina Coffee, located in a historic building and seemingly the hub of alt-culture in town. By the end of the night we had a crew of dancers laughing and singing along, some of them proudly sporting Squares tees. Tenacity, Jason and Kate treated us to dinner afterwards. We could get used to this…

Dia Dos: After our Albuquerque show was cancelled, we remembered our buddies in Sundown Songs (great New Orleans band) telling us about a little town near the New Mexico/Colorado border, where the bar owner loves music and treats bands well. Chama, N.M. (alt. 8,000 feet) turned out to be all that and more. We played at the High Country Saloon for a audience that included a couple of retired Chicago union leaders, a custom motorcycle builder and the local postmaster. Everybody had a good time and we sold a bunch of CDs and shirts. The bar kept the drinks coming, fed us, and put us up in a local hotel. Oh, and they gave us extra money to pay for our speeding ticket. Is this that “rock star treatment” we’ve heard so much about?

Dia Tres: Today was the longest drive of the tour so far, but we saw some beautiful country rolling north from the New Mexico border. Nothing like 9 hours in the car to remind you of the immensity of the West. As we rolled into Ft. Collins, we were excited to see the cars nearly outnumbered by bicycles. Granted, we stayed and played near Colorado State, but there were people of all ages pedaling in wide, well-marked bike lanes. (Take heed, Phoenix!) The show was in a former mechanic’s garage that epitomizes DIY. It’s a tool co-op, residence and venue rolled into one. We played with some local folks performing together for the first time (Silly Strings) and with The Taxpayers from Portland, OR. Those guys & gal are awesome! By the end of their set the crowd was naked and dancing the Bobsled, a Taxpayers-created move that involves lots of running in place, crouching and flailing. And we managed to keep the energy going, ending the night soaked to the skin and hugging everyone in sight. So far, so good!