ALL ROADS LEAD TO LINCOLN

When Maximum Ames asked me to play their festival again, of course I said “Ames! That’s where I used to live!” and then basked in the glorious silence that follows a move-to-strike-as-nonresponsive response. When, after the silence had passed, they asked again, ignoring my non-sequitur as if I hadn’t said anything at all, which put me in the mind of the book I’ve been reading – very, very slowly reading, because 1) two kids and 2) summer cold. Really long-legged horrible summer cold. Head feels like a boulder. Conflicted about this because boulders are awesome in my opinion, what cold-hearted monster doesn’t love boulders, but when your head feels like one and you’re 100% sure that that’s the right simile, you get to wondering: maybe boulders feel terrible? Maybe they want to be birds, like everybody else? Or fish, or also bears.

At any rate, of course I said “yes” to Maximum Ames, it’s been a couple of years and did I mention that’s where I used to live? It totally is! And then I thought, out in that neighborhood there’s places I hardly ever get to play, why not make an expedition of it, those solo shows last year were really really fun, most especially the Chicago ones, you can really get something unique going at a solo set when all the variables line up. Hence that’s why I’m goin’ on THE MOUNTAIN GOATS ALL ROADS LEAD TO LINCOLN SOLO MINI-TOUR 2015. Did you know I lived three hours from Lincoln for a decade or so and never once played there? All that’s about to change! I really enjoy stretching my legs out on a few solo shows a year, there’s room for songs that just don’t fit into the burn-down-the-barn-and-feed-the-ashes-to-your-enemies-but-then-feel-guilty-about-it-because-your-enemies-have-feelings-too milieu of the full-band set. See you out there!

Sept 8 St Louis, MO Off Broadway

Sept 9 Lawrence, KS Lawrence Arts Center

Sept 10 Lincoln, NE Vega

Sept 12 Ames, IA Maximum Ames Festival