it was time to pack up and go to the venue. warehouse 21 is a really cool space, and when i got there there was a group of people making a really great set for the show. There were huge branches full of leaves shrouding the stage with red apples hanging from fishing wire all over the ceiling, meant to be picked and eaten by the audience. There was a big paper lantern with a leaf/stem coming out the top of it. I tied some little branches to the micstands.
I got a picture of emily as god arranging the galaxy around the sun.
Outside there were sets by many of the people i've grown to love and a few that i don't know at all. Matt puckett, nukulele, bluebird pioneers/bandera, nate peacock, etc. There were burgers being grilled and trains rolling by.
everyone only began their set first and sounded really tight. cole and i went outside to have sort of an emotional talk on a bench. james stood far out of earshot with a camera, afterward he took us to get whiskey and talked about the difficulties of making a documentary about his friends. it has definitely been a delicate balance of not wanting to censor anyone from the film crew but also knowing when you need to tell them that you're uncomfortable. from the car we saw a baby jack-rabbit and watched it for a while.tristero played a fantastic set as well, then it was time for apple miner to start. here's how the set was:
1- costa rica: this song wasn't played on the tour, but i'd been craving it. i'd requested it but they needed time to practice it but never had any.
2- bailey moore: they sang, “hooray for hallie rose” instead and i cried a little.
3- all the ghosts: i don't think i was sounding my best tonight because my throat was very swollen from a hard day. i felt a lot better, though, when cole forgot the words momentarily and not only did i remind him, but i heard a few people from the audience yell it out. the overall show contained a lot of little mishaps like this that only made it better because everyone knew this was the last show with this band and emotions were running high.
4- oh lonely elk call: this has become one of my favorite songs by apple miner. jack's baseline and mitch's trumpet solo are the things that dreams are made of.
5- con todo mi amor por mi hogar- one of my favorite lines comes from here, “oh how i fear nothing in all the world like i fear the fall of losing the ones i love.” and when the drums kick in- oh lord.
6- heat haunted fever: this is sort of a staple song that is really fun to sing from the audience. i looked around more and was refreshed by people knowing all the words.
7- to buckle and to fold: though it never seems to go over all that well live, this song is extremely powerful.
8-better days: the dance number. with sing alongs, a fade out-then-back-in, and having an excuse to lay down and be silent at a rock show, this one never loses.
9-a heart so swollen: this is my favorite song to sing with cole and also just one of my favorite songs he's written period. i learned a version of it on ukulele that i'm going to play at a show back in salt lake city.
10-cerrillos: cole and ben sat at the edge of the stage. emily rocked the trumpet solo. i cried, a lot.
11-dark feral dogs: this song pretty much wraps up the entire feeling of this tour and a struggle that much our nation's youth is going through. the chorus ending is the most epic thing ever.
12-rabbit feet: the chart-topper, as we say. i cried again. one of the most poignant notes on heartbreak i've heard.
13-being human being: contains the name of the tour: home is wherever you are. now i know i've been saying that i cried, but i bawled during this one. patricia hugged me, the sing along felt so vital.
the show ended. everyone went backstage. cole cried, and everyone else did too as they hugged each other in a sort of farewell. even though most of us would see each other again that night, in the coming days, or in austin, it still felt like a significant goodbye. we talked more about the future. the last breakdown of equipment took place while i unexpectedly fell asleep on the couch.
a large chunk of people went back to cole's house where he had a victory cigarette (he didn't have any on the tour.) i hadn't eaten but had had some whiskey and lost a lot of liquid from my eyes so soon it was time to go to bed and reminisce on what had just happened.
i thought of everyone i'd met. thank you, thank you for loving me.
