Off the Air

A collection of press clippings, special projects or appearances including Garrison Keillor.

Summer Love Tour: Terra Nova

August 25, 2011

PHC staffer Nic Vetter is on the Summer Love Tour with Garrison, Fred Newman, Andra Suchy, Heather Masse, Sara Watkins, and The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band and will update us periodically from the road.

The crew made a perfectly timed exit out of New York and swapped the East Coast for the West before the earthquake, which should have heightened any paranoia about being in tectonically shifty California, but it's hard to find fault in a land so beautiful. We also traded personnel (me for Ella) and acquired new motorcoaches, which shall be our faithful steeds for the next leg of the tour.

The winding trip up the steep narrow road to the Mountain Winery in such a large and top-heavy vehicle makes a flatland dweller with a fear of heights appreciate living on monotonous terrain. My temporary terror was totally worth it once we arrived at the top -- the far reaching view of the Santa Clara Valley and the surrounding Santa Cruz mountains from the winery grounds was more stunning than remembered from last year. Like the fine wine it produces, Saratoga seems get better with age.

It was a perfect night; the air was cool and still, and everyone was swaying to the music, unless that was just the bottomless cups of wine working their magic. Probably both. Heather Masse's fellow chanteuse and bandmate from The Wailin' Jennys, Nicky Metha, was at the show and came up on stage to harmonize on "Bird Song" and it was absolutely lovely.

Surprisingly, all that vino and feel-good music didn't put people in the mood to buy any of Fred's nose flutes, but so it goes -- on the whole we departed the Mountain in high spirits from the good energy and good people of Saratoga, but you better believe at least one of us held on tight the whole way back down to solid ground.

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