\\\We had taken a route out of Chicago the night before that would allow us to avoid paying any tolls. Illinois isn’t the most expensive state to drive through, but instead of having a method to pay based on where you get on and off, you end up having to stop 15 times (give or take) at toll booths where you pay $1.80 or some other nonsensical, non-even amount of money. Not only is it hard to see this money at work in any state, it’s a big traffic jam around Chicago especially. We managed to drive in and out of Chicago without paying a single toll. Kudos to our GPS babe for sure.
\\\All the same, our little detour took us past the jelly belly factory in the morning. Behind the candy factory are some other big factories, and en enormous smokestack spewing huge amounts of white smoke. It looked ay first like the jelly belly manufacturers were fronting for some other huge industrial pollutant-type facility, but no, they’re just neighbors.
\\\We went first to Milwaukee to meet up with Moscow transplant Nate Lowe. He met us downtown at an historic market. We had a great lunch hanging with Nate and catching up. Talking music, and teaching, and books, and politics, and houses, and the rest. After lunch we wandered the market a bit before saying goodbye and heading on.
\\\Madison is really cool, and the state capitol building is enormous and beautiful... at least from the outside... it was a rainy drive in to town...
///We played at a place called the Nottingham Co-op, it is right on Lake Mendoka, and resides among many a frat and sorority. In fact the building used to be this kind of establishment, and now it’s a housing co-op. It has a large communal area, and about 20 rooms that rent for a varied rate depending on size. Members have communal meals, taking turns cooking, and also share many chores around the building. One member that Cam met at dinner had been living there for 11 years. The Co-op hosts shows regularly, and we set up and played in the main room.
\\\We were joined by a couple of great local solo acts: Oedipus Tex + Icarus Himself. Both were rad and very nice. It was a small but appreciative crowd on what ended up being the coldest day + night of tour by far... 54 days in... the room sounded great made for a great night of listening. nice big old room.
\\\Eric aka Oedipus Tex
\\\Nick (aka Icarus Himself) and his girlfriend Katie were nice enough to let us stay with them a few miles away from the co-op. So we got to hang out with them and their brand new kitten that night and the next morning. I think Cam got a little bit too much kitten love in the nighttime. It was, perhaps, the most vocal kitten I have ever been in contact with. He had a great time cuddling with Eric in the morning and I had my turn petting him too.
\\\yay for kittens.
\\\reporting for all of us finn rigginses
\\\lisa + gilbert
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