OK, folks, let’s just admit right now that it’s going to take us all more than a day to process what happened over the past few weeks. But we’ll include a few initial reactions in this final entry of Mike’s daily tour blog posts.
Yesterday was our last “performance day” in Puerto Peñasco, and it did not disappoint. We started out with a bayside breakfast, soaking up some eggs and misty ocean winds.
After dealing with some, uh…”local logistical issues”, we headed over to Banditos for our last gig. Much like our tour kickoff show in Minneapolis back on 1/6, a dedicated group of friends and fans turned out for us, providing a fitting bookend to close the tour.
After dinner at Banditos, Mike refused to do anything other than enjoy a soak in the hot tub. We don’t know if we’ll do eight shows in ten days again, but if we do, he might need a hip replacement.
Today we travel back to the States, with most of us flying home to Minnesota tonight. The entire crew crossed the border successfully, but not before four of us made another stop at the famous KM13 marker.
Just as words can’t adequately convey how the last 11 days have felt, there are not enough ways for us to thank the folks who helped make this happen. And while we can’t specifically name everybody, we do want to provide a few shout-outs:
- Our Minnesota tour team of Kendra Roberg and Ryan Hammer (with a little help and a lot of positivity from Michelle, Nick, and Jay)
- Casey Conner, who booked us into the two ballpark shows and made other arrangements that convinced us we could make this trip
- Curt and Angela Weitnauer, who got us onto more stages down here and continue to treat us like family
- Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, who blow our minds every time they perform, inspire us, and lift us up at seemingly every opportunity
- All the other artists on the Scottsdale and January Jam Festival stages, who not only entertained us in spectacular fashion, but also helped spread the word about our shows and attended several of them
- All the promotion teams, production crews, artist merch & technical crews, and venue hosts & staff who worked hard to ensure a quality experience for everyone
- Photographer Stephen R. Sylvanie, who shot and shared so many of the iconic photos from our shows
- Bill (Sr.) and Karen Turner, who provided us with local logistical support, lodging, and transportation resources
- All of our spouses and families back in Minnesota, who supported this trip as enthusiastically as they’ve supported any other band effort we’ve done over the years
And finally, we absolutely must thank all the fans, old and new, who showed up for us at these shows. Whether you traveled from down the street or all the way from Minnesota, we truly appreciate you. Along with all the support from the folks above, it was your cheers, your encore pleas, and your smiling faces that made this trip a success. We’ve made a lot of jokes this month about being “international touring rock stars”, but it’s you that made us feel like actual stars.
And that’s a feeling we’ll never forget. ¡Salud, Peacemakers!