Day 30: Durham
Welcome
Yesterday we played a show in Durham, North Carolina.
We woke up in the leafy suburbs of Raleigh, and didn’t have to drive anywhere, for a change. Tristan and I were keen for a run and Gabe’s parents Izy and Richard took us to their favourite spot, the American Tobacco Trail, which runs along an abandoned railroad bed south of Durham.
By the time we returned we were famished, which was a good thing considering the formidable spread Izy had prepared. This incredible banquet came at a time when I had almost lost faith in the breakfast system. I couldn’t eat porridge with yoghurt and sultanas any longer. My salvation came in the form of a frittata filled with fresh herbs and garden vegetables. Alongside this I had a sesame bagel topped with cream cheese, salmon, cucumber, red onion, avocado, and spring onion. I sprinkled a few cherry tomatoes on the side. I also had a cereal course of Izy’s homemade granola with yoghurt, fresh blueberries, and dried cranberries.
As we all sat around the table on the deck eating our meals we watched the busy avian activity in the backyard that revolved around several carefully placed bird feeders.
The big red Cardinal is chased away by a Goldfinch which is then chased away by a Chickadee.
Liz was involved in interviews all morning, stuck in the bedroom on zoom calls. The price you pay for writing really good songs, I guess.
Parked in the driveway of Izy and Richards’ house underneath a grey car cover is a 1997 Mazda Miata, an iconic Japanese sports car - rear wheel drive, low to the ground, and a stick shift! Tristan had been begging for a ride in the Miata all morning and after breakfast he got his wish, heading off with the top down.
It was only half an hour to Durham and we headed there midway through the afternoon, arriving at Motorco Music hall, a good sized venue with restaurant, set in a former mid-century car dealership. After we had sound-checked I took a walk around the city centre and observed that repurposed mid-century buildings seemed to be the theme of the place, with a vibrant dining and arts scene taking hold in these old structures.
Our venue seen from across the neighbouring construction site.
There was plenty of public art to be found on my walk around the Bull City thanks to the City of Durham Cultural and Public Art Programme.
The show was sold out and the vibe in the room was great. Liz attempted a pronunciation of Durham that we thought was extremely impressive but didn’t garner much support from the locals.
As usual Rosie’s set was mind-blowingly good.
Gabe is reluctant to take photos of our performances because he only has an iphone 8. His mother Izy has a brand new iphone 13, though, and she put it to use last night taking some great snaps during our set.
📷 Izy Nardin
📷 Izy Nardin
At the end of the evening we headed back to spend another night in Gabe’s childhood home. There was fresh chocolate brownie waiting for us on the kitchen bench when we arrived. An incredibly good nightcap after a brilliant couple of nights in North Carolina.
📷 Izy Nardin