It's hump day in Chi-town. Home of both R. Kelly and Hugh Hefner.

After last night's thrilling yet abysmal Cincinnati show, we drove to our friend Cyndi's pad here in Chicago. On the way, we pulled over at an Applebee's near Indianapolis to rest for two hours. I slept behind some shrubbery.

Filming for Roll Out, Cowboy resumes today. The filmmakers have a new, improved website. Stay tuned.

I need a massage and chiropractic adjustment.

Three shows down, a dozen more to go. Pittsburgh has been a fun two-day vacation. Tonight's show was poorly attended--two people--but merch sales were surprisingly ample. I won't complain.

Moustaches and I have been playing a lot of ping pong, and that has been relaxing.

We're at my old buddy Bill Daniels' fantastic three-story $8000 house, in the very industrial town of Braddock, PA. Pittsburgh is fifteen minutes away. We play there tomorrow.

Moustaches and I drove all night after our Cambridge, NY, show, to get here. Yesterday's gig--part of The Mill Valley Festival--was in upstate New York, way up in the hills along a river. It was something akin to a mini unadvertised Woodstock.

After three long days of driving, The Moustaches and I arrived in Philadelphia, where we've just completed our first show of the tour. My pal Jonny Fritz (aka "Corndawg"), an inspired songwriter and performer, set up the show and played, too. Moustaches rocked. The crowd also liked my set. I sold $150 in merch.

Two nights ago we crashed on Alex Stevens boat house in Winona, MN. Last night we stayed with Rhonda and Kyle in Canton, OH. Tonight we're staying at Tracy's here in Philadelphia.

After the show tonight, Tracy and Troy, an old Montana friend, took us out for Philly cheese steaks.

Hi from Sauk Centre, MN. We're headin' to Winona for a good night's sleep on a Mississippi River houseboat.

Our first show, this Thursday.

Philadelphia, PA.

Moustaches arrive tomorrow. After a brief panic that we should abort tour, 'cause we don't have a lot of good-paying shows lined up, we've decided to go for it. Our first performance will be in Philadelphia on August 14th. Then NYC.

Both Jonah and Shawn shaved their moustaches for some reason. I won't be conforming. It's Fu Man Chu time for Sandman.

8-8-8. Infinity cubed. Triple happiness! It's like the dragon who eats its own tail (eight ate eight).

Why, then, is there an ancient bird, with grave and stern decorum, rapping at my chamber door?

This was supposed to be my lucky day.

Travelin' through Montana this last weekend felt like a homecoming. I picked cherries; saw a moose, three mountain goats, and a coiled-up rattlesnake; visited Grandma; and played a show at the Morrow Ranch.

The show celebrated Jeff Morrow's 50th birthday. Jeff's a professional saddle maker and one of the funkiest cowboys I know. He has pictures of Sly Stone, Bettie Page, and other punky iconoclasts pinned up throughout his shop and bunkhouse.

Jeff and his wife Joanne treated me royally; I felt like a visiting senator. They'd made a stage of straw bales and plywood out in the barn for the show. The absinthe- and whiskey-drinkin' crowd was groovy. Working cowboys mingled with elegant fashionistas and stoned beatnik hermit mechanics.

My night ended late, with a poker game in the bunkhouse.

The next day, after a sourdough and huckleberry pancake breakfast, I drove east via Glacier National Park.

I'll be truckin' west again in two hours.

Stick a fork in me. I'm Dunn. Back home in Dunn Center, that is.

Kudos to Pearl Drop, my four-wheelin' supercar. She ran like a dream.

Now that I've returned from the Northwest, I'm getting ready to head back. Tomorrow I'll climb into Shawn's big rig and drive to Vancouver, BC, to deliver a load.

I'll recount my excellent Montana adventures in the mornin'.

Hi from Choteau, MT. I'm frustrated. I'm at a hotel that promised wireless internet, but the room they put me in doesn't get a signal. The owners won't answer the phone, and their office is locked for the night.

And they made me drive to a mile to a gas station to get exact change to pay for their overpriced, dirty room.

I'm now huddled next to the office door, trying to blog.

I'm taking a towel tomorrow morning.

Not really.

With the assistance of Trisha, Bill, Rhonda, Ginny, Carl, and Shawn, I've just manufactured 300 copies of my new 8-song CD, Red State Blues. It will be sent to 295 college radio stations by Seattle's Lucky Cat Promotions. They're only charging me for postage and packaging costs. They're donating labor gratis!

I leave Olympia tomorrow morning.

Tomcats and raccoons are friggin' screaming outside my guest-bedroom window. Blood is on their brains.

And the weather has turned cold like November 2004.

Time to go back to NoDak, I'm thinkin'.

I'm putting massive creative energy into music projects this vacation. I've been negligent in other areas, however.

Ten days ago, on a full moon, I got scared and ran away from love. The cougar in me retreated, and the coyote snuck out. Or the reverse.

Whatever the case, I smell like a skunk.

Yesterday's outdoor wedding ceremony was a big success! All our practices paid off, and the weather was perfect.

Many people cried during Autumn and Brian's vows, including the bride and groom. My eyes got watery, too. There were many moments of laughter, as well. We made up a balloon ceremony where we asked a four-year-old girl named Cyanne to release two star-shaped balloons, representing Autumn and Brian, into the sky. The balloons chased each other through a couple of large fir trees, lingering at times under branches. Finally both cleared all obstructions and floated high and away. It was fun to watch.

Autumn's parents were fantastic hosts, and their reception meal was awesome.

I'll search for pics of the bride and groom to post.

The show at Jules Maes Saloon, in Seattle, went well, too. It's the oldest bar in Seattle, built in 1888.

Speaking of 888--that date will soon be upon us.

Today was Brian and Autumn's wedding rehearsal day. We had a good time. I wish I had one more day of practice before tomorrow.

Upcoming show alert:

July 26 - Seattle, WA, @ Jules Maes Saloon w/ Transport Assembly & Glass Elevator. 5919 Airport Way South (in Georgetown) Seattle, Washington 98108. Cost:$5

This is my favorite trucking song:

I was stalked and attacked by a cat this morning. S/he drew blood on my right calf. It was unsettling.

Now I'm at K Records, working on the August tour.

Tonight I'll meet and discuss wedding details with Autumn and Brian, who are getting married on Saturday. To be honest, I'm freakin' out a little. This wedding will be my first formal function as Reverend Sand. Good people are counting on me to know what I'm doing. And I don't.

The two island festivals this past weekend were fantastic and fun. I did not play as well as I wanted, however. Too much driving, too tired, not enough lung capacity, heavy heart.

I was pleased that copies of my new CD, Rough Notes from Otter Cove, arrived in time for the shows. The appearance and sound of the CD are phenomenal. I'll have to post pictures, to do it any justice. Thanks, Tyler, Julia, Froseph, and Shawn!

Now I'm in Olympia, working on another CD. It's a compilation that will be called Chris Sand's Body.

It's cloudy today. My money is going.

Upcoming Shows in the Northwest:

July 18 - Anacortes, WA. What the Heck Fest?! performance @ The Croatian Club. Supper show 5-8 p.m w/ D+ and Katy Davidson.

July 19 - Doe Bay (Orcas Island), WA. The dBFest! To buy tickets go here. It'll be an all day rockin' event.

July 26 - Seattle, WA, @ Jules Maes Saloon w/ Transport Assembly & Glass Elevator
5919 Airport Way South (in Georgetown) Seattle, Washington 98108. Cost:$5

I think I have pneumonia. Urgh.

This is what happens when you smack into a 900-pound moose on Interstate-90.


A perfect example of insult to injury, as defined by Bull Goodall, is . . .
. . . after wrecking your Kenworth, it gets towed to the mechanic by a Peterbilt.

Twenty hours and thousands of dollars later we were on our way.

At 12:30 a.m. today we hit a moose just outside of White Hall, MT, and have been out of commission since. Pearl's getting worked on. We hope to get back on the road sometime this evening.

Have you ever goofed around with the Celebrity Morph machine? It's fun and addictive. Enter at your own risk (you'll see me morph into Einstein, for one thing).

Tomorrow is truckin' time again. Bring on the fish, the flies, the freedom, and the five hundred gallons of fuel. I'll be back Friday.

I received this surprise in my inbox yesterday:

Hi Everyone,

Chris "Sandman" Sand is the featured artist of the month on the Obama Music, Arts and Entertainment website. Driving a truck pays the bills but being a "rappin' cowboy" is what feeds the soul. His Obama song is called "Go Bama Go!" and is also an entry in the best inaugural song competition.

If you haven't already registered at the site, sign up now at www.obamamae.com. Then you can check Chris out and download his song. :-)

Have a great weekend!

Marla

Click the link, scroll down, and you can listen to the song.

Summertime, and the livin' is easy. I've got a day to myself, maybe two. The mourning doves are cooing. Sweet July 5th.

Before

After


Happy Independence Day! Grandma & Grandpa are the Grand Marshals in the Killdeer parade. Rodeo tonight.

My town of 120--Dunn Center--is making national news. Uffda.

If only we could get a restaurant or tiny grocery store from all this, then maybe it'd be worth it. It's been three years since Alice's Restaurant closed down. A town without a restaurant or grocery store is a sad town, no matter how much oil money is floating around.

You can't eat petroleum. Or can you?

Allergies have been keeping me low-profile this week. But here's the gist of what I've been up to: family reunion in Spearfish; drove to Denver with Christy; fly back to North Dakota today.