Seven Days on the Road

by James Adams

This is the sixth installment of What’s Happening Wednesday, where you find out what XY Unlimited is doing right now – or at least right now-ish.

XY walks the West Coast’s mean streets.

Yakima is a medium-sized Washington community southeast of Seattle that exports hops, wine and apples. It features vast skylines, sweeping golden landscapes of sparse foliage, and one of the more luxurious hotel breakfast buffets we’ve encountered.

Such unlooked-for breakfast surprises help heal the cuts and scrapes of seven days on tour. We’ve now covered six states in slightly less than a week, including (in no particular order) California, Oregon, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Washington. We’ve played seven shows, busked twice, and stopped at no less than three rest stops. Judging by the amount of Emergen-C wrappers on the floor of our Toyota 4-Runner, I’d say we’ve consumed about a small village’s allotment of immune-system boosters. Hey, we all have our vices.

Christian, all frosty in front of Washington’s 18th best rest stop. Michael vents his pent-up car energy with a falcon-punch.

We’ve seen and felt more than can be absorbed by the average attention span, so here’s the bulleted mid-tour report, brought to you by Clarion Hotel wi-fi: As always, trouble lurks around every corner:

• half of us have colds (despite the vitamin-C flood).
• We’ve already received a speeding ticket from a benevolent and merciful Washington police officer (#sarcasm).
• Michael mysteriously injured his picking finger last night, and when we asked our audience for a band-aid they just laughed.

We’ve also had some surprise victories:

• an open mic full of surly, talkative drunks went dead silent for our song about Trader Joe’s romance. Then they asked us for another one.
• Andrew led us in a blistering, ego-obliterating yoga session during which he performed approximately three handstands without breaking a sweat. I barely gasped and trembled my way through crow. Still felt like a golden yoga deity afterward.
• Performed before, after, and alongside some talented and friendly a cappella groups. Shout out to the Stanford Harmonics, Loose Interpretations, and Schwa for hosting us. We appreciate your ill songs, your warm hugs, and (in some cases) your comfy couches more than words can express.

Tonight we head to Bainbridge Island, then University of Oregon, then San Francisco for our big show at Hotel Utah!

Got any advice for some road-weary travelers? Feel like sending some love, sympathy, or scorn our way? Leave a comment below!