The Czech Republic is divided into two regions, Bohemia and Moravia. On my birthday, we had a gig in Šumperk, a ski resort village in Moravia. It was the first birthday, in over 10 years, that I didn’t perform as part of the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. I hoped we would have a good experience in Šumperk for my birthday and as it turned out, it was one of my favorite shows of the tour. We arrived at our pension, a modest room with two twin beds, a kitchenette, and bath with shower, where we were able to contact our promoter for the evening. He met us and let us in so I could take a short nap. It was comfortable, clean, and quiet.

The venue, H-club, was huge compared to some of the places we had already played. It featured a cool art gallery and lounge on the first floor called Elektric.

Elektric Cafe & Gallery

The venue itself had a great sound system and was beautifully lit. We shared the bill with Czech bands, The Finally and Blackerfeed. We were greeted warmly, ate delicious pasta, enjoyed Czech wine, and had great conversations with members from both bands. The line-up was the best of the tour with all three bands having a similar melodic, hypnotic thread of psychedelia.

The Finally

Blackerfeed

Carlos, my husband/bandmate

We met our promoter, Jirka,  the next morning for a small tour of the village and lunch. Since it was off season for skiing and the weekend was upon us, things were pretty quiet and most of the shops were closed. Luckily, his Mom had a jewelry shop where all of the items were handmade and very unique. He got the key and let us in to shop! I purchased my mother a necklace, Carlos bought me earrings for my birthday, and Jirka gifted me with a necklace for my birthday. He was also kind enough to allow us to leave our equipment at the venue after the performance, so we stopped by to pick it up after lunch. I loved being able to go back to the venue for a view during daylight.

H-club

Jirka made me an espresso before we hit the road again.

I purchased an art book from the gallery and we gave Jirka a copy of our new LP.

I honestly can’t wait to return to Šumperk. The drive was beautiful through the hills of Moravia and getting to know Jirka was such a treat. We made a friend we will keep in touch with and hopefully tour with in the future. It was also the first time I’ve seen a ghost. I’m serious. But that’s a topic for another post!

TravelTracks recently caught NKG’s show at Sloppy Joe’s, a Key West landmark that’s famous for having been Ernest Hemingway’s haunt. The house was bumpin’ when we walked in, partying to that classic club track “Devil Went Down to Georgia.” The band’s repertoire is varied to say the least—everything from Beastie Boys and Lady Gaga to Journey and Flo-Rida. Each song prompted a head wear change from the front man—from a blond foam wig to moose antlers. The last song of the night clearly called for a bunny suit, and the front man didn’t disappoint. Look for the Girls to hit up a venue near you or get a little taste of them here.

TravelTracks was flipping through the TV channels a few weeks ago and happened upon the local PBS station. It was Sept. 11, and the station was showing master film composer Ennio Morricone’s 2007 Peace Notes concert, live in Venice. The concert was dedicated to the victims of 9/11 and to all victims of massacres, and the music was absolutely spellbinding. Morricone conducted the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra, Choir La Fenice, and soprano Susanna Rigacci in the famous Piazza San Marco in Venice. The concert was filmed in high definition, perfectly capturing the dramatic music and the stunningly lit setting. The video clips below offer a few of the highlights of the concert, but for the full effect, the DVD is a must-see.

Maddalena

The Sicilian Clan

Cinema Paradiso

Once Upon a Time in the West