Ok, here’s the deal.  I love movies.  Because I love movies, I film almost everything… and then edit it…and then share it with you fine folks.  However, I started realizing that when playing house shows every night, your video footage starts looking like re-runs with a different back drop.  My solution:  Make a montage.  Below is a montage of some of our shows from Pennsylvania and Maryland.  You can read more detailed posts of these shows below this video in chronological order.  Enjoy!

On Sunday, August 29th, Kelsey and I had the privilege of playing in the great state of Maryland.  My Aunt Sue and Uncle Jim threw the show together and invited all their neighborhood friends.  I had the flu and felt like shit.  It was the last of a monster stretch of shows that, in retrospect, aided greatly in my getting sick.  I barely made it through and officially left my voice at the door on the last song.  I felt bad for not giving the crowd the best set I could, but, sickness, like time, waits for no man.  Thank you Maryland for encouraging me and cheering me on when my voice gave out.  It meant so much.  It was great to meet you all.

On Saturday, August 28th, Kelsey and I played a house show at my sister’s home in South Philly.  When playing a show for family there is always an extra sense of profundity in the performance of my songs, however, with my sister it runs deeper.  With the exception of my beautiful wife, my sister (Katie) knows the history and growth of my heart better than anyone.  We have shared heartache in family failures, and triumphs of mended relationships.  Any song I’ve written about my youth or the history of my family has Katie within each stroke of the pen.  She’s the unmentioned actress of the film.  So, playing a show for her and her friends was more of a cathartic completion than a performance for me.  I feel that my songs matured to full growth on this night and that the message was completed.  I love you Katie.  Thanks for feeding us, resting us, loving us, serving us.  You’re the best sister a guy could ask for.  I’m lucky your mine.

Art Love Fantastic Jamboree. Sound like fun? It was Martha & Colin Harris live in Springfield, PA (just outside Philly), & they hosted the jamboree on Friday, August 27th. We’re staying with Kyle’s sister while we’re in Philly (she lives on the south side)…as we drove through West Philly to get to Springfield, I couldn’t help but sing the Fresh Prince theme song. We were greeted at the Harris Hut with hugs and cheeseburgers. Fitting for an event with such a great name, the people in attendance were awesome. We had so much fun playing music for them, and we loved hanging out with them before and after. Kyle was pretty sick that day, and the listeners were as encouraging as can be–thanks for cheering us on that night, everybody. Your hoots & hollers made a big difference The evening also featured cupcakes, Bananagrams, and a Mario Kart tournament. Martha & Colin, you throw a mean party.

Things you should know about the Harris couple: Martha sews things worth buying (http://www.etsy.com/shop/modernvirtue, & you can buy her stuff at Burlap & Bean in season!), and Colin is a caricature artist worth hiring (colinharrisart.com). These folks have many talents, AND they’re two of the coolest people we’ve ever met.

On Thursday, August 26th, we were the featured act during an open mic night at a coffee shop called Burlap & Bean, located just outside Philadelphia. We pulled into a strip mall parking lot, which usually doesn’t bode well for the vibe of a coffee shop. But this place is a major exception…it’s awesome! They have an open mic every Thursday, & it was a pleasure to play a set that night. We thoroughly enjoyed listening to the other artists, as well as meeting most of them afterward. Thank you, Burlap & Bean! We hope to come back as soon as we can. If you’re ever in the Philadelphia area, make time for a coffee break in Newtown Square: http://www.burlapandbean.com.

After Churchville, we traveled an hour or so north to Berryville, VA. It’s a really quaint little town with some really great people. We played at a store called The House Of Light–the owner was so welcoming, and everyone in the audience was wonderful. A good friend of Kyle’s named Caleb has a band in Berryville called Stereoreel. If you need a band to lead worship for an event, hire them. You won’t be sorry: http://stereoreel.com. It was so refreshing for us to spend time with Caleb. One of the coolest things about this leg of the tour for me (Kelsey) is that I’ve gotten to meet so many people that were important in shaping Kyle while he was in Pennsylvania. Caleb is a solid guy–it’s easy to see why Kyle speaks so highly of him.

The owners of The House Of Light (Brian & his wife, Heidi) also own the restaurant next door, The Berryville Grille (http://theberryvillegrille.com). After our sets, Brian treated us all to a free meal at the Grille. WOAH. This was some seriously delicious food! We’ve had some great meals on tour, but this ranks as my favorite so far. We also met the owner of the town bakery–I didn’t catch the name of the bakery, but I know it’s on main street, and I’m guessing it’s the only one. If a sincere and kind baker equals high quality pastries, then this place is sure to be worth a visit. If you’ve never been to Berryville, come up with a reason to go. Matter of fact, I’ve just given you a few.

On Tuesday, August 21st, we played a show at a pastor’s house on Chapel Road in Churchville, Virginia. Crazy, we know. The pastor was Matt Hann, a good friend of Kyle’s from junior high & high school. Matt & his wife, Emily, served us a delicious dinner before we played in their living room. Their friends were lovely–we had a great time playing for them, and an even better time getting to know them afterwards. This was another very intimate show. We didn’t plug in, and we left the floor open for questions between songs. There were lots of kids in the room, and we loved that. The drive to Churchville took us through some beautiful countryside (left) & we got to spend some time getting to know Matt & Emily’s little one, Ethan (right).

After filling up on crabs & pig, we headed to Harrisburg, PA to play at Ryan & Joy Kudasik’s house. Ryan & I know each other from youth group several years back, and it was so nice to see him again. One of the coolest things about this tour is how many opportunities we’ve had to catch up with old friends, as well as meet the people they now spend their time with (wives, new friends, etc.). This show was one of the most intimate we’ve played so far, and we loved it. Tara Toms played a few songs, and we loved that as well! Clever folk songs with a voice you could listen to all night…visit her here: http://www.myspace.com/somethingcompletelyridiculous. Here are a few photos–the dog is Tara’s, his name is Cody, and he is awesome. And yes, the photo of the arm tattoo is an image of Tara & Cody themselves.

Credit for the high quality photos (all but the last two–those belong to my grainy iPhone camera) go to Ryan Kudasik. If you live anywhere near Harrisburg, PA, you’ll want to hire him any time you need photos taken for anything. http://www.eventhorizonfotografie.com.

We had a blast with these people, & I’m thinking it shows…

On Sunday, August 22nd, we played at the first annual Oinkfest in Scotland, PA. A big thank you to all the volunteers–so much work went into making this event such a big success. We roasted an entire pig, and boy did it make some delicious BBQ. We had a wonderful afternoon of playing music, catching up with old friends, making some new ones, & eating pig Check out these photos…notice the awesome t-shirts my dad had made, and the banner behind our heads–photo credits to my dad (kennethrictor.com), & pig logo credit to my uncle Bob! Looking forward to next year.

On Saturday, August 21st, we played at my mom’s annual Crab Feast. It was a big success! We played yard games, enjoyed the pool, cracked open many a crab, and had some great conversation. It was a night of delicious food & great company. Thank you Mom, for such a lovely evening!