As it turns out, tour is a lot of loading in, and a lot of loading out, and a lot of looking for healthy food to eat, and a lot of driving, and not a lot of sleeping. In comparison to the rest of the minutes and hours of the days, very little time is spent performing onstage -- which I knew logically, of course? But it's a whole other world experientially. Four-plus days on the road makes an amazing five-week routing overseas look way less exotic, and way more like the work that it is.

I should back up a step. Hi. Barry just got back from Europe, we saw each other for the first time in over a month, had a few painfully short days off together, got married in our front yard, and now he and the band are off on the US leg of the tour. ('The band' being the supporting band for Damien Jurado, The Heavy Light, that I mentioned in that tour rehearsals post back in April.) It's been a bit of a whirlwind!

Between the marriage part and now, we hopped in the car and followed the van for a few days around the northwest, which technically made this past long weekend my first 'tour,' even though it was only for four days. Starting the first night in Spokane -- yes, we spent our wedding night in Moses Lake; no, that doesn't count as our honeymoon, ha! -- I tagged along to the shows in Vancouver, BC; Bellingham, and Portland, before bidding everyone adieu after brunch at The Tin Shed.

So, back to the opening paragraph: lots of loading in, lots of loading out and such. Here are a handful of onstage and off-stage shots that I captured over those four days on the proverbial road, which are mostly from venues, hotels, and the restaurants in-between. I'm pretty happy with them considering this was technically baby's first tour shoot.

As always, images are best viewed on a desktop if you have the option!