Tour Diary – Madison, WI (March 26, 2010)

(Jason Lent has forsaken the island paradise of Hawaii to follow us around for a few months. I have happily placed the tour diary in his capable hands. It should bring a new perspective to our ramblings.)

An easy day started with a hike to the highest point in Mukwonago, WI to clear the head and fill the lungs with the crisp air. Madison greeted me with bright blue skies and a warm sun. The venue sat a few blocks from the opulent state capitol building that anchors the center of town. The college lies nearby and the streets were alive with students going to and from class. The main drag had a cool record store, plenty of interesting shops, and several microbreweries. It was a great place to spend an afternoon.

The show tonight was at the Majestic, a typical rock club in a college town. The balcony was built crooked giving the entire room a slanted appearance. The bar sat a little too close to the stage and the P.A. speakers had probably seen their share of glam rock bands over the decades. It has been a few years since I caught Junkies in such a club and I forgot how much fun these places can be. The show was sold out and the line stretched down the block before the doors opened. There was a great energy in the crowd for another sold-out show on this romp through the midwest. 

 The band came to play and there was a ton of punch in the mix. Being free to roam, I caught a few songs from the balcony and Margo’s voice was soaring into the highest reaches of the club. The chatter from the bar was easily bested by the P.A. and “Bread & Wine” sliced open the evening. We emerged from the show and walked right into a wild Madison night full of drunken co-eds. It was time to heads toward Cleveland…