Looking Back Over My Shoulder - Kinfolk Blog: Sokol Auditorium

Just days after we returned from the Kinfolk shows in Chicago, we packed up and headed out again. First, was Omaha. When we got to Omaha we picked up Stephenie and Lori from the airport, then headed to the Sokol Auditorium. When we got there, we were happy to see some of our friends were already in line.

We definitely had a lot of friends at the Chicago shows, but many more came out for these last three nights in the midwest. It seemed as though this year many folks had to choose between Chicago or Omaha/Lawrence. Tough choice, but these last three nights are always killer.

Once inside, we could all feel the buzz in the air. Yonder static. We've all had such an amazing year together, and knowing that this would be the last weekend until New Years, we could feel that it would be one to remember.

Josh, Anitra, and Wesley

Jessica and Dorothy

Annie, Anitra, and Wesley

Junkyard and Stephenie

Steve showing John and Jessica his bite marks from the night before

We decided to go Dave side for this show, and we made the right choice. I don't know what it was... maybe it was just the midwest air, but Dave was on fire!

They opened with Shady Grove and we knew we were in for a great show. Some of my other favorites from this set? My Gal, Pride of Alabama, Whitehouse Blues, Troubled Mind, Father's Arms, Illinois Rain, Honestly, and Ten. When Adam started strumming the beginning of Honestly, Annie turned to me, "They better not mess around and just play it right! No more of this sandwich stuff - just play the whole thing through." (I might have cleaned up the language a bit.) Well, the first half of the song was winding up... and Annie was a happy girl. We got a solid Honestly, and it was hot. It kind of felt like the set was wrapping up at the end of Kentucky Mandolin, but I also felt like they had one more scorcher to finish off the set. I was right! It was Ten! This is Anitra and Josh's son Wesley's favorite song, and almost immediately, he was up on Josh's shoulders. What a fun way to end the set.

We had a lot of space and a lot of cool people around us for this show, but unfortunately, Anitra and Wesley weren't so lucky. There was a girl (another girl! Come on ladies, get it together!) who wanted Wesley's spot and wouldn't stop grabbing him. Anitra took him up to the balcony for the second set... but not before Jeff gave him a pick. Nice.

The second set started off with some favorites. It's funny how you won't get a song for months and then you get it two weeks in a row (Keep on Going). This was an alright set at the beginning, but as it went on it just got better and better. Wildwood Drive, Howard Hughes Blues, and Freeborn Man> Wheel Hoss> Freeborn Man. I never used to be a fan of Freeborn Man because they used to really drag it out, but now they almost always sandwich it with Wheel Hoss, which is one of my favorite old school instrumentals. The fire just kept on going in this set and it finished with Traffic Jam> Riverside> Traffic Jam. Oh man. What a dirrrty Riverside! I love how so many people get so excited and happy for a song about murder.