The band and I are doing a short run of dates, mostly in the western U.S., and then ending in NYC. Since there was a fairly long break after the last set of tour dates I revamped the set a bit to keep it fresh and added some new songs — the collaboration with Thievery Corporation from last year and a song written with Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Last night was a re-match of last year’s Aspen gig. We’d been there a year ago but got pretty much rained out — the blowing rain across the covered stage meant the strings couldn’t play — so we did a short acoustic set, which apparently went over well enough to encourage this return engagement.
Aspen is a strange place. Never having been there except for these concert dates my experience is limited. But seeing a glossy magazine in the hotel lobby called Aspen Philanthropist pretty much tells the story. On the cover is a close-up of a gorgeous (white) woman in full makeup cradling a photo of a starving African child.
A bunch of us went for a lovely ride on rented bikes in the afternoon. Nothing too strenuous — not up into the mountains that surround this town — but along a gently rolling path that follows the little river that runs through the valley. We traveled maybe 15 miles of pathways, gurgling water and sunshine. You can see why people come up here. My friend Sam and I rented the full suspension bikes. The shop said they retail for around 2 thousand dollars!
It’s a beautiful day. Here is the view from our hotel:
