2009 USA Tour : March 27th, A New Day in Nebraska

The Light At The End Of The Icy Gauntlet


No idea when we fell into slumber but at 5:00 am we were back on the road as there was 650 miles to go to get to South Sioux City for the concert that evening at 7:00 pm. In good conditions this is an 11 hour drive including lunch stop. Will be achieve this today?


Alas, snow had drifted to try and bury the RV. Wheels totally buried and snow climbing the sides to bury us. Switched on, revs up to max, peddle to metal and pray. 


We blasted through our snow wall, rejoined the freeway skating rink and prayed.


About 100 miles later, daylight well and truly abound we spied the first visibility of a road marking followed about 5 miles later with real gripable tarmac and even a bit of sun breaking through the clouds. Another 20 miles later dry roads and not a hint of snow.


Hooray we had arrived in Nebraska …… but Nebraska is notorious for wind so it was like being back on Route 66 again.


And Onto South Sioux City


Another couple of hundred miles on and our trusty GPS Sat-Nav picked up congested trouble ahead and led us into the country roads of the prairies. The wind reduced, the sun was stronger, the day became warmer.


The igloo walls of the RV started peeling way and dropping as iceberg chunks into the road but leaving their trace all over the walls. After miles of passing multi fields, windmills, silos, railways tracks, we found a delightful state park. Time for lunch in the still and sun.


Lunch and sun returned a new joy and soon we arrived in South Sioux City to the library hosting the gig of the day.  Yes we made it, and in terrific time, just after 5:30 pm after breaking a multitude of speed limits for the last 250 miles.


Live At South Sioux City Library


Dan Nieman, our host at South Sioux City, is someone I have wanted to meet for some time after following his posts on Twitter and Facebook. Dan is an incredible dynamo and example of the power and benefits of community action. He is a baptist minister, involved in the creation and direction of the outstanding South Sioux City Library, is working some creative and beneficial missions for disabled people such as a local cafe enterprise and currently setting up a community online radio and media service.


Then we met his wife Jamie, equally spirited in community action, spirit and love, a true, true angel. What a partnership, wonderful marriage of two people.   


First, let me tell you more about South Sioux City Library. It is modern, an outstanding feat of fundraising, but built with caring, and what seemed like guided design, to create a warm ambient building of peace, inspiration and learning.


There is even a bird aviary within to add some spirit of nature and ambiance plus a perfect teenage, young spirit, lounging area.


Our performance area was perfect, an intimate semi circle of chairs and a very useful alcove style performance area. Nice positioned table for presenting cds and literature too. All so wonderfully perfect here.


About 20 people turned up and I think this was the first house concert style performance Dan and Jamie had arranged for the library so this was a good start. It just needs a few people to get it started, word will spread and a good core of people will support this in future.


During the performance the audience was quiet and I think this had a lot to do with our instilled library etiquette of always being quiet in libraries no matter what. Even the clapping seem to have a mute control. Again, it will take more events to overcome this and show people that a library can have both a time of silence in respect of others and a time of joyful celebration when all can join in.


There was a very enthusiastic meet and greet after our show, but even that flowed in almost whispered conversation and even whispered and sometimes what even seemed like mimed laughter.


We loved doing a show here though.


Claire performed


Sitting In A Green Field


Dedication


Fields of Fasseroe


Brigit’s Song


Here Comes The Bride (yes really!)


Brian Boru’s March


Suil A Ruinn


Eillean A Ruin


Medley of O’Carolan tunes


Star Of County Down


Lake Isle Of Inishfree (Quiet Man song)


Lake Isle Of Inishfree (W.B. Yeats)


Ard Ti Cruin


Medley of Irish Dance tunes


Cockles and Mussels


Danny Boy


We left for our camp site after the show to a KAO site in North Sioux City which led us into South Dakota. This is another wonderful well managed and maintained KAO site with good facilities for through a very cold, 12 F degrees night, but we stayed warm.


 


 


 

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