Return to Fayetteville Tour: A Broken Recollection (Part 6)

When I came back through Jacksonville, David and I had a few rest days before we headed down to Fort Myers to visit my parents for Thanksgiving. 


11/25/11: Cool Hand Luc's, Fort Myers, FL


The day after Thanksgiving, I played a show in Fort Myers, where I was born and grew up. I played at a vegan ice cream and treat shop owned by some old friends and former neighbors, called Cool Hand Luc's. The owners have always played a big role in the local art/music scene. Mike Cosden used to be in a band called The Anchorite Four, and it was my favorite band when I was in high school. I still listen to their CD from time to time, and it brings back a lot of great memories. Anchorite Four shows were the place to be at that point in time. He's now in a band called Let's Go Exploring. I love that these guys are still doing music and promoting local art in Fort Myers (a place that doesn't really have much going on otherwise).


Cool Hand Luc's is small, modest, and charming. There is local art on the walls, and local crafts for sale at the back of the restaurant. There are also boardgames to play at a table that has a few couches and chairs surrounding it. There is a small stage at the front, which I shared that night with The Glow of Streetlights, and Speaker for the Dead (on tour from Massachusetts). The other acts that night were very entertaining. The Glow of Streetlights (another old friend) does experimental rap. We were excited and surprised to see him there, as the name we used to know him by was DJ Chloroform. Speaker for the Dead is a kind of acoustic punk rock/folk. He puts a lot of emotion into his performance, and really draws the crowd in. (He came to play a house concert at my house in Jacksonville not to long after that.) 


I played to a host of old friends and new faces. Some friends were in town in for the holiday, who I had not seen in years. My parents and friends' parents came out as well. It was a great show, with a respectful and attentive audience. I can't remember which flavor of ice cream I had this past time, but the time prior to that, I had horchata ice cream, which was amazing. I always love playing at Cool Hand Luc's.


11/26/11: Natura Coffee and Tea, Orlando, FL

The next day we took off to head back to Jacksonville, but I had a few shows to play in Orlando first. I played at a place called Natura Coffee and Tea. It's a hip little coffee shop, bar, and hooka lounge, with various art and decorative touches. It was dark and somewhat romantic in lighting and ambience. The place was pretty packed with people, and a few friends that I had met via the internet came out to watch me perform as well. I ended up meeting some interesting people, selling some CDs, and passing out stickers to a whole table of people.


That night and the next night after, David and I were so lucky as to stay in my mom and dad's time share. It was so nice!!! It had a full kitchen, and a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. I felt much richer than I am staying there. There were all kinds of activities and amenities that I wish we had more time to take advantage of. Hopefully, we can stay there again in the future when I play Orlando again.









11/27/11: Ethos Vegan Kitchen



Ethos Vegan Kitchen was amazing!!!! I loved the venue, and performing there, but even more than that, the food was out of this world! I recommend it to any vegan or non vegan passing through Orlando. They do brunch on Sundays (which is the day I played). David and I split vegan breakfast burritos, with faux sausage, tofu crumbles, and potatoes. The burritos came with a vegan gravy on top. We also had french toast, which I haven't had in the longest time, being a vegan. Can't wait to play another Sunday there, just so I can eat some more of that delicious brunch!

If you look closely, you can see the hawk and the squirrel.

The restaurant is really cool on the inside. There's a counter at the front, where you order food. There's a dessert case at the counter, filled with vegan goodies. There's seating inside, and a patio outside. Inside is local art, and a hip and casual environment. The patio is fairly large, with a nice, tall stage. When you're on the stage, facing out, you have a nice view of the park across the street. In the middle of playing a song, I saw a hawk swoop down and catch a squirrel. He stayed perched on a small wooden railing for it seemed like 5 minutes with the squirrel clutched in his tallons. It was the coolest thing! I got a positive response from the crowd, and had a great time. I'll definitely be playing there again. This concludes the last day of my Return to Fayetteville tour. 


Well, that is my broken recollection of my last tour. I had a great time seeing the country, visiting old friends, making new ones, and hearing great music along the way. Hopefully my blogs to come will be a little better, as I do them as I go along, and hopefully I remember to take more pictures to post as well. Thanks for reading and following me on my journey as a starving artist and traveling musician.