past and present

4 years ago Matt Littlejohn Dylan Kerbrat and i were on tour with primal scream , a top group of folks to span time with. We had a pretty seamless check in at Sfo on a cold November morning. We were cautiously optimistic that we would go to bed later that night with the first female president in us history. (And a replacements fan as a vp). As we changed planes in dfw, east coast media were predicting a Clinton victory. By the time we disembarked in Mexico City, a scant 3 hours later, a trump victory was pretty much in the bag. We were all shell shocked. Hippy barry and I were summarily brought to secondary inspection and raked over the coals and fined for whatever reason. I blamed my passport and birth country . The van ride to the hotel was a sense of shocked disbelief, no more so than us 3 americanos. Most of the group went out for an evening of epic proportions, Mexico City style. Matt and I texted and I know that the 3 of us fielded calls and texts and emails from far flung friends who were processing the situation a little less pragmatically. Matty and Dylan are two of the most positive road folks I know, I am glad I was able to be with them that day, and that particular band as well. We had the greatest Mexican breakfast the following day and an epic show that night, a blistering version of “swastika eyes” accompanied by 2000 Mexican kids chanting “fuck trump” at volume. We continued onwards through South America, lucky to have friends on the same festival circuit to confide in and commiserate with. We got by with a little help from our friends. Regardless of the results of this election, we will need one another more than ever moving forward.