I had no idea how cool Grand Rapids, Michigan, is until the kids and I landed there today for a back yard show at Steena and Teeve’s. Everyone in the audience was much more creative, hip and better looking than is technically allowed by Michigan law. The houses in Teeve and Steena’s neighborhood are also creative, hip, good-looking and illegal.
The All Around This World summer tour 2016 kicked off yesterday afternoon, July 5th, with a rousing front yard family band performance in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Former West Philly music class students Teddy and Freddy, now ex-pats living in the Cleveland suburbs, were especially excited about hearing their favorite All Around This World songs, especially the Ugandan greeting song, “We Are Happy.” The band members enjoyed playing the show, but I daresay the highlight of the visit was an amazing post-show ice cream fest at Mitchell’s Homemade. Today we began to appreciate the wonders of eating on the road by having a picnic lunch one of Cleveland’s most inspiring green spaces. Well, actually….
…in the parking lot of Heinen’s.
