US Tour blog 2 - Southern Sunshine, Cool Caverns and Sizzling Shows
November 2023

Durham show
Photo © Jo Hackett

Steve in Durham
Photo © Jo Hackett

Travelling south from Washington DC to Durham, the sun became a little stronger, and by the time we reached Charleston we found ourselves back in summer sunshine!

Both the Durham and Charleston shows had an amazing vibe with terrific crowds. Jo and I enjoyed visiting the old tobacco factory area of Durham now given over to restaurants and cafes, and we had a fascinating guided tour with pal Robert around Charleston. It's such a beautiful city with gorgeous old houses, yet with that dark past of slavery running through its early history, so clearly shown by the sheer magnitude of the former slave market.

The Atlanta show was an equally fantastic experience, and it felt amazing to play in Nashville at the Ryman, the former Grand Old Opry where you could virtually feel the ghosts of all those artists like Johnny Cash who once came through...

On our way to Cincinnati, our pal Mark took Jo and me to visit the Mammoth Caves, which are possibly the longest cave system in the world! Entering the cave's passages was like walking into a whole other world, with those extraordinary formations quickening the spirit.

The Cincinnati, Akron, Chicago and Milwaukee shows all went off like a rocket with band on full power and incredible crowds. It was great to catch up with Chicago show promotor Danny Zelisko, a pal since early Genesis days.

Then we headed into the deep Midwest driving by all those fields and silos on to Des Moines. Within that modern city was the fascinating venue where we played. It's attached to an old allegedly haunted mansion, where there was indeed a strangely misty feel in the stairwell... the gig in that beautiful old venue was great fun.

Now on to the West Coast for the final leg of the tour, beginning in Seattle...

My thanks to Brian, Adrian, all the team, Entourage Talent and all the promotors. This tour has so far been terrific!