OCTOBER 1998

Sorry for the length of this newsletter: it's Fall Tour Time. But if you keep inviting us to play all these concerts you're only encouraging us.

This month's newsletter isn't really much news or much letter: It's pictures. Think of this as a photo album. So, when you're ready to rock on, get yourself a cup of strong coffee and get ready read on with a new read oh God. For those about to rock on, we salute you.

Over the years, Michael has had various collections. As a child he collected baseball cards. Later in life he built a stockpile of matchbooks. He has also gathered cards from the back of hotel bathroom doors. Most recently, Michael has decided to collect candy bar wrappers containing birth announcements. (If you've seen them, you know what they are; if you haven't seen them, you will soon.) I have never really collected anything. But recently I have begun a collection of butterflies. I like to take them with me when I travel, so I keep them on a special mounting surface that I always take with me when I'm in the van.

My butterfly collection

Speaking of naturalists, I'd like to take a moment to introduce you to our friend Pete. Mr. Obermueller has signed on as the new Boy Friday for LOST AND FOUND.

JPO Cowboy

Pete does e-mail while Michael pumps gas

Pete has taken over for our beloved Justin Vetrano (see August Newsletter). If you'd like to know more about Pete, you can visit our special Nice To Meet Pete page.

So, last month. Wait, I'd better backup . . . at the very end of August we played a thing or two that didn't make the September letter. First was a fine concert in Washington, Iowa.

You see who's in back there, eh?

Then it was off to Saint Cloud, MN.

In St Cloud, there were some guys there who wanted us to play a certain song. They were afraid that we might not remember the words, I guess, so they provided a little prompting.

Then it was off to Westby, WI, where we found a sizable number came out to see us. And, of course, we saw them.

I believe from there I went to build a shed. On the third day I drove again, and descended into Kentucky where I sat at the left hand of Michael, the Bridgeman. From thence we shall judge the good bands from the bad. Oh, sorry. I slipped into a little credal cadence there. What I meant was, I began constructing a shed to hold my growing collection of butterflies.

Then Michael and I went to eastern Kentucky to play at the Shigionoth Festival (where we shiggied on in King James' style). We had a great time and were honored to be MC LOST AND FOUND once again. Met bunches of great bands, one very nasty tour manager for a band that refused to play, and were blessed to witness the shofar.

Michael watches a member of the ska band The Israelites

Our favorite band of the weekend was called Pallette. They were really fun, interesting, and A-P-P-R-O-A-C-H-A-B-L-E. (That's a word that means, essentially, "just like you and me," though in some cases it might just mean "unsigned.") Look for them playing in a town near you.

Pallette Shiggies on

We tried our best to be one of the bands. We parked our van next to the real bands' busses and tried to spend our off-stage minutes in there, but it quickly became apparent that sitting in a cargo van wasn't quite the same as watching movies in an air conditioned Silver Eagle.

A real band crowds our turf

Read the second installment of this months' adventures.