Tour Diary: 'Transit Town' Live From Los Alamos, NM (Video)
A live performance of the Harborcoat track 'Transit Town' all the way from the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico.
One of the true highlights of my western tour this Fall was a stop in Los Alamos, NM. My friends Scott and Suzie Haveman had agreed to host me at their gorgeous mountain home just outside the city. When I arrived they had laid out a full spread alf food and arranged the patio for an outdoor evening of music. It was the perfect sort of show. There was a large, receptive audience. The weather was cool, but beautiful, and my voice felt in especially good shape that evening. Everything about the show was excellent from the company to the food to the setting and my performance.
One of my favorite songs from the night was a version of the Harborcoat track, ‘Transit Town’. I’d written the song as a response to growing up just outside of a college town in a farm community where I had little in common with the other locals. I shared my history of making friendships with new students coming into Michigan State University and then eventually watching them move away leaving, me alone once again in a sea void of culture.
Los Alamos is the sort of poke where folks come in from all over the country and the world, mostly to work in some capacity at the National Laboratory. The city is still the most educated zip code in America and one of the wealthiest. In Los Alamos people regularly come as newbies to the city, but most end up staying for lengthy amounts of time, sometimes forever.
The show in Los Alamos was a part of a splendid day pair of days that I was able to spend in the Land of Enchantment. My previous experiences had been based largely in Santa Fe, and I was not a huge fan. However, my time with the Havemans and my other exploring in the state were hugely rewarding. You can read about the full details of my New Mexican adventure in the Tour Diary post linked just above.
Here is a video of my performance of ‘Transit Town’ along with the story behind the song.
Thanks again to Suzie and Scott for hosting. Maybe after seeing this you’d like to host a Matty C house concert. Please, reach out to get something on the books. It’s much easier than you might think.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Matty C
I loved this song, and the story preceding it added to my appreciation…wise move when you’re introducing a song to new listeners…while I was listening I started to think of music friends where I live here and stuff came flooding back. Then I had an idea: Tell the story of one musician I still honor today. I have all the notes and some background and could reach out to her, but she’s probably moved on (away from her “Transit Town”)…could always ask and still go ahead with the story I need to tell, right? Thanks, Matt. Big hugs. Great song.
Hey Matt- speaking of live clips, did you ever receive the video I sent you last month? I can remember if I emailed it or sent it in a message.