Dave Manning

 

Just got this photo in from my good friends Mike and Nicole in Missoula, Montana.  They took me on a hike to the spot they were married some 13 years ago: Jerry Johnson Hot Springs in the mountains of Idaho.  Mike and I were so excited we jumped for joy on the Forest Service suspension bridge.  Wahoo!

 

The view from the pool at Norris Hot Springs.  You can see the Geodesic dome that is the stage.  Because it was so cold, just above freezing, they had the clear poly cover in front.  So I really was playing in a bubble.  It was one of the most surreal gigs I’ve ever played.  Don’t get me wrong, It’s a great place.  I hope I get to play there many more times.

My gig ended at 9:30, (they said not to play longer because they close the pool at 10pm.)  So I stripped naked and got in the pool as soon as I was done.  It was mostly college folk in the pool.  I asked a couple guys, they explained that there’s 50,000 students 33 miles away in Bozeman.  55,000 is bigger than almost every town in Montana!  So the pool was quite the party scene.  Steven, an all around great guy that works there, came and pulled the drain plug at 9:45, and by 10:10 I was the only one left in the 2 foot and sinking deep pool.  by 10:15 it was empty.  No one had to announce the pool was closing.

Mary and I stayed one more night, enjoyed the music, and the pool (thanks Norris for letting us stay!) And Monday morning we woke to steel grey couds, cold and sleet.  We packed up and got on the road as soon as we could.  We pointed Vincent south, drove through snow storms and then relished in the sun of central Idaho and the wild rose hotspring near Craters of the Moon National monument.

The cats hanging out with Buddha in the geodesic dome at my gig at Norris hot springs. Great place! They serve nachos and beer to the folks floating in the pool. Luckily they drain the pool every night.