Fourteen years ago today, we’re playing a short run of shows in Europe, traveling in a van and a car. Georgia and I arrive in Duisburg, Germany and are told that while driving on the autobahn, the van was flagged down by a passing motorist, who somehow communicated that the back door was open. Luckily, whatever carelessness led to no one actually latching the door was offset by a painstakingly solid pack, and not one piece of our equipment fell out. Nevertheless, the mood was tense, and not being helped by the combination of an outdoor show, pouring rain, and a roof over the stage leakier than the Brazilian football team’s defense (pow!). We hedge our short-circuit bets by leaving the keyboards for a dryer day and play without a set list. No such problems at Mass MOCA five years later; when the threat of inclement weather forces our outdoor performance of The Sounds of Science inside, the only water is on the screen.
