Tad Dreis

At Shepherd today, it was inspiring to see random people go from “hmmph, french fries again…” to “let’s boogie!” and spontaneously dance in the lunchroom during my set. I was, however, utterly unprepared for the free-teddy-bear feeding frenzy that ensued afterwards and barely escaped with my life.

Punchiness arrived full-force at the day’s second show. James Madison University witnessed the emergence of “Tad Dreis, pseudo-philosophical music trivia monologist,” and his alter-ego “Sniffles, the sentimental balladeer,” who eventually strapped himself onto the sled and pushed over the edge of “This Slope Closed Due to Rocking” and did a few flips. Par for the course at a late-night Valentine’s show.

Ryan Villanueva played before me at JMU and was solid as a rock. A really chill, funky rock with a bluegrassy bounce on looper astroturf.

Footnote: no travel difficulties! What’s the big deal with that, you ask? We should discuss “Tad’s 2007 Valentine’s Day Massacre” another time.

Next up: the drive home, then Texas and Louisiana.