After a quick trip to Greensboro to play at the NC Folk Festival, Brass Queens embarked on the tour that I’ve been most looking forward to this year: a trip out west!

We flew from Greensboro to Vegas, picked up two rental cars and stopped at the iconic Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge to fuel up for a 4.5hr drive to Bishop, CA.

Jenna, Myself, Ally, and Stephanie at Fireside

As luck would have it, my car made a pit stop at the Area 51 Alien Center. We were truly out there and the store had all of the stickers and kitsch you need to prove it.

We arrived in Bishop after dark, so when I opened the hotel door the next morning and saw the Eastern Sierras right behind us, I was in awe. After some coffee and a breakfast burrito, I met up with Ally and Heather for an amazing hike on the Bishop Pass Trail. We couldn’t do too long of a hike because of our gig, but what we saw was absolutely stunning and difficult enough to be reminded that you are at 10,000 feet elevation.

Ally, Myself, and Heather with South Lake behind us

Your truly at South Lake. Photo: Ally Chapel

We headed back to the hotel and got ready for the show, the 34th annual Millpond Music Festival. The show was really fun, and I kept thinking about my trip to Yosemite last year for Dana’s birthday. We have to go back! The Sierras are absolutely magical.

The next day, we drove to Death Valley for a school outreach gig on our way to Vegas. The scenerey was unreal and the rest stop views were iconic.

Ally, Me, Jenna, and Stephanie before descending into the valley

Following our school performance, it was time to push on to Vegas for a night off! We went out for drinks and dinner, and then I found my favorite slot machine, Flaming Hot Pots, aka Mr. Lee. I fared pretty well and cashed out immediately!

The next day we played at Myron’s at the Smith Center. I had played the Center previously with the Grinch in 2019, but I had not seen Myron’s before. It was a beautiful room and the sound on and off stage was truly top-notch. There really is nothing better than playing a Union room!

Ally and Heather on the stage during soundcheck at Myron’s

The next day we flew to SFO and drove down to Santa Cruz, where my beloved wife went to college. Go Slugs! The Kuumbwa Jazz Center was the perfect spot for us to make our Santa Cruz debut and lucky for me, there was a Craviotto drum kit in the backline. These drums are S-tier, and it is unheard of to have one as a backline kit. And now I’m seeking donations so I can afford one haha.

After Santa Cruz, we made our way up to wine country to play at Little Saint in Healdsburg. The venue was absolutely stunning and the sound was once again incredible. They also put us up in truly one of the nicest houses I have ever seen in my life, complete with bocce, tennis courts, a pool, and a hot tub. My only regret of this tour is that we simply did not have enough time to enjoy these wonderful accommodations to the fullest!

We woke up early the next day to drive from Sonoma to SFO, hop a flight to SLC, and then drive down to Moab, another long but stunning drive.

After getting a good night’s sleep, most of the band went on a hike to the Mill Creek Waterfall. After a little less than a mile of hiking through the red rocks and stream crossings, you enter a canyon that has a perfect little watering hole to cool off in.

All five of us got in and felt pretty refreshed after this absolutely stunning hike.

We then got ready to play our show at the Red Rocks Festival. Watching the full moon rise over the mountains from the stage was something I will truly never forget.

This trip made me feel really grateful that I get to see so many incredible places through my job. It is a lot of hard work and long travel days but the sights and of course the shows make it all worthwhile.

Ashley Baier

Ashley Baier

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Ashley Baier

Brass Queens Go West

Ashley Baier