Finishing Up GKB EuropaTour 2017

As usual, Carsten and family and each promoter along the journey have been fully amazing! Weather, accommodation and audiences all superb. The band has had a great time and to all who came out in Italy, Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!

Roy and I head back to Chicago after tonight’s show in Karlsruhe, what a gift to see our families soon 🙂 Ed and Hilde travel to Denmark and then Norway to visit family and take a well-deserved holiday.

I will remind those visiting my blog re. upcoming shows in a few days: next up electric blues jam w. friends as well as prison sets all in Ohio and after that following a week-long family vacation, a solo set in Rockford, IL and lots more which we’ll post as we get nearer to those dates.

A number of you during this tour asked about my cigarbox guitar music and gits, several sad I didn’t pull one out for sets- GKB is a different gig so… maybe another time. Most of my solo sets are loaded up with blues of that sort and if you stay tuned, you’ll catch me live or recording (working on another this fall/winter as I can make time for such) with cbg’s. I’ve a lot more solo blues shows booked now right into autumn. As you can see, a Swiss friend brought one (his first- cool!) to show me, so great to meet him and see it!

I’ve several posts re. spiritual growth and help re. addiction nearly ready so will begin adding them soon.

Ok, here are some pics from our last GKB tour stops in Switzerland, and at the end coming through France on the way back to the last German show. And there are some AMAZING pics and a 360 from our set at Imfluss Festival on (actually -in-) the Rhine River in Basel, Switzerland we’d love you to see. Scroll down at the GKB Facebook site for all that: https://www.facebook.com/glennkaiserband

We thank our Lord Jesus for His continuing grace and so many of you for your kind hearts, good after-show chats and connecting. Hope your summer is a good one!

As always, thanks for stopping by 🙂 -Glenn

 

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Cool People, Cool Shows and Rain

I think God must have set me up to love rain as I have all my life… and the past few days on tour in Germany have been wet but oh so very good for us! But it’s been raining grace and kindness as well.

I will add pics here so you can have a look as well.

Looking very forward to shows in Switzerland again in the next couple days after tonight’s in Germany. And the tour ends Sunday night in Germany, so we are moving right along now.

As per our schedule I did not know if I’d have time to post so much, but perhaps one more when I get back to Chicago to sum things up re. the last shows.

As for now, last night we met and did a benefit for some sweet folks who serve refugees and other in-need people here in Germany. I am so blessed we were able to work with them, and see a full club. MANY great chats with people after.

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

AudioFeed Festival, Illinois, USA -Thoughts

First, I know these people. Second, and maybe first, I love them. Third, they look a lot like ALL of us, like it or not. And you may not like it. Or some of it.

I was involved as a pastor, musician and speaker/seminar leader at Cornerstone Festival the entire run of it, so I get the passion and concerns. We certainly made our mistakes as well as saw literally thousands of lives changed for the better over those 28 years. Believe it or not, all true.

I’ve played and seen shows at Audio Feed, taught there as well.
Reading through the comments in Facebook, etc. re. the recent Guardian article about Afeed, REGARDLESS of position, I reflect on the core of this -as I see it. We must go much deeper than festivals, evangelicalism, tattoos or gender issues.

Their Twitter feed, FaceBook and article mentioned are not hard to find if you like. Meanwhile:

http://audiofeedfestival.com/

Ok, WHAT and WHY the dust-ups, anger and fussing which seems to dominate so much of our talk these days?

Well of course, because we don’t agree about things like spirituality (for some, even IF there is such a thing), religion (vs. “relationship with God”), HOW to do everything from church, to vocalizing one’s beliefs in public (if such should even be done), =when= to discuss things like politics (did I say we don’t all agree on every large/small/in-between issue yet…?).

Oh, and I like my coffee STRONG and BLACK most of the time. So of course my view is THE VIEW YOU MUST ALLLLL SHARE… OR…. or else? Or what?

Anger. Rage. That is, mine, or yours, or both. Cuz baby, there is indeed righteous indignation. Any preacher in study of the New Testament finally comes across “be angry but sin not”. Hmmm. Most agree (I said “most”, certainly not “all”) Paul is telling peeps they may well be angry but there is anger which in God’s view (wait, if there is no God… no, maybe these other “idiots” aren’t bright enough, or committed enough, or studied and wise enough… or just aren’t predestined to be part of the club…) ahem… so most seem to agree (imho) one can rightly be angry but like a gun with a safety, we don’t have to shoot one another. Or perhaps “It’s the will of God to shoot that dolt!!”. No wait… ALL MUSLIMS think and act accordingl… ahhh… ok, “christian” militia peop… errr…

See, this is the stuff plenty of people hard left and hard right in political, religious/spiritual matters and more get enraged about. It’s become so common it’s even more uncommon to “love your enemies” much less think/act in a “blessed are the peacemakers” mode. To some a peacemaker is a flaky, white-washed sell-out liberal and they aren’t making peace, they’re compromising.

To many a liberal (politically or theologically) those leaning strongly right/conservative are mostly if not all jack-booted NRA backers who hate all minorities and wish most cities would simply end up as Sodom and Gomorrah because the cities are sucking the life and essential godly convictions right out of the nation.

Anybody care to consider I might… maybe… have a little understanding on this yet?

Ok, I’m an idiot like the rest. So consider this:

Most who refer to themselves as Christians don’t have a daily “build bridges”/missionary (NOT meaning colonizing, controlling, you-think-like-me-or-you-shall-be-considered-evil) mindset in their relationships. Most -yes… in my experience and world travel, study of history Christian and non, MOST people professing faith in Jesus WANT THE WORLD, THEIR FAITH EXPERIENCE, THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR EXPRESSION OF CHURCH (if any) DONE ***THEIR*** WAY.

Yep, shouting.

When you work from that center, I can assure you more will refuse to share your lunch (whatever that may consist of) than you will ever convert. EVER.

Wake up bro, sis, because your “anger doesn’t work the righteousness of God” nor will your conversion to your preferred culture or sub-culture (rarely completely based on scripture) draw the “other” into your own sense of values.

You will repel both your fellow (though wrong, immature, messed up, not-like-you) believers nearly as easily as those still without faith. Congrats! Hey, I’ve done it myself, this is in part how I get what I’m talking about.

IF, I say IF, more of us truly loved one another things would be a fair bit more calm. Perhaps less screaming and ripping people up and a few more at the table. As it is, anger, wrath and malice, the concept of “winning” is so massive in today’s world that we allow such passion to blanket any genuine love of Christ and neighbor we may actually have to share. Then again, you cannot share what you ain’t got.

Art and artists freak lots of people out… as do missionaries.

More missionaries and artists with heads and hearts -please?! PLEASE!

Things to consider perhaps?

Except for my tour schedule I would have been there this year. With all my heart I plan to be at next year’s Audio Feed Festival. Hope to see you there 🙂

As always, I thank you for stopping by my site! -Glenn

GKB EuroTour Report 2

I have run out of words for Amazing, Wow, Flippin’ COOL, on it goes, this summer tour for us. Truth is, European peeps have always been sooo sweet to us. Grateful! So our Blues/rock being kindly received everywhere we go. and a good handful of shows left here in Germany and two in Switzerland before Ed and Hilde holiday in Norway, Roy and I head home to our sweet wives and family at JPUSA in Chicago.

These first pics are from Holland.

Now we are back into more German shows.

Ten days at home, then I head to Cleveland, Ohio area for an electric blues set with a number of cookin’ player-friends of mine and several other bands on the day! Then all over Ohio for prison gigs where the need for good news is So Great.

After this my family all assembles for a week off up north doncha know ‘eh -on Lake Michigan. Yes!

Ok, so we have a gig here tonight, I better keep movin’, here are a load of fresh pics from The Netherlands and around Germany over this past week. Hope your summer is a good one and hope to see you at a show soon 🙂

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

GKB EuropaTour Report 1

So I mentioned a report of myself and Wendi’s Western Tour coming… must put it off a bit more as the time is limited here on tour in Europe but I will indeed get to it. Much to say and show about that really sweet time!

Today I write on a day off prior to leaving for the next shows in Holland. So backing up a little:

Here are a small assortment (really!) of pics from tour thus far, more coming in time. So sorry but I have been so focused on our set this tour I have very few crowd shots and they’re not quality enough to put up at this point. Maybe further into the tour I’ll get some good ones!

Italy was amazing… as it has been for us in past years. Our friends in Roma and Torino were just the Best… sweet shows, audiences, and of course Supremo Kaffee 🙂

It was a bit hot for us in Rome (weather) but beautiful, and cooled off for us upper Midwest/Chicago peeps in Turin. But really, these were such cool shows.

Our long travel day up through northern Italy, then to Germany via Switzerland was again, beautiful.

The Alps, lakes and mountains, and (for me) old houses, farms and buildings always get me to smiling. I like the new and modern and there is much of that of course, but the old architecture gets my interest.

From time to time you see (as in the States on weekends) cool old car clubs all out for the ride. I got a shot of these lil’ Fiats in Italia. Nice.

Our German gigs have been equally amazing -the norm really, such cool peeps. A packed room the first night and so many old but many new friends as well, great chats afterward each set and just very kind hosts and this continued right through night after night. Biker’s gig complete with Essen’s Flying Angels club mascot: a super-sweet totally deaf (I’m getting there:) doggy…

Where/when you ask?

After many, many tours through Europe and Germany in particular with REZ Band, blues tours with Larry Howard, Darryl Mansfield, myself solo and of course GKB, for me, just seeing the names of cities all through Germany brings back a lot of great memories. I’ve played in quite a few of ’em.

The joy of bringing music we love to people we love is deep and satisfying. We trust many are open to hear our message and we continue to get great response so I thank God for His grace in it all. Missing my Wendi back in Chicago of course… thankful for technology and the Web for contact though.

Ok, I will likely only have time for one more Europa report which I may put up upon arriving home in Chicago due to schedule. Looking forward to Holland and Switzerland shows along with more in Germany!

Major THANKS to all the promoters and of course, friends and fans who’ve come out to our shows along our journey 🙂

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

 

 

GK, More- Electric Blues Show Near Cleveland

Looking very forward to this one! Frank Boyd Jr. and Eddie Day are amazing git-slingers and friends… with some cookin’ bands and bbq as well- this will be quite a time. Hope to see you there! Call John (see above) for any q’s. Motorcycles allowed 🙂 -Glenn

Tourist?

Nah, I never was much of a tourist. Well, in the woods yes, but in cities, not so much. I love rivers, lakes, the seas, I really like islands.

Having said all this I find myself in Rome today, doing the first of our shows on the tour tonight… and what I do like is cool building design, especially very old buildings, fountains and various sorts of art -which of course Rome is full of. But rest, doing webwork and prep. for the show as well as other communication is the deal right now so… no visiting the cool spots.

But the coffee was/is GREAT:)

So many people who hear of my/our travels with REZ Band and GKB, myself solo will say “WOW, COOL!! I wish I could join you!” regarding the many places we are able to see on the planet. I get that, but the truth is it’s the people, those who we meet, who come out to the shows, who we get to build relationships with over the years that really get the focus of my attention.

I’ve often tried to remind myself and others that the only thing we take out of this life when we leave are the relationships. Well, if we are Christ-followers at least. I seriously doubt other relationships will endure eternity.

So there is a sense in which I truly LIKE all the wonderful stuff I take photos of and sometimes get to see while on tour. Then again, it does seem to pale in comparison to the smile of my wife, the joy in my grandsons/daughters faces, seeing my girls and sons-in-law happy and at peace, and seeing people we meet around the world begin to recognize they are loved, truly loved.

This is what Jesus does in us as we journey.

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

Home for 2 Days

What a summer tour schedule… but all good! Well… no like being away from my Wendi for nearly a month w. the GKB European Tour but other than that, a full 3 weeks of my solo Western Tour was amazing and she and I had that time together. Grace in that!

I’ll blog on that in a day or two, and then send up short blurbs and a few pics as often as I can while in Europe.

For now, nice to sleep in our own bed… and I’m done driving for a while, ha! Chicago to near the ocean in Washington State, down near San Diego and back to Chicago again was quite the drive… but very worth it.

With that, if you are interested in the Glenn Kaiser Band Europa dates please see https://www.facebook.com/glennkaiserband or glennkaiser.de

As always, thanks for stopping by! And now I’m gonna sleep a bit 🙂 -Glenn