We had another occasion to celebrate this week. Junebug played their first show (aside from a battle of the bands) in Minneapolis, at the Uptown Bar. We’ve been looking forward for months to the time when Junebug began to play shows in the Minneapolis area, and after the battle of the bands last month, things finally seemed like they were going to come together. The album is finished and will be out in August – and the boys are really kicking it into high gear when it comes to booking shows. It is very exciting!
After we heard that Junebug had two shows planned – one on June 12th and one on June 17th – we told Liza’s family that they absolutely had to come for the first show. We decided that they could make a weekend of it – come down on Thursday, go to the show, and then spend the weekend in the cities. It took them quite a while to be sure that they actually could come down for the weekend, but they finally figured out that it would work.
Liza spent Tuesday and Wednesday catching up on work and making sure that the house was ready for company. We’ve actually not had any overnight guests here before, and Liza’s family hasn’t been here since the day we moved in, so they haven’t seen it all organized and lived-in. So, we were very excited for the weekend to be here!
On Thursday, Tony had to head in to town to meet the band at around 5. Liza’s parents and brother Michael arrived a little before 6. They also brought their three Klee Kai with them, so it has been a very full house.
Michael couldn’t get in to the Uptown Bar, so Liza, Mark and Diane took him to dinner in Howard Lake at Sunni’s Grill, and then set him up in the house for the evening. Liza left Willie and Daisy and Solo running loose in the house, and kenneled the rest of the dogs. After settling in with some chips, some oreos, lots of soda, and the Wii, as well as instructions on how to run the other television for TV watching, Diane, Mark, and Liza headed into the city for the show. Michael was a bit nervous being left on his own, but he knew that with Willie and Daisy loose in the house, he was safer than he’d be anywhere else.
The show at the Uptown was absolutely phenomenal. We can’t speak for the whole band, but we do know that Liza and her parents enjoyed the heck out of it. It was just so good to see Junebug back up there on stage where they belong, and to know that they’ve really got something that no one else has ever had before – something that makes them unique and allows them to stand out in the crowd. A lot of Junebug friends were in the audience, so there was a great dance crowd going on at the end of show – including Mark and Diane. Definite Johnson Family highlights included the song “Maybe I’m not the Stalker You’ve Been Looking For” dedicated to Diane – and Anthony saying “That’s going out to Mrs. Johnson cos we know she likes songs about stalkers” as well as Tony introducing it as “This song is dedicated to my mother in law – Maybe I’m Not the Stalker You’ve Been Looking For”.
The Kollmans and the Johnsons got back to Howard Lake, and a sleeping Michael, at about 1:30 AM. We all stayed up late talking because we had so much to talk about. We were pumped up from the show and, as always, had lots of gossip to talk about. You stick us and Mark and Diane in one place long enough, and we’ll cycle through discussions on just about anything.
We were all in bed by 3 AM – The Kollmans upstairs in Liza’s office on an air bed, with our three Klee Kai and Solo – Michael on an air mattress in Tony’s office with Libby, Rx and Ringo in the kennel in the porch, and Mark and Diane in our bedroom. We had a very short night – as we were up and at it all by about 9 AM. We planned out our day and left Howard Lake around 10:30.
Today we spent all afternoon at the Minnesota Zoo. We had a fantastic time wandering through all of the exhibits, and although it was a bit cold we really enjoyed ourselves. The animals are great – and the habitats that they have for them are so intricate and interesting. It was a really great afternoon – be sure to check out all of the photos!
We drove to the Mall of America after the zoo, so that we could at the Rain Forest Cafe. It is always a great time. We love the restaurant, and Michael had never been to it before, so he enjoyed himself too. After dinner Liza and Michael went on one of the roller coasters in what used to be called Camp Snoopy but is now something to do with Nickelodeon. Then, we headed home to Howard Lake, and had a relaxing evening letting the dogs play together and watching the news.
Tomorrow we are heading back out again for more adventures – the Science Museum and Star Wars exhibit, for one. Stay tuned!
And check out the pictures!
