Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Friday May 09, 2025 - Wausau, WI

Road Blog
May 9, 2025
Wausau, Wisconsin

I left the BnB in Minnesota around 10:30am and headed back east towards Wisconsin. It was a beautiful warm, sunny day. As I crossed the Mississippi River back into La Crosse, a bald eagle flew overhead, and if you’ve been reading the blogs in recent years, you know that is usually an omen of good luck. I hit I-94 and veered north for a few minutes before I was routed onto a 2-lane highway east. As I passed through a nature preserve, I saw a second bald eagle flying over the water and gave him the Jeremiah Johnson head nod. Eventually I hit I-39 and headed into Wausau.

I hit Innersleeve Records, where I’ve wanted to stop for a couple years, and perused the bins for a few minutes. It’s a small store dealing mostly in new vinyl, and they were busy, which was good to see. I walked around a couple blocks of the downtown area but my bladder was full and I was wiped out from the long set and late night on Thursday so I headed south into Rothschild and checked into my motel. From my window I watched a couple painters clean their buckets and trays, dumping the runoff into the storm sewer, which certainly leads to a waterway somewhere. I’m sure the bald eagles love their fish marinated in latex paint, I thought.

After a couple hours of downtime, including some email catchup and a little nappy-nap, I got myself together and headed back north into Wausau. First stop was Taco John's. You might wonder if I am incapable of learning lessons from negative experiences, and the answer is clearly “no.” However, compared the disaster and subsequent trauma caused by the Taco John’s in Marion, Illinois, this place was friggin’ Tavern on the Green. The girl taking my order was pleasant and fast, food came out accurate, fast, and hot, and it was downright yummy. A great experience! I’m starting to think that John Brown is right – the Marion franchise really is the problem.

Nevermore on Third is an Edgar Allen Poe-themed bar that used to be called the Polack Inn. While I miss the old moniker, despite it’s cultural political-incorrectness, they’ve really put a nice face on the joint, inside and out. New ownership is behind the changes, but they’ve remained committed to live music and kept Frank on as manager/talent booker and some of the other staff on to help, so the vibe is very much the same, and it felt great to be back for the first time since The Tucos played there in 2022. I said hello to the other bands, including my pals from CASHED, who played with us back then.

Elk Startled By Thunder, from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, went on first and they played some tight punk rock with forays into more melodic, groove-driven stuff every few songs. Great bass playing and guitar tones, efficient songs, and high energy. Can’t wait to check out the CD! After them I played a 45-minute set to a decent crowd. It was the best I’ve played in a few shows, and I felt right at home on stage in a punk dive, my comfort zone for sure. After me, old pals Cashed went on and played their energetic and fun punk rock. They had crowd noise piped in between songs, which was hilarious (once I figured out it wasn’t amplifier buzz). Super fun band, great dudes.

Afterwards we got a photo to document the occasion, sold a little merch, hugs and goodbyes, and back to the motel. I stopped at a gas station for a half-pint of milk because for some inexplicable reason I have some heartburn going. Couldn’t possibly be from Taco John’s from tonight and Boxcar Hippie the night before could it? Anyhow, the girl at the gas station was a little lonely at 2am and made sure to ease any concerns I might have had by informing me that the milk had just come off the truck and don’t worry – it’s fresh. She always makes sure the milk isn’t expired. She quickly picked up that I was a musician and showed me her tattoo of the bass clef, except “I know, it’s backwards” she giggled. Anyhow, she warned me about the many cops that were on patrol and be careful. I raised my milk bottle and told her I’d pace myself, and headed to the motel where I crashed out around 2:30am.

This morning I got in on the lobby breakfast just before it ended, so it’s a shower and off to Rockford, Illinois for some Cheap Trick sightseeing, a stop at my fav record store, and hopefully some Beefaroo before my show tonight at Marys Place with Mana Kintorso . Maybe Bunezuela Carlos will make an appearance!

Thanks to Frank, Cashed and Elk Startled By Thunder for a super fun show last night! You you all soon! Xo