Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Wednesday July 09, 2025 - Toledo, OH

Road Blog
July 9, 2025
Toledo, Ohio

Welcome back – first road blog since Baltimore, on May 17th. This weekend I’m heading to Buddies Fest in Tillsonburg, Ontario for 3 days of music by a couple dozen great bands, and somehow I’m in that mix too, so I’m very grateful, excited, and anxious as it approaches. A few weeks back buddy Chad Price ( Drag The River/ALL) contacted me about opening a couple midwest warm-up shows he was doing on his way to Tillsonburg and of course I was on board. My pal Adam Aymor (current The Wild Honey Collective , ex-Cheap Girls) offered up his pedal-steel talents so we’re doing this run as a duo, which is a lot of fun for me and adds a little something special to the mix that I haven’t done before for these shows.

Adam arrived at my place mid-afternoon and we ran through the set for just the second time ever. It was a little rough around the edges in some parts but overall coming together. TrooperGirl22 got home from work as we were heading out and she can’t make the shows this week so we ran through “Huckleberry” for her so she could have a taste. We packed up, loaded out, and hit Taco Bell on the way to the highway. TB has been my nemesis post-Covid. They used to be amazing, then they took a nose-dive in quality and a high-dive in prices, but they seem to have the quality part mostly figured out anyhow. The burrito supreme was just what the doctor ordered and we were southbound. Back-to-back versions of “Foolin’” by Def Leppard was the soundtrack, one live from the LA Forum, NYE 1983, which Adam loved, and the Pyromania studio version. The drive was uneventful and we pulled into Frankie’s in Toledo just after 6PM.

Chad and his band Chad Price Peace Coalition were unloading their van and we said hellos and loaded in ourselves. We were up first so we set up in front of the drum kit and did a quick soundcheck. Frankies is a bar that I’ve been playing since 1991, February 24 to be exact, and even through there was a 16-year block that I didn’t play there (returning June 2007) it always feels like home. A deep bar with the band room on the left/south and a bar running along the north wall, and pool tables and dart boards in the right/north room, where band merch is also set up. I always remember the Doughboys mural on the back wall back in those early days, which seemed so niche but so awesome to us 21 year-old fans when we'd go down and play Sunday matinees organized by John Stabb from Government Issue .

Adam and I had a whiskey and chatted with Chad and his band a bit while doors opened and we waited to go on. We played at 8pm for about 40 minutes and agreed it was our best set yet (after the 2 practices) and felt good about it. Top-notch sound at Frankie’s, always, and good people there. After us The Rob Matterhorn Band went on and really impressed us with fantastic songs, playing, and guitar tones. They had it all going on. The guitars played off each-other, not just duplicating the parts as we see so often, the bassist Joe sang some fantastic harmonies, and it was a lot of fun. Pretty sure I’ll be crossing paths with these dudes again.

The Chad Price Peace Coalition went on around 10 and did about 10,14 great songs ranging from sparse, slower numbers to upbeat rockers. Chad’s voice is in fine form, and his songs are awesome. The band, flown in to the Midwest for this run from Portland, Oregon, were killer, playing appropriate for the songs and laying back when it called for that. The guitar solo in the last song went on for a while and was great – in a “Cortez the Killer”/”Free Bird” sort if way, without any pretense. Haven't heard an SG sound that buttery and stay in tune that well in a while. I’ve only ever seen Chad with ALL, and only once, I think (not sure), but he’s got 3 sets at BuddiesFest and we’re playing with him again in Windsor tonight on the way there, so I’m looking forward to taking it in again.

After their set we sold a little merch, said our goodbyes and “good luck at the border,” and headed back north to Michigan. We got home around 12:30am and crashed out pretty quickly. This was my 14th show in Toledo and Chad’s first, as far as he can remember. Frankie’s is always a good time and even though the Upper Peninsula was a pretty good trade for Toledo after the Toledo War, I always enjoy playing there.

Today we head to Windsor, Ontario, with the only thing between being the stressful Canadian border crossing. Knock on wood it’s been fine the last few times, so I’m trying to be chill about it. Any Detroit Buddies who can should come over for the show tonight at Meteor (another great room), and support Chad and us while we make our way to BuddiesFest. They’ve got a great scene in Windsor too, and it’s been a couple years for me. Dean George is playing too, we're up first. See ya there! Xx