Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Friday November 07, 2025 - High Springs, FL

Road Blog
November 7, 2025
High Springs, Florida

We pulled out of Chattanooga at the ripe and early hour of 9am, around the giant tree that fell into street overnight and the city workers working to clear it, and stopped for biscuits at this little market near our AirBB called Hoppy's North River Corner Market. Great little joint with amazing made-to-order breakfast biscuits. We crossed the Tennessee river and eventually into Georgia where the soft majority decision was made to stop at Buccee’s for a bio break and the give the couple guys who haven’t been the experience. It’s basically if WalMart was a gas station, but there are some redeeming qualities too. I got some of the fresh jerky and it was pricey but, to be honest, really good.

Kernel kept `er between the ditches, through Atlanta, around Valdosta, through Macon, and eventually into Florida, just as we started seeing palm trees. We rocked out the next couple Fleetwood Mac and KISS albums, including the first Mac album with Christine McVie as a full-time member and KISS ALIVE! There were a couple palette cleansers in-between, with Tommy DJing, and the 7-hour drive went by fairly quickly and painlessly.

We got off I-75 and drove into High Springs and to the house of Terry and Mike, some friends of Jack, who were putting us up on their property outside of town. It’s a great spot down some back roads with a couple cottages on a giant lot with some old-growth pine trees, herds of deer, and giant cawing crows. Somehow I got a cabin of my own - I think the tour party is sympathetic to making sure the old guy is comfortable. It’s a great little room and couldn’t be more cozy.

We didn’t have much time for socializing as we had to get to the gig after the long drive, so we dropped off our luggage, socialized with our hosts for a bit, climbed back in the van and headed into town. High Springs Brewing Company sits on the edge of the small downtown. It’s a mostly outdoor/patio style place with a small tap room and cool stage outside with palm trees lining the property. We met the staff and the owner, who were very welcoming and accommodating, grabbed a round of pints, set up, and sound-checked. Tommy had the PA dialed in in no time, almost like he’s done it a hundred times. We met some locals who seemed excited to have us in town, and a bunch of Jack’s friends, excited to see him back in Florida.

I went on at 7pm to a great crowd and did a couple songs by myself then Adam came up and we did a couple more before the whole band came up and did our JP set. We’re really clicking on this material and it’s getting a bit rowdier each night. I stepped down after about an hour to let The Wild Honey Collective do their thing, ordered an amazing shrimp po’ boy from the food truck, chatted up with a girl from Lansing, and went back up with the band for the last 45 minute set of covers and originals. It’s generally the part of the night that’s a bit…looser than the rest of the set, but that chaos can be fun too. The highlight for me was my song “Don’t You Know,” which Jack has kinda latched onto and was laying down some beautiful licks and harmonies. It was a fun night in a great setting with an engaged crowd.

We wrapped around 10pm, had a couple more rounds, chatted with some locals, and headed out. The boys missed the food-truck window so food was in order, and options are limited in these parts late-night, but Wawa was a short distance and more than served our purposes. WaWa is a gas station/convenience store/made-to-order fast food. I was still full from the po’ boy but stocked up on some breakfast foods and a bag of ice for back at the cabins.

We pulled back in around midnight and had a couple nightcaps in the RV where Jack and Nicholas were crashing, sharing war stories and analyzing the gigs so far. Before long we went to our respective places and crashed out around 2am.

This morning I woke up in no hurry, made a coffee, and set up camp out on the front porch of my cabin. Adam came over for some chats and some coffee, then Jack, then Mike and Terry came over, and eventually Kernel. It’s been a downright pleasant morning with a woodpecker working on a nearby cypress tree, a bunch of crows flying around and cawing, and some roosters from a neighboring farm calling in the distance.

We’re not sure what the rest of the day will entail, but it’s nice to have a day with no drive, in a beautiful, quiet setting, to just hang and decompress. It’s great to be in Florida and I’m hoping to catch an alligator before we leave. See ya tonight, same place, same time.