Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Saturday November 15, 2025 - Akron, OH

Road Blog
November 15, 2025
Akron, Ohio

The boys rallied unusually promptly on Saturday morning and got out of the 1880s-era farmhouse around 11:30. Fiona the farm kitty was very social and wanted to help us load our luggage and gear out to the van so she led the way on each trips to and from the house. I was glad to see she’d survived the night after Joel callously wouldn’t let her stay inside the night before. I half expected to see her bones being picked clean by the eagles in the field when I woke up and giving him an "Told ya so," but she’s probably smarter than that. We talked to our host for a while, visited the Guinea fowl, gave Fiona some last scratches, and moved on.

We made a quick stop at McDonald's to see my Panamanian girlfriend from the previous morning (there may have also been talk of coffee and food between some members of the touring party, it’s unclear). We walked in and she gave me a big smile, “hiiiii,” and an enthusiastic wave from the kitchen and came over and asked if we all needed coffees like the day before. “What’d I tell ya?” I said to Jack under my breath as I nudged his arm with my elbow. Parting was sweet sorrow, but next time I am in Mt. Airy, Maryland, there will be a visit to McDonalds on my itinerary. When we got back in the van I boasted “See boys, I still got it!” as the band collectively rolled their eyes and moaned in unison, Salt N Pepa “Stick It” played, and we headed north towards Pennsylvania.

It was a cloudy but mild day and spirits were high after a great day in Baltimore and a fun show. We crossed the Antietam Creek, then into Pennsylvania for some gas and munchies at Sheetz. Jack, vowing that he’d had his fill of Sheetz for 10 lifetimes, Froggered it across a busy highway to a subshop a quarter mile away rather than choke down another made-to-order gas station breakfast burrito. Me? I was nursing a bit of a headache and general lack of kick in my step on the count of the partying in Baltimore, so I got a small mac and cheese and a grilled turkey/cheese/avocado/ OLD BAY® wrap that definitely helped a bit. We picked up Jack and headed towards Ohio.

We got into some 80’s Fleetwood Mac that was spotty at best, and some 80’s KISS that started super strong with Lick It Up, but took a nose dive as the afternoon wore on with the mediocre Animalize (“Burn Bitch Burn” is a better song than the name would imply, but it’s about a 1.5 stars album), then on the way home Crazy Nights, which, after the opening, self-titled track, is terrible. The Fleetwood Mac material was a more gradual decent into sub-mediocrity, though like I have a soft-spot for any KISS, Tommy has a fondness for even these Fleetwood Mac records. As we crossed into Michigan at 2am, the no Stevie/Lindsey album was Crazy Nights level bad, with one Christine song that stood out to me as worthwhile.

Anyhow, we pulled into the Kennmore Square neighborhood in Akron and loaded into the Rialto Theatre. I said hello to Brian and Staci, Seth, great Ohio pal Scott Goldy, Dawn and Don, Robb, and the openers Easton Union. We sound-checked and ordered a round.

I ate some meatballs that were pretty great, and we watched Easton Union play a great set of rock/soul originals. These guys were rock-solid; super great musicianship, very well rehearsed, solid tunes, and great dynamics and space. We loved them. We went on second to a respectable crowd and did an hour of our A-list material. Tommy, egged on by Nicholas, was in Paul-Stanley-Stage-Banter mode and the audience seemed to respond by chirping back with some banter of their own. The response to our songs and solos was great and, as with Baltimore, it wasn’t our tightest set (I think we peaked in Raleigh), but it was spirited and fun and we left it all up there.

Buddy Brian Lisik, brand new Fender Jazzmaster in tow, and his band The Immoral Standards went on after us and played the most ROCKin’ set of the night with his fantastic songs, some killer guitar tones, and “Alex Chilton” by The Replacements closing out a great night of music.

After our set, while we were tearing down, Brian introduced me to his mom, a sweet lady, who thought I was Brian when she walked in and couldn’t understand why her son was playing with this weird band. Brian and I look pretty similar, which has become a theme at the gigs we play together. She joked that while she was pregnant there was another baby but Brian killed it, and I boasted that it was all an elaborate hoax, and that I actually got away and survived, fled to the Eastern Block of Europe, and here I am! She was very sweet, reminding me of my own mom who would come to my shows when she could, and we had a couple good laughs throughout the night.

After the show we said our goodbyes, loaded out, and hit the road, north to the Ohio Turnpike, then west towards Toledo. We crossed into Michigan around 2am, and up to my place in Plymouth just shy of 3am. Tommy, Joel and Jack helped me get all my gear, luggage, and merch onto my porch, hugs and “love ya’”s and off they went. Nicholas and Adam were out cold in the van and I didn’t want to wake them up, but the sentiment certainly applies to them as well.

The tale of the tape is 11 shows in 11 nights. 3000 miles, 10 states, several burritos, tacos, pizzas, scratch-offs, Wawas and Sheetz, 5 alligators, 9 bald eagles, 1 rat, 1 armadillo, 1 raccoon, hundreds of deer and birds, multiple jellyfish, man-o-war, pelicans, horses, fowl, cats, dogs…

The partying, exploring, eating, and travel was all super fun, but being on stage with these dudes was the best part. They put in the work early and took my songs to places I didn’t know they could go. They let me sit in and add some texture to their songs, which was a treat for me too.

Nicolas is the rock of the band. His bass playing is flawless, and his sense of timing and when to get busy and when to lay back is impeccable. The only thing better than that were his harmonies - the glue to the complicated 4-part vocal tapestry every night. The timing of his jokes from the back of the van was equally on-point, out of nowhere, and gut-splitting funny.

Jack (aka Kris Krisofferson) broke hearts every night with his vocals on “Mr. Right” and “Dark Hollow.” His solos generated applause and hoots in each set. He took my song “Don’t You Know,” which was never great, and made it great with his chops. Mad respect.

Kernel (aka Billy Corrigan's cousin) drove every single mile of the trip, and every single beat on stage. I (aka Rod Stewart) loved looking back and seeing him laser-focused on the song, occasionally wiggling my ass and giving him a wink when I could distract him from his work. We were the pilot and co-pilot, getting the boys home safe every night.

Adam (aka Kenny G) was the rock star, the one who got heads turning with his pedal steel playing. Something clicked before our DC show and his chops got louder, flashier, and more spirited from there on out for some reason. I think it was his mega-hangover that triggered the change. It was awesome.

And Tommy (aka that dude from Crash Test Dummies) is my partner in crime, the mastermind of the whole operation, crafting setlists and arrangements on the fly, wrangling the troops when they needed wrangling, making decisions that needed making, and providing valuable insight on the ever-changing lineups of Fleetwood Mac.

I love all you dudes. Thank you also for giving me, the old guy, the tour dad, shotgun the whole time and my pick of bedrooms. Neither were expected or necessary, but very appreciated. And for putting up with Judas Priest, Metallica, Nancy Sinatra, Saigon Soul, Salt N Pepa (of course), and all the other stuff I played that’s never been heard in a Wild Honey van before, and probably won’t again. Or will it? ??

And THANKS to you for reading. One more run this year for me, out to Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin in December. Until then… xo