2024 Tour – Phase 3 – ‘Detroit, Michigan and Canada’
As the story continued to unfold on our epic journey, it’s important to mention here that at the end of phase 2, we took a break in Prince Edward Island, Canada. This is the home of Ann Of Green Gables – a lifelong favourite of Mummager and Kym’s. It was their desire to take a moment here to recover and to see some of Canada’s far North East. So we headed North from Boston, hopped the border into Canada and headed on our 2 day drive up to Prince Edward Island. An entire story for another time… but suffice to say one of the most spectacular and special moments we’ve had together on tour – a breath, beauty, recuperation and nourishment…
It was at this point that we’d realised with the amount of invitations from venues across the country, that perhaps we should consider staying in the country. We’d only originally intended on being in the USA for 3 months to do Folk Alliance, then our Austin To Boston tour. But after Folk Alliance, the folk music world began to open its arms to us and man invitations began to flow. We had working visa in place to stay already… So with a big breath, we considered the route we would take, made some calls and grounded venues, and made the announcement to the world that we were going to stay for another 4 months…! And that is how an intended 3 month tour turned into an epic 9 months on the road…
So here we were at the beginning again, the beginning of the next phase of our amazing journey around the country, again…! When we regathered on the other side of our break, we re-emerged in Detroit. And what an amazing place…! Detroit has a layered reputation, one of both struggle and rebirth. Entering the city, we passed grand crumbling buildings that hinted at former glory, alongside new signs of revitalisation, murals, cafes, and pockets of creativity blooming and affluence beginning to blossom once more. Detroit is a surviver! Our Airbnb here was unlike anything we’d stayed in before: a huge, historic mansion with towering ceilings, creaky floors, and countless bedrooms and hallways. Our host, Jeff, was an enthusiastic, slightly chaotic character, who’d was still renovating and had just started renting the space. By total Grace we ended up with the whole house (a whole other story to be told here…). It felt like stepping into another time and a total gift as we landed back on our feet moving forward on our next tour path. That evening, we settled into our respective rooms, grateful for four nights in one place. The entire band was scattered across different parts of this giant house, some upstairs, some down. But it was super cosy in its own way. We spent the night unwinding, journaling and gathering ourselves. Kym was so inspired to use the mansion’s elegant piano room to film a music video, and with only a short window before we had to leave the next day, we all dressed and gathered for a magical shoot around the beautiful old grand piano. Just 30 minutes later, we wrapped, grateful for the space and moment. (If you haven’t seen this video – here it is – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVOUb_qVEZA).
As we were departing Detroit heading north, with the weather heating up, Mummager suggested a swim, and after some quick research, we drove 30 minutes north to Lake Saint Clair. According to Google, it had beach access, but when we arrived we noticed no-one in the wares… And asked a nearby couple, they quickly advised us not to swim there due to regular e-coli outbreaks! So instead, they recommended heading further north to Port Huron and suggested a local spot called The Raven café on the way. As it turned out, they were both vegan and ran a non-profit for animal shelters. Mummager shared our band’s journey, the Garden at home, and our Instagram pages. They were stunned to meet Australians on the shores of Michigan, and we left the encounter feeling as though we’d collected two more hearts.
Arriving at Port Huron, the water was a stunning electric blue. We pulled into a carpark near the lake and met a woman named Michelle at the ticket booth (yes paying to go to beaches in the USA is still such a foreign thing to us Aussies…). She began talking about her recent move from Phoenix back to Michigan and hesitantly shared that she was family to someone named Chester Bennington. Initially, none of us connected the name. She changed the subject and pointed us to a better swimming spot nearby. But as we drove away, Kym looked up the name as it seemed familiar, and we realised Chester Bennington was the lead singer of the famous rock band Linkin Park, who had written a song called ‘One More Light’, a song we had learned and performed during a period of deep loss, after our dear friend passed away. Chester Bennington had taken his own life not long after we learned the song. We quickly turned the car around and called to Michelle through the window, telling her we knew and performed the song. As she walked back over to us, she bursed. Mummager and Kym got out and embraced her. She shared that she often felt Chester around her, sending signs, and that meeting us was clearly one of them. She called it the sign she had been looking for. We could feel the Grace at work again, unfolding in the most spontaneous and unplannable way. Later that day, we received a comment on our Woodstock video on YouTube, it was Michelle. She said she was our latest fan and was listening through all of our music. We finally made it to our new swimming spot – white sand and crystal aqua water that looked like the beaches of home. But when we stepped in—it wasn’t salt! The sensation of fresh water on our skin from such a massive lake took us a moment to comprehend. It was the size of an ocean, yet it wasn’t salty… such a strange feeling for Aussies… Nature always has surprises.
We headed north right up to the tip of Michigan, to a little town called Cheboygan. It was a birthday weekend for Tristan, and part of the treat was this red log cabin tucked into the trees, complete with a winding river out front and that Northern fairytale magic in the air. We arrived in the afternoon, eager to explore, and took a walk to soak in the serene beauty. But the forest had a surprise waiting for us…
As we returned from our walk, excited to settle in, someone spotted the first tick… then another… and another. Thirteen in total began crawling up our legs and onto our clothes, and alarm bells went off. They looked just like the Australian shellbacks, ticks that Mummager is seriously allergic to. Suddenly, this peaceful forest retreat turned into a minor emergency. Kym jumped into action, messaging the Airbnb host in real-time, counting ticks and asking what on earth we were dealing with. Minutes later, the neighbour arrived with eucalyptus oil in hand. Fortunately, they were ‘dog ticks’, not as dangerous, just a little too friendly. Still, that was the last time we ventured too far outdoors during our stay. ‘Inside Cabin’ life it was!
Our show in Cheboygan was a true gift. A beautiful little venue called The Lark Theatre – intimate, heartfelt, and surprisingly familiar in vibe, reminding us of our venue and cafe at home in Tyalgum. We’d spent the morning wandering through the farmers market, handing out flyers and connecting with the locals. People were curious and warm, intrigued by this Aussie folk band rolling into town. So much so that The Lark decided to host two back-to-back shows to meet the demand, both completely sold out. The performances were electric. Tears flowed freely in the audience, hearts cracked open, and love filled the space. One woman, grieving the loss of her son, broke down completely during Kymrie’s beautiful singing of ‘Where Light Rests’. Mummager noticed and quietly moved to the back of the room to hold her in a moment. By the night’s end, that same woman was up dancing with Mummager, smiling through her tears, liberated. This is the magic we keep encountering. Wherever we go, the energy and feeling makes itself known – this living fifth element, moving invisibly through the music and presence, creating spaces where something deeper can happen. That night, still high from the show, we stopped at a nearby bar to debrief. What we didn’t know was that we were walking straight into Cheboygan’s version of a bucks party – cowboys, fishermen, beer, and neon lights. We stepped through the doors in flowing purple and pink outfits, and every person turned to look at us, as if we’d arrived from another plant… a real tumbleweed moment. But within minutes, laughter filled the space. People opened up. One staggering cowboy paused mid-exit to stare at Kym and Showme before sluring “Jesus… I haven’t even had mushrooms yet!” and disappearing into the night. Classic. And then, like all good movie plots, the sound man from our earlier gig walked in. Recognising our car outside, he stopped by to say hi… and to invite us somewhere even stranger: a bar down the road where Elvis has been performing karaoke since the 70s. Of course we went. It was so surreal. The moment we walked in we knew we’d entered a time warp, something out of a David Lynch film. Yes, Elvis was there. Literally. In the same corner, in the same outfit, singing to the same crowd with the same gear he’s used for 40+ years. It was bizarre and beautiful all at the same time.
Next Stop Canada for a brief 2 day stint:
Border Ping-Pong: USA to Canada
As we approached the USA, Canada border, we found ourselves in a border-crossing ordeal. Trucks lined both lanes so thickly that we accidentally missed the USA customs office altogether and drove straight across the large bridge into Canada without getting our Carnet paperwork stamped (a special passport for all of our instruments and sound gear that needs to be logged at every border crossing, in and out of the country. It’s a thing, but when you know what you are doing and where to go, it’s not really a big deal…). Luckily, we were met by the kindest Canadian customs officer, who seemed genuinely charmed by our honest happy Aussie confusion of having arrived in Canada and needing to go staight back to the USA to do the paperwork, then re-enter Canada again…!. With a smile and a shake of his head, he gave us the necessary paperwork and sent us back across the bridge toward the USA. Once again surrounded by trucks, we made our way to the proper USA checkpoint, where another helpful officer assisted us in completing the documentation, turned us around, and sent us back across the bridge to Canada. It was a bit like a ping-pong match – USA to Canada, back to the USA, then finally into Canada once more. Our friendly Canadian officer was waiting, paperwork in hand, and waved us through with a grin. Three and a half hours later, we finally reached our first BNB in Canada, just in time to rest before our one and only show in the country. Though a little exhausting, the whole episode was filled with kindness and grace.
On the day we arrived at our B&B, we met the lovely owner who told us about a small school community nearby that she thought would love our music. Intrigued, we decided to visit the next morning before heading into town to promote our upcoming show. What we discovered was a little grassroots homeschool community called Mother Earth Learning Village. It was unlike anything we’d encountered, no fences, no shoes, children running freely everywhere – a kind of wild, earthy vibrance. The woman leading the program welcomed us warmly and gave us a tour. It had a bit of a gypsy village feel, raw and idealistic. We ended up singing a song to the children in their little dome classroom. To our surprise, the kids fell silent as we played, completely immersed in the moment. It was beautiful to be able to share that with them. They absolutely adored Kym, who, with her long blonde hair and flowing dress, looked every bit like a Princess from another land. There were lots of hugs and instant heart connections, new little fans of The Heart Collectors were born that day.
That night, we performed in the old church venue in Waterloo. We hadn’t realised until we arrived that it was still a functioning United Church, not just a music hall. But it was a beautiful old cathedral like building. The music flowed effortlessly at the show that night aided by the beautiful acoustics. The response was incredibly powerful. Many stayed afterward to talk, to share, to connect. Invitations to return came quickly…
On our return to the USA, we chose a new route, this time entering through Detroit border crossing. Big mistake…! Little did we know or realise, the Detroit crossing is one of the main trade arteries between the two countries, and the sheer number of trucks lining the roads was overwhelming – lining up for miles ahead of the crossing. Once at the border, we were directed to park the van and enter the immigration office. It was the most intense crossing we’d experienced. The border agents were clearly on high alert, searching for drugs, weapons, or human trafficking. We were just a folk band from Australia, but the bureaucracy was thick and unyielding. Despite the tension, we made it through. As always, Mummager directed the tone, centred, calm, happy, and eventually the mood softened, (even thought you know you haven’t done anything wrong, there’s always a feeling at these kinds of crossings in the air like you’re made to feel guilty). But the agents let down their guard, realising we weren’t a threat. Once through, we made our way back to the mansion in Detroit, a beautiful home whose owner had invited us to return with open arms. It was the perfect place to rest before the next leg of our journey.
Now, it’s time to move again. The journey takes us southwest across the country, with shows all the way down to New Mexico and then north to Colorado through August. Please hold us close as we move forward. This is more than a music tour. It is becoming ever more clear that we are here at a pivotal moment, not only for the USA, but for the whole world. So bringing the bright happy current wherever we go seems to be truly needed.
Tour Video 3
Here’s a 25min video screen shot of our entire Phase 3 Instagram Real! Kymrie does an amazing job managing our social media. It’s such a good journey to watch… just like putting on Netflix 🙂 So grab a cuppa, sit down in a comfy chair and ENJOY!
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