It was a crazy idea I know. But crazy ideas are something that I seem to have no shortage of.
In 2019, I had a gig in Manchester, UK, and I travelled on IcelandAir. Bill, an college friend, who was travelling with me, and I opted for the 3-day layover in Reykjavík on the return trip, and since I had my guitar in tow, I decided to see if I could get a gig while there. I was lucky enough to book a performance in Akureyri, so we drove the 5 hours (actually 7 including a side-trip to Kirkjufell) around the ring road to Akureyri Backpackers.
It was an amazing evening. I don't think I've ever felt as welcome at a venue as I did in that little pub in the North of Iceland. Everyone there was so helpful and kind. When I got there, local folks came out of the woodwork with equipment and set up a sound system, and everyone was so patient with my poor Icelandic and encouraged me. It was magic.
When the show was over, we stayed up way later than we intended talking with all the new friends we had made, and Bjarni, an Icelander who had helped me book the gig, said to me, "I think you should do this in towns around the ring road. I think it would work." That's all it took.
So 3 years later, despite a pandemic, travel restrictions and other obstacles, I found myself back in Iceland with my guitar. My wife Mary joined me as did Bill and his wife Maria. With 4 shows around the ring road, I was able to see more of Iceland and meet more of it's wonderful people. And once again it was magic!