Kicking Off the Year at Destination Harley-Davidson of Silverdale

Today I played my first show of the year — a four-hour Mardi Gras set at Destination Harley-Davidson of Silverdale — and it was a solid way to get 2026 moving.

There’s something cool about playing in a motorcycle showroom. Bikes lined up across the floor, people wandering through with drinks in hand, conversations happening between songs. It doesn’t feel like a traditional venue, which is exactly why it works. The room feels open, relaxed, and real.

I ran a full four-hour set — a mix of originals and covers, stretching things out, taking requests, letting the set breathe. Long sets are different. You’re not sprinting through a tight 60-minute slot; you’re building something over time. By the second and third hour, the room settles in and you can feel the connection start to lock.

The Mardi Gras theme made it even better. There were king cakes on the tables (someone definitely found the baby), a lineup of solid mocktails, and a full gumbo cook-off happening a few feet from the stage. At one point the entire place smelled like roux and spice, which honestly isn’t a bad environment to play music in.

What I appreciated most was the mix of people — riders, families, regulars from past shows, and folks who just wandered in and stayed. That’s the kind of room I like: unpretentious, engaged, and there because they want to be there.

It felt good to plug in again after the turn of the year. Four hours is a commitment, but it’s the kind of commitment that reminds me why I do this in the first place.

If this show is any indication, it’s going to be a busy year. And I’m here for it.