a [free state] before [the civil wars]

it's amazing how 150 years can change things.  last tuesday my friends and i traveled to lawrence and enjoyed beer from free state brewery before catching the civil wars show.  if you know your kansas history, you'll catch the irony in that.  however, unlike the devastating bleeding kansas days leading up to the civil war, tuesday was pure bliss.  my friends and i enjoyed sitting around a table at free state, conversing and joking back and forth while slowly filling up on the amazing food and beer the brewery is known for.  heading next door to liberty hall, anxiously awaiting the civil wars, we were all blown away by the opening act, the staves. their simple stylings and flawless harmonies set the mood for the civil wars.  i'm not sure if the crowd was just memorized by the performance or just being incredibly respectful, but when joy sang along with john and his guitar, their lyrics and chords were the only sounds in the hall.  only after the song was finished  would the audience erupt in applause, creating a surreal experience for everyone in attendance.

if you get a chance, catch up on some kansas history, with a [free state] ad astra ale and [the civil wars] album barton hollow.