Going into this one at Coal Creek Brewing in Princeton, we honestly weren’t sure what we were walking into. A Tuesday, 5–7 PM, a private group Jim was hosting, and a room we’d never played before. We didn’t know where we’d set up, how loud we should be, or if people would be listening closely or just chatting over us.
Early signs this was going to be our kind of room
Coal Creek sits right on South Main, and they’ve got this retractable front window that basically turns the whole front of the place into an open-air stage. Bartender Kate pointed us to the usual band spot right in front of that window, with the outdoor bar directly behind us. Once we opened everything up, a cool July breeze came through and our sound drifted out onto the sidewalk and patio. Not bad for a Tuesday.
While we were setting up, we started noticing little signs that this might be a good fit. One of the taps was a Grateful Dead-themed craft beer, which is basically a direct line to Tom’s heart. Then Joni Mitchell’s “California” came on over the house speakers—another one of Tom’s all-time favorites. We remember thinking, “Okay, I think we’re in the right place.”
Jim, who brought everyone together for this, showed up not long after. Super kind guy, easy to talk to. He filled us in: a mix of friends, some folks from civic groups he’s involved in, and a handful of people who were newer to the area and just getting connected. A bunch of them turned out to be musicians too, which always keeps you on your toes in a good way.
Full-circle connections and surprise guests
One of those musicians was Payton Schott, who owns West Main Coffee & Books in Toulon. I used to play music with her a few years back. Our side project never totally found its lane, but it ended on good terms, and I’ve always thought the world of her as a person and as a musician. She’s also the one who helped connect us with Jim for this Coal Creek date, so this gig was kind of the Toulon–Galva–Princeton triangle closing a loop.
There was a funny moment at the bar before I realized she was there. I ordered a flight of beers for Tom and me (Jim had generously told us drinks were on him), and I ended up chatting with this guy at the bar. I knew I recognized him from somewhere but couldn’t place it, so I was half making small talk, half frantically searching my brain. Nothing. A little while later, once we’d started playing again, I looked up and saw Payton sitting with him and it clicked: that was her husband I’d just been awkwardly talking to.
Songs that stretched past quitting time
Once we got rolling, it felt like the room leaned in pretty quickly. People had reserved tables technically on the far side of the room, but by the time we were into the set, everyone had drifted over toward our corner. That made the whole live acoustic duo performance feel more like a living room hang than background noise.
Jim’s group was easy to play for—lots of listening, some quiet singing along, and the kind of laughter between songs that lets you know people are relaxed. We were supposed to wrap at 7 PM, but we ended up stretching things a bit because it just didn’t feel like the right moment to shut it down. I’ll be honest, those are the nights we live for: when you glance at each other mid-song and silently agree, “Yeah, we’re going a little long.”
The surprise highlight was when Payton hopped up to sing a couple of tunes with us that we had literally never played together before. We took a swing at Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” and then Petula Clark’s “Downtown.” No rehearsal, no plan—just, “Let’s see what happens.” It was loose in the best way, and the room was right there with us.
Beers, Big Macs, and the drive home
Between sets and after we wrapped, we worked through that beer flight Tom had ordered, comparing notes like we actually knew what we were talking about. Tom eventually settled on a full 16 oz of a blueberry/blackberry wheat draft called “Plot Twist,” which pretty much nailed the whole night in one phrase. Neither of us expected a Tuesday at Coal Creek to turn into one of our favorite recent gigs, but there we were.
We chatted with the Coal Creek crew before we left, and they sounded interested in having us back. The feeling is mutual—we’d come back to Princeton for this crowd and this room in a heartbeat. For anyone looking for live music in Princeton, Coal Creek Brewing Company is doing it right.
The only downside to Princeton on a Tuesday night: no Taco Bell on the way out of town. So we settled for McDonald’s off the interstate. Tom cashed in some points on his app and somehow scored us a Big Mac and two McChickens for under two bucks. We ate fast food in the car, replaying the night—Payton jumping up to sing, that cool breeze through the open window, Jim’s friends singing along from their tables—as the miles rolled by on I-80.
For a day of the week we almost never play, this was easily the best Tuesday we’ve had in a long time.
Want something like this at your place?
If you’re putting together a gathering and want a piano-and-guitar acoustic duo to set the tone—whether it’s a brewery crowd like this, a private party, or something in between—you can reach out to us here: Bell & Field booking.
We’ll be at Coal Creek Brewing Company in Princeton on Tuesday, July 21, from 5–7 PM.
