Dan Rodriguez: Appleton, I love your faces. It’s so good to see you. How are ya? [audience cheering]

[“Troubadour Family Man” by Dan Rodriguez]

[upbeat acoustic guitar music]

Dan Rodriguez: Well, I’m one more shot in a hotel bar And I’m a melted crayon in the seat of the car I’m an ashtray on a balcony And a Band-Aid on a skinned red knee I’m a downtown stage singing out a tune And a blanket fort in the living room I’m another thousand-mile marks And a bedtime story in the dark Well, sometimes I’m a sinner And sometimes I’m a saint Another highway song about coming home After every town I paint I got one foot in the ocean The other one in the sand Ooh, troubadour family man

Come on, let me hear you out there!

Well, raise ’em up and set ’em free And show ’em how to follow dreams It’s that easy far as I can tell To build a life and live it well Well, sometimes I’m a sinner And sometimes I’m a saint Another highway song about coming home After every town I paint I got one foot in the ocean The other one in the sand Ooh, troubadour family man

Make some noise out there, Appleton! [audience cheering]

[upbeat folk music]

Well, sometimes I’m a sinner And sometimes I’m a saint Another highway song about coming home After every town I paint I got one foot in the ocean The other one in the sand Ooh, troubadour family man I’m a troubadour family man Yeah-eah-eah

[audience applauding and cheering]

Dan Rodriguez: I think this is my ninth year playing Mile of Music. My favorite thing about coming here is seeing everybody. Everybody in the group is really excited to be here because it just feels like family everywhere we go. And, honestly, we’re famous. We’re famous here in Appleton. I’m not famous in other cities. I’m famous in Appleton, though!

[steady rock music]

Appleton, come on now, for this one, I need you singing along a little bit, now. When we say, “Your love,” you say, “Your love is a fire.” If you’re with me, say, “Oh, yeah.”

Audience: Oh, yeah.

Dan Rodriguez: All right, here we go. One, two, one, two, three!

[“Fire” by Dan Rodriguez]

I don’t think I’ve been here before I see the smoke coming up right through the floor The heat is rising, your touch igniting There’s no going back, and we’re not even trying Can you feel it? Can you feel it? Your love Your love is a fire, yeah Your love Your love is a fire Your love Your love is a fire And I am burning up I’m going down in this open flame The sparks are flying now, I know they can’t be tamed There’s no escape, no evacuate But I am giving in, so come set me ablaze Can you feel it? Can you feel it? Your love Your love is a fire ‘Cause your love Your love is a fire Your love Your love is a fire And I am burning up Oh, the embers glow so bright In this inferno inside Come and light me up again Come and light me up ‘Cause your love, yeah Your love is a fire Your love Your love is a fire ‘Cause your love Your love is a fire And I am burning up

[steady rock music] [drum roll] [guitar ending note]

[audience applauding and cheering]

Dan Rodriguez: Whoo! Oh, all right, I’m gonna do this. I can see you better, hi. [audience cheering]

I recently fired my inner critic. And he’s, that inner critic, I’ve held myself back from sharing lots of songs over the years because I thought either they weren’t worthy of sharing or I was afraid. But lately, since I fired my voice of critic, my inner critic and that voice of doubt, nobody’s around anymore to tell me it’s a bad idea to share new songs. [audience cheering]

So I want to share one with you guys.

This is a song I shelved many years ago ’cause I didn’t think it was worthy of seeing the light of day. I wrote this song eight years ago. Really didn’t start playing it out until recently. But, uh… it’s gonna be my very next single that comes out. I already recorded it. [audience applauding and cheering]

[folksy acoustic guitar music]

Whoo, hmm hmm Hmm hmm hmm Hmm hmm

You let me know what you guys think after this. If you’re excited about another record coming out. [audience cheering] If this is a song that you wanna hear.

All right, we only have a 50-minute set here. And I usually come in and play for a couple of hours when I come into town, and so I’ll say this. We got a little bit of time, and I’m gonna let, I’m gonna let go of everything that I’ve been holding onto, all the stress leading up to this moment, all the making sure, all the coordinating and all the things. And I just wanna stop, step out of it, and into this moment with you. Will you step into this moment with us? [audience applauding and cheering]

[“Wander” by Dan Rodriguez]

Nothing feels quite like 72 With the windows down And all you can do Is keep on rolling And keep on pressing through Hmm hmm hmm, hmm hmm Seen the valley And the mountains high The winter haze And the summer sky This place is changing And I’m changing, too I wanna wander Do you wanna wander with me? I know you wonder what it feels like to be free Come on, let go of all the things you think you need The world is a wonder Do you wanna wander with me? Hmm hmm hmm Hmm hmm hmm It might be easy To stay in one place And always follow The road that’s paved But your heart is asking For a different view Hmm hmm hmm, hmm hmm ‘Cause all of the mystery That this life holds Like staying young When you’re growing old You can find it It’s waiting out here for you I wanna wander Do you wanna wander with me? And I know you wonder what it feels like to be free Come on, let go of all the things you think you need The world is a wonder Do you wanna wander with me? Well, you can pack your bags And leave ’em behind ‘Cause there’s a wide world out there For you to find I wanna wander Do you wanna wander with me? And I know you wonder what it feels like to be free Come on, let go of all the things you think you need The world is a wonder Ohh ohh ohh ohh I wanna wander Do you wanna wander with me? I know you wonder what it feels like to be free Come on, let go of all the things you think you need The world is a wonder Do you wanna wander with me? Hmm hmm hmm Hmm hmm hmm, hmm hmm

[audience applauding and cheering]

Dan Rodriguez: What Mile of Music has done is it’s given a stage and an opportunity and an audience to artists who would otherwise not have that. I started here playing at one of the smallest venues you can play. And my first year I came, I was stuck in the corner. There’s a handful of people listening. And here, several years later now, we’re playing at the largest stage. They say 7,000, 8,000 people show up to Jones Park for these sets. I don’t know anywhere else like that, that you can, in just a few years, make a name for yourself. There’s nothing like this that exists anywhere else. It’s just different. People have to come here to experience it.

This one goes out to my mama, Jackie.

[“Storm” by Dan Rodriguez]

[bluesy electric guitar music]

I don’t mind Wasting time As long as I’m with you And I don’t need Many things As long as I’ve got you There’s a storm that’s headed for us With the howling winds of change I need the gravity Of your love So that I won’t Blow away Ooh ooh ooh I know waves They come crashing in And try to tear us down Oh, my dear We’ll rise above Until the sun comes out There’s a storm that’s heading for us Through the howling winds of change I need the gravity Of your love So that I won’t Blow away Ooh ooh ooh Ooh ooh ooh ooh

[bluesy electric guitar music]

Yeah, there’s a storm that’s heading for us With the howling winds of change I need the gravity The gravity of your love So that I won’t blow away Ooh Ooh ooh I need your love Need your love I need your love You know I need your love, Appleton

[audience applauding and cheering]

I need your love Ooh ooh ooh

[audience applauding and cheering]

Dan Rodriguez: All right, y’all, we need you to get rowdy with us. Are you ready? [audience cheering]

[upbeat rockabilly music]

Y’all about to get wild with us? Come on, now! We need you rowdy!

One, two, one, two, three!

[“I Quit Drinking for Good” by Dan Rodriguez]

Used to have a good time Friday nights Case of cold cans and a bottle of wine An old Hank song and a moonlit sky Now you’re off drinking in another town On the dance floor, and he’s spinning you ’round But I know I’ll be all right ‘Cause I quit drinking for good And now I’m drinking for bad I don’t wanna remember No, I just wanna forget Give me all of your whiskey And all the beer you have I quit drinking for good But now I’m drinking for bad, bad, bad, bad, bad I don’t know how I will recover from you But I got friends who can help me get through Jack and Johnnie and Jimmy Beam, yeah It’s a sobering thought, what you did to me And to help erase it from my memory Pour me a river and take me downstream I quit drinking for good And now I’m drinking for bad I don’t wanna remember No, I just wanna forget So give me all of your whiskey And all the beer you have I quit drinking for good Now I’m drinking for bad, bad, bad, bad, bad

[upbeat rockabilly music]

I quit drinking for good Come on! Now I’m drinking for bad I don’t wanna remember No, I just wanna forget Give me all of your whiskey And all the beer you have I quit drinking for good Now I’m drinking for bad, bad, bad, bad, bad Said I’m drinking for bad, bad, bad, bad, bad I’m drinking for bad

[rapid guitar strumming]

[audience applauding and cheering]

[guitar and drum jamming]

[audience applauding and cheering]

Dan Rodriguez: If I could say one thing to Appleton, it is, “Thank you.” My heart is filled with gratitude when I think about all the things that have come from this festival, from being here. And that’s it, it’s just, “Thank you.” [audience applauding and cheering]

[gentle electric guitar music]

Will you sing along with this one? [audience applauding and cheering]

[“25 Years” by Dan Rodriguez]

Dancing in the kitchen Louie playing trumpet on the radio You’re spinning in that white dress That you wore so long ago

Come on, now.

Now I’ve been trying to slow down But time keeps moving faster Dragging me along But, darling, this is right now And it’s where we belong In 25 years I’ll be looking at you Wondering, what did I do To find someone like this? And in 25 more We’ll be looking older Our story won’t be over All we’ll need is Another 25 years Another 25 years Yeah! Ooh, you leave me breathless Audrey Hepburn timeless in everything you do And if we live to be 100 I’d still need more time with you In 25 years, I’ll be looking at you Wondering, what did I do To find someone like this? And in 25 more We’ll be looking older Our story won’t be over All we’ll need is Another 25 years Another 25 years When we are old and wrinkled We’ll still be interlocking fingers, yeah Stealing a kiss, feeling like we’re kids again ‘Cause whatever comes tomorrow We’re on time that is borrowed Living it like it’s never gonna end

Sing it, now.

In 25 years

Audience: I’ll be looking at you Wondering, what did I do

Dan Rodriguez: To find someone like, oh, yeah And in 25 more We’ll be looking older Our story won’t be over All we’ll need is Another 25 years Another 25 years Ooh ooh, ooh ohh, ooh Ooh ooh, ooh ooh, ooh ooh Yeah Another 25 years

[audience applauding and cheering]