Hello Steel Wheel Faithful,

What a wild ride 2010 has already been! We’ve been busy! Red Wing has continued to climb the Americana Charts #15 in US and #10 in EuroAmericana Chartland! We’ve met a lot of new folks in runs to Atlanta and a few good trips to North Carolina. Thank you to all our new friends and fans that continue to excite and inspire us to keep on making music. Here’s what’s in store in this short update…

1. Start May with Cheat Fest
2. May 5-15 Bike Tour 2! Oh, and did we mention a little duo album project?!
3. Surprise: Traditional Duo Album Released on Bike Tour!
4. How To Grow A Food Co-op From a Bike
5. Start Making Summer Plans

1. Last year we missed out on Cheat Fest. Every year good musicians, kayakers, and loyal rain soaked WV types gather to help protect the Cheat River and enjoy an early spring festival. May 1st, the whole Steel Wheels will be present to help honor Cheat Fest founder Keith Pitzer’s life and contributions. You’ll want to be there. Cheat Fest info can be found at www.cheat.org.

2. Tree Fort Bikes Presents: Steel Wheel Duo SpokeSongs Spring 2010 Tour in Michigan, May 5-15th. Dates are up on the website, and we’re even more excited about this bike tour because of the collaboration with Tree Fort in Ypsilanti, MI. This shop has really put themselves behind our vision for sustainability in touring. If you live in Michigan or anywhere near Michigan, try to join us for one or more of these dates. We had such a great time in VA last time, and we love seeing you’re beautiful faces. ALSO, we almost forgot to mention…

3. We’ve already got another NEW ALBUM to get into your hands! Trent and Jay had the wonderful fortune to sit down and record some of their favorite old traditional songs around one microphone in a dark intimate theatre last fall. We kept listening and saying, “This sounds really good!” But we didn’t know what to do with it. Well, we decided to make it our special bike tour release this spring and put together another nice little package for you! It’s traditional music and traditional transport! Trent calls it a ‘slow dance’ with the Steel Wheel Duo. We’ll have “Uncloudy Day” for sale starting May 5th, though it will be several weeks before they are available online. We’ll also have a limited number of download cards to be sold at live shows. To hear one track from the new album go to: http://www.thesteelwheels.com/news/post/uncloudy-day-be-released-bike-tour/

4. Food Co-op Challenge: Though The Steel Wheels have continued to grow its fans throughout the country and the world in 2010, we remain rooted in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. We’re trying to do our part to make the fine community of Harrisonburg a little finer. The Friendly City Food Co-op has worked to bring a completely customer-owned, locally based grocery store to Harrisonburg for several years and they are extremely close! They’ve signed a temporary lease, but still need to raise some $200,000 by May 15th before they can open.

We want a good locally run, locally grown grocery store in our town. It’s long overdue, actually. Here’s where you come in. We’re asking people to invest in Jay and Trent’s legs. If you can’t get out and ride with us in Michigan, commit to donating a dollar per mile that Jay and Trent rides to The Friendly City Food Coop. We’re planning approximately 400 miles and if you will commit to one dollar (or more) per mile, Trent will personally show you around the store when it opens! So, email trent@trentwagler.com if you have interest in being involved and put in the subject heading: Bike Tour Food Coop.

1. Friends, we’ve got a lot of exciting dates this spring and summer. Please don’t miss out. Go to www.thesteelwheels.com right now and mark the calendar. We’ll be in NC again in late May, Ocracoke, and KS in June. We’re playing Floydfest in July and we’ll be back in the Midwest in August. So, make a date and bring a friend.

Thanks for being wonderful. Enjoy Spring!

Trent for The Steel Wheels