The local alt-country band Bronco hit the road for their first Northwest tour this month. It's in support of their latest 14-track gem Painting Pictures of a Perfect Life and it's been a smooth ride thus far.---

Frontman Tyler Anderson’s lyrics give Painting Pictures of a Perfect Life -- which is mainly about the Great Recession -- an evocative immediacy, but the album also has a timeless quality about it. Anderson also managed to sit down and pen a little diary entry from the road. He writes on October 12, 2011:

After the long haul across the Nevada desert, Bronco arrived in San Francisco on Saturday for the first two shows of our fall tour. We enjoyed blue skies and sunshine in San Francisco. Plus, it is Fleet Week so we ogled battleships and passels of fighter jets flying above. A friend generously put us up in her home in the North Beach neighborhood. Ryan Gee (drums) and Ryan Shelton (guitar) slept on the roof. Unfortunately, the weather was not so sunny the second night and they woke up to rain and soggy sleeping bags.

We played Retox Lounge -- hear, people: retox, not detox -- with singer-songwriter Josh Espinosa and Kiwi Time, who are some young rockers from Belarus. Next, we played Kimo's Bar & Penthouse Lounge, where we hear Metallica was a frequent headliner in their early days. Metallica cried hot tears of jealousy the night we played.

We closed down Sue's Java House in Redding Monday. It's the first time Tyler has killed a lemon tea while playing a show. Next up, it's Johnny B's in Medford, Ore.

We have been posting photos and inspirational quotes for the tour at http://broncotour.tumblr.com/. You can listen to our music at www.broncotheband.com.

Here's a video of the band playing Pavement's "Elevate me Later" at Johnny B's in Medford?