Kansas City was a breeze. I got to play disc golf again at the Water Works park. It was hilly and demanding, the holes were hard to see even though there were maps of the holes at each tee. I still had a blast, and played 24 holes or so.
Our venue was called Knuckledheads, a nicely equipped joint outside the hustle & bustle of downtown KC. Excellent BBQ.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
On the Road Again - July tour DAY 5 & 6
So the itinerary indicated that we had Monday and Tuesday off, and so rather than drive all the way to Columbus, MO in a hurry, we took our first day off in Denver. Rather uneventful, other than our dear friend from the Delbert cruise stopping by to see us. Most of the day was spent resting...
Tuesday morning, Super 8 Denver parking lot, 8:45 am.
Norman walks out to the van to find that the trailer is partially open. He opens the door to find that his brand new keyboard, Manny's 50th anniversary 5 string Jazz Bass, and the suitcase with our CD's are all gone. We've been had. So we get to work trying to replace the stuff--first we drive down through Aurora (east of Denver) to Colfax St. where all the pawn shops are. No luck after checking 1/2 dozen+ stops. After stopping for barbecue, we are on our way to the music shop to pick up a Schecter bass to keep Manny up to speed. BIG THANKS to Johnny @ Schecter Guitar Research for saving the day.
Cyril calls, we have to run back to the hotel before we get charged for another day. Another surprise is waiting for us--our gig in Columbus was for Tuesday night, not Wednesday. Our itinerary was erroneous, and we had to cancel our gig, so we lost even more $$$. So what do we do? We drive nearly 600 miles, all the way to Kansas City, MO to another Super 8 and we'll be able to move to the hotel provided by tomorrow night's club in the early afternoon Thursday. And who says playing music is all fun and games?
Oh, and did I mention that we got pulled over in Kansas City, KS? I was driving with no ID and got asked to kindly remove myself from the van to go ID myself in the trooper's sedan. Luckily, he was a very nice officer who took kindly to me knowing all my info and it matching up with the voice in his radio. The consensus in the van was that I wasn't coming back. They don't know how well I get along with officers of the law. Apparently our fuse went out on the van/trailer tail lights, but I made it out with a warning for that and the driver's license (I told them mine was stolen this morning). I'm going to go ahead and call that a stroke of luck so this day isn't entirely crap.
Goodnight, folks.
Tuesday morning, Super 8 Denver parking lot, 8:45 am.
Norman walks out to the van to find that the trailer is partially open. He opens the door to find that his brand new keyboard, Manny's 50th anniversary 5 string Jazz Bass, and the suitcase with our CD's are all gone. We've been had. So we get to work trying to replace the stuff--first we drive down through Aurora (east of Denver) to Colfax St. where all the pawn shops are. No luck after checking 1/2 dozen+ stops. After stopping for barbecue, we are on our way to the music shop to pick up a Schecter bass to keep Manny up to speed. BIG THANKS to Johnny @ Schecter Guitar Research for saving the day.
Cyril calls, we have to run back to the hotel before we get charged for another day. Another surprise is waiting for us--our gig in Columbus was for Tuesday night, not Wednesday. Our itinerary was erroneous, and we had to cancel our gig, so we lost even more $$$. So what do we do? We drive nearly 600 miles, all the way to Kansas City, MO to another Super 8 and we'll be able to move to the hotel provided by tomorrow night's club in the early afternoon Thursday. And who says playing music is all fun and games?
Oh, and did I mention that we got pulled over in Kansas City, KS? I was driving with no ID and got asked to kindly remove myself from the van to go ID myself in the trooper's sedan. Luckily, he was a very nice officer who took kindly to me knowing all my info and it matching up with the voice in his radio. The consensus in the van was that I wasn't coming back. They don't know how well I get along with officers of the law. Apparently our fuse went out on the van/trailer tail lights, but I made it out with a warning for that and the driver's license (I told them mine was stolen this morning). I'm going to go ahead and call that a stroke of luck so this day isn't entirely crap.
Goodnight, folks.
Monday, July 13, 2009
On the Road Again - July tour DAY 4
Breckenridge, CO
Sunday
It was an easy drive to Breckenridge. I-70 crosses over and through many mountains as you enter the Rockies leaving Denver. For some reason it makes the other drivers in the band nervous to take on these hills, but I love it. I'd rather drive if I'm not too tired. There was an RV that had burned up from trying to come up the hill approaching the Eisenhower tunnel on eastbound I-70, and I mean completely burned up all the way to the back. There was 3 miles of traffic behind it.
We stayed in Silverthorne, about 30 minutes from Breckenridge. It's hard to imagine what these places look like covered in snow, but I'm sure it's beautiful all the same. Grey brought some friends out to the show, there was a decent crowd, but since I'm blind now I really couldn't pay attention. The venue was called 320 South. Did I mention that I broke my glasses on the first night out and now wear my RX shades during the day or go blind at night? Good times. I'm gonna go find a dry cleaning service...
Sunday
It was an easy drive to Breckenridge. I-70 crosses over and through many mountains as you enter the Rockies leaving Denver. For some reason it makes the other drivers in the band nervous to take on these hills, but I love it. I'd rather drive if I'm not too tired. There was an RV that had burned up from trying to come up the hill approaching the Eisenhower tunnel on eastbound I-70, and I mean completely burned up all the way to the back. There was 3 miles of traffic behind it.
We stayed in Silverthorne, about 30 minutes from Breckenridge. It's hard to imagine what these places look like covered in snow, but I'm sure it's beautiful all the same. Grey brought some friends out to the show, there was a decent crowd, but since I'm blind now I really couldn't pay attention. The venue was called 320 South. Did I mention that I broke my glasses on the first night out and now wear my RX shades during the day or go blind at night? Good times. I'm gonna go find a dry cleaning service...
Sunday, July 12, 2009
On The Road Again -- July tour DAY 3
Saturday, Denver.
Long drive from Crusted Butt. We stopped for food and gas on the way. I should have known better than to order Pad Thai from a roadside cafe. I should have changed my order when she asked me what kind of sauce I wanted on it. You live, you learn.
I got to link up with an old friend in Denver named Elliot Rado. We've known each other since we were in elementary school. We got to kickit in the green room for a while before the show, and honestly, I'm glad he was there because he and his friend Gavin increased the crowd by 20%. We played the Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom for the soundguy and bartenders. The highlight for me was most definitely the soul food restaurant across the street.
Recipe for a sleepy performance: start with 2 fried pork chops, add BBQ baked beans with big chunks of brisket in it, and finish with yams (plenty of cinnamon) and unfiltered wheat beer. All the Red Bull did was make me tap my foot.
Our hotel was way across town, and after the show I dropped everybody off and had to go pick up another lock for the trailer, because it got lost in the mix. I found a case of 3 with the same keys, and I'm stashing them in my laptop bag so as to never have to make that 330AM run again. The promoter told Cyril that people didn't know him as a solo artist, and that's why we had a bad turnout. The people in the crowd said they were lucky they heard about it and that it wasn't well advertised. Who should we believe? Well, I won't tell you what to think but let me remind you we had over 3000 people at our show 2 days previous.... I want to go back to Cervantes in the winter time when they have more business, summer is slow for this area.
I almost forgot. HENRY BUTLER came and sat in with us. Holy crap that guy is good. I found him on facebook and told him about the show, and he came, he saw [heard?], and he conquered. He jammed a couple of our tunes, and played the hell out of Tipitina. The intro he made up on the spot for that tune could take a mere mortal years to learn. What a treat. I was nervous having him listening--those are some big ears, I'd hate to leave a bad impression.
If anybody's seen my bass player's left sock, please send it to:
Manolo Yanes
c/o Jimmie Dreams
2410 Aldford Dr.
Austin, TX 78745
Long drive from Crusted Butt. We stopped for food and gas on the way. I should have known better than to order Pad Thai from a roadside cafe. I should have changed my order when she asked me what kind of sauce I wanted on it. You live, you learn.
I got to link up with an old friend in Denver named Elliot Rado. We've known each other since we were in elementary school. We got to kickit in the green room for a while before the show, and honestly, I'm glad he was there because he and his friend Gavin increased the crowd by 20%. We played the Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom for the soundguy and bartenders. The highlight for me was most definitely the soul food restaurant across the street.
Recipe for a sleepy performance: start with 2 fried pork chops, add BBQ baked beans with big chunks of brisket in it, and finish with yams (plenty of cinnamon) and unfiltered wheat beer. All the Red Bull did was make me tap my foot.
Our hotel was way across town, and after the show I dropped everybody off and had to go pick up another lock for the trailer, because it got lost in the mix. I found a case of 3 with the same keys, and I'm stashing them in my laptop bag so as to never have to make that 330AM run again. The promoter told Cyril that people didn't know him as a solo artist, and that's why we had a bad turnout. The people in the crowd said they were lucky they heard about it and that it wasn't well advertised. Who should we believe? Well, I won't tell you what to think but let me remind you we had over 3000 people at our show 2 days previous.... I want to go back to Cervantes in the winter time when they have more business, summer is slow for this area.
I almost forgot. HENRY BUTLER came and sat in with us. Holy crap that guy is good. I found him on facebook and told him about the show, and he came, he saw [heard?], and he conquered. He jammed a couple of our tunes, and played the hell out of Tipitina. The intro he made up on the spot for that tune could take a mere mortal years to learn. What a treat. I was nervous having him listening--those are some big ears, I'd hate to leave a bad impression.
If anybody's seen my bass player's left sock, please send it to:
Manolo Yanes
c/o Jimmie Dreams
2410 Aldford Dr.
Austin, TX 78745
On The Road Again -- July tour DAY 2
Ah the elusive Crested Butte.
Every time I told a local that we got our directions from a navigation system they laughed.
We drove down from Aspen on Castle Creek road, which was amazingly lovely--lots of wildflowers, creeks, mountains, eye candy galore. Unfortunately, the Independence pass was closed to vehicles, and was over an hour from Snowmass Village, which we then had to backtrack past in order to come around the back way to Crested Butte. We ended up taking a small dirt road over 2 mountains, something like 40 miles of nailbiting every time we have to pass a car. It got to a point where we were wondering if we'd ever get there. It was at that point that we rolled up on a couple cows grazing on the side of the road. Our bassist Manny, a Cuban-American, told me to slow up so he could ask them for directions. He rolls down his window and hollers "OYE!" which gets the closest cow's attention. Manny and the cow are looking directly in each other's eyes, and Manny asks him "Donde esta Crested Butte?" The cow licks his chops and without breaking eye contact drops the biggest runniest dump out his rump. We took a good long laugh break and headed on our way, knowing that the cow had affirmed we were going the right direction.
Finally we arrive at a hotel. We don't have reservations at the hotel. The promoter meets us at the hotel, takes us to a house that they have rented. Someone else is already there and paid up. So he gets on the horn and books some rooms. Finally, we head up the mountain a couple miles to one of the resort hotels for a brief ciesta. The Eldo was where we played, which was a smallish brewery that served up some mean pub grub. Our show was packed, the dance floor was moving all night long. The crew at Eldo's hospitality was second to none. I was so exhausted after the show I fell asleep in my jacket with my glasses on, laptop still on the bed in front of me. I was listening to the tracks we recorded from the show in Snowmass, I'll post some of them on myspace ASAP.
Every time I told a local that we got our directions from a navigation system they laughed.
We drove down from Aspen on Castle Creek road, which was amazingly lovely--lots of wildflowers, creeks, mountains, eye candy galore. Unfortunately, the Independence pass was closed to vehicles, and was over an hour from Snowmass Village, which we then had to backtrack past in order to come around the back way to Crested Butte. We ended up taking a small dirt road over 2 mountains, something like 40 miles of nailbiting every time we have to pass a car. It got to a point where we were wondering if we'd ever get there. It was at that point that we rolled up on a couple cows grazing on the side of the road. Our bassist Manny, a Cuban-American, told me to slow up so he could ask them for directions. He rolls down his window and hollers "OYE!" which gets the closest cow's attention. Manny and the cow are looking directly in each other's eyes, and Manny asks him "Donde esta Crested Butte?" The cow licks his chops and without breaking eye contact drops the biggest runniest dump out his rump. We took a good long laugh break and headed on our way, knowing that the cow had affirmed we were going the right direction.
Finally we arrive at a hotel. We don't have reservations at the hotel. The promoter meets us at the hotel, takes us to a house that they have rented. Someone else is already there and paid up. So he gets on the horn and books some rooms. Finally, we head up the mountain a couple miles to one of the resort hotels for a brief ciesta. The Eldo was where we played, which was a smallish brewery that served up some mean pub grub. Our show was packed, the dance floor was moving all night long. The crew at Eldo's hospitality was second to none. I was so exhausted after the show I fell asleep in my jacket with my glasses on, laptop still on the bed in front of me. I was listening to the tracks we recorded from the show in Snowmass, I'll post some of them on myspace ASAP.
On The Road Again -- July tour DAY 1
Howdy!
I'm back out on the road with Cyril, we have headed up from Austin to Snowmass Village, near Aspen. We arrived late Wednesday night, and after 23 hours in the van I was anxious to head down to the bar nextdoor to the hotel for a brew and food. I ordered "cheese" fries, where were akin to the kind of cheese you get on your nachos at a football game. Upon investigation, I found out that this was so they didn't have to bake anything. Apparently a deep fryer is more practical for a kitchen than an oven...
So things were winding down there, and I wandered over towards the other end of the hotel, where another bar was. As I neared the back of that bar, I could hear two very inebriated individuals having a mostly unintelligible conversation. Amazingly, they could still run a pool table, I asked to play with them, and even though they could hardly stand or speak my opponent hit in 5 balls on his break and first four turns. I still whipped 'em though. Some other drunk fool hit me on the head with his pool cue, but smashing my pint glass on his head wasn't going to help my band get through the rest of the tour. Sanity prevails. Sigh.
Thursday was a gorgeous day, apparently some people were complaining that it was too warm...wasn't it 106 in Austin the other day? Pansies. I was tempted to tell them they could still prance around in a dress in this weather.... Anyways, I played disc golf on the mountainside, which was awesome. I lost a $25 disc and got lost after hole 6, but still managed to enjoy myself.
The show was part of a free outdoor concert series near the base of the ski slopes, which are covered in beautiful grass this time of year. There were over 3000 people in attendance, a large stage, and very comfortable accomodations for a dressing/green room area. What a great start.
I'm back out on the road with Cyril, we have headed up from Austin to Snowmass Village, near Aspen. We arrived late Wednesday night, and after 23 hours in the van I was anxious to head down to the bar nextdoor to the hotel for a brew and food. I ordered "cheese" fries, where were akin to the kind of cheese you get on your nachos at a football game. Upon investigation, I found out that this was so they didn't have to bake anything. Apparently a deep fryer is more practical for a kitchen than an oven...
So things were winding down there, and I wandered over towards the other end of the hotel, where another bar was. As I neared the back of that bar, I could hear two very inebriated individuals having a mostly unintelligible conversation. Amazingly, they could still run a pool table, I asked to play with them, and even though they could hardly stand or speak my opponent hit in 5 balls on his break and first four turns. I still whipped 'em though. Some other drunk fool hit me on the head with his pool cue, but smashing my pint glass on his head wasn't going to help my band get through the rest of the tour. Sanity prevails. Sigh.
Thursday was a gorgeous day, apparently some people were complaining that it was too warm...wasn't it 106 in Austin the other day? Pansies. I was tempted to tell them they could still prance around in a dress in this weather.... Anyways, I played disc golf on the mountainside, which was awesome. I lost a $25 disc and got lost after hole 6, but still managed to enjoy myself.
The show was part of a free outdoor concert series near the base of the ski slopes, which are covered in beautiful grass this time of year. There were over 3000 people in attendance, a large stage, and very comfortable accomodations for a dressing/green room area. What a great start.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 30 til now
Day 30
5.10.09
Atlanta, GA
Cyril's friend David, with a large house near Emory, let us stay with him for our last night out. He was very hospitable, and even had food waiting for us when we got back from the gig.
The bar was called Smith's Olde Bar (SOB), they had a killer opening band and great gear, a curtain covered the stage when we set up, which I thought was fancy for a dive bar.
......getting home was a long trek, I slept from Atlanta to NOLA, we dropped off band members and visited family, and headed out around 1030 with me at the wheel. We made it into Austin by 5 am, and rather than rest, I stayed up all night to make an early afternoon appearance on the local radio. Still up and going, have a rehearsal and another gig tonight. I'll be working with Sick's Pack in the studio tomorrow, and have a gig on Thursday and two on Saturday. Still not sure when I get to rest....
5.10.09
Atlanta, GA
Cyril's friend David, with a large house near Emory, let us stay with him for our last night out. He was very hospitable, and even had food waiting for us when we got back from the gig.
The bar was called Smith's Olde Bar (SOB), they had a killer opening band and great gear, a curtain covered the stage when we set up, which I thought was fancy for a dive bar.
......getting home was a long trek, I slept from Atlanta to NOLA, we dropped off band members and visited family, and headed out around 1030 with me at the wheel. We made it into Austin by 5 am, and rather than rest, I stayed up all night to make an early afternoon appearance on the local radio. Still up and going, have a rehearsal and another gig tonight. I'll be working with Sick's Pack in the studio tomorrow, and have a gig on Thursday and two on Saturday. Still not sure when I get to rest....
On the Road Again--Day 29
Day 29
05.09.09
Greensboro, NC
We headlined the Carolina Blues Festival, with special guests Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and Johnny Sansone. I had a nice time getting to be in the spotlight. One of the better performances for me on this trip.
By 6am we are already on our way to the next and final destination, Atlanta.
05.09.09
Greensboro, NC
We headlined the Carolina Blues Festival, with special guests Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and Johnny Sansone. I had a nice time getting to be in the spotlight. One of the better performances for me on this trip.
By 6am we are already on our way to the next and final destination, Atlanta.
On the Road Again--Day 28
Day 28
5.8.09
Charlotte, NC
We played the Neighborhood Theater Friday night. The performance was solid, the crowd was not so much.
The guys from Cyril's booking agency were in the crowd, however, and they were enthusiastic about booking us at more festivals and venues. It was very encouraging.
There's a disc golf course between the Ramada and the venue, and it makes me wish I was home.
5.8.09
Charlotte, NC
We played the Neighborhood Theater Friday night. The performance was solid, the crowd was not so much.
The guys from Cyril's booking agency were in the crowd, however, and they were enthusiastic about booking us at more festivals and venues. It was very encouraging.
There's a disc golf course between the Ramada and the venue, and it makes me wish I was home.
Day 17-20 ***BREAKTIME*** On the Road Again--Day 21-27
Spent 2 days at home working my ass off on the yard. Flew back to Nawlins, spent a day relaxing, then back to the hustle and bustle....
Thursday, I played at the Jazzfest with Big Chief Iron Horse and the Black Seminole Mardi Gras Indians. The rep from Schecter guitars who got me my guitars was there shooting pics. was our gig at Tipitina's in the French Quarter. Sold out show, it was totally kickass.
Friday was at Mid City Rock'n'Bowl , once again, totally kickass. I heard there were over 1000 in attendance. We got bowling shirts made with custom embroidery.
Saturday was Banks Street Bar with Jason Neville and the Caesar Bros, and a lot of their family was at the gig. Tons of fun, and great food too.
Sunday night I went to Tipitina's for the Dumpstaphunk show, and Monday night was my last gig with Mike Hood at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, the oldest bar in North America.
A few days of partying and a couple of sit-ins later, most notably with Glen David Andrews, we headed out for Charlotte, NC on Thursday morning.
Thursday, I played at the Jazzfest with Big Chief Iron Horse and the Black Seminole Mardi Gras Indians. The rep from Schecter guitars who got me my guitars was there shooting pics. was our gig at Tipitina's in the French Quarter. Sold out show, it was totally kickass.
Friday was at Mid City Rock'n'Bowl , once again, totally kickass. I heard there were over 1000 in attendance. We got bowling shirts made with custom embroidery.
Saturday was Banks Street Bar with Jason Neville and the Caesar Bros, and a lot of their family was at the gig. Tons of fun, and great food too.
Sunday night I went to Tipitina's for the Dumpstaphunk show, and Monday night was my last gig with Mike Hood at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, the oldest bar in North America.
A few days of partying and a couple of sit-ins later, most notably with Glen David Andrews, we headed out for Charlotte, NC on Thursday morning.
On the Road Again--Day 16
Drove all night, drove all day. What a pain
Made it to the airport with 30 minutes to spare.
See y'all at home.
Made it to the airport with 30 minutes to spare.
See y'all at home.
On the Road Again--Day 15
Wilmington, DE
4.23.09
I lost track of the blog after exhaustion set in, so let's see if we can't get caught up.
The train from Union Station to get me to Wilmington was just in the nick of time to get me to soundcheck. I actually beat the band to the venue, and we were all well-taken care of with organic pale ale from a local brewery. The event was a sort of exhibition or convention of different "green" businesses.
Our next stop is the last of this leg of the trip, before next weekend's shows in New Orleans. I was planning to fly home from Norfolk, but the ticket tripled in price between the time I priced it and when it was time to buy.... Fortunately, I did find a ticket from New Orleans, so we leave tonight and keep our fingers crossed that we make the airport on time... It's going to be close.
4.23.09
I lost track of the blog after exhaustion set in, so let's see if we can't get caught up.
The train from Union Station to get me to Wilmington was just in the nick of time to get me to soundcheck. I actually beat the band to the venue, and we were all well-taken care of with organic pale ale from a local brewery. The event was a sort of exhibition or convention of different "green" businesses.
Our next stop is the last of this leg of the trip, before next weekend's shows in New Orleans. I was planning to fly home from Norfolk, but the ticket tripled in price between the time I priced it and when it was time to buy.... Fortunately, I did find a ticket from New Orleans, so we leave tonight and keep our fingers crossed that we make the airport on time... It's going to be close.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 14
Spent the day in DC with Jack and Miss 'Stang, which was very nice. We did a house concert that was with a very warm group of listeners, and hung out at Jessica's and ate key lime pie after we got back. She makes a mean MFing key lime, I tell you what.
I've got to wake up in the morning and head for Delaware, also I've got trains and planes to book. Ciao for now.
I've got to wake up in the morning and head for Delaware, also I've got trains and planes to book. Ciao for now.
On the Road Again--Day 13
Happy Birthday to me!!
I had a special birthday tribute from the band tonight, and my family and friends were in attendance, which also helped make the night special. I was very happy to see all the familiar faces in the crowd.
The show was at State Theater in Falls Church, VA outside of DC. We would have had an empty house if Sunny and Jess hadn't brought a crew. Not sure what went wrong, but it was easy to forget about anything negative because of all the kindness coming from every direction.
Honestly, I think I'm going to have to summon again the spirit of birthday partying upon my return home, because I want a chance to hang out with my friends in Austin and celebrate too.
Thanks everybody for making it a happy birthday. My dad's card was HILARIOUS.
(picture of Bush & Cheney)
"Mr. President, we have good news! There are 100 Brazilian troops on their way to assist our forces in Iraq."
"Well, heck, that's great news! How many is in a brazillion?"
I had a special birthday tribute from the band tonight, and my family and friends were in attendance, which also helped make the night special. I was very happy to see all the familiar faces in the crowd.
The show was at State Theater in Falls Church, VA outside of DC. We would have had an empty house if Sunny and Jess hadn't brought a crew. Not sure what went wrong, but it was easy to forget about anything negative because of all the kindness coming from every direction.
Honestly, I think I'm going to have to summon again the spirit of birthday partying upon my return home, because I want a chance to hang out with my friends in Austin and celebrate too.
Thanks everybody for making it a happy birthday. My dad's card was HILARIOUS.
(picture of Bush & Cheney)
"Mr. President, we have good news! There are 100 Brazilian troops on their way to assist our forces in Iraq."
"Well, heck, that's great news! How many is in a brazillion?"
On the Road Again--Day 12
Memorial Hall in Harrisburg VA was the most hospitable stop we have had so far. We were playing in a school, so the part of our rider (required stuff like food, beverages, equipment, hotels, etc. in the contract) with alcohol could not be given to us there--they brought the beer to our hotel and it was cold and waiting for us when we checked in. Not bad, eh?
The show had a lot of youngins, and they were really in to the show, which was nice--it means they'll spread the word and we can expect to hit more college crowds in the future.
The show had a lot of youngins, and they were really in to the show, which was nice--it means they'll spread the word and we can expect to hit more college crowds in the future.
Monday, April 20, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 11
Baltimore, MD
We rolled in at 8x10 almost an hour late for soundcheck. Ooops! They were one of the only venues with the soundman on hand and ready when we got there. Instead of going back to the hotel, we stayed there until we played.
Brian J, the producer of the record who also played most of the instruments on it, was sitting in on guitar, and it was a welcome addition. I ate at a restaraunt called Mother's around the corner, and had a couple beers with a young republican who thought we had freed Iraq and made it a better place. I played nice. It was a good show.
We rolled in at 8x10 almost an hour late for soundcheck. Ooops! They were one of the only venues with the soundman on hand and ready when we got there. Instead of going back to the hotel, we stayed there until we played.
Brian J, the producer of the record who also played most of the instruments on it, was sitting in on guitar, and it was a welcome addition. I ate at a restaraunt called Mother's around the corner, and had a couple beers with a young republican who thought we had freed Iraq and made it a better place. I played nice. It was a good show.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 10
Last night was my first night in New York City. What a madhouse!!!!
The gig was at Sullivan Hall, on Sullivan St. in Greenwich Village. Cyril, Omari, Norman, and I rode in early (which took 1.5 hours) from Jersey, where our hotel was. We were supposed to be doing an in-store at 2pm, but we didn't get there until damn near 4. We still did the in-store though, it was at J&R Music on park row, very close to Broadway.
Then we caught a ride with a 92 year old WWII vet, whose name escapes me but was very amicable, and he took us to Sullivan Hall. We didn't even have to soundcheck because the opener was letting us use their equipment, so I got to wander around a little bit, which was pretty cool. I saw some kids playing gypsy jazz in a park near Bleecker and 6th ave, they let me jam a little bit. Had some New York pizza, which really wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Our show had a decent crowd, good response, although they didn't stay late--actually, once the set slowed down, the crowd petered out. I will never ride through Lincoln tunnel 3 times in a day again as long as I live.
I'll catch up with y'all later.
The gig was at Sullivan Hall, on Sullivan St. in Greenwich Village. Cyril, Omari, Norman, and I rode in early (which took 1.5 hours) from Jersey, where our hotel was. We were supposed to be doing an in-store at 2pm, but we didn't get there until damn near 4. We still did the in-store though, it was at J&R Music on park row, very close to Broadway.
Then we caught a ride with a 92 year old WWII vet, whose name escapes me but was very amicable, and he took us to Sullivan Hall. We didn't even have to soundcheck because the opener was letting us use their equipment, so I got to wander around a little bit, which was pretty cool. I saw some kids playing gypsy jazz in a park near Bleecker and 6th ave, they let me jam a little bit. Had some New York pizza, which really wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Our show had a decent crowd, good response, although they didn't stay late--actually, once the set slowed down, the crowd petered out. I will never ride through Lincoln tunnel 3 times in a day again as long as I live.
I'll catch up with y'all later.
Friday, April 17, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 9
Tonights show was the best of the tour for sure.
Tempos were slow and the grooves were fat, we also had a serious dancing crowd. Lots of fun.
I am freaking exhausted, time for bed.
Tempos were slow and the grooves were fat, we also had a serious dancing crowd. Lots of fun.
I am freaking exhausted, time for bed.
On the Road Again--Day 8
We had a great gig at Chan's. James Woods, the actor was there, as well as prominent musicians and critics. Not exactly a packed house (though the place can't hold too many people), but there were definitely some movers and shakers. Woods told me that I made Robbie Robertson look like a stiff, which was pretty cool.
I hung out with some guys from the show last night, which was also kinda fun. We played some music and drank some beer, it was nice to get out of the hotel for a while.
The next show is going to be at The Field in Bridgeport, CT. I'll keep this up to date....
I hung out with some guys from the show last night, which was also kinda fun. We played some music and drank some beer, it was nice to get out of the hotel for a while.
The next show is going to be at The Field in Bridgeport, CT. I'll keep this up to date....
Thursday, April 16, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 7
Drove up from Annapolis to Newark today. Cyril did a radio appearance on 88.3, the jazz station. The interview was long, and seemed to go pretty well. Then we drove up to Woonsocket, RI, where we are playing at Chans tomorrow.
A couple of my friends that are studying music in Boston said they are coming down tomorrow night.
It's cold, rainy, and crappy up here. I could never live up north.
A couple of my friends that are studying music in Boston said they are coming down tomorrow night.
It's cold, rainy, and crappy up here. I could never live up north.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 6
Tonight was a success at Ramshead in Annapolis. We had a decent crowd, did a great performance, and were finished and headed back to the hotel by 11 o'clock.
Jessica (my sister, Miss 'Stang) came out to the show and brought a friend. They were a lot of fun to hang out with, and a welcome change from the boredom of sitting in a Super 8 all day between soundcheck and the show.
She also brought me a new Schecter guitar, which is BADASS and I'm lovin' it.
I'm a little tired, I'll update this more tomorrow
Jessica (my sister, Miss 'Stang) came out to the show and brought a friend. They were a lot of fun to hang out with, and a welcome change from the boredom of sitting in a Super 8 all day between soundcheck and the show.
She also brought me a new Schecter guitar, which is BADASS and I'm lovin' it.
I'm a little tired, I'll update this more tomorrow
On the Road Again--Day 5
Rather than get a hotel in Annapolis, which is apparently more expensive, we stopped at Super 8 in Richmond, near the airport. Brother Tim (our driver/road manager) and I had a good couple of conversations and we walked to TGIFriday's and had a couple drinks too.
Today was not exactly eventful, but tomorrow will be. We are playing in Annapolis, and we are going to wreck shop. I'm going to throw down the gauntlet. I'm hell-bent on giving a performance that would impress the most discriminating of ears. Hopefully we can get it recorded.
Did I mention that we recorded the show in Charleston? I've tried to get software to divide the 1 1/2+ hour recording into individual tracks to no avail, but hopefully I'll get that done soon and post it online somewheres. May be a day, may be a month, but you'll hear it one way or another.
Last night in Black Mountain, I met some locals at the bar, one named Hippie, the other Sam. Both work as booking agents/promoters/musicians, are well connected in the area and they gave me a ride back to the hotel, where we chatted for a while before exchanging info and going our separate ways. My hope is that I can continue to make friendly connections like this and be able to use them to my own ends.
It's been a good night, so good I damn near forgot that I hadn't blogged for today. Let's hope there's better nights in store, but I won't forget to keep y'all posted.
Today was not exactly eventful, but tomorrow will be. We are playing in Annapolis, and we are going to wreck shop. I'm going to throw down the gauntlet. I'm hell-bent on giving a performance that would impress the most discriminating of ears. Hopefully we can get it recorded.
Did I mention that we recorded the show in Charleston? I've tried to get software to divide the 1 1/2+ hour recording into individual tracks to no avail, but hopefully I'll get that done soon and post it online somewheres. May be a day, may be a month, but you'll hear it one way or another.
Last night in Black Mountain, I met some locals at the bar, one named Hippie, the other Sam. Both work as booking agents/promoters/musicians, are well connected in the area and they gave me a ride back to the hotel, where we chatted for a while before exchanging info and going our separate ways. My hope is that I can continue to make friendly connections like this and be able to use them to my own ends.
It's been a good night, so good I damn near forgot that I hadn't blogged for today. Let's hope there's better nights in store, but I won't forget to keep y'all posted.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 4
Day 4
We started on our way to Annapolis, and about 30 miles outside of Black MT, we realized that it was going to be way too damn expensive to go there, so we turned around and went back to Super 8. It's been a day of napping and watching cartoons on my laptop. Adult Swim is on, I might stay in and watch it, and I may walk up to the bar down the street for some brews first, after all, they play the whole thing over again at midnight when the bar closes.
Ron Paul was on Alex Jones today, so was Chuck Norris, who called for the arrest of all the banksters (and has previously expressed his doubts on the official story of 9/11). It was a very interesting.
Cyril said tomorrow we'd head up near Annapolis but stop short of getting there in order to find a cheap hotel. We play Tuesday.
We started on our way to Annapolis, and about 30 miles outside of Black MT, we realized that it was going to be way too damn expensive to go there, so we turned around and went back to Super 8. It's been a day of napping and watching cartoons on my laptop. Adult Swim is on, I might stay in and watch it, and I may walk up to the bar down the street for some brews first, after all, they play the whole thing over again at midnight when the bar closes.
Ron Paul was on Alex Jones today, so was Chuck Norris, who called for the arrest of all the banksters (and has previously expressed his doubts on the official story of 9/11). It was a very interesting.
Cyril said tomorrow we'd head up near Annapolis but stop short of getting there in order to find a cheap hotel. We play Tuesday.
On the Road Again--Day 3 part 2
Damn it's late. I don't know what keeps me up at night, boredom is the easiest excuse but since when does that not put you to sleep? We got dank Thai food for dinner tonight, and we had a good gig... I don't think I played as well as last night, and I'm not sure why. Could be something personal, could be something to do with the crowd, could be totally in my head. There's no recording, so I guess I'll never know. The audience really dug it, Cyril has been featuring me a lot and it's nice to get recognition.
It's time to finish packing my bags and get the minimal amount of rest in order to sleep through the van ride tomorrow morning. I call it teleportation--when I deprive myself of sleep before travel, I end up magically (groggily) appearing in a new location with no time passing whatsoever. It's kind of a pain in the neck, no pun intended, to teleport in the van for long periods of time, but it's better than watching the interstate go by. It didn't work (for obvious reasons) on the 24 hour ride from Austin to Charleston, but if at first you don't succeed, teleport teleport again.
Gotta run & pack....
It's time to finish packing my bags and get the minimal amount of rest in order to sleep through the van ride tomorrow morning. I call it teleportation--when I deprive myself of sleep before travel, I end up magically (groggily) appearing in a new location with no time passing whatsoever. It's kind of a pain in the neck, no pun intended, to teleport in the van for long periods of time, but it's better than watching the interstate go by. It didn't work (for obvious reasons) on the 24 hour ride from Austin to Charleston, but if at first you don't succeed, teleport teleport again.
Gotta run & pack....
Saturday, April 11, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 3
Just got in to the Super 8 motel Black Mountain, NC. The weather is a lot chillier here, and there's a nice mist hanging over the mountains around the hotel. There's a creek of crystal clear water flowing by the parking lot.
Last night was a serious confidence boost. We really killed it, especially this being our first night on the road. I felt like everybody in the band had a great performance. Kensuke did a Hell of a job, especially for his first show with the band... The turnout was decent, the dance floor was full, but I want to see the club more packed and the crowd full of more young faces.
We've got to go load-in at the White Horse in Black Mountain, NC here in a few, then probably get some dinner. I hope it's as good as last night.
Last night was a serious confidence boost. We really killed it, especially this being our first night on the road. I felt like everybody in the band had a great performance. Kensuke did a Hell of a job, especially for his first show with the band... The turnout was decent, the dance floor was full, but I want to see the club more packed and the crowd full of more young faces.
We've got to go load-in at the White Horse in Black Mountain, NC here in a few, then probably get some dinner. I hope it's as good as last night.
Friday, April 10, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 2
Day 2
9:46 pm
We play the Pour House tonight. It was jam-packed earlier, I hope the crowd is still strong when we get there. This is our first show of the tour, and our first show with Kensuke, our new bassist. I’m suited up, the PA is checked, belly’s full of delicious Cuban food, and we’re headed back to the club to get funkafied.
It’s been nice and calm the last 24 hours, and we’re headed up near Asheville, NC tomorrow. Looking forward to jamming, it’s going to be a nice release…I’ll just let my hands do the talking.
9:46 pm
We play the Pour House tonight. It was jam-packed earlier, I hope the crowd is still strong when we get there. This is our first show of the tour, and our first show with Kensuke, our new bassist. I’m suited up, the PA is checked, belly’s full of delicious Cuban food, and we’re headed back to the club to get funkafied.
It’s been nice and calm the last 24 hours, and we’re headed up near Asheville, NC tomorrow. Looking forward to jamming, it’s going to be a nice release…I’ll just let my hands do the talking.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
On the Road Again--Day 1
Just got into the hotel in Mt. Pleasant, across the bridge from Charleston. We'll be playing at Pour House tomorrow night, and I'm hoping to make our way down there tonight to see Dubconscious.
24 hours in a van is not just a pain in the neck, but truckstop food for a whole day is beginning to take its' toll. I've got the rest of the day to relax, find some good food, and get settled....
My roommate Kensuke is our new bass player, he's cool, I think I lucked out having him as a roomie because I bet he's tidiest and I already know he's the most polite of the group ;-)
to be continued...
24 hours in a van is not just a pain in the neck, but truckstop food for a whole day is beginning to take its' toll. I've got the rest of the day to relax, find some good food, and get settled....
My roommate Kensuke is our new bass player, he's cool, I think I lucked out having him as a roomie because I bet he's tidiest and I already know he's the most polite of the group ;-)
to be continued...
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