GEOFF!

Tuesday’s a day of rest after the weekend run of gigs, but Wednesday we’re back at it. This time, Ned and I took the quick train ride to Milton Keynes. Yes, we managed to get on the correct train on the first try thank you very much! At the Milton Keynes station, we were met by Hannah Merrington from RGS Entertainment Group. The day’s task was to perform five of Ned’s tunes at the RGS studio in a live session environment with audio and video rolling. Dom Rampello, owner of RGS greeted us, showed us around, then into the studio we went. We moved through the songs quickly, accomplishing each in one take. There were no over-dubs, additional tracking or correction of minor mistakes. This was the real deal... and it went splendidly. You can view the first video HERE.

Ned warming up at RGS Entertainment Group's studio for the live recording session

Ned and I arrived back at London’s Euston Station late afternoon and caught a cab for the ride back to the flat. I don’t know our cabbie’s name. I’ll call him Geoff. So Geoff seemed a nice enough fellow, probably nearing retirement. We soon learned that Geoff had been waiting in the station’s cab queue for an hour. This did not please Geoff and he found no reason to hold his opinions back. With a liberal sprinkling of the "F" word, Geoff proceeded to tell us just how much the Olympics were interfering with his work. Not knowing if Ned and I truly comprehended the degree of his frustration with lane closures and restrictions throughout the city, Geoff accentuated his locution by dropping the unforgivable "C" word when it was time to place blame on the traffic travails. We learned that “that F…ing C Tony Blair” and “that F…ing C David Cameron” were at the top of his list. We were surprised to learn that “that F…ing C George Bush” AND “that F…ing C Obama” are also to blame… blah, blah, blah… something about the economy. With a few “bollocks” bouncing off Geoff’s tongue to help his discourse along, we arrived at the flat somewhat dazed. We agreed with Geoff on two points: (1) we generally don’t like politicians and (2) it’s a good thing Geoff and the missus are going on holiday during the games.

Thursday and Friday were simple enough… a Thursday walkabout with Malcolm from Islington to his place in Crouch End to pick up a piece of gear (a special shout out to Malcolm’s mum, Janet, for the coffee and cakes!), followed by Friday’s trip to Denmark Street with Ned to stop by the guitar shops promoting our upcoming London show.

Saturday morning and it was back to work. The rental car was packed and we headed southwest to Winchester to play the Winchester Science Festival. As the name indicates, this was not a music festival. Rather, it was a gathering of science types where all sorts of current science-related topics were presented and discussed. Ned had been invited to help with a presentation on the science of music. Before the presentation, I had time to have a walkabout to see the Winchester Cathedral, the longest Gothic cathedral in Europe, along with other historic sights typical of England. Did I mention there were tourists in Winchester?

The “String Theory” presentation with Milton and Bridget Mermikides went over very well and, after a break, Ned and I performed an hour long set as part of the evening’s entertainment.

Ned with Bridget and Milton Mermikides presenting the science of music at the Winchester Science Festival

Packed up, we headed for London. Our navigation device, or “SAT NAV” charted our course and we were trusting in its 21^st Century technology. But here’s the problem: Our SAT NAV had not been reading the London news about Olympic road restrictions nor had it taken time to have a chat with Geoff. In addition, SAT NAV was not aware of what takes place in the SOHO/West End Districts on a Saturday at midnight. Into the fray we went. The first obstacle was bumper to bumper traffic jams due to road crews getting Olympic lanes painted and otherwise marked. That was the first sixty minutes. The final 30 minutes were spent observing thousands of Saturday night revelers pour out of the bars in the SOHO/West End Districts as we putted along at the pace of a very slow turtle. Let’s just say certain parts of downtown London on a Saturday night are something you have to see to believe. At 2:00 a.m. we’re back at the flat.

Five hours later we were up and getting ready for Sunday’s outing to play at the Upton Blues Festival in Upton upon Severn, near the Welsh border. After a quick stop to pick Malcolm up, we headed out of town and arrived by Upton by noon, the car crammed with the four of us and gear. Something odd happened on Sunday. The clouds cleared and summer arrived in Britain; it was perfect. The festival is billed as Britain’s largest free blues festival and is an event that takes over the entire village with bands playing at multiple venues indoors and outside. We had a few hours to take it all in before hitting our set on the outdoor stage at 4:45. I’ve learned something about “blues” festivals – the acts performing don’t necessarily play anything resembling blues… I’m pretty sure country rock is not blues. I’m also fairly certain songs like “White Wedding” are not blues. In any case, people were out enjoying the day.  Our hour-long set went really well in no small way because the stage soundman, Phil, knew what he was doing and gave us a great mix on stage. Ned, Malcolm and I gelled and it was not missed by the crowd of several hundred.



The band ripping it up at the Upton Blues Festival!



Mission accomplished, we departed Upton and took a side road to the small village of Pershore where we landed at the Angel Inn and Posting House for a proper Sunday dinner. The Angel is one of those “off the map” kind of places you read about in travel magazines; one of the pleasant surprises you’re rewarded with for getting off the beaten track. Well, back on the beaten track and our SAT NAV guides us back home without error. What a weekend.

This past Monday afternoon Ned and I took to the streets and visited the South Bank of the River Thames with 15,000 of our closest tourist friends. While crossing Tower Bridge, there was a din of car horns blaring. The London cabbies were protesting the Olympic road restrictions by clogging traffic on the bridge. Just minutes after we crossed one cabbie jumped off the bridge in protest. He’s fine, it’s a relatively short drop to the Thames, but the police were out in force on the bridge and in the air. We’re still trying to find out if the cabbie’s name was Geoff.

Sightseeing’s never complete in London and Tuesday night was a perfect example. Sandra and I started at St. Paul’s Cathedral and made our way across the Millennium Bridge to the South Bank. Though it was the same area Ned and I were at the day prior, it looks quite different at night. All of the bridges and river cruise boats were lit up.

Tonight’s venture included a fine Italian dinner followed by our “flight” on the London Eye, the 443 foot slow-going ferris wheel on the South Bank. It was spectacular! Tomorrow we begin a second run of four gigs in as many nights.

It's finally SUMMER! A fine day of sightseeing with Ned. Observe Tower Bridge with the Olympic Rings!

We and our closest 20,000 tourist friends agree that the 2012 English summer doesn’t suck… unless you’re a London cabbie named Geoff.

Until next time… Cheers! ~ Todd

Hey! How about NEW PHOTOS and a VIDEO from the UK Tour 2012!

Hello from the Olympic City where the weather has become oddly warm and sunny!

Today’s installment is short and to the point…

Click HERE to view the second photo album from the UK Tour 2012. When viewing the photos, depending on how they are displayed in your browser, you may have to click on the "more" link in the upper right to read entire captions... but I think it's often worth the effort :)

Click HERE to view a video of Ned and I performing “Bend Me” recorded live at RGS Entertainment Group’s studio in Milton Keynes last week. Special thanks to Dom Rampello and his crew at RGS for making this happen.

Blog post #5 will be coming soon!

Ciao! ~ Todd

Rolling With Trains

Back in London and it’s time for more sightseeing commencing with an afternoon walkabout at the Victoria and Albert Museum; a vast and eclectic collection of artifacts from across the globe.

The next day Ned and I took the Tube to the Olympic Park. Getting there’s easy enough right now. In two weeks it’s going to be another matter as London is anticipating up to 1 million extra people a day in the city for the games. With economic payback in mind, the Brits have constructed a new shopping mall which we had to navigate to get to park entrance. It turns out you can’t currently enter the park unless you have credentials. Lacking these, the nice security guards invite us to view the outside of the stadium from the top floor of a John Lewis department store. So, we made our way up to the viewing area which is curiously filled with 2012 London Games souvenirs. I did my part to help London pay for the games.



This is as close as you get to the Olympic Stadium right now. View from the John Lewis department store.



We’re not done sightseeing yet! The following day Ned and I took advantage of a break in the weather and boarded a River Thames cruise. We were accompanied by 150 of our closest tourist friends for the leisurely six mile float from city center east to Greenwich. Along the way we passed by the replica of the Globe Theatre, the current London Bridge, The Shard, the HMS Belfast, and Tower Bridge. We also passed by more high-end river view condos than one can shake an umbrella at followed by the massive organized crime district, a.k.a. the new financial district.

Greenwich was a nice break from the hubbub and sirens of London. We made our way to a friendly pub for lunch and then went off to the Royal Naval College and its Painted Hall and Chapel, followed by a look around at the National Maritime Museum. However, we were denied our day’s goal; the Royal Observatory was closed. As you may know, the Observatory is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian Line and thus, the Observatory controls the very fabric of time and the space-time continuum. I don’t know what happens to time when it’s closed. I have to deduce that time simply stops. Oh well… A quick walk by the Cutty Sark and we were on the boat for the cruise back to London in the rain. Our sunny weather break had come to an end, but we made the most of it!



The largest poster in the world, or so we were told, on our River Thames Cruise.



Back to business: It’s time to head west to play gigs at Bath and Liverpool. For no good reason, we stayed up a wee bit late Thursday night and were a wee bit groggy Friday morning. No matter… we can sleep on the train, right? Ned and I boarded the train to Bristol at Waterloo Station, Platform 17, right on time. Our stop at Bath Spa clearly listed on the reader board. As the train rolled away from the platform, the kind voice on the intercom states the train will terminate at Reading, 40 minutes west of London. Hmmm…. That’s not what the reader board indicated. No worries. At Reading, the reader board says the train to Bristol leaves at 10:57 on Platform 7. No worries. At 10:55 we boarded our train. As the train rolled away from the platform, the kind voice on the intercom states the train will terminate at some hamlet down a spur and return to Reading. What the…? We had no choice but to go along for the ride, there and back. Safely back at Reading, we learned that it pays to examine the reader boards more carefully. Just because a train is at the appointed platform two minutes before departure DOES NOT imply it’s your train! No worries. We waited an hour and got on the next train to Bristol. The kind voice in the intercom confirms this. Two minutes into the ride the ticket man stopped by and we handed him our ticket cards. Our tickets are no longer valid. We have two choices: buy relatively expensive tickets on the spot or get off at the next stop and ask to have our tickets revalidated. Off the train we go. Ned pleads our case but to no avail. With new tickets in hand, we boarded the 2:12 train to Bristol and arrive at Bath at 3:30 in pouring rain. We are some savvy travelers, that’s for sure!

The Friday afternoon sky cleared and train travails were forgotten. We checked into our B&B and I ventured off for a walkabout. Bath, cleverly named after its main attraction, ancient Roman Baths, is a perfectly scenic English city of 84,000. While there’s no lack of tourists, tourist shops and restaurants, there’s also no lack of photographic opportunities, especially after a summer rain.

Sandra, who DOES know how to read train station reader boards, successfully arrived from London on time, taking just one train. Saturday the three of us took in the Abbey and the Roman Baths, along with 10,000 of our closest tourist friends, most of whom were Italian teenagers. While waiting in queue to see the Baths, we were surprised to witness a young man wearing a mankini promoting an ice cream shop. We found that odd. It was a fun day.



Mankini Man promoting an ice cream shop in Bath... and in serious need of a tan.



Malcolm, who ALSO knows how to read train station reader boards, arrived from London and the four of us made our way to the Chapel Arts Centre for our gig. It’s a small venue with great acoustics, a great sound system and a competent sound engineer. We got set up, did a sound check and were ready to perform. While the show was lightly attended, we gave it our best and had a great time chatting with many in the audience after the show.

Sunday morning and it’s off to the train station to train it back to London and then immediately board another train to Liverpool. This zigzag doesn’t make intuitive sense as Bath and Liverpool are in the same general region. Ticket pricing logic does not always follow geography. We saved money by taking this odd routing.

We rolled into Liverpool right on time and checked into our Travelodge room, just a short walk from Sunday night’s venue – the Lomax. After a quick set-up I walked a block and stumbled into Beatles Central. You may recall the Fab Four got their start in Liverpool and the city has had a hard day’s night shaking the reputation ever since. Down one street is located Lennon’s Bar, the Rubber Soul Oyster Bar, and the Cavern Club where the Beatles famously performed in 1961. A banner stretching across the street proudly proclaims “Mathew Street – Birthplace of the Beatles!” It’s 6:00 p.m. and the din of multiple rock bands performing permeates the street. The evening’s security guards sporting black attire are already in place.

Back at the Lomax two acoustic acts took the stage before our set. It’s a typically small venue and tonight hosts a good sized crowd. Our performance went really well. Well, up until when the P.A. started popping and cracking like it’s the 4^th of July. We had to end our set a couple tunes short. But a shout came from the crowd, “Play acoustic!” So we moved up to the edge of the stage and perform Robert Johnson’s “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day.” We won the evening. Click here to see a video of our opening number, “Pure Evil.”



Liverpool's Cavern Club - "Birthplace" of the Beatles.




Playing washboard, shaker and foot tambourine on "Say Goodbye For Both of Us" at the Lomax. Photo by Adrian Wharton.



After a Monday morning walkabout between rain squalls it was time for one more train ride back to London. On board we settled into the Quiet Coach and waited for our 11:46 departure. The kind voice on the intercom states the train will be delayed due to an encounter between a train and an unfortunate human. The train won. As a result, the train lines are in temporary chaos as diversions are made. No worries… it’s understandable. Near the Wimbledon Station our train rolled to a stop. The kind voice on the intercom states the train has lost power. We arrive at London’s Euston Station an hour late. No worries.

But why end the day now? A few hours later Ned, Sandra and I made a five minute walk to the ‘Round Midnight Blues and Jazz Bar where Ned and I performed as a duo for a set. Again, a small venue but it hosted an attentive Monday night crowd.

A midnight Skype session with Natalie caps the day and the weekend. What a nice way to put a period on it. Or an exclamation point!

Until next time… Todd

P.S. – More photos are on the way… I promise!

On Roasted Bones, Hen Parties, and Gravy Wrestling

Welcome back to the 2012 UK Tour! Let’s get caught up. Shall we?

Two days after my last installment, we boarded the train at London’s Liverpool Street Station and headed 100 miles east to the village of Easton in Suffolk to play the Maverick Festival. The festival features the best in Americana and Roots music “from both sides of the Atlantic.” Ned was featured as a solo artist on Saturday afternoon and was enthusiastically received by the crowd gathered in the Moonshine Barn. After the demanded encore, we had time to walk the festival grounds and, among other sights, were as fascinated by Brits wearing country western styled clothing as they are with country music from across the pond. A special treat was brushing shoulders with master song writer and guitarist Alejandro Escovedo in the artists tent. The problem was I had no idea who Alejandro was until so informed by Ned during the taxi ride back to the train station.

Ned and the shootin' guy at the Maverick Festival

Upon arrival back in London, we were able to catch the last minutes of the laser light show emanating from the Shard, London’s newest skyscraper and Europe’s tallest at just over 1,000 feet. For readers familiar with the Lord of the Rings, the Shard’s resemblance to the Tower of Mordor has not been overlooked by Londoners.

The Shard... Or is it the Tower of Mordor?

On July 3, we celebrated Sandra’s birthday at St. John Bread and Wine. St. John’s is noted as specializing in “nose to tail” dining. Our experience was no exception in which Ned and I both enjoyed roasted bone marrow and rabbit saddle (a.k.a. the back) while Sandra dined on sea creatures. Now here’s the thing about roasted bone marrow: It’s a rich, gelatinous substance that’s spread on toast and topped with fresh parsley and onion. The marrow itself is somewhat tasteless but is clearly a gateway food to roasted brain and other animal parts. After dinner, we stopped by the Craft Beer Company Pub where, among our samplings, we tried the 17.5% alcoholic fluid that can only be described as the port of beers with a coffee overtone. This beer is best avoided.

Ummm... Gelatious Bone Marrow! Scoop it out and spread it!

Late last week we embarked on a run of gigs commencing with an evening at Jagz Café at Ascot located near the famous horse track. The following day we headed northwest to play the Festival of Firsts in Wirral (near Liverpool). For this trip Sandra drove us in a rented car on the M1, M5 and M6. The 230 miles took SEVEN hours to negotiate. Imagine seven hours of rush hour traffic in the rain. That was the drive… Bravo Sandra! We arrived just in time to set up and play our duo set at the Hoylake Chapel. A great crowd and great acoustics made the evening memorable. Saturday afternoon started with Ned performing a solo set at the Vanilla Lounge after which we took in an entertaining performance of the Wirral Ukulele Orchestra. That evening we had the headliner slot at Jack Rabbit Slims and proceeded through our set with Malcolm joining Ned and I despite the, shall we say “challenged,” sound system.

The Wirral Ukulele Orchestra in Action

Packed up and in the car, we drive the hour to Burnley for a rest at the Keirby Park Hotel. On the "dive" scale where 1=total dive and 10=just below a room at a Comfort Inn, the Keirby rates a 4 due to there being no toilet paper, no TV, no phone, and no soap. The rooms DO have a sign advising that the water is not suitable for drinking... we thought that was a nice touch. Oh well, it’s a place to sleep. BUT NOT, not until the hen party has passed by on the street below.  A hen party you ask? Well it’s a bachelorette party. In this case, literally hundreds of young women pass by on the sidewalk five floors below for an hour. I have been known to exaggerate; this is not such an occasion.  A Nyquil capsule is administered to encourage sleep on the surface masquerading as a mattress.

The Hen Party in the Street Below

Having survived the hotel and hen party, we make the short drive to small town of Bacup, Lancashire. We’ve played the football club in Bacup in the past and Ned has a loyal following. Unlike past visits, we have hours to spare before we play so we stop at the Rose-n-Bowl pub. Unassuming from the outside, the Rose is bustling with activity inside and out back where there’s a lawn bowling green in use by multiple teams. It was fun to watch. However, what would have been more fun to watch had our timing been better is the annual gravy wrestling contest. Our waitress was kind enough to bring us photos of this sloppy event.

Ummm... Gravy Wrestling!

The gig at the football club went over really well with an attentive audience and was a fine cap on our weekend outing. With Malcolm at the wheel and little traffic at night, we arrive London at 4:00 a.m. Luckily, there are no hen parties taking place outside Sandra’s flat.

Late at Night on the M1

More to come! Cheers! ~ Todd

Of Running and Knees

We're nearing the completion of our third week of the tour and it's time for a quick update from Islington, East Central London! Since my last post, we enjoyed seeing Boise's Hill Folk Noir at the Green Note in Camden Town, London, near the end of their three week UK tour and had a great time last Friday here at Sandra's flat during a performance-rehearsal for a few of her friends.

Malcolm, Ned and Todd working the song list at the house party.

Up early Saturday, Ned and I made a quick day trip to Lydney via train on Saturday, June 23, to play at the Taurus Crafts Blues Festival. Lyndey, 125 miles directly west of London, is situated near Gloucester, Bristol and Wales. The festival is typical of the hundreds that take place in the UK each summer. It's relatively small, is family oriented and attracts people who prefer a simple afternoon outing. Though rain threatened, the skies cleared a bit for us and our set went well. It seems the "strummer and drummer duo by train" will work fine.

The stage, tent and hay bales are ready - Taurus Crafts Blues Festival, Lydney, England.

Back in London, Ned and I make a Sunday trip to the House of Parliament/Westminster Abbey area to see the sights. Tourists are everywhere. We, of course, are not tourists. We queue up with the tourists to enter Abbey. Inside it's a procession of hundreds of people slowly walking about with handheld audio players guiding the them from point to point. It's slow motion chaos as we jostle with others and walk on dead people's graves. Note to self: Next time, attend a free of charge church service to appreciate the ambience of the Abbey.

The House of Parliament on a perfect sunny day.

Monday morning and I'm up and running along the canal near the flat. Now here's the thing about running: When your right knee starts sending pain signals, DO NOT continue running. STOP running and walk home. However, being a manly man, I ignore the pain and power through. That afternoon Ned and I take the bus/tube to the Tower of London. The Tower's an impressive place. I imagine way back when, it was a good or bad place to be depending on one's status with the rulers of the time. Our Beefeater guide gave us and our closest 100 tourist friends some background on the Tower. I thought one of the more interesting things was about the Beefeaters themselves. There are 37 of them, they all have at least 18 years active military service and live with their families inside the walls of the Tower where they enjoy their own medical clinic and pub (although perhaps not necessarily in that order). The Crown Jewels are the highlight of the day but, to keep you moving along, you step on to a conveyor belt for the viewing. After coffee and a snack, we head home. Remember that right knee? Oh this isn't good... now it really, really hurts. A bag of frozen corn, two Alieve and Stella Artois beer are administered.

The Tower of London seen through the entry arch.

Tuesday evening we play the "interval," a.k.a. "intermission" at a monthly meeting of a skeptics club. A skeptics club is comprised of individuals who enjoy discussing and debunking myths, mostly from a science based perspective. The evening's guest is Rhys Morgan, a 17 year old who, in search of solutions to his Crohn's disease, has made quite a public impact in battling pseudoscience in medicine.

While a bum knee has put off London walkabouts for the time being, it has not prevented Ned and I from enjoying afternoon practice sessions at the flat working on new songs and a bit of brush up on others. The cajon has turned out to be a very satisfying percussion instrument to play and explore.

Last night the trio played at The Good Ship here in London and all went well. We locked in as an emsemble right away and the crowd seemed to enjoy the two-set performance quite a bit! On the way to the venue we passed right up Abbey Road in front of Abbey Road Studios. It was amazing to see the crosswalk the Beatles used for their Abbey Road album cover. Our driver said it's common to come around the corner and have to stop or slow down while someone takes a photo of four friends crossing the street a la the Beatles. Stay tuned...  I'll get that shot later. In the meantime, If you'd like to see photos from the tour to date, please visit this LINK

Ned? Come on now... Put the Crown Jewels back where you found them!

Team Ned Evett Departs for the 2012 London Olympics

It's time once again to Tour Along with Todd, and this time it's the London Olympics Edition. Let the games begin, shall we?

Just over a week ago Ned and I departed Boise for a two-month UK tour. With work permits in hand, we arrived London Heathrow on June 11, made a quick pass through immigration and on to Sandra's flat in Islington in East Central London. The next two days were spent adjusting to the time change and doing some shopping for a cajon and washboard.

Our Welcoming Committee at London Heathrow

Cajon? Washboard? Here's the deal: Ned's latest album, Treehouse, is a fine work of Americana/Roots music and during this tour we'll be playing small venues and the occasional festival. So Ned suggested a cajon may be just the trick for the trip. A cajon is a Peruvian percussion instrument that looks like a wooden box. This is not a coincidence. It IS a wooden box! However, it's a highly resonant one which, with wires inside, becomes a drum-set in a box! Depending on venue, Ned and I will be playing as a duo or as a trio with the help of bassist Malcolm Bruce. As for the washboard, it's a percussive addition needed for one song.

Part of settling in is getting to know the surrounding area. Islington is just a mile or two from the heart of London. It's a busy place, but very comfortable with many shops, restaurants, quick access to buses and the tube and people from all over; many languages are heard on the street and in the cafes. Islington reminds me a lot of Montreal.

OK, so with shopping and settling in accomplished, it was time to perform. Our first two nights were in Portsmouth,a two-hour train ride to the south/southwest. Thursday night's performance was at the RMA Tavern. The RMA is a typical pub in many respects. It's small, frequented by neighborhood residents and families-young and old alike-and features live music on a regular basis. You can view a webcast of the performance HERE. Home for the gig, I made a Skype call to Natalie to celebrate our 26-year anniversary!

After breakfast Friday morning at our B&B, I went on a walkabout to the Old Port to view the HMS Victory, visit the naval museum and take a harbor cruise. Friday night we played another neighborhood pub, The Old House at Home. Lucky for us, and unlike the two opening acts, we didn't have to compete for attention with the England football game at the European Cup taking place on T.V. (England won, by the way).

Inside the The Old House at Home Pub

The train delivered us back to London Saturday afternoon. After a jog and a nap, Sandra treated us to a night on the town by taking us to London's West End to see the musical Sweeney Todd. It was absolutely great! And what better way to top off such an evening? Why with a couple of pints at a nearby pub, of course!

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday fall into a fun pattern for me: Get up and jog and then take the tube to visit one of the many museums. The cool thing is that admission to most museums is free. This means there's no rush to see everything in a single session. See what you want and come back again another day. There are hoards of school kids running about, but hey!, it's free!

Monday night we had a special treat by rehearsing with Malcolm in preparation for the trio performances. It's going to sound AWESOME!

Stay tuned for the next installment as we go through final training for epic Olympic performances!

What we'll be winning in August - Currently on display at the British Museum

Photos Anyone?

Millions of fans have emailed asking, "But Todd, when will we see the paparazzi photos US Magazine refused to publish?"

Wait no MORE!

Click HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS from the tour in their Rock-n-Roll glory 

The tour never really ends... it just takes a breath now and then.

Sing Along Now... "Deep in the Heart of Texas"

After the Dallas show we take the much needed opportunity to check into a local Econo Lodge near the venue. Without the previous van's GPS we find ourselves navigating via a combination of Google Maps on Ned's smart phone, a poorly detailed map of the city on the back of the State of Texas Map we have on hand and, when all else fails, calling the motel for directions. The approximately three miles to the motel took the better part of an hour to reach. Oh well...

Wednesday afternoon we make the four hour drive to the Paramount Theater in Austin. Load in, set up, and we're set for another night, but this time in a city known for its music scene and enthusiastic audiences. We're not disappointed... we play and are rewarded by many with a standing ovation. The really cool thing for me was my cousin, Michelle, and her husband, Bill, were on hand to take in our show. I hadn't seen them in about 20 years, so it was nice to make the connection in these circumstances... they had never seen me drum. Michelle said my Dad mentioned to her that, "he'll just have to get it (drumming) out of his system." I told Michelle he'd better not hold his breath.

The Paramount Theater - Austin, Texas

Cousin Michelle, Moi and Bill - Post Show in Austin



The final night of this odyssey was in Houston, just 3.5 hours down the road. Normally, this would have meant we could sleep in Austin and make the drive the next day. However, Ned's co-manager Sandra once worked for NASA. As such, she was able to secure a private tour of the Johnson Space Center for us and members of Joe's band. Thus, we made the drive to Houston in the wee hours of the night, arriving at the Hilton just across the avenue from the Space Center's entrance. Like all too many nights, my head hits the pillow at 4:30 a.m.

The wake up call comes at 10:00... time to shower, dress and get downstairs to take in the buffet breakfast before heading off to the tour. Jeff Campitelli, Joe's drummer, and Allen Whitman, Joe's bass player, taxi in from their city center hotel and join us at NASA. Our guide for the two-hour tour is Astronaut Steve Robinson. We learned that this type of personal tour is unusual.. Sandra knows Steve and was able to pull the strings. Steve's been aboard Space Shuttle flights four times. He's gracious, knowledgeable and just an all around nice guy as he takes us into the Apollo, International Space Station and Space Shuttle command centers as well as a tour through the mock-up facility where astronauts do some of their preliminary work before moving on to the simulators and underwater training facilities. Probably the most surprising revelation of the day is just how small the crew quarters are on the shuttle... kind of like seven people confined to a 200 square foot area. There is NO privacy in the shuttle. In fact, when using the toilet, cloth pull screens serve as door and ceiling. Hmmm... I wonder how often beans are on the menu.

The Space Shuttle Toilet - Small and NOT So Private

The Johnson Space Center Tour Gang

Space Center tour complete, we're off to Houston's House of Blues for the 28th and final performance of the Joe Satriani Wormholes and Wizards North American Tour; we're exhausted. We set-up and sound check one more time. We take in the catered dinner one more time, along with a bit of nodding off, clowning around, finding coffee and warming up... one more time.

And then we hit the stage, one more time. Moving through the set I'm a bit bumpy here and there, but nothing people will notice and it all goes well. As we begin our closing tune - Sons and Daughters - I notice Ernesto, Joe's light technician standing off stage-left with a pole of some type. He looks like he needs to use it to push something out of the way. Off stage-right I notice Mick, Joe's manager, watching us. Suddenly Ernesto comes out on stage. The "pole" is a push broom and he's "sweeping" the stage. From stage right, Deiter, Joe's merchandise sales manager, steps on stage in his boxer shorts pushing a vacuum cleaner. Behind him comes Joe, not so cleverly disguised with his signature cloth cap pulled down, handling the vacuum cleaner's cord. We're surprised and laughing as we try to play while watching their stage shuffle. Many in the crowd recognize Joe and cheer and take pictures. Off stage, Allen and Jeff are taking pictures as well. I guess when the headlining band pulls a fast one on you during the final performance, you've done alright.

Pre-Final Show - Malcolm, Ned and Moi

Post Final Show - Ned and Joe Showing Something on Ned's Phone

Post Final Show - Two Bands Combine to Fight the Evils of the Universe

EPILOGUE

After the show we say our goodbyes to Joe's crew and band. It's bittersweet because we've really gotten along well over the past two months. So thanks to Joe, Jeff, Allen, Mike, Galen, Mick, Arthur, Deiter, Jim, Lindsey, Ernesto, Mike, Glade, Russ and Whitney for their camaraderie and professionalism. I'm especially going to miss watching them perform each night from the stage wings... and miss watching Jeff attempt his stick toss at the end of each night.

As for Ned, Malcolm and I? While lack of sleep, eating challenges, and numbing drives were certainly a characteristic of the tour, so too was the quality of our 30 minutes each night on stage and getting along well together off stage. Special thanks to Dave for managing our equipment on and off stage in such a fine manner and for serving as impromptu road manager. And thanks to Burt for moving us about while we watched DVDs in his van. And A HUGE thanks to Natalie for her enthusiastic support in my doing this.

There's already talk of new projects in one form or another... and their time will come. For now, it's time to decompress, sleep, and enjoy being back home.

Thanks for coming along on this adventure...

From the Lands of Gambling and Movie Stars... to the "OH!, Let's Add a Twist at the End"

We arrive at Reno's Grand Sierra Casino at 4:30 a.m. in a silly mood after the drive over Donner Pass. As we check in, we note a few gambling diehards diligently working the slot machines. We're more than pleased to learn that we each have our own room for the next two nights courtesy of the management. My view from the 11th floor boasts mountains to the right, the airport to the left and, just below, a large square cement water holding pond. Never passing up an opportunity, the casino has constructed small islands in the pond onto which golfers can hit balls.

Golf Anyone?

I'm up early at 11:30 to tend to some works items back home and, after a late lunch (a fine battered deep-fat fried Monti Cristo sandwich), we're off to the casino's Grand Theater to set up for the night's show.

The theater is enormous. The backstage area is possibly twice as big as the entire Crosby Theater in Spokane. In fact, there's a large scale replica of a passenger jet used for a show production of some sort. We wander in and out of the theater waiting for our set up and sound check.

Airport Hanger? Nope... It's the Enormous Backstage at the Casino's "Grand Theater"

At 5:00 I'm on stage talking with Jeff Campitelli and he asks if I'd like to sit at his drum kit. Jeff's kit is really nice, but that's not the main attraction. Instead, it's his monitor system I want to experience. Jeff has a monitor mixer just behind his left side which he uses to mix his own stage sound which he hears through headphones throughout their show. Headphones on, I start playing the kit a bit. As I do, the rest of Joe's band take the stage for their sound check and begin playing along. The next minute I realize Joe's on stage as well. Trying not to drop a stick or the beat, I think to myself, "DUDE! You're jamming with Joe, Allen, Galen and Mike!" The sound through Jeff's headphones is nothing but fantastic. I can hear everything perfectly and can control the volume to suit my fancy. Wow... After maybe three more minutes I relinquish the throne to Jeff. They've got work to do... and I'm pretty sure, despite my efforts, Jeff will remain Joe's drummer.

The stage is very wide and playing on it is kind of like watching a movie on the wide screen option. We play well and enjoy the rest of the evening backstage goofing around on the baby grand piano in our dressing room.

Malcolm Entertaining Us in Our Dressing Room Post Show

None of us go to bed when we should and the morning comes around far too soon... we've got an eight hour drive to Las Vegas ahead of us. Along US Highway 95 we're treated to desert landscapes (they're pretty) and odd run-down towns (they're ugly). Tonopah stands out as one in which I wouldn't want to live. Still, we remorse we didn't get to spend the night in the town's standout accommodation - The Clown Motel. More miles down the road we pass by the Nevada Test Site... just over the mountain ridge to our left hundreds of atomic bombs were detonated years back... we feel all warm and glowy inside.

As we drive the Las Vegas Strip to Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino (and the night's venue - the House of Blues) I think how strange it is that so much money has been spent to create extravagant facades yet inside each one the theme is the same... acres of slot machines, bars, gaming tables, buffets and sleeping rooms.

This will be my second time on Mandalay's House of Blues stage (the first with DRAW opening for Built To Spill). It's a compact room and is packed for tonight's show. Again, it goes well for us and is special because Dave (our equipment technician and all-around road warrior) has his father, brother and sister in the house for the show. Nice folks!

Malcolm Backstage at Mandalay Bay's House of Blues

Packed-up and we're on the road at 1:30 a.m. for the 4.5 hour drive into Los Angeles. I say "into" because after reaching the greater city's limits, the drive to where ever you're headed goes on and on and on... Our drive ended at a nice Econo Lodge in Anaheim and my head hits the pillow at 6:00 a.m.

Ouch! It's 9:30 a.m. and I'm dragging myself out of bed... we've got to get up, check out and meet up with Guy Finley, Ned's manager, to attend the NAMM show.

Guy and Ned Meet Up in the Econo Lodge Parking Lot - A Warm Sunny California Day

NAMM (National Association of Music Merchandisers) holds two shows annually, the largest of which is always in L.A. The best way to sum up NAMM is "acres upon acres of toys for musicians." Ned's meets with a number of contacts to talk about future plans while I look at approximately 1.5 million drum sets. OK, that's an exaggeration, but one kit had 34 drums for players who possibly need to compensate for other short comings.

We make the 40 minute drive from Anaheim to downtown L.A. for the show at the Orpheum Theater - another classic/historical performance space - and arrive on time - and  just it time - to set up and do a 1-minute sound check before the stage goes dark for union-rules dinner time.

I know I keep saying "the show goes well.." but I do so because they do. Early on in December we hit our stride and play at a consistent, upward, level. Tonight's performance is especially gratifying because we're playing to a near capacity audience in L.A. - certainly a show business center - and they like us. We sell a bunch of CDs and add many new Facebook fans... I'm exhausted from the lack of sleep but satisfied with the day.

Unfortunately, sleep won't come for a while as we have to start the VERY long drive to Dallas. We say goodbye to L.A. and head east on US Highway 40. At 4:30 a.m. we check into a motel in Pinnacles, CA. Monday morning arrives (at noon) and we take time to do laundry and eat before continuing the drive across the desert.

And we drive and drive... as I write, we're somewhere in Arizona watching Lawrence of Arabia. We thought the choice seemed fitting enough.

Three shows to go... and we're still having fun.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! - A BLOG POST POSTSCRIPT

A couple hours after writing the post above, we make a dinner stop in Gallup, NM. Actually, we ROLL into Gallup because the van's brakes have stopped working. We come to rest in a strip mall parking lot and huddle in a nearby Denny's to figure out what to do... it's 10:00 p.m.

After many phone calls we've found a flatbed tow-truck willing to take us to Albuquerque, 150 miles to the east. We have to negotiate a bit with Steve, the driver, because his truck has seat belts for four passengers; there are five of us. That detail settled, we cram into the truck's cab at midnight and arrive ABQ at 2:30, drop the van off at a Ford dealership and, nicely enough, Steve drops us off at an Econo Lodge a mile away.

The Van and the Tow Truck - From Gallup to Albuquerque

Malcolm, Dave, Steve the Tow Truck Driver and Ned - Somewhere Enroute to Albuquerque

During the drive, Ned, with manager Guy's help via cell phone, secure a 15 passenger van from National Car Rental. But, in order to make the schedule work, we have to pick the new van up at the airport at 6:00 a.m. So, we get two hours of "sleep" before we have to be up and take a taxi to the airport.

By 7:00 a.m. we're transferring gear from van to van at the dealership and we're on the road, minus Burt, by 7:30 a.m. I take the first driving shift - from ABQ to Amarillo, TX - of 4.5 hours. By the time I hand the wheel to Dave I'm a bit punchy, but we're on track to make the show in Dallas... our ETA is 6:30 and show time is 8:00.

AND...?

We make it, arriving at 7:00... set up by 7:30 and on at 8:00... and an enthusiastic crowd to greet us... and we catch our second wind. Tomorrow's Austin, TX. Tonight I get to sleep.

Ned and Malcolm Getting Set to Take the Stage in Dallas

Hagar the Not-So-Horrible

Snoqualmie was soooo long ago... 5 days and 3 shows in fact... so let's get caught up, shall we?

OK... after the Snoqualmie show we drove back over the pass to Ellensburg for the night. That left an easy drive into the Inland Empire the following day.

The Spokane show at the Bing Crosby Theater - a relatively small venue - went well. Size was especially the case with the back stage space. So limited was it that all empty cases were staged under plastic on the sidewalk.

Ode to Bing Crosby at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane

Packing Cases Under Plastic Outside the Bing Crosby Theater

The highlight for me was having friends on hand to watch the show. Specifically, Mike, Pam and Tate Johnson as well as Ryan, Michelle and Josh Johnson. In addition, old friends from Moscow, Erick and Kim Keating. It's funny, but few of these friends have ever seen me drum. After saying goodbye, we headed back across the state and towards Portland. Our evening's drive came to an end after hitting glassy-iced roads near the Columbia River.

Up at 11:00 a.m. and on the road at noon, the roads are clear as we travel to Portland. So far on this leg of the tour I'm on home territory, having traveled these roads many times before. Still, I'm amazed at how the landscape is changing around the Columbia Gorge as more and more wind turbines dot the top of the ridges.

By 4:00 we're in Portland and I'm dropped at Hal and Mindi Logan's home where Natalie is also staying for the next two evenings. A night off from the tour to visit with my better half and my best friends. Gin and tonics are on hand, as well as chili AND the BCS final game. Somehow, we actually manage to retire for the evening by mid-night.

Tuesday afternoon and Hal drops me off at the venue. Portland's Roseland Theatre isn't a fancy room, but by the time the show starts it's full of guitar heads and they are ready to go. We hit the stage and it's smooth sailing from there. The really fun thing is having Natalie, Hal and Mindi watch part of Joe's set from stage side as well as taking in a bit of the after show get together to meet Joe, Jeff and others. It's so hard to "tell" people what the experience like and far easier to have them experience it first hand. Of course, everyone REALLY misses out on the full experience because they don't get to sit in the van to drive hundreds of miles, watch movies and drink variable-quality coffee.

Hal and Mindi Logan Chatting with Jeff Campitelli After the Portland Show

Natalie Chatting with Jeff's Daughter and Wife, Gabby and Christie, After the Portland Show

A day off between Portland and Oakland means I get to stay another night with Natalie at Hal and Mindi's place... although this time we don't call it a night until 3:00 a.m.

Up by 10:30 and Hal drops me off at the downtown Econo Lodge at 11:30 where I rejoin the others for the first portion of the 11+ hour drive to Oakland. By 11:30 p.m. we decide to stop at Red Bluff, CA. for the night. Our sleeping facility of choice for the evening is the Classic Motor Inn. It might have had class at some point in history, but today we're pretty sure it's one of the local meth dealing locations. We locked our doors and were happy to wake in the morning alive and without incident. Besides the parking lot activities, the Classic Motor Inn rates a 3 on the Dive Scale because there is no phone, TV remote, alarm clock or trash can in the room... never mind the pealing paint in the bathroom.

A Picture is Sometimes NOT Worth a Thousand Words... The Classic Motor Inn

A quick drive down I-5 and we're in Oakland. Tonight's show takes place at the Fox Theater... a really ornate old theater that's been fixed-up and maintained. The backstage green rooms and catering are first class all the way - with a friendly professional crew complimenting it.

No sound check tonight, so we hit the stage at 8:00 hoping for the best. As usual, it goes well and the crowd warms up nicely. Tonight, friends Brian and Carole Hunt are on hand to see us play. Brian was the creator of the Band DRAW in which I played a few years back and brought me my first real touring experience when we were the support band for Built To Spill during a 5,000 mile / 3-week tour in 2003.

So the buzz tonight is that Joe's got a friend who's going to make an appearance. You see, Joe started a side-project band a couple of years ago by the name of Chickenfoot. Members are: Joe, Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith. In other words, Chickenfoot is a powerhouse band. As it happens, Sammy lives in the bay area and came out tonight to join Joe on stage during the encore songs. As you might guess, the crowd goes wild and personally, I'm impressed with Hagar's vocals... I guess he made his fortune for a reason. Backstage he's a really nice guy and makes an effort to introduce himself to anyone. Two things I find surprising: (1) he's no taller than I. (2) He's 63 years old. Height doesn't lie, but I never would have guessed he's 63... maybe 45? 50?

Sammy Hagar and Joe on Stage at the Fox Theater in Oakland

As I write we're moving out of town on our way to Reno, NV. ETA? 4:00 a.m., but the weather's good, we've got DVDs AND rooms at the casino that are at least three steps up from the Classic Motor Inn... AND SLOT MACHINES! Six more shows to go... this second leg is passing by WAY too fast....

Back in the Saddle Again

Two weeks off for the Holidays seemed like a distant past after the first 1.5 hours back in the Van. Burt, Dave, Malcolm and I depart from Boise mid-afternoon on Friday and six hours later check in a the Quality Inn in Ellensburg, WA., our stop for the night on the way to Snoqualmie, WA. where we'll meet up with Ned for Saturday night's show.

Saturday afternoon we're floating over Snoqualmie Pass and arrive at the venue - The Snoqualmie Casino - with time to spare. So much time in fact that we enjoy watching the Seattle upset New Orleans in the first Wildcard Playoff game and then watch much of the Jets - Baltimore game before it's time for our sound check and show.

Joe's band played four shows in Western Canada earlier in the week and, as we learned, had weather to deal with between shows. One night's drive was interrupted by closed roads and tour buses sliding around. For one show, they arrived at the venue at 5:30 p.m. and still played on time... it's no small feat to get a show set-up in 2.5 hours.

We were welcomed back warmly by Joe, his band and crew; they really make us feel like we're a part of the whole deal and not just "the support band." And, joining us as our special backstage guest, was Sandra Prow. Sandra was in Seattle for part of the Holidays and it was nice to see her and thank her in person for her support of the tour.

Sandra Prow - Ned Evett and Triple Double's Co-manager - Visits Backstage in Snowqualmie

The Snowqualmie show goes well and, after the CD signing session, we take part in the American tradition of fine casino buffet dining. On tap in the buffet was the lobster tail...  ummmm. With the first show of the second leg under our belts, we head back over the pass to our motel in Ellensburg.

Ned and a Fan at the CD Signing Session After our Snowqualmie Show