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.
Photos Anyone?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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?
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....
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
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.
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
Hey, I've Got and Idea! Let's Drive All Night!
Clear skies and dry roads make the final five hours to Denver seem like a breeze and we roll into the Mile High City with time to spare. The Historic Paramount Theater, in the heart of downtown, is typical of many previous venues - a rustic but well decorated performance hall. After making a run at the catering room for dinner, we get set up and actually have time to sound check by running through two songs.
Show time and our set goes really well - possibly the best of the 18 nights. We pull the audience in with the first few tunes and Ned swoons them with Hallelujah. We finish them off with Sons and Daughters. Twice my left stick gets caught underneath my left crash cymbal, threatening to bounce it out of my hand. My now infamous Ninja-like reflexes keep disaster at bay. At the CD signing in the lobby we're complimented with comments like "tight," "really big," and "you guys rock!" These are the things that make it worth the effort.
Speaking of effort, like nearly all nights, we end the night by getting in the van and driving. Our plan is to drive to the Salt Lake City area, sleep, and finish the drive home the next day. However, not far west of Cheyenne, Wyoming, we drive into glassy-iced roads, fog and then snow. Here's the deal: southern Wyoming has an elevation of about 6,500 feet and Interstate 80 is notorious for closing due due winter storms. In fact, there are barricades about every 30 miles poised to swoop down accompanied by signs stating "Exit here when lights are flashing." Our fear is being caught halfway across the state in a storm and not getting out until early spring. So, at 3:00 a.m., we decide to push through. As day breaks we cross into Utah after passing about a dozen semi-trucks skidded off the road (someone's not getting their Christmas presents on time) along with a few cars.
At 9:30 we arrive at Ogden, Utah, and, to celebrate our successful passage, we take a break for breakfast before piling back in the van for the final 4.5 hours to Boise. At 4:00 p.m., we're unloading the van. We've been awake, more or less, for 30 hours and we're beat.
After 27 days on the road, we've driven 11,000 miles. That's an average of 407 miles each day. That's kind of like driving from Boise to Portland every day and then playing a 30-minute set. Would we do it again? Sure, why not? And we WILL in two weeks - starting in Seattle on January 8 and ending in Houston on the 20th... ten more shows with Ned, Malcolm, Dave, Burt along with Joe and his gang.
So join up again to TOUR ALONG WITH TODD in the new year. Until then... Happy Holidays!
There's One of These Every Five Miles in Kansas
Inside the Historic Paramount Theater
Show time and our set goes really well - possibly the best of the 18 nights. We pull the audience in with the first few tunes and Ned swoons them with Hallelujah. We finish them off with Sons and Daughters. Twice my left stick gets caught underneath my left crash cymbal, threatening to bounce it out of my hand. My now infamous Ninja-like reflexes keep disaster at bay. At the CD signing in the lobby we're complimented with comments like "tight," "really big," and "you guys rock!" These are the things that make it worth the effort.
After the Show - Malcolm, Dave and Ned - Before the Drive
Speaking of effort, like nearly all nights, we end the night by getting in the van and driving. Our plan is to drive to the Salt Lake City area, sleep, and finish the drive home the next day. However, not far west of Cheyenne, Wyoming, we drive into glassy-iced roads, fog and then snow. Here's the deal: southern Wyoming has an elevation of about 6,500 feet and Interstate 80 is notorious for closing due due winter storms. In fact, there are barricades about every 30 miles poised to swoop down accompanied by signs stating "Exit here when lights are flashing." Our fear is being caught halfway across the state in a storm and not getting out until early spring. So, at 3:00 a.m., we decide to push through. As day breaks we cross into Utah after passing about a dozen semi-trucks skidded off the road (someone's not getting their Christmas presents on time) along with a few cars.
At 9:30 we arrive at Ogden, Utah, and, to celebrate our successful passage, we take a break for breakfast before piling back in the van for the final 4.5 hours to Boise. At 4:00 p.m., we're unloading the van. We've been awake, more or less, for 30 hours and we're beat.
After 27 days on the road, we've driven 11,000 miles. That's an average of 407 miles each day. That's kind of like driving from Boise to Portland every day and then playing a 30-minute set. Would we do it again? Sure, why not? And we WILL in two weeks - starting in Seattle on January 8 and ending in Houston on the 20th... ten more shows with Ned, Malcolm, Dave, Burt along with Joe and his gang.
So join up again to TOUR ALONG WITH TODD in the new year. Until then... Happy Holidays!
Winding Down
First, let me add the I learned Art actually did some drumming for Dylan during his ten year tenure and also at a time was in charge of auditioning musicians for him...
OK, on with the new post....
Ahhhh, sleeping in! And laundry facilities to boot! Add a good cup of coffee and that's just about a perfect day on the road. After a late hotel check-out and a quick drive to the venue I have time to attempt Christmas shopping. I know WHAT I'm looking for and have hope the massive Macy's across the street will meet my needs. I am mistaken... I walk in from the cold and am greeted by all of humanity, but they're well dressed and in the holiday spirit. This store is eight floors of shopping love... and I'm pretty sure they have a large warehouse somewhere just to store the Christmas decorations during the off season. After escaping Macy's I move on to Sears and deduce all Sears' shoppers are at Macy's. I head back to the venue, empty handed...
The Chicago Theater is an ornate concert hall built in the 1920s and is said to be the first movie/vaudeville theater in the United States. It was saved from demolition a few years back and today serves as an anchor entertainment facility in the heart of Chicago. Indeed, Jerry Seinfeld took the stage of the 3,600 capacity hall the night before our show.
It's show time and the hall is nearly full as we make our way down the three flights of stairs to the stage. The stairways are a who's who of autographs and at times, pop art. Who knows if Joel Grey's signature for Cabaret is authentic... maybe, maybe not... but you can rest assured OUR signatures are the real deal.
Playing goes well again. Ned's pedal board isn't working and forces some adjustments on his part, but the audience doesn't know or care as we quickly move through our seven songs. While leaving stage I succumb to a request from the front row for a drum stick... it helped that the request came from a young woman (though not as lovely as Natalie).
After signing CDs in the lobby we get packed up and depart the Windy City on our way to the Uptown Theater in Kansas City. At 4:00 a.m. we stop at a Days Inn for the night, well positioned for an easy drive to the venue.
Up at the crack of noon and in the van at 1:00 p.m. We arrive Kansas City in relative balmy weather and get set for our next to last show for this leg of the tour. Our set goes really well and we have a few folks who give us a standing ovation as we leave the stage. That feels pretty damn good... And we sell and sign at least 20 CDs post-set... with comments about being "tight" and "full of energy. That's how we like it.
And now... another late night drive. This time halfway across Kansas on our way to Denver.
Check back for new photos to recent posts and a new post...
OK, on with the new post....
Ahhhh, sleeping in! And laundry facilities to boot! Add a good cup of coffee and that's just about a perfect day on the road. After a late hotel check-out and a quick drive to the venue I have time to attempt Christmas shopping. I know WHAT I'm looking for and have hope the massive Macy's across the street will meet my needs. I am mistaken... I walk in from the cold and am greeted by all of humanity, but they're well dressed and in the holiday spirit. This store is eight floors of shopping love... and I'm pretty sure they have a large warehouse somewhere just to store the Christmas decorations during the off season. After escaping Macy's I move on to Sears and deduce all Sears' shoppers are at Macy's. I head back to the venue, empty handed...
The Chicago Theater is an ornate concert hall built in the 1920s and is said to be the first movie/vaudeville theater in the United States. It was saved from demolition a few years back and today serves as an anchor entertainment facility in the heart of Chicago. Indeed, Jerry Seinfeld took the stage of the 3,600 capacity hall the night before our show.
The Concert Poster Outside the Chicago Theater
The Catering Line
It's show time and the hall is nearly full as we make our way down the three flights of stairs to the stage. The stairways are a who's who of autographs and at times, pop art. Who knows if Joel Grey's signature for Cabaret is authentic... maybe, maybe not... but you can rest assured OUR signatures are the real deal.
A Sample of the Prolific Artwork/Grafitti in the Chicago Theater's Hallways
Playing goes well again. Ned's pedal board isn't working and forces some adjustments on his part, but the audience doesn't know or care as we quickly move through our seven songs. While leaving stage I succumb to a request from the front row for a drum stick... it helped that the request came from a young woman (though not as lovely as Natalie).
After signing CDs in the lobby we get packed up and depart the Windy City on our way to the Uptown Theater in Kansas City. At 4:00 a.m. we stop at a Days Inn for the night, well positioned for an easy drive to the venue.
Up at the crack of noon and in the van at 1:00 p.m. We arrive Kansas City in relative balmy weather and get set for our next to last show for this leg of the tour. Our set goes really well and we have a few folks who give us a standing ovation as we leave the stage. That feels pretty damn good... And we sell and sign at least 20 CDs post-set... with comments about being "tight" and "full of energy. That's how we like it.
The Audience at Kansas City
And now... another late night drive. This time halfway across Kansas on our way to Denver.
Check back for new photos to recent posts and a new post...
Going Industrial
The night at the Strathmore seems sooo long ago. However, I do remember we were well received and were greeted by a line of concert goers after our performance to sign CDs. We had an official roped-off area for the signing... I keep reminding myself not to get used to it.
As goes tradition, we end the night by driving... this time 4 hours north to the Pittsburgh area and another Econo Lodge - halfway to tomorrows concert in Detroit.
It's easy to forget, but there remains an industrial belt along the southern shores of the Great Lakes - and this is especially apparent along Lake Erie. I've never passed by a steel mill. Besides being a massive facility with steam and smoke and piles of raw ingredients waiting to be consumed, there's an equally sized power production facility right next door. I can only imagine this panorama at the industry's peak.
The night's performance at the Fillmore Detroit goes really well. Detroit has long been associated with Rock music... and the local audience certainly fills its role as a rock loving crowd... and Ned signed a bunch of CDs.
Friday night's show at the House of Blues in Cleveland goes well too... Earlier in the day we received a Twitter request from a local Ned fan asking us to play Red Red Room. Sure enough, Ned acknowledged the request and the guy was in the audience... and yes, we played Red Red Room..
Today while driving to Chicago I see more of the Rust Belt... and a bit of downtown Chicago as we arrive at the Hampton Inn... our second real hotel of the tour...
Tonight was the tour's official party... to which we were invited. It was a casual affair at an Italian restaurant a short cab ride away. The food was remarkable, but no more than the 2005 vintage Cabernet and olive oil pressed yesterday at Mick Bridgen's Sonoma, CA. vineyard/orchard (Mick is Joe's manager). Had I not known, this could have been a party for nearly anyone... 20 or so mostly middle-aged men - only two with really long hair - and a lone woman (Lindsey) hamming it up. Yet the people at the table have been in the Rock business for decades. Across from me sits Arthur, Jeff's drum technician... mild mannered, with short white hair, in his late 50's perhaps. Art's the person who makes Jeff's life easier by setting drums up, tearing them down, and a bunch of associated stuff in between. Art's done a lot; early on as a member of Bob Dylan's small road team, then work with iconic rock promoter Bill Graham, the band Jefferson Starship and many others. He also worked as a videographer for 60 Minutes from 2000-2002. And that's just Art... similar histories are seated around the table.
As goes tradition, we end the night by driving... this time 4 hours north to the Pittsburgh area and another Econo Lodge - halfway to tomorrows concert in Detroit.
It's easy to forget, but there remains an industrial belt along the southern shores of the Great Lakes - and this is especially apparent along Lake Erie. I've never passed by a steel mill. Besides being a massive facility with steam and smoke and piles of raw ingredients waiting to be consumed, there's an equally sized power production facility right next door. I can only imagine this panorama at the industry's peak.
The night's performance at the Fillmore Detroit goes really well. Detroit has long been associated with Rock music... and the local audience certainly fills its role as a rock loving crowd... and Ned signed a bunch of CDs.
The Fillmore Detroit
Malcolm Staying Healthy with a Fruit Smoothie
Friday night's show at the House of Blues in Cleveland goes well too... Earlier in the day we received a Twitter request from a local Ned fan asking us to play Red Red Room. Sure enough, Ned acknowledged the request and the guy was in the audience... and yes, we played Red Red Room..
Malcolm, Jeff and Ned Surveying Cleveland's House of Blues Backstage Grafitti
Today while driving to Chicago I see more of the Rust Belt... and a bit of downtown Chicago as we arrive at the Hampton Inn... our second real hotel of the tour...
Tonight was the tour's official party... to which we were invited. It was a casual affair at an Italian restaurant a short cab ride away. The food was remarkable, but no more than the 2005 vintage Cabernet and olive oil pressed yesterday at Mick Bridgen's Sonoma, CA. vineyard/orchard (Mick is Joe's manager). Had I not known, this could have been a party for nearly anyone... 20 or so mostly middle-aged men - only two with really long hair - and a lone woman (Lindsey) hamming it up. Yet the people at the table have been in the Rock business for decades. Across from me sits Arthur, Jeff's drum technician... mild mannered, with short white hair, in his late 50's perhaps. Art's the person who makes Jeff's life easier by setting drums up, tearing them down, and a bunch of associated stuff in between. Art's done a lot; early on as a member of Bob Dylan's small road team, then work with iconic rock promoter Bill Graham, the band Jefferson Starship and many others. He also worked as a videographer for 60 Minutes from 2000-2002. And that's just Art... similar histories are seated around the table.
All Around Nice Guy - Arthur - Jeff's Drum Technician
A Tale of Two Cities
The weather's working in our favor... it's rainy and relatively warm. This is a good thing as just days earlier the forecast for the Montreal region was snow and more snow. We depart the Econo Lodge in Burlington and make the border crossing without incident an hour later, although this time we had to exit the van and sit inside the building for 30 minutes while they run our passports... I think they just want to see if any of us gets nervous/anxious. Another hour and we're swooping into Montreal and the Metropolis concert hall. I've always liked Montreal and while this is my first winter visit, I still enjoy the general atmosphere (or I guess I should say, "ambiance" with an accent, n'est-ce pas?
The venue is a beehive of activity as the video crew is on site to record Joe's performance for a DVD... in HD and 3D. As we're now used to, we have time to set-up and do a quick line check before vacating the stage. Dinner and pre-show warm ups done, we go on at 8:00. Tonight's crowd is already in the mood and our job is easy. The stage and hall sound is superb and we thoroughly enjoy our time.
We stay long enough to take in most of Joe's set before driving back to Burlington. The rain is heavy and persistent and is complimented by ground fog. Man-o-man we're happy it's not 10 degrees colder. With our final border crossing accomplished with ease, we roll into the Burlington Econo Lodge at 2:00 a.m. only to find our room key cards no longer work... a minor inconvenience that's remedied in 10 minutes or so.
Four hours later we're slogging our way out of bed, packing up and getting ready to drive the six hours to New York City. Our concern is simple: we want to time our drive into the heart of the city to avoid traffic problems as much as possible. The travel gods are on our side as we slide into Times Square where both the venue and our hotel are located. Sandra Prow - long time friend and supporter of Ned - has managed to arrange rooms at the Hilton Times Square... our first real hotel of the tour... and we love it. A big shout out to Sandra for making this happen! The venue - the Best Buy Theater - is just a short block away. Times Square is an odd and amazing site, even in the cold of winter. The police presence in the Square area is heavy... squad cars, vans, foot officers. This is apparently a result of the thwarted car bomb attempt last year. It's probably the safest place in the city today.
Both Monday and Tuesday night audiences are a little tough. Unlike most nights, many concert goers are still arriving at the venue when we hit the stage. Still, by the time we are halfway through our set the audience is warming up to us and seem genuinely enthusiastic at the end.
After Monday's show we take time to relax, go to a nearby club for drinks/music and then to a restaurant for a midnight meal. After Tuesday's show we're not so lucky... we have to pack-up and drive south. At 4:00 a.m. we check-in to another Econo Lodge just outside Bethesda, Maryland. And I've picked-up the sniffles... not a surprising development given our schedule the past few weeks. I'm drinking orange juice at every opportunity.
Tonight we play at Bethesda's Strathmore Music Center - a top of the line concert hall in every way. For us, it's nice just to be at the venue with time to relax and decompress - in Simon speak, that's "chillax," and it's a good thing because the final week of this portion of the tour is relentless.
The venue is a beehive of activity as the video crew is on site to record Joe's performance for a DVD... in HD and 3D. As we're now used to, we have time to set-up and do a quick line check before vacating the stage. Dinner and pre-show warm ups done, we go on at 8:00. Tonight's crowd is already in the mood and our job is easy. The stage and hall sound is superb and we thoroughly enjoy our time.
The Camera Crew Prepares to Record the Show
A Peek Inside the Recording Truck - Recording in HD and 3D
We stay long enough to take in most of Joe's set before driving back to Burlington. The rain is heavy and persistent and is complimented by ground fog. Man-o-man we're happy it's not 10 degrees colder. With our final border crossing accomplished with ease, we roll into the Burlington Econo Lodge at 2:00 a.m. only to find our room key cards no longer work... a minor inconvenience that's remedied in 10 minutes or so.
Four hours later we're slogging our way out of bed, packing up and getting ready to drive the six hours to New York City. Our concern is simple: we want to time our drive into the heart of the city to avoid traffic problems as much as possible. The travel gods are on our side as we slide into Times Square where both the venue and our hotel are located. Sandra Prow - long time friend and supporter of Ned - has managed to arrange rooms at the Hilton Times Square... our first real hotel of the tour... and we love it. A big shout out to Sandra for making this happen! The venue - the Best Buy Theater - is just a short block away. Times Square is an odd and amazing site, even in the cold of winter. The police presence in the Square area is heavy... squad cars, vans, foot officers. This is apparently a result of the thwarted car bomb attempt last year. It's probably the safest place in the city today.
Our View from the 42nd Floor of the Hilton Times Square
Times Square's Tasteful Advertising
Both Monday and Tuesday night audiences are a little tough. Unlike most nights, many concert goers are still arriving at the venue when we hit the stage. Still, by the time we are halfway through our set the audience is warming up to us and seem genuinely enthusiastic at the end.
After Monday's show we take time to relax, go to a nearby club for drinks/music and then to a restaurant for a midnight meal. After Tuesday's show we're not so lucky... we have to pack-up and drive south. At 4:00 a.m. we check-in to another Econo Lodge just outside Bethesda, Maryland. And I've picked-up the sniffles... not a surprising development given our schedule the past few weeks. I'm drinking orange juice at every opportunity.
Tonight we play at Bethesda's Strathmore Music Center - a top of the line concert hall in every way. For us, it's nice just to be at the venue with time to relax and decompress - in Simon speak, that's "chillax," and it's a good thing because the final week of this portion of the tour is relentless.
The Blur Begins
Wow, Pittsburgh seems like such a long time ago. Venues are blending one into the next... Let's see.... Oh I remember! Our dressing room was ancient and sparse. Down the hall was a shower and toilet but no sink to wash hands. Joe and his crew had somewhat better accommodations and catering was an all plastic affair - plastic plates, cutlery, table "cloths" and cups - in a small cramped room. Still, the steamed vegetables and rice were the welcomed favorite for me. The concert hall was another classic beauty and was fun to play on although it wasn't my best night... kind of off here and there. What's one to do? Drive to the next city, of course. And that we did...
As has been our common practice to date, we drove a couple hours and landed at a Sleep Inn just south of Cleveland, about half-way between Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, at 4:00 a.m. Quickly learning to work the system, I request a wake-up call for 9:00 so I can take advantage of the complimentary breakfast and then go back to sleep until our late check-out time at 1:00. The waffles were worth being woke up.
The venue in Cincinnati is a modern concert hall with top-notch facilities throughout. The loading bay is inside the building, the dressing rooms are nicely appointed and catering has quite a spread. Even our dressing room has been outfitted with a tray of cold cuts, cheeses, a 12-pack of Stella-Artois, bananas and cans of tuna fish (I'll explain the tuna fish in another writing).
The show went quite well but what we heard and what the audience heard for at least the first two tunes varied. Here's the deal: At virtually all venues, the support band's sound is mixed by the local sound engineer and NOT the sound person with the headlining act. This is problematic because the local sound person has just a few minutes during our sound check to become acquainted with the headlining act's sound board. Are you with me so far?... OK, so this means that we're at the mercy of the local person's ability to quickly get in sync with the sound board or we stand a chance of sounding like crap. On the other hand, the sound WE hear on stage is mixed by the headlining act's stage monitor engineer, so WE hear one mix and the AUDIENCE hears another mix. As it turns out this night, the audience was treated to an "odd" house mix heavy with hi-hat and light on Ned's guitar and vocals for a bit. Apparently it got sorted out in the end.
Boston
As has been our common practice to date, we drove a couple hours and landed at a Sleep Inn just south of Cleveland, about half-way between Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, at 4:00 a.m. Quickly learning to work the system, I request a wake-up call for 9:00 so I can take advantage of the complimentary breakfast and then go back to sleep until our late check-out time at 1:00. The waffles were worth being woke up.
The venue in Cincinnati is a modern concert hall with top-notch facilities throughout. The loading bay is inside the building, the dressing rooms are nicely appointed and catering has quite a spread. Even our dressing room has been outfitted with a tray of cold cuts, cheeses, a 12-pack of Stella-Artois, bananas and cans of tuna fish (I'll explain the tuna fish in another writing).
The show went quite well but what we heard and what the audience heard for at least the first two tunes varied. Here's the deal: At virtually all venues, the support band's sound is mixed by the local sound engineer and NOT the sound person with the headlining act. This is problematic because the local sound person has just a few minutes during our sound check to become acquainted with the headlining act's sound board. Are you with me so far?... OK, so this means that we're at the mercy of the local person's ability to quickly get in sync with the sound board or we stand a chance of sounding like crap. On the other hand, the sound WE hear on stage is mixed by the headlining act's stage monitor engineer, so WE hear one mix and the AUDIENCE hears another mix. As it turns out this night, the audience was treated to an "odd" house mix heavy with hi-hat and light on Ned's guitar and vocals for a bit. Apparently it got sorted out in the end.
My View from the Stage in Cincinatti
(note: drums are not blue... stage lighting is at work here)
On Stage Warming the Audience Up in Cincinnati
With bags packed, we TRY to get a jump on the night’s drive but to no avail. The van’s batteries are dead. It couldn’t have happened in a better place: in the drive-in loading bays. A quick call to AAA and Bert has the van working again.
AAA to the Rescue!
From Cincinnati we drive north seven hours where, after braving lake effects, middle-of-the-night, snow showers, we land at Judy’s Motel in Buffalo
Look Ma! No Shower Curtain!
After 3.5 hours of sleep, we’re up and on our way to Toronto Idaho Idaho
The Toronto
From left to right: Malcolm, Corky Laing, Taffy, Sarah, Eric Schenlman and Ned
By 9:00 a.m. we’re back on the road traveling across upper New York on our way to Boston
NOTE: By now you get the sense that the quality of any day is judged in part by the quality of the catering… the only real food we see each day.
The crew is very helpful in making us feel welcomed as does the crowd. Each night we’re playing more and more as an ensemble and audiences respond. Tonight, Ned kills ‘em with his “Moon Shadow” guitar solo during Cohen’s “Hallejulah.”
Boston's House of Blues and Fenway Park
Joe and Company Doing Their Thing
After the show, pack up and start the eight hour drive to Philadelphia
Traffic is a pain in Stamford , CT. and again when bypassing Manhattan
At Midnight we begin the now too common all-night drive. This time it’s north to Burlington VT
Tomorrow we make the two-hour drive w/border crossing to Montréal and the show at the Metropolis…
Onward - Into the Cold North
The show in Clearwater Fl. is at the Ruth Eckerd Hall. It's a really top-notch facility. The dressing rooms are pimp, catering's great and security if funny... In order to mingle with the crowd between our set and Joe's, Ned and I have to be escorted to the lobby where we (well, mostly Ned) sign sleeves of newly purchased Ned Evett "Afraid 4U" CDs. Our escort, a perfectly nice young man, stands watch until we're done and then escorts us back. Based on all of the autographed photos of big name performers who have graced the hall's stage (including Joe), I think they're used to maintaining a higher level of security than might be needed for us.
Packed-up by 12:30 a.m., we drive north for three hours to Starke, FL., where we settle in for some rest. Before heading north we take a bit of time to do laundry and actually relax in the 70 degree Florida sun. Alas, all good things come to an end... By midnight we're somewhere in the West Virginian mountains driving through a raging snowstorm. By 3:00 a.m. our stop for the evening at Summersville, W. Va. is at hand. It's nice to see the sign of the Sleep Inn come along. A few more hours on the road and we arrive Pittsburg for Monday night's show.
Along the way I've had time to do the numbers and have concluded that fully one-half of all Americans are employed as truck drivers, fast-food employees or work in the hotel/motel business. The infrastructure built to support our ability to drive and move consumables is enormous. Homogeneous and enormous.
The shift from relative warmth to cold was anticipated but is a shock all the same. Luckily the van is equipped with heat and comfy blankets. A myriad of movies to watch keep Ned, Malcolm and I occupied for hours at a time.
Monday's night's performance went well. Each night on stage goes by so fast - just six tunes and that's it... hit it, hit it hard. Warming up before playing is mandatory. And nearly every night after performing and doing our lobby meet and greet, I take time to call Natalie. Unlike past tours, this time I have Skype and a cell phone to visit with her. Turns out space age communication is quite convenient. In fact, I'm able to access the Internet via Ned's Blackberry/Verizon wireless access while we're in the van. And, once at the venue, we have Internet access via Joe's satellite "satchnet" wireless network. It's all pretty cool.
And the pattern of the tour has officially settled in: Play the show, pack-up, drive until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, sleep, partake in the motel's complimentary breakfast if available, sleep a couple more hours, check-out, drive to next venue (1-4 hours), set-up, RINSE AND REPEAT.
So here I am in our greenroom in Cincinnati getting ready to set-up, do a sound check and play... and drive... once again... but it's fun.
The Crowd Filtering into Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, Florida
Packed-up by 12:30 a.m., we drive north for three hours to Starke, FL., where we settle in for some rest. Before heading north we take a bit of time to do laundry and actually relax in the 70 degree Florida sun. Alas, all good things come to an end... By midnight we're somewhere in the West Virginian mountains driving through a raging snowstorm. By 3:00 a.m. our stop for the evening at Summersville, W. Va. is at hand. It's nice to see the sign of the Sleep Inn come along. A few more hours on the road and we arrive Pittsburg for Monday night's show.
Sunday Afternoon - Laundry and Changing Guitar Strings in Florida Sunshine
Along the way I've had time to do the numbers and have concluded that fully one-half of all Americans are employed as truck drivers, fast-food employees or work in the hotel/motel business. The infrastructure built to support our ability to drive and move consumables is enormous. Homogeneous and enormous.
The shift from relative warmth to cold was anticipated but is a shock all the same. Luckily the van is equipped with heat and comfy blankets. A myriad of movies to watch keep Ned, Malcolm and I occupied for hours at a time.
Monday's night's performance went well. Each night on stage goes by so fast - just six tunes and that's it... hit it, hit it hard. Warming up before playing is mandatory. And nearly every night after performing and doing our lobby meet and greet, I take time to call Natalie. Unlike past tours, this time I have Skype and a cell phone to visit with her. Turns out space age communication is quite convenient. In fact, I'm able to access the Internet via Ned's Blackberry/Verizon wireless access while we're in the van. And, once at the venue, we have Internet access via Joe's satellite "satchnet" wireless network. It's all pretty cool.
And the pattern of the tour has officially settled in: Play the show, pack-up, drive until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, sleep, partake in the motel's complimentary breakfast if available, sleep a couple more hours, check-out, drive to next venue (1-4 hours), set-up, RINSE AND REPEAT.
So here I am in our greenroom in Cincinnati getting ready to set-up, do a sound check and play... and drive... once again... but it's fun.
Dive Right In
Another overnight drive begins after the Atlanta show. We roll into Lake Buena Vista (Disneyworld area) and check into the Paradise Motel at 9:00 a.m. It's a funny swing cycle... just hours before we were full of energy and satisfaction with our first night completed. But after sitting in a van through the night we're completely burned out and grumpy... well everyone except Ned who can seemlingly sleep at any time in any condition.
As for the Paradise Motel: It turns out "paradise" is a relative term. In this case, we book five rooms for two nights for $240 total. That's the good news. The bad news is cheap rooms come at a cost. On the "dive" scale where 1=total dive and 10=just below a room at a Comfort Inn, the Paradise rates a 4. The rooms smell like a bad poker party and it's best to simply sleep on top of the bed spread. The bathroom towels have, in theory, been laundered. The good news is we each have our own room for two nights.
With three hours sleep, we take to the road for the 3.5 hour drive to Pompano Beach, just north of Miami. While the rest of the nation has been inundated with wintry weather (as will we in a few days), southern Florida is more like spring with mild temperatures and swunny skies. This is forunate as the concert is at an outdoor amphitheater.
Our second performance went really well, lots of energy and an appreciative crowd. The crowd cheered and wanted more as we ended our set. Opening acts are not allowed to play encore numbers. In fact, our job is to do exactly what we did - play well and get them warmed up and in the mood for the headliner. Mission accomplished!
Funny thing: After the show there were some visitors backstage. They looked like they had something to do with the Rock business. Turns out one of the group was Nicko McBrain - the drummer for Iron Maiden. He said something about liking my playing... at least I want to think he did. The night before, in Atlanta, Doug Wimbish - the bass player for the band Living Colour - was in the catering room after the concert. Doug's worked with Madonna and the Rolling Stones and many others.
Back into the van and we return to Lake Buena Vista. Arriving at the motel at 4:00 a.m. the inadequacies of the "Paradise" fade away as much needed sleep sets in. By 1:30 p.m. (it's Friday now, right?) we're back in the van looking for Starbucks and then making the short drive to Downtown Disney and the House of Blues. I'd been there once before when Natalie, Simon, my brother Marc and his daughter Diana made a June trip when the kids were young. This feels like familiar territory.
Unfortunately, Joe was behind schedule tonight. This meant, as the support band, we were also behind schedule because we can't make a move until his band has their sound check done. As a result, we had just enough time to set our gear on stage and make sure the microphones worked (a signal check); no time to run through a song to see how the levels were - just set it and get off stage. So it goes... but we played fine and the crowd enjoyed it even if we couldn't always hear what we were doing.
Joe's on stage stirring the crowd into a frenzy right now. Tonight we'll have another fine sleeping experience at the Paradise Motel and then drive west to the Clearwater/Tampa Bay area tomorrow for our final show in a mild climate. After that it's north into what the Weather Channel has been describing as a snow-covered frozen hell-hole. I'm glad I packed my long-johns!
As for the Paradise Motel: It turns out "paradise" is a relative term. In this case, we book five rooms for two nights for $240 total. That's the good news. The bad news is cheap rooms come at a cost. On the "dive" scale where 1=total dive and 10=just below a room at a Comfort Inn, the Paradise rates a 4. The rooms smell like a bad poker party and it's best to simply sleep on top of the bed spread. The bathroom towels have, in theory, been laundered. The good news is we each have our own room for two nights.
The Paradise Motel - With Rockets!
A Room in "Paradise" - Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite!
With three hours sleep, we take to the road for the 3.5 hour drive to Pompano Beach, just north of Miami. While the rest of the nation has been inundated with wintry weather (as will we in a few days), southern Florida is more like spring with mild temperatures and swunny skies. This is forunate as the concert is at an outdoor amphitheater.
The Amphitheater at Pompano Beach
Ned and Jeff Campitelli - Joe's drummer - chat it up
Our second performance went really well, lots of energy and an appreciative crowd. The crowd cheered and wanted more as we ended our set. Opening acts are not allowed to play encore numbers. In fact, our job is to do exactly what we did - play well and get them warmed up and in the mood for the headliner. Mission accomplished!
Funny thing: After the show there were some visitors backstage. They looked like they had something to do with the Rock business. Turns out one of the group was Nicko McBrain - the drummer for Iron Maiden. He said something about liking my playing... at least I want to think he did. The night before, in Atlanta, Doug Wimbish - the bass player for the band Living Colour - was in the catering room after the concert. Doug's worked with Madonna and the Rolling Stones and many others.
Back into the van and we return to Lake Buena Vista. Arriving at the motel at 4:00 a.m. the inadequacies of the "Paradise" fade away as much needed sleep sets in. By 1:30 p.m. (it's Friday now, right?) we're back in the van looking for Starbucks and then making the short drive to Downtown Disney and the House of Blues. I'd been there once before when Natalie, Simon, my brother Marc and his daughter Diana made a June trip when the kids were young. This feels like familiar territory.
Downtown Disney and the House of Blues
Catching Sleep as Catch Can - House of Blues Green Room
Unfortunately, Joe was behind schedule tonight. This meant, as the support band, we were also behind schedule because we can't make a move until his band has their sound check done. As a result, we had just enough time to set our gear on stage and make sure the microphones worked (a signal check); no time to run through a song to see how the levels were - just set it and get off stage. So it goes... but we played fine and the crowd enjoyed it even if we couldn't always hear what we were doing.
Joe's on stage stirring the crowd into a frenzy right now. Tonight we'll have another fine sleeping experience at the Paradise Motel and then drive west to the Clearwater/Tampa Bay area tomorrow for our final show in a mild climate. After that it's north into what the Weather Channel has been describing as a snow-covered frozen hell-hole. I'm glad I packed my long-johns!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
You may have heard of Treefort. You know, Boise's annual music festival that's making big waves in the music festival world? (See T... -
There's a land far, far away with verdant fields and towering mountains. A land that's home to lucky sheep and lucky people. A land... -
Iceland! The land of fire and ice! And rain! And snow! And wind! Are you ready for a fun fall trip featuring Iceland's island-sized rou...