Hey All,
Well as usual, I don't know where to begin. I am sitting in our hotel room in Lancaster, PA about to check-out which signifies today is Sunday morning. I'll rewind the tour log to share how we got from my last update til this one, and I'll fast forward a bit to give you a glimpse of the week to come.
I wish I was kidding when I mention that the days run together and that it genuinely takes several minutes to figure out what day it actually is. That said, I don't remember when what will undoubtedly be called 'The St. Louis Fiasco' truly occurred. Monday and Tuesday, or Tuesday and Wednesday is by best guess. The St. Louis Fiasco involved a 27 hour repair to some electrical weirdness on our bus. Previously, I suggested the fix to the intermittently flashing dash and lights would be easy. I was unbelievably wrong. So much so that we ended up sleeping in the bus overnight, locked inside the RV repair place only to have another group of mechanics troubleshoot and attempt repair the next morning. Needless to say, we were all feeling a little 'grrrr'.
When we finally did hit the road after getting everything worked out, we had essentially lost 2 days. Luckily, we hadn't booked shows so we didn't have to exacerbate the fiasco by having to cancel shows too. Knowing that we needed to be in Lancaster, PA by Thursday morning, we had A LOT of ground to cover. We all consumed a bunch of coffee and hit the road. We took a break and slept at a truck stop in Spiceland, Indiana (that is really what it was called) and woke up VERY early to continue our Eastward trek. It was very cold and persistently rainy when we woke (and hasn't stopped even as I sit here days later). We topped off our fresh water, emptied our waste tanks and fueled-up (none of which were fun in the freezing rain) and hit the road. We drove through the rest of Indiana, Ohio, the tip of West Virginia and into Pennsylvania. Personally, I've never seen such beautiful farms, streams or fall leaves. I was clicking photos through the window constantly to try and capture the reds, oranges and yellows. I'm not sure if I was successful, but will upload the photos anyway.
As my driving shift started I had the (insert sarcasm here) utter delight of driving through a half dozen tunnels entering Pennsylvania. That might not sound like a big deal, but when the tunnels are 3 miles long and you're still getting used to driving a 34 foot bus with a 10 foot trailer...and you really feel like driving 28 miles per hour but the truckers behind you would rather do 80.........uh...........YIKES. The first tunnel alone, I think I gave birth to 33 purple twinkies and possibly doubled that number with each tunnel that followed.
Arriving in Lancaster was great as it marked the first time we've checked into a hotel on this tour. I'm not embarrassed at all to admit that each of us took 47 minute showers. We did that, partially because we were grimy, but mostly because we have a limited water supply on the bus and the hot water heater has been renamed 'the thing that attempts to heat the water to a temperature of hot but falls quite short to offer tepid showers at best'.
After our lengthy showering and such, it was time to get set-up for the trade show. We've traveled with a booth and as many of you know, is the purpose of this tour. I suppose I could blog for days about the inter-workings of NACA, but I won't. I'll encapsulate the experience by saying that we met representatives from over 70 universities on the East Coast and garnered SERIOUS interest from a dozen or more. Oh, and by 'serious interest' I mean actual contracts. As of right now, we're slated to be back here on the East coast in April of 2010 and will be rocking on many college campuses. We've also relished in the opportunity to meet and network with other artists that are quite literally at the top of their game. When not at our booth (that area is only open during certain blocks of time) there are showcase performances happening along with networking banquet-style dinners. I can certainly speak for the three of us when I say we've made some connections that are sure to impact our future, and we've added some new friends and fans.
This week holds a few question marks. For me, the biggest is 'WILL IT EVER STOP RAINING?' We've agreed that today is football and laundry day. We're going to find a place to watch our teams and then burn....errr.......wash our clothing. We'll also need to top off fuel and fresh water on the bus and will likely resume travel tomorrow morning. We perform in Madison, WI, my HOME TOWN this Friday night and have just firmed details for our Bloomington show. We will also likely be picking up a show in Chicago and South Bend this week.
As per usual, each of us is missing home and our loved ones. We feel victorious and exhausted, and it's only just begun. We wish you the best and thanks for reading.
Love,
C, J & D
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Enjoying the Ride
Dear Readers,
Jeff here. Just want to take a minute to acknowledge Corey, who has been a faithful and prolific blogger and I am so grateful for him! We all have different responsibilities on the road, and mine have prevented me from making direct contact with you all and I have missed you!
That said I'll attempt to give you a peek into our world on the road. Physically, it has been a roller coaster of exhiliration and exhaustion. You know those press releases that say "The members of Oasis cancelled their show due to dehydration and exhaustion?" I totally understand that now. The physical challenges of being on tour have been the most surprising. First, lack of sleep. Time just effing disappears on the road. It takes twice as long to do anything. Showering, getting clothes out, brushing teeth, making coffee - this part of touring is more like camping than staying at a hotel. One drive is 9 hours, the next is 3 - the schedule changes every day, with merciless disregard for our need for sleep, relaxation, or food.
The effects are not all negative! Having a kitchen in our bus has been a BLESSING. I am the tour chef, and I've been making the healthiest food we can muster on the road... lots of low-carb low-fat turkey wraps, chili with fresh ingredients, chicken breasts and broccoli, etc. We all love greasy burgers and fries - but since that's quite literally ALL that's available outside this bus, whenever we have the chance we load up on fruits, vegetables and lean protein. I've been making smoothies every morning while David makes the coffee and Corey transforms our bus from a bedroom to a lounge/office. The division of labor creates some routine and we take great comfort in these. Yesterday I found my pulse slowed down about 20 bpm when I had a chance to wash dishes and wipe down the counter. The little veins of domesticity that run through this bus have become oddly comforting to me. The bus has become literally our home away from home - and it has been very nice to walk out of venues in 3 states and head upstairs to our "home." The scenery changes, but it remains the same.
Another physical challenge? Unloading & setting up a full battery of light & sound equipment ON TOP of all our amps & regular gear... THEN playing a four hour show... THEN tearing it all down, packing it up, and loading it into the trailer. In Albuquerque the venue was across the street and up 2 1/2 flights of stairs from our parking spot. From start of load in to the time we were finished packing up was 9 HOURS. That was after a 7AM wake up call for our TV appearance. So yeah, physically, I have NEVER EXPERIENCED such exhaustion. And I was worried about where to find a gym? My shoulders & chest are bigger and I'm losing weight. And there aren't even drugs involved!
The shows have been INCREDIBLE. As I meet dozens of people from all these places I've never been, it is transforming my experience of being an American. In "Turnin' it Up" I wrote, "We're all the same and we just want love." I was speaking about my friends and family... but as I meet hundreds of strangers, and we turn them from indifferent or hostile audience members to partying friends, I realize how true that is for EVERYONE. Listening to David's incendiary guitar playing while thumping away on my beloved p-bass in time with Corey's bombastic, unstoppable drumming, I get to wail away on a microphone while leading crowd after crowd of strangers in a celebration of love, power, and community.
The other ultimate highlight has been spending time with two of my best friends in the world. David Neil Black is one of the most sensitive, insightful, intelligent people I've ever met. Corey's perceptive wit continues to impress me, and both of them leave me laughing so hard my sides hurt multiple times a day. I'm not kidding when I say that my ab workout has become obsolete. I've had two spit takes - one beer and one water.
I miss my family, my friends, my dog Zeppelin, my cats Knack, Six and Dottie, but mostly I miss my BEAUTIFUL WIFE. Every day I'm gone I become more and more aware of what a wonderful life I've been blessed with, and what a privilege it is to just get up and be with all the people in my life. I'm also feeling very fortunate to spread that happiness across the country.
With love from the tour bus, currently parked at a truck repair shop in St. Louis, Missouri,
Jeff :P
Jeff here. Just want to take a minute to acknowledge Corey, who has been a faithful and prolific blogger and I am so grateful for him! We all have different responsibilities on the road, and mine have prevented me from making direct contact with you all and I have missed you!
That said I'll attempt to give you a peek into our world on the road. Physically, it has been a roller coaster of exhiliration and exhaustion. You know those press releases that say "The members of Oasis cancelled their show due to dehydration and exhaustion?" I totally understand that now. The physical challenges of being on tour have been the most surprising. First, lack of sleep. Time just effing disappears on the road. It takes twice as long to do anything. Showering, getting clothes out, brushing teeth, making coffee - this part of touring is more like camping than staying at a hotel. One drive is 9 hours, the next is 3 - the schedule changes every day, with merciless disregard for our need for sleep, relaxation, or food.
The effects are not all negative! Having a kitchen in our bus has been a BLESSING. I am the tour chef, and I've been making the healthiest food we can muster on the road... lots of low-carb low-fat turkey wraps, chili with fresh ingredients, chicken breasts and broccoli, etc. We all love greasy burgers and fries - but since that's quite literally ALL that's available outside this bus, whenever we have the chance we load up on fruits, vegetables and lean protein. I've been making smoothies every morning while David makes the coffee and Corey transforms our bus from a bedroom to a lounge/office. The division of labor creates some routine and we take great comfort in these. Yesterday I found my pulse slowed down about 20 bpm when I had a chance to wash dishes and wipe down the counter. The little veins of domesticity that run through this bus have become oddly comforting to me. The bus has become literally our home away from home - and it has been very nice to walk out of venues in 3 states and head upstairs to our "home." The scenery changes, but it remains the same.
Another physical challenge? Unloading & setting up a full battery of light & sound equipment ON TOP of all our amps & regular gear... THEN playing a four hour show... THEN tearing it all down, packing it up, and loading it into the trailer. In Albuquerque the venue was across the street and up 2 1/2 flights of stairs from our parking spot. From start of load in to the time we were finished packing up was 9 HOURS. That was after a 7AM wake up call for our TV appearance. So yeah, physically, I have NEVER EXPERIENCED such exhaustion. And I was worried about where to find a gym? My shoulders & chest are bigger and I'm losing weight. And there aren't even drugs involved!
The shows have been INCREDIBLE. As I meet dozens of people from all these places I've never been, it is transforming my experience of being an American. In "Turnin' it Up" I wrote, "We're all the same and we just want love." I was speaking about my friends and family... but as I meet hundreds of strangers, and we turn them from indifferent or hostile audience members to partying friends, I realize how true that is for EVERYONE. Listening to David's incendiary guitar playing while thumping away on my beloved p-bass in time with Corey's bombastic, unstoppable drumming, I get to wail away on a microphone while leading crowd after crowd of strangers in a celebration of love, power, and community.
The other ultimate highlight has been spending time with two of my best friends in the world. David Neil Black is one of the most sensitive, insightful, intelligent people I've ever met. Corey's perceptive wit continues to impress me, and both of them leave me laughing so hard my sides hurt multiple times a day. I'm not kidding when I say that my ab workout has become obsolete. I've had two spit takes - one beer and one water.
I miss my family, my friends, my dog Zeppelin, my cats Knack, Six and Dottie, but mostly I miss my BEAUTIFUL WIFE. Every day I'm gone I become more and more aware of what a wonderful life I've been blessed with, and what a privilege it is to just get up and be with all the people in my life. I'm also feeling very fortunate to spread that happiness across the country.
With love from the tour bus, currently parked at a truck repair shop in St. Louis, Missouri,
Jeff :P
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Tales From The Road: Thunder Nuggets, Blinking Lights and So Whats
Okay. Wow. Geez. I don't even know where to begin...really.
Road blur has already set in and we've almost argued over the concept of what day it actually is. As I type this, I'm listening to Rush on my iPod in the bus. We're parked in an alley behind tonight's venue in Tulsa, OK called Jo Mamma's. Nice stage, our name on the lighted marquis and our posters...uh...well...posted. Yay! So, since I'm here in Tulsa, it must be Saturday and that means I'm a bit overdue for an update.
Thursday morning we showed up at Channel 4 in Albuquerque to tape a segment for a show that is set to air later this month. We had a blast. During the interview, we also performed an acoustic version of 'My High Life' that had everyone smiling. Afterward, the host Mary Anne took us and our AWESOME PR gal Bianca out for a lovely lunch in old town Albuquerque. They're known for their green chilies and we couldn't help ourselves...YUM. When we get our copy of the video, we'll post it.
We headed to the venue and found parking to be an all-out NIGHTMARE. A major rookie mistake really proved to be a challenge: we didn't properly scout the parking lot we pulled into. It was a narrow parking lot with what looked to be an outlet driveway at the opposite end...UH...WRONG!! In case anyone is interested in the math- narrow lot plus long bus plus one driveway plus the simple fact that this thing is nearly impossible to back-up equals A REALLY LONG AND FRUSTRATING AFTERNOON TRYING TO GET OUT OF A JAM. And to say the least...that's what it was.
That night we played at the Monte Vista Fire House grill. The crowd was more energetic than we were after the parking fiasco and a two hour load-in up three flights of stairs. But, we fed off their energy and everyone had a blast. There was a gaggle of students from Kentucky in town that promised to catch us again in Louisville later in the tour. Honestly the crowd was singing louder than I've ever heard and judging from the looks on the faces of the bartenders the bar did well....very well.
Leaving Albuquerque, and very tired, we noticed our lights blinking intermittently again....oh yeah, we were pulled over for that somewhere between Flagstaff and the New Mexico border. The Officer was very nice and helped me trouble shoot the issue...although we were unable to fix it. "Drive with your hazard lights on from here on out," he said as he shook my hand and left. Just one more thing for us to deal with on our upcoming couple of days 'off'. On the way to Oklahoma we saw lots of dead things on the road, a lot of construction (not fun in a long bus with a trailer and blinking hazards) and...........wait for it............THUNDER NUGGETS. Earlier in our drive, David had mentioned to Jeff and I that the thing on the shoulder of the roadway is called a 'rumble strip'....ya know that annoying noise your tires make when you get over too far. Anyhow...the tour bus has encountered the rumble strip quite a few times in getting used to the width of everything and later, when trying to recall that term, Jeff said "Geez the road here is so narrow, I keep hitting the....the....uh.....what is that thing....uh......THUNDER NUGGETS." We all laughed until we nearly peed our pants....only furthering our continual tire contact with the thunder nuggets...er....rumble strip.
Last night we pulled into Norman, Oklahoma to rock Mooney's Pub. The drive from Albuquerque to Norman was our longest on the entire tour. It was roughly a nine hour drive and guess what? We forgot about the SECOND time zone change of our tour which actually made it a ten hour drive and made us an hour LATE for our show. Yikes. We loaded-in quickly after getting to pull the bus into a FIELD next to the club. It was a welcomed change from the weird narrow lot in Albuquerque. Anyway, we loaded-in and everyone in the place ended-up onstage. One of the owners actually shook her money maker and SANG a few songs with us. We have tons of great photos and plan to upload them soon, we promise. After the show, we stayed in the bar to discover the ultimate lethal raddness of their signature shot called a 'So What'. It has recently been trademarked or patented or whatever you do with a drink...it is Southern Comfort, Watermelon and Red Bull. Needless to say, we slept very well. We woke up, in the bus, in the field, loaded-out and rolled onward to Tulsa.
Both clubs are already begging to have us back. Let's see if we can keep that streak alive.
More to come soon...I promise. Now...shower, dinner, sound check.
Love,
C, J & D
Road blur has already set in and we've almost argued over the concept of what day it actually is. As I type this, I'm listening to Rush on my iPod in the bus. We're parked in an alley behind tonight's venue in Tulsa, OK called Jo Mamma's. Nice stage, our name on the lighted marquis and our posters...uh...well...posted. Yay! So, since I'm here in Tulsa, it must be Saturday and that means I'm a bit overdue for an update.
Thursday morning we showed up at Channel 4 in Albuquerque to tape a segment for a show that is set to air later this month. We had a blast. During the interview, we also performed an acoustic version of 'My High Life' that had everyone smiling. Afterward, the host Mary Anne took us and our AWESOME PR gal Bianca out for a lovely lunch in old town Albuquerque. They're known for their green chilies and we couldn't help ourselves...YUM. When we get our copy of the video, we'll post it.
We headed to the venue and found parking to be an all-out NIGHTMARE. A major rookie mistake really proved to be a challenge: we didn't properly scout the parking lot we pulled into. It was a narrow parking lot with what looked to be an outlet driveway at the opposite end...UH...WRONG!! In case anyone is interested in the math- narrow lot plus long bus plus one driveway plus the simple fact that this thing is nearly impossible to back-up equals A REALLY LONG AND FRUSTRATING AFTERNOON TRYING TO GET OUT OF A JAM. And to say the least...that's what it was.
That night we played at the Monte Vista Fire House grill. The crowd was more energetic than we were after the parking fiasco and a two hour load-in up three flights of stairs. But, we fed off their energy and everyone had a blast. There was a gaggle of students from Kentucky in town that promised to catch us again in Louisville later in the tour. Honestly the crowd was singing louder than I've ever heard and judging from the looks on the faces of the bartenders the bar did well....very well.
Leaving Albuquerque, and very tired, we noticed our lights blinking intermittently again....oh yeah, we were pulled over for that somewhere between Flagstaff and the New Mexico border. The Officer was very nice and helped me trouble shoot the issue...although we were unable to fix it. "Drive with your hazard lights on from here on out," he said as he shook my hand and left. Just one more thing for us to deal with on our upcoming couple of days 'off'. On the way to Oklahoma we saw lots of dead things on the road, a lot of construction (not fun in a long bus with a trailer and blinking hazards) and...........wait for it............THUNDER NUGGETS. Earlier in our drive, David had mentioned to Jeff and I that the thing on the shoulder of the roadway is called a 'rumble strip'....ya know that annoying noise your tires make when you get over too far. Anyhow...the tour bus has encountered the rumble strip quite a few times in getting used to the width of everything and later, when trying to recall that term, Jeff said "Geez the road here is so narrow, I keep hitting the....the....uh.....what is that thing....uh......THUNDER NUGGETS." We all laughed until we nearly peed our pants....only furthering our continual tire contact with the thunder nuggets...er....rumble strip.
Last night we pulled into Norman, Oklahoma to rock Mooney's Pub. The drive from Albuquerque to Norman was our longest on the entire tour. It was roughly a nine hour drive and guess what? We forgot about the SECOND time zone change of our tour which actually made it a ten hour drive and made us an hour LATE for our show. Yikes. We loaded-in quickly after getting to pull the bus into a FIELD next to the club. It was a welcomed change from the weird narrow lot in Albuquerque. Anyway, we loaded-in and everyone in the place ended-up onstage. One of the owners actually shook her money maker and SANG a few songs with us. We have tons of great photos and plan to upload them soon, we promise. After the show, we stayed in the bar to discover the ultimate lethal raddness of their signature shot called a 'So What'. It has recently been trademarked or patented or whatever you do with a drink...it is Southern Comfort, Watermelon and Red Bull. Needless to say, we slept very well. We woke up, in the bus, in the field, loaded-out and rolled onward to Tulsa.
Both clubs are already begging to have us back. Let's see if we can keep that streak alive.
More to come soon...I promise. Now...shower, dinner, sound check.
Love,
C, J & D
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tales From The Road: Duct Tape and Such.
Hey All,
Corey here, and as promised, here is the first installment of 'Tales From The Road'. Rolled safely into Phoenix last night around 8:30 and had the chance to sit with some of my family. After some great food, a few laughs and a couple cocktails we retired to the bus for our first night's sleep...but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Jeff rocked the first driving shift and was the first to be challenged with the 'we're widening the off ramp but currently things will resemble going through a funnel since we have to put up all these concrete barricades' scenario. He soldiered through like a pro, although I must admit, there was NO conversation and we all may or may not have peed just a bit.
David was up next and noted that driving the bus resembled the Mr. Toad's Wild Ride attraction at Disneyland. He was the first to have to deal with the cross-freeway traffic. That coupled with other vehicles whizzing by really cranked-up the pucker factor. David proved to be road-worthy in every way.
As for me, I got a the triple-threat: nighttime, traffic and construction. Needless to say, the 'yikes factor' was continually increasing.
It has already been an adventure and we'll certainly be posting photos as soon as we can. We all marveled at the panoramic view of the mountains on our way into Phoenix and the harvest moon. The windshield is so huge it's like watching an IMAX scenery movie. Currently we're heading for Flagstaff for a bit of lunch and then it's onto Albuquerque for our TV appearance and show tomorrow.
As for the duct tape, I'll just say this- it is truly the fix-all, must-have tour necessity thus far. The gaping hole in the fiberglass body of the RV thanks to a certain oblivious pre-tour driver had to be duct taped closed to avoid the wind-makes-hole-bigger experiment. We're all thankful for duct tape and hopeful that said gaping hole stays the size of a sleeve of Oreo cookies.
...speaking of Oreo cookies....
Talk to ya soon!
Love,
C, J & D
Corey here, and as promised, here is the first installment of 'Tales From The Road'. Rolled safely into Phoenix last night around 8:30 and had the chance to sit with some of my family. After some great food, a few laughs and a couple cocktails we retired to the bus for our first night's sleep...but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Jeff rocked the first driving shift and was the first to be challenged with the 'we're widening the off ramp but currently things will resemble going through a funnel since we have to put up all these concrete barricades' scenario. He soldiered through like a pro, although I must admit, there was NO conversation and we all may or may not have peed just a bit.
David was up next and noted that driving the bus resembled the Mr. Toad's Wild Ride attraction at Disneyland. He was the first to have to deal with the cross-freeway traffic. That coupled with other vehicles whizzing by really cranked-up the pucker factor. David proved to be road-worthy in every way.
As for me, I got a the triple-threat: nighttime, traffic and construction. Needless to say, the 'yikes factor' was continually increasing.
It has already been an adventure and we'll certainly be posting photos as soon as we can. We all marveled at the panoramic view of the mountains on our way into Phoenix and the harvest moon. The windshield is so huge it's like watching an IMAX scenery movie. Currently we're heading for Flagstaff for a bit of lunch and then it's onto Albuquerque for our TV appearance and show tomorrow.
As for the duct tape, I'll just say this- it is truly the fix-all, must-have tour necessity thus far. The gaping hole in the fiberglass body of the RV thanks to a certain oblivious pre-tour driver had to be duct taped closed to avoid the wind-makes-hole-bigger experiment. We're all thankful for duct tape and hopeful that said gaping hole stays the size of a sleeve of Oreo cookies.
...speaking of Oreo cookies....
Talk to ya soon!
Love,
C, J & D
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