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