I write this from the most familiar of settings: a Wal-Mart parking lot. We're in Elyria, OH just outside Cleveland although the 'where' is less important to us these days than the 'when'. Each of us can vouch that Wal-Mart parking lots look frighteningly similar no matter what city you're in. We're particularly fond of the 'Supercenter' variety since they're generally open 24 hours a day and allow overnight RV parking. That way we can shop and use the facilities at any hour of the day. If you're wondering why we're 'just outside Cleveland' the answer is simple: we happened to find the ONE Wal-Mart Supercenter that doesn't actually allow overnight parking of any kind. We were, in fact, kicked out. The security guards were nice enough, but seemingly over-equipped sporting what looked to be holstered firearms and bullet-proof vests. Maybe we mis-judged that area of town, or maybe someone's on a very serious power trip...either way we find Elyria quite suitable. We may also be heading back into Cleveland to rock a show tonight. While we await word from our contact, we plan to sit here, enjoy the rain and watch a movie or three.
I suppose being asked to leave that parking lot in Cleveland could be considered tribulation, but our challenges and adversity has come in all shapes and sizes on this tour. Our bus trouble has been well-documented. Our hearts all ache equally and long for home. We've all had the sniffles, sore throats and what we've lovingly referred to as 'tour cough'. Financially, touring is a challenge to say the least. Trying to fund a home life and a road life simultaneously is daunting. Each of these tribulations, though, has given way to triumph. The three of us have learned more on this tour than we ever imagined and admittedly many of the triumphs were unexpected.
Watching our fanbase grow has been both pleasing and surprising. Hearing people's reactions to our music was almost completely shocking. Those who've purchased our latest record have been verbal and effusive. Some people have claimed that 7k is their new favorite band. (gulp) Wow! Another unexpected triumph was having to re-route the end of our tour to include another performance at Scatz in Madison, Wisconsin. Many of you know how special Madison is to me, being my hometown and all, but being asked back ON THIS TOUR is huge. Rick, the owner, enjoyed our performance there last month and asked us to fill the opening slot for a national act (Midnight to Twelve) this Friday. Establishing a relationship with a guy like Rick at an AMAZING venue like Scatz will have impact on the rest of our career. As I've said before, Scatz is essentially Madison's answer to the House of Blues. It is a venue we WILL return to dozens and dozens of times. Talk about unexpected....WOW! Another genuinely unexpected triumph came in the form of wide-spread interest. We interfaced with over 200 colleges during our three NACA conferences on this tour and dozens have already started drawing up contracts to have us perform at their school next year. We're already slated to open for another national act (Safety Suit) at a number of Spring shows on the East Coast. Each of us has been greatly impacted by this tour and it is certainly time to return to our beloved California. Fittingly, it will mark '...the End' of our tour (just a bit of 7k humor for ya).
Heading through upstate New York, through Erie, Pennsylvania and along Lake Erie into Cleveland we realized that for the very first time on this tour, we were traveling West FOR GOOD this time. Every other time the compass read 'W' we knew we'd eventually be retracing our paths to find ourselves in another Eastern city and then another and another. Well, not this time. We are inching homeward. The only steps we retrace now are the steps we took to get this far from home. Our smiles widen while we lick our chops, ready to rock Madison again and hit the road trekking Westward. We'll be home to enjoy the holidays with our loved ones and then it'll be time to plan the next tour and the next. 7k has changed forever but we're still the same, I promise.
Until next time...
Love,
C, J & D
PS- A few other unexpected triumphs:
1. Laughter from Ren & Stimpy DVD box set.
2. Satisfaction from the best coffee on Earth made by Jeff & David.
3. Appreciation for folks in the service industry who are actually good at their job.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tales From The Road: Here are a few of our FAVORITE THINGS.
Well, here we sit in the Boston/Cape Cod KOA campground and I thought it would be fun to post a few favorite things. Obviously, with 5 weeks under our belt we've enjoyed lots of stuff on the bus...
WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO:
Rush
Muse
Led Zeppelin
311
Third Eye Blind
Queensryche
Dredg
Disturbed
Metallica
WHAT WE ARE DRINKING:
Coffee (weak)
Coffee (strong)
Coca-Cola Zero
Jeff's berry-banana-protein-peanut butter smoothies
Diet Pepsi
Water
An occasional beer, usually Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra or Sierra Nevada Porter
Four Roses (a gift from Kentucky for very special occasions)
WHAT WE ARE EATING:
David's soon-to-be-famous Oatmeal
Jeff's bad mofo chili
Summer sausage
Fruit
String cheese
Raw almonds
Turkey wraps
Soup
Delivery pizza (who knew they delivered to campgrounds?!!? BOOO, there goes the diet)
WHAT WE ARE WATCHING:
Music DVDs- Rush, John Mayer, 311
Movie DVDs- 300, Transformers 2, Transporter 3, Waiting & Joe Dirt
WHAT WE CRAVE DAILY:
Long, hot showers (individually of course...LOL)
High quality coffee
WHAT WE DO BESIDES DRIVE & PERFORM:
Talk & laugh
Search for Wal-Mart (one of the best places to park this beast)
Spend time on our computers catching up with emails & following up with show booking
Organizing & uploading photos/videos
Spend time on our phones catching up with life & loved ones
General bus maintenance & cleaning
WHAT WE ARE USING REGULARLY:
Febreze
Caffeine
Duct tape (the good stuff)
I suppose that's a brief and accurate glimpse inside the bus....until next time.
Love,
C, J & D
WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO:
Rush
Muse
Led Zeppelin
311
Third Eye Blind
Queensryche
Dredg
Disturbed
Metallica
WHAT WE ARE DRINKING:
Coffee (weak)
Coffee (strong)
Coca-Cola Zero
Jeff's berry-banana-protein-peanut butter smoothies
Diet Pepsi
Water
An occasional beer, usually Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra or Sierra Nevada Porter
Four Roses (a gift from Kentucky for very special occasions)
WHAT WE ARE EATING:
David's soon-to-be-famous Oatmeal
Jeff's bad mofo chili
Summer sausage
Fruit
String cheese
Raw almonds
Turkey wraps
Soup
Delivery pizza (who knew they delivered to campgrounds?!!? BOOO, there goes the diet)
WHAT WE ARE WATCHING:
Music DVDs- Rush, John Mayer, 311
Movie DVDs- 300, Transformers 2, Transporter 3, Waiting & Joe Dirt
WHAT WE CRAVE DAILY:
Long, hot showers (individually of course...LOL)
High quality coffee
WHAT WE DO BESIDES DRIVE & PERFORM:
Talk & laugh
Search for Wal-Mart (one of the best places to park this beast)
Spend time on our computers catching up with emails & following up with show booking
Organizing & uploading photos/videos
Spend time on our phones catching up with life & loved ones
General bus maintenance & cleaning
WHAT WE ARE USING REGULARLY:
Febreze
Caffeine
Duct tape (the good stuff)
I suppose that's a brief and accurate glimpse inside the bus....until next time.
Love,
C, J & D
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tales From The Road: A BLURRY FLURRY WITH A SIDE OF GOAT.
Okay, I'll attempt to pick up where I left off, although it feels like we watched Transformers 2 about 8455 days ago.
Honestly, we enjoyed some 'down' time in that beautiful KOA campground in East Sparta, Ohio. We cooked, we did laundry, we cleaned, we plotted, planned and laughed. Frankly, that is the part of this whole thing that has surprises me most- the three of us are (still) getting along famously. Sure, there have been some tense moments, but each of us understand the exhaustion we're feeling. We may get upset, but those instances have never lasted longer than 5 minutes. Mostly we disagree about what day it is, where we are, how many days it's been since we took on fresh water in the holding tank of the bus or our last satisfactory shower. We are blurred. This past weekend actually marked the first stretch on the tour where we didn't have any shows booked. We ended-up in Worcester, Massachusetts and enjoyed the company of some of Jeff's close friends while hiking at Purgatory Chasm State Reservation. It was nice to get out of the bus and get some exercise for a change.
Later this week, we head to Hartford, Connecticut for the final NACA conference and then we'll be cruising through the Midwest to rock Cleveland, Chicago and Madison before make the trek home. We are looking forward to Hartford as all the NACA conferences thus far have helped to shape 2010 in terms of touring and the growth of 7k. Returning again to my hometown to rock Scatz will be another treat as the last show of the tour.
Before I continue, I must clarify the goat reference. The bus holds X gallons of fresh water for washing dishes, washing our hands, flushing the toilet and lastly, showering. All the water that goes down those drains is held in a holding tank that holds Y gallons of used water. Since human beings generally eat more than they shower in any given day, washing dishes, washing hands and flushing the toilet are unavoidable priorities. Since emptying the 'used' water tank can only happen in designated areas (usually truck stops or campgounds) and we've been driving A LOT you can all now safely assume the 'used' water tank is full. Before you get grossed out, just think of it as mostly cold soapy water. It's not really gross and we wisely made a rule on this tour before we even left: ONLY #1 IN THE BATHROOM ON THE BUS. So, now you can see...it's really not smelly or gross......BUT it's also obvious that showering has nearly disappeared from the priority list. All in all, it's a pretty simple equation and it's result is easy to understand (especially after a long hike)- the three of us smell like goats.
The ripple effects of being out here are amazing. We've watched our Facebook friends spike, our MySpace friends spike, our 'High Life' music video views jump over 1100 and tons of comments about all the photos and video blogs we're posting. The acoustic video version of 'High Life' from the bus is up and it caught fire....65 views in 2 days! I speak for Jeff and David when I say that 7k has the greatest fans ever. Thank you all for everything you do and every person you pass 7k along to. Our fans inspire us each and every day in the most unexpected ways. Again, we thank you.
One last thing before I go: We miss home. We comfort each other while being this FAR away from home. A couple days ago we saw the Atlantic Ocean while crossing a bridge in Connecticut and it hit us like a ton of bricks how far away we actually are. Our homesickness isn't sad most of the time. The best way I can describe it is we're ready. The three of us are ready to return home, to our routines and to our loved ones. There have been some genuine sad moments when one of us is thinking about someone special (just typing that brought tears to my eyes) but we all know that this is what we 'signed up for'. Furthermore, the three of us know we'll need to get used to emotions like these and how to deal with them. We love you all and couldn't do this without your love and continued support.
Our plan is to win over one state, one city, one venue, one song at a time.
Until next time...
Love,
C, J & D
Honestly, we enjoyed some 'down' time in that beautiful KOA campground in East Sparta, Ohio. We cooked, we did laundry, we cleaned, we plotted, planned and laughed. Frankly, that is the part of this whole thing that has surprises me most- the three of us are (still) getting along famously. Sure, there have been some tense moments, but each of us understand the exhaustion we're feeling. We may get upset, but those instances have never lasted longer than 5 minutes. Mostly we disagree about what day it is, where we are, how many days it's been since we took on fresh water in the holding tank of the bus or our last satisfactory shower. We are blurred. This past weekend actually marked the first stretch on the tour where we didn't have any shows booked. We ended-up in Worcester, Massachusetts and enjoyed the company of some of Jeff's close friends while hiking at Purgatory Chasm State Reservation. It was nice to get out of the bus and get some exercise for a change.
Later this week, we head to Hartford, Connecticut for the final NACA conference and then we'll be cruising through the Midwest to rock Cleveland, Chicago and Madison before make the trek home. We are looking forward to Hartford as all the NACA conferences thus far have helped to shape 2010 in terms of touring and the growth of 7k. Returning again to my hometown to rock Scatz will be another treat as the last show of the tour.
Before I continue, I must clarify the goat reference. The bus holds X gallons of fresh water for washing dishes, washing our hands, flushing the toilet and lastly, showering. All the water that goes down those drains is held in a holding tank that holds Y gallons of used water. Since human beings generally eat more than they shower in any given day, washing dishes, washing hands and flushing the toilet are unavoidable priorities. Since emptying the 'used' water tank can only happen in designated areas (usually truck stops or campgounds) and we've been driving A LOT you can all now safely assume the 'used' water tank is full. Before you get grossed out, just think of it as mostly cold soapy water. It's not really gross and we wisely made a rule on this tour before we even left: ONLY #1 IN THE BATHROOM ON THE BUS. So, now you can see...it's really not smelly or gross......BUT it's also obvious that showering has nearly disappeared from the priority list. All in all, it's a pretty simple equation and it's result is easy to understand (especially after a long hike)- the three of us smell like goats.
The ripple effects of being out here are amazing. We've watched our Facebook friends spike, our MySpace friends spike, our 'High Life' music video views jump over 1100 and tons of comments about all the photos and video blogs we're posting. The acoustic video version of 'High Life' from the bus is up and it caught fire....65 views in 2 days! I speak for Jeff and David when I say that 7k has the greatest fans ever. Thank you all for everything you do and every person you pass 7k along to. Our fans inspire us each and every day in the most unexpected ways. Again, we thank you.
One last thing before I go: We miss home. We comfort each other while being this FAR away from home. A couple days ago we saw the Atlantic Ocean while crossing a bridge in Connecticut and it hit us like a ton of bricks how far away we actually are. Our homesickness isn't sad most of the time. The best way I can describe it is we're ready. The three of us are ready to return home, to our routines and to our loved ones. There have been some genuine sad moments when one of us is thinking about someone special (just typing that brought tears to my eyes) but we all know that this is what we 'signed up for'. Furthermore, the three of us know we'll need to get used to emotions like these and how to deal with them. We love you all and couldn't do this without your love and continued support.
Our plan is to win over one state, one city, one venue, one song at a time.
Until next time...
Love,
C, J & D
Monday, November 2, 2009
Tales From The Road: Point, Pucker & Puking.
I know, I know, it's been too long since my last blog. A thousand apologies.
Since our last episode, the rain has actually stopped from time to time, we've played a few unbelievable shows and rocked another regional NACA conference. All that is fine, but first things first...
If you're in the driver seat of the tour bus, it's certainly the point position. You wield all the power because you can see the mirrors and the back-up cam. Although it takes a lot of getting used to, it is one of the preferred seats in the house while moving.
If you're in the passenger seat (the 2nd captain's chair near the dash) you're clearly in the pucker position. There's nothing quite like going over a suspension bridge, sitting in pucker position while David drives and happily asks the question "How is the view over there dude?" Little does he know that from where I sit it appears that our tires are a nanometer from the cement side and our side mirror is casting a shadow on the river 700 feet below as it reaches over. Seriously folks, pucker is an understatement. Driving through construction and narrow one-way downtown streets (or God forbid, BOTH simultaneously) is a nail biting, breath holding and eye squinting fest just as you see the guy trying to get out of his car which is parallel parked just ahead. The scene is quickly transformed to silent Hail Mary's and hopeful wincing. Yeah...PUCKER.
If you're on either couch or at the table, chances are you're trying to work (while moving) you're in the puking position. As you might imagine, attempting to read a laptop screen while landscape whizzes by sideways is a little queasy to say the least. Now add rain, construction and a GPS unit that we're all ready to skip across the next lake and things are very nearly vomittus maximus.
I wish I could've blogged more since my last posting, but I must admit, thus far the tour has been an endless exercise in exhaustion vs exhilaration. We've all consumed more coffee and more BAD coffee on this tour than ever before in our lives. We've all experienced some pretty serious pangs of homesickness. The three of us miss our loved ones and think of home...and of the little things like our cars, our beds, our pets and our electric toothbrushes. Oh...and the beach. Oh...and the gorgeous California weather. Oh..and..........I could keep doing that for hours.
The shows have simply been AWESOME. South Bend, Indiana was an absolute blast as we rocked the Wander Inn Tavern on the owner's birthday. He insisted that we play our original set twice and the packed crowd loved every second of it. Madison, Wisconsin was a treat as we rocked the stage at Scatz (the equivalent to House of Blues, Anaheim). I had family there and the owner FLIPPED OUT and demanded we re-route the end of the tour to enable a REPEAT ROCKING. Obviously, we'll oblige. I lovingly played the last two songs of our set 'Dispense' and 'Turnin' it Up' in my Green Bay Packer jersey (no, not THAT jersey). We hung in my hometown with family for a couple days and then headed for Bloomington, Indiana to spend time with dear friends and the King family. Our show at Max's Place positively WENT OFF and featured the youngest and most talented 7k dancers yet. All of the King Kids and their pals rushed the stage and romped around...a true delight. After Indiana, it was time for Louisville, Kentucky. One of the most FUN and unique shows in 7k history, we were set-up on an Oriental rug spanning two BOWLING LANES at the Vernon (America's 3rd oldest bowling alley). Imagine the late night rock n' bowl that you've all done at home, but with the music provided LIVE by 7k. It was awesome and our QSC sound system sounded simply ARENA-LIKE. Interestingly enough, the bowling alley is connected to a 4 story historical mansion, which the owner lead us through room by spooky room. WOW! And, before I forget, Sergio's. WOW and WOW and WOW!! Sergio's is a little place a couple blocks from the Vernon. My Godfather, a Louisville resident and huge 7k fan took us there for a pre-show meal and a beer...or 4. Sergio's has over 1400 beers. Yes, you read that correctly. The owner (fluent in at least 3 languages) had a story for each and we sampled dozens. It was the most amazing exBEERience of our lives.
We now sit at a KOA campground in East Sparta, Ohio and just like clock-work, the rain has resumed. We're getting comfy and ready for tonight's movie: Transformers 2.
Will blog again soon...see all the pics on the Facebook page.
Love,
C, J & D
Since our last episode, the rain has actually stopped from time to time, we've played a few unbelievable shows and rocked another regional NACA conference. All that is fine, but first things first...
If you're in the driver seat of the tour bus, it's certainly the point position. You wield all the power because you can see the mirrors and the back-up cam. Although it takes a lot of getting used to, it is one of the preferred seats in the house while moving.
If you're in the passenger seat (the 2nd captain's chair near the dash) you're clearly in the pucker position. There's nothing quite like going over a suspension bridge, sitting in pucker position while David drives and happily asks the question "How is the view over there dude?" Little does he know that from where I sit it appears that our tires are a nanometer from the cement side and our side mirror is casting a shadow on the river 700 feet below as it reaches over. Seriously folks, pucker is an understatement. Driving through construction and narrow one-way downtown streets (or God forbid, BOTH simultaneously) is a nail biting, breath holding and eye squinting fest just as you see the guy trying to get out of his car which is parallel parked just ahead. The scene is quickly transformed to silent Hail Mary's and hopeful wincing. Yeah...PUCKER.
If you're on either couch or at the table, chances are you're trying to work (while moving) you're in the puking position. As you might imagine, attempting to read a laptop screen while landscape whizzes by sideways is a little queasy to say the least. Now add rain, construction and a GPS unit that we're all ready to skip across the next lake and things are very nearly vomittus maximus.
I wish I could've blogged more since my last posting, but I must admit, thus far the tour has been an endless exercise in exhaustion vs exhilaration. We've all consumed more coffee and more BAD coffee on this tour than ever before in our lives. We've all experienced some pretty serious pangs of homesickness. The three of us miss our loved ones and think of home...and of the little things like our cars, our beds, our pets and our electric toothbrushes. Oh...and the beach. Oh...and the gorgeous California weather. Oh..and..........I could keep doing that for hours.
The shows have simply been AWESOME. South Bend, Indiana was an absolute blast as we rocked the Wander Inn Tavern on the owner's birthday. He insisted that we play our original set twice and the packed crowd loved every second of it. Madison, Wisconsin was a treat as we rocked the stage at Scatz (the equivalent to House of Blues, Anaheim). I had family there and the owner FLIPPED OUT and demanded we re-route the end of the tour to enable a REPEAT ROCKING. Obviously, we'll oblige. I lovingly played the last two songs of our set 'Dispense' and 'Turnin' it Up' in my Green Bay Packer jersey (no, not THAT jersey). We hung in my hometown with family for a couple days and then headed for Bloomington, Indiana to spend time with dear friends and the King family. Our show at Max's Place positively WENT OFF and featured the youngest and most talented 7k dancers yet. All of the King Kids and their pals rushed the stage and romped around...a true delight. After Indiana, it was time for Louisville, Kentucky. One of the most FUN and unique shows in 7k history, we were set-up on an Oriental rug spanning two BOWLING LANES at the Vernon (America's 3rd oldest bowling alley). Imagine the late night rock n' bowl that you've all done at home, but with the music provided LIVE by 7k. It was awesome and our QSC sound system sounded simply ARENA-LIKE. Interestingly enough, the bowling alley is connected to a 4 story historical mansion, which the owner lead us through room by spooky room. WOW! And, before I forget, Sergio's. WOW and WOW and WOW!! Sergio's is a little place a couple blocks from the Vernon. My Godfather, a Louisville resident and huge 7k fan took us there for a pre-show meal and a beer...or 4. Sergio's has over 1400 beers. Yes, you read that correctly. The owner (fluent in at least 3 languages) had a story for each and we sampled dozens. It was the most amazing exBEERience of our lives.
We now sit at a KOA campground in East Sparta, Ohio and just like clock-work, the rain has resumed. We're getting comfy and ready for tonight's movie: Transformers 2.
Will blog again soon...see all the pics on the Facebook page.
Love,
C, J & D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
