The vacation is over?!
So that eight days went by in a blur. Did I get much done around the house? NOPE! Did I spend time working on things for the tour? YEP! Oh well have to pay the bills.
I head back out in the morning and go to NJ. That's right freakin Jersey. Our next show is in Princeton on Thursday. Tomorrow is Mindy's birthday so if you come to a show in the next couple days and visit her at the merchandise table. Make sure to wish her a happy one.
There are a couple of us with birthdays in the next couple weeks. Lex, the mandolin player has a birthday on the 8th of June. Yours truly has one on the 12th. Great another year closer to retirement.
Tortured Artists
I spent the other evening attending a rock concert. That’s right a day off going to a show. Went to see some roadie friends working a tour. I have toured with these guys in the past and it’s like seeing family.
Everyone looked great, even though they are clearly burned out. They haven’t been home in some time. The other problem is the band. A couple of them, well at least one is becoming hard to work with. This is a band who’s CD just went platinum.
I always find it interesting that young bands always want success. Yet when some of them get it, they become either, egomaniacs or just plain miserable to work with. I just don’t understand how you can be unhappy in this position.
There are thousands of bands that never even get a record deal, yet alone a platinum disc. You should be happy and love where you are. Remember it’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll. And even longer way back to the bottom.
Computers, phones and other gadgets
The vacation has started. The new iBook is here. The rain finally stopped. An eight day vacation has begun. NOT!!! The phone continues to ring. I'm returning calls nearly every hour. The emails....don't get me started.....they keep coming.
So I have the new laptop up and running. The added applications are on there and I've transfered many of the important files. Now I have to find a moment to fill out all the rebates and get them sent in. I want some of my money back. It looks like a geek convention in here. There are boxes, manuals, paperwork all over the place. It's so bad I had to move some of this stuff into the dining room from the office. Hopefully I will rearrange that in the next couple of days.
So the summer could get interesting. Several tour possibilites which I can not discuss at this time. Let's just say hopefully I will be busy. Money is a good thing right now. I just need to stop buying gadgets.
Oh wait....how much are the iPods now?
Days off lead to spending binge
Days go by slowly sometimes, yet life passes by so quickly. When you are stuck on the road and too many days off, you begin to realize that. Don’t get me wrong, time off is good, but you run out of things to do in a strange city.
We were in a lame, no wait shitty hotel the last few days. So today we decided to switch. Same city mind you, just needed a change of scenery. Glad we did the mood is a bit better today for everyone.
I decided to finally get a new laptop. Time to retire my
powerbook. It is still working fine but the case is showing it’s age. Besides the screen hinges are starting to get loose again, just three years after I replaced them. So I’m getting a new
iBook. The best part is all the extra stuff I got with it for free. Well, I have to send in a bunch of rebates. Still free is good no matter how you get it. It should be at the house on Tuesday. Then the fun of moving files begins.
The
coffee is about to flow and the sleepless nights begin.
Hockey to flowers
As some of you know I work with Five For Fighting. Of course the band is really just John Ondrasik. Anyway he has several other players who make up the touring band. The most recent touring guitarist is Stuart Mathis. A very good player and really nice guy. Well he is now touring with The Wallflowers. Congratulation to him and the upcoming tour.
So one more show on the Mary Chapin Carpenter tour until the eight day break. So it’s home on Monday until June1.
Two cents saved
I haven’t been posting for a couple days do to a busy schedule. I probably shouldn’t post now considering the mood I’m in. I’m fed up with people penny pinching. Everyone is trying to save a buck.
Now I understand this, but please don’t do it with people who are trying to make a living.
Any movie critics?
So the tour schedule is changing again. Seems the show is Cincinnati was cancelled today. I wasn’t told the exact reason, but I can guess. So now we have several days off after the Ann Arbor show. I usually like days off but anymore I get easily bored.
I find myself reading message boards by the artists I work with. Some of them are interesting and some of them are funny and some are puzzling.
For fans of Mindy I want to verify a rumor. No she will not be playing the show in Virginia on June 15th. I know the ticket says she is, but trust me she is not. I would know. People keep emailing me to ask and yet when I tell them no, they still question my answer.
Back to the boredom issue I was thinking of seeing a movie today, I just didn’t find anything I wanted to see. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, already saw it and yes I liked it. Anyone have any suggestions?
The Journey ends
I finally made it, eight states and three and half days later I’m in Chicago. I even got a few things done today. So tomorrow will be a real day off.
Yea right, whom am I kidding? Work never stops when you are on tour.
I’m glad I got out of South Dakota when I did. Seems they are getting around 8 inches of snow today around Rapid City. Speak of which I didn’t get to Mt Rushmore. I woke up yesterday morning to rain and a cloud deck just above the trees. So it would have been a waste of time to go there. It’s a shame since I was less than 20 miles from there.
So beginning Saturday we have six shows and then a nine day break. That's right I get to go home and mow the lawn.
Seeing the country in style
So I usually travel in a
tour bus when on tour. However, for this tour seeing that is was just
Mindy and one other musician. It was decided to tour in a van. Ok van tours suck. Well this one has been bearable. We are using a conversion van, which has the big captain’s chairs and TV/VCR/dvd so it’s not too bad.
Now the part that has a bit annoying, is the tour has a break. Last show was in Seattle and the next show is in Chicago. So yours truly gets to spend the week driving there. I was supposed to have help, however as I mentioned he no longer works with us.
So the drive is interstate 90 pretty much the whole way. I’ve been all over this country, but I have to admit when you ride on a bus you are sleeping and you miss much of it. Especially when you travel at night.
Let me tell you I’ve seen over a thousand miles in the last two days and I have missed some beautiful country all these years. As I type this I’m 35 miles from Mount Rushmore and if you can believe I’ve never been there. So tomorrow morning I plan to get up early and go see it.
I should still be in Chicago by late Wednesday night. I love 75 mile an hour speed limits.
Northwest rest
Days off are what anyone who works looks forward to. This is especially true when you travel on the road. We finally had a couple of days in Portland, OR. I know not the most exciting place but for some reason it was a good time. Good food, nice hotel and I finally saw the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I love stadium seating.
So one more show tomorrow in Seattle. The tour will resume next weekend in Chicago.
Wyoming snow
This was taken May 1 near Laramie, WY. Spring snow.
Going home
You never want things to end on a sour note. However things happen in life that you cannot control. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.
Today our guitar technician was sent home. Yep he was fired. I’ve known this guy for over 15 years. He’s a good guy and a good tech. Yet things didn’t work out and he is on a plane home. It happens and it’s unfortunate. The thing that is tough is we will not have a new guy in place until Chicago. Where does that leave us? No one to do the job for three shows.
I hope the new guy works out.
On a good note we have an extra day off due to a show being cancelled. No one really wants to go to Montana anyway.
roadiescafe
An apply named cafe somewhere in Nebraska. No we didn't eat there.
