I'm off to see the wizard
It's been a busy 6 weeks here at home, working with the guys at
Audio Images Sound & Lighting. We have been doing quite a few festivals providing staging, sound, lights, backline, etc. Long hours but also some good times and laughs.
Well now it's back on the road on Sunday with the band
YES. The tour is kicking off in Toronto and will run till August 22 when it finishes in Mexico City. A North American tour in the summer and fortunately most of the shows are indoors. I hate the heat.
After the YES tour I will be heading out with the band
ASIA. Steve and Geoff from YES will obviously playing with them too. The tour will kick off in Japan in the middle of September with a North American tour after that and the UK in December.
So it looks like the rest of my year will be fairly busy. I have begun looking for a different house and have been going back and forth with the credit union on a mortgage. It looks like I have finally been approved. So hopefully during the weeks between legs of the tour I can find the new digs.
Labels: Concert, Home, Road, roadie, Roadies, Stage, Toronto, Tour, Touring, YES
Teen idols
The last week or so has been a bit of blur. Saturday night in Detroit ended up being the last show of the US run. Scott's voice finally gave out on him and we had to cancel the St. Louis performance.
Everyone is home on a week long break. Of course what that means for some of us is working at home. We have a new set design for the Canadian tour and we are trying to get things together as I type.
After all these years it never surprises me when I run into someone that I have known in the past or an artist that I know of. The production manager for the tour is someone that I have worked with but it has been years.
Last week we spent a couple days in New Jersey since the band had press in NYC. One morning there were some other tour buses parked in front of the hotel. This is not uncommon at this particular hotel. On Tuesday night we had a late night departure and I was in the elevator heading downstairs. There was a guy on there when I got on. He asked me what band I was with. He said he thought he recognized a couple of the guys earlier in the day. I asked him who he was with and his response was Hanson. Yes the guys that sang MmmBop. It took me a second but I realized it was the singer. He has a beard now. I felt bad and he kind of laughed when I asked him. I apologized and wished him luck and safe travels. He did the same.
My niece loved them when that single came out. I should have gotten her his autograph. No wait, that would have really been awkward.
Labels: Finger Eleven, Hanson, Home, Touring
Boring post.....don't read
Today is one of those days I don’t want to do anything but sit outside and drink. The weather is perfect, clear and around 70 degrees. Now this is what spring is all about!
I’m sitting on my back deck while I type this enjoying the day. I’m not drinking, still sober after all these years, well I do have lemonade here. I’ve been home about a week now and have spent most of it fixing, repairing and doing other odd jobs around the house. I spent over 6 hours yesterday staining my back fence. I still need to do the backside of it. Doing it with just a brush definitely takes too long. I have a sprayer around here somewhere. That will be used to finish that project.
Anyway, I guess the gear finally made it back to Los Angeles on Saturday, I think. What a nightmare. It cost some people a few extra bucks, which comes out of their pockets not our organization. Next time maybe they will do it right.
I have to fly back to LA on Thursday for the show on Friday. A balloon and wine festival. Should be fun, drunken women and sunshine, makes for a good combination. I’m not looking forward to all the flying though, it takes a lot out of you especially flying coast to coast. Nature of the business I guess. I have to do this a couple of times this month.
Still waiting to hear on the tour options for July. I think the one will probably happen. I hope it does because I get to work with some crew guys that I have toured with on four other tours over the last 10 years.
It’s that time of year and when nothing is locked down for sure you start getting nervous that you may be out of work during the busy season.
Sort of lost my camera on the tour, well actually I left it in the bus. I will be getting it back this weekend. I don’t know why I even took it on tour. I hardly ever have to time to take photos. I discovered I have more use for it at home.
Time to mow the lawn again……now where is my iPod?
Labels: Drinking, Home, Touring
