Roadie Blog: 2005-08-21

Miami - VMA Rehearsal Day

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Down to the lobby at 7am, wait on the bus to pick us up, then off to the American Airlines Arena. Get our credentials (sticky passes) and find our truck at the dock and load in the gear. Everyone else seems to have loaded in already, Shakira, Cold Play, Kelly Clarkson, etc. Gear is everywhere backstage. Push onto the stage around 10:30, do linecheck and then rehearsal with the band till 1pm.

Back to the hotel around 2pm, we are staying on Ocean Drive in South Beach at one of the Art Deco hotels, beautiful, but historic (read old). The floor in my room is still damp from the hurricane, as rain came right in the windows. Take a much needed nap, then up around 5:30pm. Get my bike and go for a ride down the boardwalk, everywhere there are people posing. Big fancy cars, loud music, and people talking about themselves. I want to punch everyone I see, and I thought LA was bad. Ride a few blocks over to get away from the refuse and find a small Japanese place run by Latinos and get a Terriyaki Bowl. Not too bad and cheap for South Beach. Back to the room pronto to avoid murdering anyone.

Watch a couple of movies on my powerbook and read till late.

RDU to Ft. Lauderdale - Show Day

Friday, August 26, 2005

Up at 7am, check the weather and the airport in Florida is still closed. Check my flight status with Delta and it says ontime. Hope Delta is right. Paige dropsme off around 9am at RDU, and I checkin for my flight with no problems.

Board the plane at 9:45am, the pilot announces that it will be an easy flight until we get to Ft. Lauderdale, where he says "things will get interesting". Sleep for part of the flight, a little bumpy as we descend into the airport, but an easy landing. It's raining pretty hard as we disembark, but passes quickly. I didn't check any bags, just have the clothes on my back and a small bag with gig stuff in it (not even my powerbook!!).

Grab a cab and give the cabbie the address and name of the venue 'Office Depot Center'. I hope I don't end up at an Office Depot store somewhere. He doesn't know where the venue is, so I call and he gets directions. Alot of the traffic lights are out and some roads are closed due to fallen trees. After 20 minutes and a $40 cab ride, I arrive at the venue and go inside to set up for the day.

Freezing cold in the venue, but hot and humid outside. Weird when you have to go in and out. Great dinner tonight from our catering staff, chicken with coconut and lemongrass, which I have over the gnocchi and it's delicious.

Load out and off to our hotel for the next couple of days in Miami on South Beach. Arrive 3am, have lobby call for VMA load in at 7am. Ugh.

Raleigh - Day Off

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Well, I'm currently AWOL from the tour, but it's great to be at home. Although I wake up to an email from my Mom telling me about a hurricane in South Florida, what?? I'm supposed to fly to Ft. Lauderdale on Friday for the show. Oops, I didn't know, I wasn't on the computer too much in the last couple of days. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. Looks like it will go through Ft. Lauderdale tonight and be gone Friday morning, hopefully.

Spend the day getting stuff done, tire fixed on my truck, errands, etc. Have lunch with my surprised neighbors, as everyone thought I was gone after the show last night.

Cook dinner for Paige and I and we watch a DVD before turning in early.

Raleigh - Show Day

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Arrive in Raleigh about 8:30am, Paige picks me up from the gig and we head home for a few hours before I have to be back to work. Good to be home to see Paige and the puppies.

Arrive back at the gig around 1:30pm, get Paige a laminate and she heads back home, while I set up. I call her to return to the venue around 4pm to bring the dogs down to see everyone. They love it, and so do certain pet friendly crew members ;) Paige heads home before soundcheck and returns around 6pm and we eat dinner together in catering.

About 6:45 I really start getting busy as all my guests arrive about the same time and I do a couple of abbreviated backstage tours and send everyone out into the crowd. Paige decides to stand onstage with me this time, and she gets to meet the band as they come on and off the stage.

More guest duties aftershow, as I meet up with few people in the VIP room. I keep staring at one guy who looks like a friend of mine form the business. Turns out he is my buddy's brother, who has come over from England to stay in NC for a while, even though my buddy is out on tour with Garbage.

After the VIP room, Paige and I walk back to the bus and it dawns on me that I should stay overnight and fly down to FL on Friday for the gig. So, we head back to the house and book a cheap flight online. I call the guys on the bus to let them know to leave without me. Now I get two extra nights sleeping in my own bed. Yippee!!

Atlanta - Show Day

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Almost late down to bus call, got stuck on the phone with another touring buddy. Not much happening today, just a regular gig day, no guests. Pretty boring... But tomorrow I will be home in Raleigh, even if it's only for a few hours...

San Antonio to Atlanta - Bus Day / Day Off

Monday, August 22, 2005

Basically on the bus all day today. I'm the first one up as usual, watch an old movie on AMC, get some reading done, sleep some, eat some, etc. We arrive at the hotel in Hotlanta around 6 pm. Up to the room, drop off my bags then back down to the bus to grab my bike. Quick stop at Starbuck's and a look at the show times of movie theater behind the hotel. I then bike down past Lennox Mall and on to Phipps Plaza (mall) to check the showtimes there too. Both theaters are showing '40 Year Old Virgin' at the same times, 7 and 10pm, I think I'll opt for 10pm behind the hotel. Quick run to Tower Records for a magazine score then back to the room for a shower and off to the movies.

Buy my ticket and go into the theater, it's one with a full menu served to you in the theater (like Raleighwood at home). I'm still full from bus food and Starbuck's so I just get a popcorn. Movie is hilarious and I'm back in my room by 12:30. Since I slept on the bus, I read to about 2am then fall asleep.

Only in Texas...

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Men's room sign in San Antonio.

San Antonio - Show Day

Wake up at the gig, man it's already blasting hot. Bike down the load in ramp and set -up. Not much happening today, just did my gig and rode my bike a little around in the parking lot. Load out and on the bus for our loooooooong drive to Atlanta.