Roadie Blog: 2005-10-09

Nashville -Day Off

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Up around noon, still no luck with the cell phone, decide to walk to the mall and spot a Starbuck's, and a Thai place. Try the Thai first, it's OK, but not near as good as the place in SF, but hey I'm in Franklin, TN not exactly a Mecca for Thai people. Off to the Border's next where I loiter in the magazine section for a few hours. Then hit the busiest Starbuck's I've ever seen outside of NYC. They have a drive through with no less than 10 cars at all times, and a line of 15 people inside. They're out of Green Tea Fraps (hey didn't I start this craze?), so I opt for a Chai Tea Frap and walk back to the hotel.

San Francisco to Nashville -Travel Day

Friday, October 14, 2005

Down to the lobby by 7:30am, I think I got 3 hours sleep. Off to the Oakland Airport, check in at a kiosk since I have no bags to check (left them on the bus). Then stand in the HUGE line at security, and of the 4 lines I pick the slowest one, of course. Finally get through after 30 minutes and go to the gate.

We're flying SouthWorst, so that means open seating and I'm in the last group. Hooray! Board the plane and get my middle seat (only thing left). Commence to sleeping even before takeoff, wake up and hour later. The woman seated behind me talks non-stop for over half the trip. Good thing I brought my iPod, so I didn't have to listen to her gibberish. Read two magazine in between dozing in and out of consciousness. Land in Nashville around 4:30pm. Turn on my phone, I have 3 voice messages, but my phone won't dial out, even when showing full signal. Welcome to Nashville.

Charter bus to the hotel, we're staying in Franklin, TN near the Cool Springs Mall. I have a massive migraine from the flight, go to the mall soon after arriving and get something to eat, don't feel like shopping so I go back to the room to read and fall asleep before 10pm. Of course I wake up around midnight, finally get back to sleep, but toss and turn until I get up at 3:30 and read till 6am before dozing off again.

San Francisco -Theater Show Day

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Second and last of our theater shows today. Even smaller than LA. Hans and I divide guitar world up into two parts. He takes behind the stacks (where all the pyro is) and I take downstage right, where I am pretty much 'onstage' with the band. Load-in, check the local catering and decide to have Cup O Noodle from the bus. Soon tacos from Micah's favorite Mex joint arrive and I have one of those too.

The theater we're playing is just off Market St. and in an area full of porno shops and crack heads (I'm not exaggerating). Our road manager drives his '49 Ford (see pic in sidebar at right) to the gig nonetheless, and they station a cop by it all day.

Another show opened by The Network, so more double duty. They put on a fantastic show though. Being a hometown show (of sorts) for our band after they play the 'opera', they then launch into an hour and a half of oldies and covers. They play continuously for over two and a half hours. Everyone has fun, not knowing what song they will do next (they didn't know either). Load-out commences and we finally get back to the hotel after 3am, and we have a 7:30am lobby call to fly to Nashville. Yay...

Pez MP3 Player

While catching up on my favorite Mac blog (TUAW), I stumble across the coolest MP3 player around. Check it out here. Man, this thing is way cooler than the Apple iPod Shuffle. Who wouldn't want one of these?

San Francisco - Day Off

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Up around 8am as we're stuck in traffic outside Oakland on our way to SF. Arrive at the hotel around 9am and up to the room to await the Apple announcement at 10am PDT.

Nothing earthshattering from Apple, just a new iPod with limited video capabilities and a new iMac. So I won't be running down the street to the SF Apple store to buy anything.

Walk around downtown SF for a while, not really into shopping today. Eventually find my way to the King of Thai Noodle House, same place I ate at last time we were here. Delicious again. Stuffed I head back to the room for a nap. Wake up after an hour or so with intentions of going to a movie. Decide to blog instead. Head across the street to Starbuck's for a chai tea and a snickerdoodle. Chat with the very nice, but very gay baristas (pardon the SF stereotype). Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Back to the room to blog while listening to Jazz on my iPod through the iHome alarm clock provided in my room. Gotta get one of these.

Los Angeles - Theater Show Day

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Up early, Paige flies out today. She leaves around 9am. My bus call isn't till 10:30am, but I get a call at 10 saying they're waiting for me. Seems there were two call sheets, one said 10, the other 10:30. Oh well, I'm ready to go anyway.

Since the tour officially ended with our show Sunday at the Home Depot Center, we are now doing a couple of theater shows for the fan club members and some VIP's.

Tonight we're doing the 'opera', which means the band will play their current album in order front to back, then play a couple of past hits as an encore. Show is fantastic and we do 5 songs not in the regular set.

Another busy day working for the opener The Network, I can't understand a thing they say (weird accent), but they're OK guys to work for. For lunch I decide to forgo the local catering (as our caterers are gone) and get a big bowl of PHO (Vietnamese soup) from a place across the street. Delicious.

No time for dinner after soundcheck, as we have to set-up The Network. Luckily, Tara, our production assistant, gets me a takeout box from catering and I eat a my workstation during The Network's set.

Another long load-out as we have packed 3 or 4 trucks worth of stuff into the 2,300 seat venue.

We're down to two buses, as the rest of the crew has gone ahead for our last two arena make-up shows. We add Mondo and Oscar to our bus and we're off to San Fran fro another theater show on Thursday.

Los Angeles - Day Off

Monday, October 10, 2005

Full day off, finally. Paige and I drive over to the Coffee, Tea, Bean, and Leaf on Melrose Ave. Nothing opens till at least noon, so we ride around, Hollywood Blvd, Sunset Blvd, etc. It's been a number of years since Paige has been to LA, and 20 years since she lived here.

Make it down to the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Walk around shopping, Paige is looking for shoes (boots) of course. Find nothing, head back towards Melrose. Stop for a Jamba Juice and then more shopping, finally topping out around 3:30pm. Nothing bought by either of us. Back to the hotel for showers and off to meet Colleen and her husband Richard for dinner.

Drive through Laurel Canyon on the way to Colleen's house off the 101 freeway. Once we arrive Colleen takes us on a tour of the house, beautiful place with swimming pool, horses, etc. She then drives us around the neighborhood, pointing out the houses of Lisa Marie Presley, Matt LeBlanc, etc. Her neighborhood is full of riding trails and most everyone has horses. Then it's off to meet Richard for sushi.

Great sushi place near their house, and Richard and I even get to watch the Angels on their way to winning the series while eating. Richard is a very interesting guy who's family has been into horses (and horse racing) for three generations. He sits on the California Horse Racing Board also.

Eventually make our way back to the hotel in West Hollywood and fall asleep stuffed.

Los Angeles - Show Day 2

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Drive down around lunchtime again. Do linecheck, eat lunch, then Paige and I wait for her friend Colleen to come pick her up. Paige has had enough of hanging around the 'gig' and I don't blame her.

Show goes well, except for one major problem in audio world and a quick setlist change. Longer load-out than usual as we have to pack for a theater show on Tuesday. Call Paige and meet her at the hotel in West Hollywood (right off Melrose Place, I kid you not). Off to bed to watch the nice 50" Plasma mounted on the wall...