Roadie Blog: 2005-10-16

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Saturday, October 22, 2005

Just so you don't think I lay on the couch and eat bon bons on my time off... Here's my wife's latest project for me. Pavers for the trash cans to sit on. Yay!!

Up at 5am, got about an hour of sleep. Shouldn't have even bothered. Down to the lobby and take the hotel shuttle with the airline flight crews. Check-in at the US Scareways counter, my bag is a couple of pounds over the limit, but dude lets me slide. Cool.

Off to the gate, now with an hour to kill. Find free internet and check email and surf till boarding time. No Starbuck's though.

Board my flight to Charlotte and fall asleep for over half the flight. I don't know why I didn't sleep more, probably just excited to get home. Arrive in Charlotte early, plenty of time to kill, stop at Starbuck's for a Chai on my way from Terminal E to Terminal C. Hang around the gate till boarding, I'm in the back of the plane to RDU. But I have a row all to myself, so I take the window and fall asleep for the long 34 minute flight to RDU.

Arrive at RDU and call Bob Davis, who is picking me up (Paige is at work). My bag comes off second (SCORE!!) and I'm out on the curb in 5min. While waiting I notice the guy next to me has embroidered Widespread Panic bags (roadie swag) and I ask him if he's in the business. He is a former production manager working for Clear Channel (yuk) now. Small world.

Well, I'm home now, so probably not too many updates to the blog. I don't think anyone cares about the misc chores I'll be doing at home. Off to Europe on Halloween, so I'll talk to you then...

Dayton -Show Day

Monday, October 17, 2005

Well, today is the last show of the tour. Kinda sad, but it's also the last day of a grueling 10 week run. Everyone will be glad to get home I'm sure (I know I will). Up early and spend some time boxing up various things to ship home. I'm lucky my friend Jered is going to pickup and ship the stuff for me. Thanks Jered!

Rest of the day is spent repacking and cleaning out my workbox and the backline trailer. Band comes in for soundcheck, we're informed we'll be doing the opera again tonight. Shortly we receive a two page setlist, so we'll be playing for 2+ hours tonight which is cool. Last hurrah and all.

Band plays a stellar show, with added pyro (as much as a KISS show). Load out and say
goodbyes to the folks not coming with us to Europe in a couple of weeks. On the bus to the hotel, arrive about 2:30am. Hit the shower as I have a 5:15am lobby call for a 7am flight. So about an hour of sleep for me. But I'll be home in a few hours. Woo hoo!!

Nashville -Show Day

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Down to the gig in a rented bus an old Van Hool (Van Humpty). Smells bad too. Warped tour special ;) Well, at least we get Mo and our bus back sometime today.

Down to the Gaylord Center, where they hold some of the Summer NAMM show. My cell is still not working very well here in NashVegas. Play phone tag with Steve, my Gibson Custom Shop guy, he's coming down early to deliver some parts and hang out.

Bus shows up at lunch, grab my bike and head up the load in ramp to see if I can get my phone to work up there. No dice. Steve and one of the top luthiers at Gibson show up in the afternoon and we hang out and talk till soundcheck.

After soundcheck meet up with friends Audley and Jen (transplants from Raleigh) and we have dinner together and catch up. I almost miss set change, as they moved the time back and I was busy eating.

Show goes well, BJ plays a bunch of new guitars from Gibson USA. After the show a couple of members of the band and crew ride wheels and do doughnuts in front of the buses on the band's Honda mini-motorcross bikes. Funny. Off to Dayton for the last show.