Roadie Blog: 2006-09-17

Camden, NJ - Show Day

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Show in Philly (Camden) today. Off to the gig early, load-in, set-up. Boss is not happy with the amp he's been using. Luckily my buddy Ossie is bringing me a new prototype amp today. No soundcheck, boss arrives just as Motley is loading their gear onstage. Plays the new proto for a few minutes, decides to use it for the show. What a sport!!

Show goes well, new amp sounds great. One problem, it has no box, only a chassis. Oz takes it back to his laboratory to make it whole...

Philly -Day Off

Friday, September 22, 2006

Get to the hotel before noon. All the rooms are not ready, should be ready before 3pm they say. Stow my bags with the bellman and head to the gym. After working out, back to the lobby to soak up free wireless internet and wait for my room. As 3pm comes and goes, still no room. Decide to go to lunch with our FOH engineer (sound man) Jim Ebdon. We hit the Continental, a trendy diner type place near the hotel. Have Fish n' Chips, they are amazing... Back at the hotel after 4pm, my room is just coming available, they give me a larger corner room for waiting so long. Thanks, I would have taken a closet, if it had been ready at noon. Stupid hotel. Have amazing Gelato for dinner, as I'm still too full from the late lunch. Hey, at least I worked out today...

Charlotte -Show Day

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Up early, as Bob is taking me to Charlotte at 9am on his way to visit Momzilla. We get to Charlotte around 11:30, in time for load in. Paige arrives at the gig in time to have dinner with me, then watches the opener and heads home (she has to work early tomorrow). Show goes well. Aftershow, back on the bus bound for Philly.

Raleigh -Day Off

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Bus drops me in Durham around 10:30am. Bobzilla is my taxi to the house today. Thanks Bob. Bus continues on to Charlotte. I head home to see my wife (who's at work) and my doggies. Cleo, our older Golden Retreiver, has not been doing well the last few weeks, bit has rebounded significantly. She is happy to see me and hops around the living room doing her 'wave'. I do some laundry and reorganize my suitcase, run some errands, walk the dogs, talk to surprised neighbors, cook dinner for me and Paige, and watch TV before finally sleeping in my own bed.

Jones Beach -Show Day #2

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Back to the gig, uncover everything. Not much to do, as we did it all the first day. Rumors of a soundcheck are unfounded. During the show I see Patrice from Rockstar:Supernova on the side of the stage with Tommy Lee. Damn, forgot my camera on the bus. Load out and wait for our driver to get back so I can tell him which exit to drop me off at, so I can go home tomorrow. Yay!!

Long Island/NYC -Day Off #3

Monday, September 18, 2006

Wow, another day off here in NY. Decide to head into the city early today. Run into Rob and Chuck (sound guy) at the train station. Once in NYC, I head straight for 30th Street Guitars to buy that pedal for the boss. My friend Ossie from Blockhead Amps is also meeting me here, he is hooking me up with some new tubes for the boss' touring amp. After trying and buying the pedal, Ossie and I head for Ultrasound Rehearsal Studios, across the street. The guy we need to get the tubes from won't be available till afternoon, so we take the subway down to the West Village.

Arrive in the West Village, on our way to Matt Umanov Guitars. But first, we stop at John's Pizzeria for the best pizza in NYC (in my opinion). We devour a cheese and garlic pie. Walk down the block to Umanov's, see actor Donal Logue at the counter buying a guitar, or stings, or something. I came down to try out a new electric guitar made by acoustic maker Collings. The guitar doesn't disappoint, it's a very hip take on a vintage instrument.

After Umanov's, we stop at one of the myriad of bakery's lining Bleeker Street. Ossie gets a Cupcake, me a Napoleon. Ossie tells me not to write about this on my blog. Too late!! We head back uptown to Ultrasound, grab the tubes I need, and Ossie heads back home before rush hour. I grab the subway back down to SOHO to do a little shopping.

Arrive in SOHO and grab a quick Chai at Starbuck's while resting my tired feet. Then hit all the usual stores (Bloomingdales, Yellow Rat Bastard, Rubber Sole, etc.). I don't buy a thing... Walk back towards St. Marks, and end up buying a cowboy shirt at a vintage clothing place I like. Since I'm on 3rd Ave, decide to walk up to Kips Bay and see what movie is playing when I get there. Decide to see 'Black Dahlia', even though all the review pan it. They were correct of course, not a terrible movie, but the meandering plot does it no justice. Acting is good, especially the actress playing Hillary Swank's mother (sort of a Nora Desmond character). I expect more from Brian De Palma.

Back on the subway, I have to go across town from Grand Central to Times Square, the Mets game must have just let out because everyone is in Mets gear and whooping up a storm. Seems the NY Mets just clinched the NL East. Go Mets!! I saw my first major league game at Shea Stadium many years ago. Now if my Red Sox could just do better... Arrive back at the hotel before 1am.

Jones Beach -Show Day

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Lobby call at 10:30 to go to the gig. This gig is hated by many a roadie, as the load-in sucks, it's over the water, bugs are bad, etc... Load-in, set-up, eat lunch, no soundcheck, eat dinner, etc. Show goes well, see a few celebrity guests on the side of the stage. Tonight is a walk away, which means we just cover up all the gear in place and head back to the hotel.