Roadie Blog: 2006-10-01

Alpine Valley, WI -Show Day

Saturday, October 07, 2006

A bit chilly for a show today, I'm feeling a cold coming on too. Try to rest as much as possible. Show goes well. Bad load out.

Wake up on the bus at The Abbey Resort on Lake Geneva. Beautiful place, we've stayed here before. Watch a Tivo'd Grey's Anatomy before heading into the hotel. My room is facing the marina and the view is beautiful. Get a call from Jerry, seems Survis as procured a boat for a few hours and I head over to meet them and go power boating on the lake. Take some great pics. Spend a few hours running around the lake, it's cold, but beautiful. Hit Chuck's for a late lunch/early dinner of fish n' chips. Yum. Tired, back to the room for TV and reading.

Chicago -Show Day

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Sunny and cold today. Should be around 45 degrees at showtime. Brrrrrr.

Meet Scotty after lunch, he helps Survis with JP's rig and brings my guy a Boost Royale to try out. Boss leaves the Boost Royale on the entire show. He must like it. Go buy one...

Also, meet Fred (a friend from the Gibson Custom Shop clinic I did a few months ago) and we go backstage to check out the gear and whatnot. Show goes well, although a little cold...

On the bus and off to Wisconsin...

Chicago -Day Off #2

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Pouring rain today. Figures. I really wanted to take some good pics today. Rain ends, but it stays cloudy and cool. Walk down to get a new camera bag from Central Camera, oldest camera store in the city. Then walk over to Millenium Park to take some pics. Jerry joins me later and we hit a pub for fish n' chips, then do some window shopping. Later, we join Magee to see 'School for Scoundrels'. Very funny movie with Jon Heder and Billy Bob Thornton. Eat too much popcorn, so no dinner.

Chicago -Day Off

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Get awakened on the bus at 4:30am at the US border. Don't have to get off the bus, but as usual the border patrol is rude, nice to be home... Can't get back to sleep, spend a few hours reading then sleep a few before we hit Chicago.

Awake at a truckstop, where we are only 40 miles out. This 40 miles will eventually take us almost 2 hours in traffic. Ugh. Check in to the Hard Rock Hotel, never stayed here before, looks like a W inside, but the rooms are bigger. Turns out to be a beautiful day, have lunch at Baja Fresh, then walk to the Navy Pier and back to the hotel, should have brought my camera.

Take a nap and miss most of the day. Oops. Grab my camera and get some shots at sunset. Call my friend Scotty and he decides to come to the city and take me to dinner. Cool!!

Scotty arrives and we hit a Latin place called the Mambo Grill. Delicious food. And good conversation with Scotty and Teddy (from Make'n Music). Scotty drives me back, and we catch some of the sites on the way...

Toronto -Show Day

Monday, October 02, 2006

Indoors today (Hockey Arena). Place is a maze, spend half the day looking for catering.

Work non-stop today, hardly even get out to the bus. After dinner, meet my friend John-Angus MacDonald of The Trews, a Canadian band whose last album was produced by Jack Douglas. Show him and his lady around backstage, hang for a bit, then release them into the crowd to find their seats.

It's Tommy Lee's birthday tomorrow, so his band/crew give him a cake onstage. He also comes up to play a song with our band. He's an excitable guy normally, and he's over the moon playing with our guys. Happy B-day Tommy.

Toronto -Day Off

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Make it through the Canadian border OK, didn't even have to get off the bus. Arrive at the hotel around noon, chilly today and drizzling. Grab a quick Thai lunch with Jerry around the corner. Then an hour of internet, and off to see the movie 'Flyboys'. Good action flick, weak on plot, but great aerial fight scenes and good cinematography. On the walk back to the hotel scope out a string of Indian restaurants, one of which will be dinner.

Meet in the lobby around 8pm for dinner with Survis and Jerry. Walk to the Indian place we picked earlier, it's packed. We have chosen well, it seems. Wait a few minutes for a table. Order the Chicken Tikka Masala, it turns out to be good, although very different from ones I've had in the past. Indian food is very regional, so sometimes you get a surprise, either that or the chef is from Detroit. LOL. Leave stuffed and ready for bed...