Roadie Blog: 2006-10-08

Indianapolis -Show Day

Friday, October 13, 2006

Chilly one today, supposed to be 35 with the wind chill all day. Get a UPS shipment of guitars from Collings, an acoustic maker in Austin, TX, who has recently started making electrics. Man these guitars look and play great. It is freezing onstage and the wind isn't helping. Luckily they have set up some heater to blow in guitar world and onstage. My hands are freezing during line check. Later, Kevin brings down a repair, that's been sitting in his shop for 2 years. He meets the boss and watches some of the show from guitar world. Load out and head to the warm bus.

Indianapolis -Day Off

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Wake up in the hotel parking lot, rooms aren't ready. Eventually go by the desk and get a double room, would have had to wait on a king... Talk to my friend Kevin from Uncle Albert's, he's the designer of my tube amp prototype. He invites me over for dinner. I hit the Border's bookstore, PF Chang's for lunch, and wander around the mall a bit to kill the afternoon. Kevin picks me up after 5pm and we head to his house. He starts on dinner, as we wait for his wife to return from aerobics. He shows me his Batman collection, which takes up his entire basement. This is the most Batman memorabilia I've ever seen in one place. Wow. We talk amps and music also, and he shows me the shop where my amp was born. Dinner is almost ready when a friend of Kevin's stops by, his name is Bud and he's 76. He's a fan of Kevin's band, and an interesting man, who has worked with computers since the 50's. We all talk about music, computers, etc. till after 10pm, when Kevin drives me back to the hotel.

Detroit -Show Day

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Another small, badly designed gig. Plus it is cold and raining. Buses must park far away from the stage, so I don't return to the bus but once all day. Band comes in for an abbreviated rehearsal of a new song. Get the bosses monitors sorted out, as I am now mixing everything but the drums from a small mixer next to my workbox. Band plays a good show, even do the new song well, unfortunately for the crowd it rains the entire show.

Detroit -Day Off

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Wake up in the hotel parking lot. We are staying in a small town outside Detroit. Really nice, new hotel too. Grab some Thai for lunch, very spicy. Return to the hotel and watch the World Superbike race on the bus. Meet the Jim's, Ebdon and Survis, after the race in the lobby, they have rented mountain bikes from the hotel. We head off on a 8 mile trail. Get about halfway before phone calls and the threat of rain turns us around. We split up just before the hotel and after returning a few calls, I head out for another 4 or 5 miles, before it does start raining. Meet Jerry about an hour after turning my bike in, and we head for dinner. Decide on one of Detroit's famous hot dog joints, a small place that serves them Detroit, Chicago, or Coney Island style. Tastes great, and to complete a night of fine dining we get Pumpkin Blizzards from the Dairy Queen next door and walk back in the rain.

Cincinnati -Show Day

Monday, October 09, 2006

Load in to the dreaded River Bend shed. Seems we are playing all the older, smaller, badly designed sheds in a row... In-ear monitors are terrible tonight and the boss is not happy. Will need to get this sorted out in Detroit.

Cincinnati -Day Off

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Get to Cincy mid-morning, must get off the bus at the hotel, as it has to park blocks away. My buddy David comes and picks me up after noon. I've known him and his wife Julie for 20 years (Ouch). We stop for some Mexican food, before heading for their house in Northern Kentucky. Meet their two daughters, before Julie takes them to the park. David and I stay behind to play some guitar and talk music (big surprise). Later, they feed me a fabulous steak dinner and David drives me back to the hotel. I had a great time.