3000 miles
Tuesday August 31st, 2010
In the span of a week we have managed to cover about 3000 ( give or take) miles. Kind of silly when you think of all that movement just to play music. But then with all the, ahem, seriousness that you must go through to prepare for a tour, silly is a state of mind that is welcome as you count the miles between you and the ones you love going out, then coming back. That’s the hardest part
Other than that, we have the best job in the world, it goes without saying. But I will say it anyway. Last night as I was warming up in Atlanta, I was overcome with the satisfaction that after a week on the road, things are going well in the playing department. We have been able to play a lot of songs on this tour that we never do, or have never done. Or in the case of last night ,have not been played in some 17 years(FREE AND EASY…SUMMER GIRLS) There is a bit of selfishness on my part in that I always want to play MORE songs than we do, especially when you are having a good show like last night. Its the best drug available. But then again, all I have to do is beat things and sweat. I dont have to sing 18 songs like Scott Hill. So we have to find the limit between what we want and what is physically possible. Its always awesome when he turns around though and yells a song not on the set list. Give me more!
Anyway, random observations and happenings. Phoenix at the start of the tour was 111 degrees of hell. On the way out of Arizona we ran into a monsoon which just this week caused a 69 car pile up. We lucked out and got through it but almost had a complete “wet out” like the white out we experienced in October last year stuck in a blizzard in Wyoming. Spent a Tuesday night in Las Cruces New Mexico in an Applebees (looking for flair?..wont find it here)..I heard it was someone’s birthday. In Ozuna Texas the next day there was mandatory bad cinema viewing number one; SHOWGIRLS..I kept my eyes closed most of the time..mostly from crying because of laughing so hard. Outside of Austin Texas we stopped to enjoy the pleasures of THE SALT LICK, safe to say the best Bar-B-Q I have ever had..sorry STUBBS, you still have a place in my heart..or my stomach. Picked up our road pirates Joel and Kevin in the sweltering 6th street heat and loaded in for the EMOS show, always a pleasure. I played OUT ON THE TILES at soundcheck with Brad, a tradition going back to 1994 when I did my first show at Emos with SMILE…Brad was not there, but funny enough his ACOUSTIC CABINET was. I remember playing that song on my drums through the PA and it sounded so HUGE, I have always done it every time I come back, just because. My good friend Robert Giampa came down to visit. He is an OC transplant and responsible for the images of me that you see on this site. Its been to0 long since we saw each other but had a great visit right up until we played. In New Orleans had the best show so far, coming strangely as it did on the 5th anniversary weekend of Katrina. We arrived in pouring rain and driving past the Superdome made me think of course about all the bad things that went on there. But there would be only good things on this night, with a near sold out show and another super-long set. Lots of news crews around Jackson Square waiting for a story…always cool to sit and watch the sun go down over Cafe Du Monde. And getting jacked up on strooooooong coffee…maybe a little more cream next time.
I also found some footage I posted of me playing a show with FALLOUT: The Police Experience at DETROIT many moons ago. Such a fun set I had to share some with the world. Big shoes to fill in that band as they have had Taylor Hawkins, Marco Minneman as well as the man himself, Stewart Copeland. YIKES i say.
Until next time…
Cheers
Scott