02-02-10
Well, 6 more weeks of this?
Happy February 2nd to you all, especially my friends that have birthdays today (and hello to someone special who had a birthday yesterday). I have two long-time friends that share Feb 2nd as their day, and Dave, well, my friend, you made 40 before me. Now that I have that out of the way, I will forget any corny jokes or references to the movie ‘Groundhog Day’, which is a wonderful portrayal of a life that finds itself in a never-ending loop. Kind of like this journal. Only I am not a movie, and I can’t do ice sculptures. And if you didn’t get that, then I can’t help you.
It’s Tuesday, and I am freshly back from the gym (I haven’t even showered yet), and realized that I am a day late getting this up to you all, so here I sit, stank and all, typing all that is and isn’t on my mind. The ‘isn’t’ part is easy. It’s the other stuff that has my therapist scratching his head. OK, I don’t have a therapist. I have the internet. It tells me all things truthful and insightful. Umm, yeah. Kind of like reality TV.
So how was the first month of the New Year for you? Still holding on to those resolutions? I still have mine in full gear, and even with the winter blues, I am still motoring right along. I hope that you are staying the course and can find your way to stick with whatever it is you are attempting to do. I know you can get there. I will see you at the finish line.
If I may backtrack a little – the movie Groundhog Day brings up a great point. How much of your life is the same day in and day out? Are you in a routine that totally sucks? I’m not trying to sell you on anything, but if you were hit by the most recent snowstorm, then you may have been stuck inside for 2 or three days. All those times you wished for a day off, and then you got a few. Lucky you, except that I am guessing most of you were ready to be out of the house by day 3. Almost like you were looking forward to going back to work. How screwed up is that?
But what if the most exciting thing in your life is the occasional drama that happens at your job? How are you going to break out of it? Well, turn this damn computer off, first of all. I know it sounds crazy that an online journal writer tells you to get offline, but I am not getting paid for any of this, and last time I looked, it was my picture up there, so my words are governed by me. So try this – tally up exactly how much time you spend playing on the internet, then prepare to be astounded. Then when you say that you don’t have 30 minutes to go outside and take a walk (yes, you can walk when it’s cold), then I will have to throw the bullshit flag.
And why, do you ask, that I feel the urge to type this motivational crap week after week? Well, because if you haven’t noticed, this journal is my therapy as well. The more I type, the better I feel, so whether you know it or not, I have been utilizing your ears and shoulders for years now. Feel violated, used maybe? Don’t. We’ve been helping each other out here. I hear stories of what some of you are up to, and it motivates me to get off the couch as well. When you aren’t on the road, it’s really easy to work at nothing all day.
So back to the other rattlings in my head. Now, it’s Feb 2, and I am pretty sure that winter is going to fade, and spring will show its sweet colors soon enough. Then what? What are you doing with the time from now until then? Sit and mope, or get your ass up and do something? How nice would it be to have shed those 5 pounds when the days get warm? And how great would it be to finally have the Supercharger record finished by then, too? Soon enough…
I know a lot of Bucky fans log on here, looking for a little insight to shows and happenings. One happening I had no control over was the cancelling of the show this past Saturday. I will thank anyone who drove or flew in for the show, but the weather got the best of everyone that night. There are grumblings of a make up show in the near future, but your guess is as good as mine on that one.
So enjoy this evening, week, whatever, and try and stay warm. This week we venture to Atlanta, GA, then to Birmingham for a show at the Work/Play theatre. I have played there with a couple of different artists, but my most memorable times were back in King Konga, as we were struggling to make it and play as much as we could. We had decent little crowds there whenever we played, so I am excited to go back.
See you on the road!
01-25-10
Is the month almost over already?
Well, shit is getting crazy. Today it was sunny and nice, the next thing I know, it snows for about 20 minutes. Not just a little dusting, but really coming down. Not a big deal, really. None of it stuck. And Nashville weather is pretty unpredictable lately (as is the rest of the country) but when a bright, clear day suddenly looks like Seven Springs Ski Resort, then it gets you thinking.
I came home from our run the yesterday, and had to just throw my hands up. I was trying to be a good boy and do what my Mom says – hang up your coat when you get home. So I walked to my closet, and the 2 racks on the left side had fallen. Well, this sucked pretty hard. I was heading out, so I couldn’t do anything about it until this morning. Nothing a few toggle bolts and some power tools couldn’t handle, but it took the better part of the morning. It’s all good now, and it was a great excuse to clean my closet.
But once again, you aren’t here to listen to my wardrobe malfunctions. Or the latest Nashville weather report. You have logged on for the dirt, for the juiciest of the juicy, or maybe just to hear the distant pinging of the single marble rolling around my head. Well, the marble is spinning, so unless it drops from its path, then my head is eerily silent for the time being. Or is it?
Last week was pretty much awful. I was wrestling with a lot of things that I really shouldn’t have been, but when you are in the winter blues, then it’s easy to let your mind wander. I was thinking all kinds of crazy stuff last week, like selling the house and moving to Italy (curse you, House Hunters!), or maybe that my time has come to look into ‘real’ work. That thinking lasted all of twenty minutes. Here I am, telling people to suck it up and push through the tough times, and I am ready to throw in the towel. For shame.
And not that times are tough. It’s no secret that Bucky is not very busy right now. As a touring musician, we can’t help but look at a calendar and get depressed if there are no shows on it. I am a self-professed work-a-holic. I want to be busy all the time. Sun up to sun down. So if I see holes in my calendar, I try and figure out ways to fill them. So as fate would have it, I was busy as can be last week. I hit yoga twice, the gym, landscaped, practiced, recorded some new music beds, and wrote a journal entry as well. I sent out a ton of emails, caught up with friends, and even hopped on the bus for a show out in Kansas. So, Steve, what’s the problem?
Well, for starters, my yoga instructor tells me that Jan 18th is the most depressing day of the year. It has to do with the combination of Christmas being over, bills coming in, being seasonably crappy weather-wise, and the sun still goes down at 5PM. I get all that, but I’m not buying it. I was not so great the rest of the week, either. Then today, like a closet crashing down, it hit me. I figured out why I had such a rough week.
Like my closet rods, I have been under a lot of pressure. Pressure to succeed, pressure to perform, pressure to try and take care of everybody except myself. Well guess what? Now that I have locked it down, I have decided to take the pressure off. The projects that sprout and then consequently neglected will be tackled in time. Today was the closet, tomorrow will be something else. The bites I am trying to take will be a little smaller, but that just means I am going to eat more. And I am OK with that. The music is coming along, and I must realize that I cannot record a whole record by myself in one day. I can surely stay busy, but I also need to be realistic in my goals. And I cannot wait to play you all what I have rattling around lately.
So if last week wasn’t a good one for you, then you were not alone. It’s a new Monday, a new week, and scarily enough, there are only 11 months left in the year. Whatever it is that had you down is hopefully behind you, and you can move forward as I look to do. And no, I am not moving to Italy (yet), but I am entertaining offers…
This week we have a show in Nashville, which is great for me. The trip to the venue will be slightly shorter than the 16 hours we rode on the bus to get to Kansas this past weekend. Not that I am complaining. It’s my ass that needs a rest. So it’s off to yoga to work out the kinks. I’ll check in soon…
See you on the road!
01-18-10
Still riding that steer!
A soft, warm glow spreads itself across my hardwood floors, with the slats of the plantation blinds emitting a alternating pattern of light and dark, ying and yang, the balance of the morning, with my (all too) caffeinated head aligning with my adept fingers to churn out words only slightly slower than my nervous system can emit them. This day of Monday is an inspirational one, as are all the days where I wake and don’t see my name in the obituaries.
OK – creative writing class is now over. How the hell are you? I am great. My bull is still bucking wildly beneath me, but I am riding it until I can’t ride it anymore. I woke up early yesterday (Sunday, football playoff day, etc), and jumped into the studio, editing music. There is no rest for the insane, I guess. I am truly crazy about making music, good, bad, or otherwise. I remember a great song written by Brian VanderArk (from the Verve Pipe), that talks about what a crime it would be if there were songs unwritten in his head by the time he dies. It makes perfect sense to an artist – the bank of thoughts must be empty upon leaving this ride. So, even if I am just getting a good bass sound in the studio on a Sunday morning, it is progress.
So how about a NAMM recap? Well, last I typed, I was in the middle of the pre-NAMM hype, which really has nothing to do with me, because I was not there representing anyone, had nobody to sell for, and had no gear to set up. I used Tuesday to go to the show early and try out some new amps, see some peeps, have a great dinner with Mick (our old tour manager), and have a few drinks with product reps that had a few more drinks than me. Wednesday was another walk-through day, which was good because I met with a couple of other reps, attended a new product workshop, and had some in-ear molds made (boring for you, but exciting for me). After a power lunch, I really had nothing to do until after dinner, so I decided to get a twilight pass to Disneyland. There were no lines at all, so in the 4 hours I was there, I rode everything I wanted to, and had a blast. Yes, it sounds weird to go to a theme park by yourself, but I tend to do that – it’s like kayaking or hiking alone. Of course, I can have fun in a dumpster by myself. The evening was spent at the hotel bar, which I think more deals go down there than on the showroom floor.
The NAMM show officially opened on Thursday morning, so I got in early (with the help of my exhibitor badge), and made good use of my time. I learned some new studio techniques, and met with 7 different product reps. In the span of 3 hours. Then it was off to LAX and Nashville. At LAX I ran into Ed Kowalczyk from the band Live, and we were on the same flight to Nashtucky. He and I have hung out on various occasions, the first being when Live was on tour supporting their first record, and I was home from college, working as a bellman at the Radisson in Virginia Beach. I drove Ed to the venue for his sound check. Years later we were both playing at Woodstock ’99, and he and I have had drinks on a couple of occasions. Funny where life takes you.
So I get off the plane, and head home for all of 45 minutes before I have to make bus call. Yes, I cut that one a little close, but it worked out pretty well. I was all messed up on sleep being on the West Coast for 3 days, so the bus ride was not as relaxing as it could have been. That’s OK. Indianapolis was a bit of a climate change from sunny California, but I managed OK. We went to lunch with my buddy Kyle DeVan from the Colts, and we talked a bunch of shop on the eve of their playoff win. Since my boys are out, I am now rooting for the Colts and Vikes to meet in the big one. Having met Brett and Peyton, I’m a bit torn if that matchup happens.
The show at 8 Seconds was great. Worth flying back for, that is for sure. I am amazed every time I see the fans come out in full force, and they really did make the show incredible. I was able to talk with a few of you, and for those that I didn’t get to, thanks for the Christmas gifts – you really made our year!
This week, as with every week, I am back at it. After I log off here and grab some lunch, then I am back in the studio for more of, well, everything. Check out ReverbNation.com – I uploaded a new song this morning! If you like it, let me know.
See you on the road!
01-12-10
Grab that bull!
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, with a big beam of California sunlight hitting my 5th floor hotel room, which overlooks Katella Ave in Anaheim. It’s not terribly scenic, but it is a nice change from the 30 degree weather that’s going on in Nashville right now. I am out here for the NAMM show – a trade show where tons of new musical gear is shown and orders are placed by music store buyers the world over. It also visits Nashville in the Summer. I could have waited for the Nashville show to get in on all the fun, but this is the year of action, not talk, so I decided to grab the bull and get out here.
What sort of bull is there to grab out here, you ask? Well, lots! First, I am meeting with a bunch of folks out here, ranging from guitar folks to my magazine to soundtrack people. Like I said – it is the year of action. I am a pretty determined little man at this point to achieve all the things I want this year, and I thought this would be a great way to jump start it. Like any convention, there are a lot of deals made away from the showroom floor, and lots of after-show bar visits. I won’t lie – there is some drinking that goes on. It’s like college buddies getting together once a year, but for some there is work involved. And I swear I’m working. Except today, where I am basically hanging out until the show is set up. That means catching you all up on my tour journal, and shortly I’ll work out then get by the pool for a little California sun time. Year of action, eh?
So that’s the ‘touring’ part of this edition of ‘Where is Steve today?’ Now for the playing part of it. Last week was one of the most incredible weeks I have ever had. I know that phrase has been uttered by these pursed Zoolander lips before, but I am really, really serious this time, guys. Seriously. I was asked a couple of months ago if I could find a band to play a benefit show in Nashville. The artist would be Steve Cropper. Now, if you don’t know who he is, then get over to Wikipedia and look him up. I know it sounds like I am ‘gushing’, but musicians like this don’t come along every day, and his history is just remarkable. He had a full career before they filmed ‘Blues Brothers’, and a huge career afterwards. He is truly a legend.
So I am emailed a set list, call my partners in crime, and we get to work. There is going to be one rehearsal then the show. The rehearsal is at Steve’s studio, and we are walking into sort of an unknown situation. I have played with Steve before, but never ‘worked’ with Steve. So we jump in, both hands both feet, playing these songs that he wrote or tracked, and we are all pretty excited. I have no idea who the horn players are, and I am giving them occasional direction, and not really thinking much of it. Turns out the sax player is Jim Horn, a Hall of Famer in his own right, but cool as can be. We finish the rehearsal, then Jeff Cease, Jeff Brown, and myself sit and listen to Steve tell us story after story, with guitars still in hand. All suddenly small children as our ‘Dad’ is telling us musical tales of yesterday. Amazing.
Our show was at 3rd and Lindsley, which was a sort of poetic justice because I used to work there a few years back. It was the day of a little snowfall in Nashville, but 4 flakes and the city shuts down. I was making blizzard jokes, when I realized that my street had iced over and I was uncertain if I was going to even make the show. I wasn’t about to miss this one! Shows like these are sometimes let-downs, just because there is so much hype in your mind, and you are so excited that it can’t possibly live up to your expectations.
I am glad I was wrong about that. Just before we played, ‘Blue’ Lou Marini came walking up, and Steve introduced me to him. OK, so now I am standing with two of the Blues Brothers Band. Not bad for a Thursday night. I’m glad he was there. Nobody told Jim Horn that the show was at 7:15, not 8 as was previously discussed, so without Lou, there would have been no sax.
So the countoff comes for ‘In the Midnight Hour’, and 3-4! We were in. Hard. Big. Smiling like little kids. 45 minutes wasn’t nearly long enough. If you have a chance to see video, you’ll see all of us beaming like never before. Yes – 3000 shows and a million miles later, I still get giddy. I’m supposed to be ‘cool’ about such events – and there is shit I won’t EVER tell you about – but I share when it’s important, and nights like this are important.
On the TV front, our show, The Canadian Tradition, opened with lots of positive reviews, and if early returns are any indication, then you’ll be hearing our theme song for a while. And I am perfectly OK with that. Supercharger is going back in the studio next month (as Jeff Brown reads this, he’s like ‘What? We are?’) to finally finish the rock project and move on to another.
We’ve got a show with Bucky this week at the 8 Seconds Saloon in Indy on Friday. If you are out and feel like braving the cold, then come on up! And keep calling in to GAC to see ‘Gotta Be Somebody’!
2010 – the year of action.
See you on the road!
01-02-09
This is the year…
Isn’t that what we say every time we start thinking of this time of year? We hit life’s little reset button and say ‘OK, this is the year I do ___’ . How did you do last year? How are you going to do this year? The days on the calendar tick by, and the gym memberships go un used, that ab-o-flattener that you got for Christmas is already dusty, and the letters you said you’d write are unwritten. Hell, you probably don’t have an address for whoever you are trying to reach. It’s all OK, though. It’s only the 2nd. You have time.
Like any new routine or tasks that you have to carry out, it takes a little getting used to the changes. There are a few steps to changing your life – the hardest is the first step. Getting out the door to take my ass to the gym is the single hardest thing I have to do. Once I am in the car, then I am home free. Why is the 20 – foot walk to my truck the hardest part of my workout? Because it’s the first step. We really haven’t changed much since that first day of school when we didn’t want to walk in. It doesn’t help to be afraid – of anything. But for some, even getting in the car to inquire about a gym membership is a huge step, and hopefully, if that is your goal, you get through the door without any problems.
My resolutions this year, you ask? Well, to look ahead, I must look back. (So deep and insightful, I know). I get excited pretty easily, and dream big. We started recording some rock songs back in April and May, and I told my attorney and the guys that I would like to go for 5 ‘placements’ this year. (A placement is when you land a song of part of a song in TV, a movie, or commercials) I started sending some things out, and nothing really happened. Not a big deal, I just try harder. I did get an email afterwards about the possibility of working on a new hunting show out of Canada. One thing led to another, and poof – the first (of hopefully many) shows aired today, with songs that I composed and recorded being in the opening and closing spots. If I were a baseball player, and I got up to bat 5 times (my goal of 5 placements) and got 2 hits, then I am batting .400. If I keep that up for 10 years, I am in the Hall of Fame.
Before I go patting myself on the back, then I must explain a few things. First, the money from this won’t allow me to retire, so I must forge ahead. Second, what’s funny about it is that the songs I wanted placed didn’t get there, but when the door closed, a window opened. I like that part of it. Third, this just means that starting now, my goal is 7 placements for the coming year. Oh, and they will be placed. That means that starting Monday, it’s a whole new ballgame.
This year is starting out pretty amazing for me – the TV show airing today, and then, in a few days, myself and my partners in Supercharger are backing up the legendary Steve Cropper for a show on the 7th in Nashville. I am honored to call Steve a friend, and to be playing with my best friends and Steve is going to be pretty amazing. If you want to give us a late (or REALLY early) Christmas present, then come out to the show and show some support. It’s for a great cause, and you will be hearing some of music’s greatest and lasting songs, performed by the man who penned them. If you don’t like music history, then you should stay home.
We have slowed down a bit on the Bucky Covington front. The single has been pulled, which is crazy since the video is at #12 on the countdown. Now the ‘powers that be’ are talking of bringing the single back, but at this point it’s all speculation. The problem is that the industry shuts down for about 3 weeks during the holidays so nothing gets done. A lot of artists take the time off as well, but in my book, I say book the shows and get out while no one else is touring. People need a break from all that holiday mess.
Speaking of, I hope your holidays weren’t too messy. Our New Year’s show was OK, as was the show at the Hard Rock in Nashville. Winston-Salem is not especially a hotbed for activity, and since we played and didn’t get to the bars until last call, we really didn’t have a crazy party, but we had a good time anyways. We tend to do that.
New calendars should be coming out very soon for new tour dates and happenings. I know I have been saying this for a while, but seriously – look for a new shinybass website up very, very soon.
See you on the road!
12-14-09
It’s so salty!
It’s Monday again! That seems to happen just about every week, whether we like it or not. I find myself once again back on the couch, with laundry spinning and coffee steaming, and my swimming. Not literally, of course, but it seems like within a short period of having a lot of ‘nothing’ going on, I seem to have ‘everything’ in front of me. I’ll explain.
I look at things a little differently than most folks (No, really?), and in my life, I look at a calendar and judge what I have to do by that. Most of you know that you have work at 7 or 8, home by four or five, then you can plan your work, weekend, chores (great southern word), etc, accordingly. I say I have off from ‘here to here’ and plan. That all got changed recently with the addition of 4 shows for me in the next month. Whereas I was looking at how much cold weather landscaping I can get away with, now I am learning some new music for the holidays. The big one is with Steve Cropper in Jan, I think I am doing a show with my songwriter buddy Patrick Davis in Jan, as well as a Bucky show in Nashville on the 29th. It’s rumored to be at the Hard Rock Café, and I have zero details, (except for date and venue…hmmm), so you know as much as I at this point.
I am hoping you have your shopping finished, or if you are like me, you have none of it done and you’ll be online at the last minute, scrambling for egg scramblers. Or something. I know what I am getting everyone – I think – and with that I will say good luck to you, for I need a little luck as well.
Our touring week was short- just a one off to Salt Lake City on the 9th. Here are the quick numbers – 4 flights, 8 degrees at showtime, 3 bands, , 40 minute show, 10 dollar ticket, 250 beers on tap afterwards, 6:30AM lobby call. When you add it all up, it equals hell yeah.
We played the Energy Center in downtown Salt Lake with Bombshel and Phil Vassar. It was a radio station Christmas concert, and it was packed. We had a fine little set (I sure miss the big stages), and everybody was in good Christmas cheer, including a (real-bearded) Santa Claus. Scott (who used to play with Phil) jumped up and joined him on keys for a couple tunes, which was pretty cool, and the band headed out in the Utah cold to get back to the hotel. We had to be up early!
But that never really stops us, does it? Kyle (or 6 to the insiders) knew a ‘spot’ - and you know I love the spots - that was a Cajun restaurant and happened to have over 250 beers available. I love those spots. After a couple of thick motor-oil-thick beers and a bowl of gumbo, the 8 of us piled into the rental van, slept for about 5 hours and we made our flights back home. Easy as pie. I rode next to a goofy girl on the last leg who started the flight with ‘I swear I won’t talk a lot’. I was pretty tired and indifferent, and leaned on my warm window to get some sleep. I woke up for a minute, and she proceeded to talk my ear off. I was being cordial, but I was pretty tired. Let the old man sleep, and put down the glass of wine! I think I am going to invent the ‘talk/don’t talk’ sign that you hang around your neck for flights.
This week will be like many others – writing and recording, practicing and learning, coffee, sushi and landscaping. You would think as much as I talk about my yard that it looks like the Garden of Eden. It does not. I need a crew of 4 and a few more dollars for that. So, just like anything else – baby steps.
Since we are off the road until the 29th, I won’t have a lot of ‘road’ stories, but I WILL be posting some early samples from the book I am working on. I hope they read well enough to publish at some point. Enjoy your week, and I will check in with you all very soon!
See you on the road!
12-07-09
A day that will live in infamy…
Happy Monday to you all! It is a happy Monday, because well, it’s my birthday! ‘What the hell are you doing typing up a journal entry on your birthday, Steve?’ Glad you asked. It’s what I do. I get to go out and play music as my job, so when asked ‘What are you going to do for your birthday?’, I don’t have a good answer. You know me – every day is a holiday. I’ll have a quiet dinner tonight, then wine with friends. Not too exciting, I know, but I celebrate a lot during the year.
So I am on the couch, actually hoping that CNN shows footage from Pearl Harbor today. I am such an old soul. To be born in 1920 and fly in WWII would have been amazing. Of course, sadly, my life expectancy would have dropped to nothing once I got in a B-17, which is why if you ever have a chance to talk to a WWII pilot, then take 5 minutes and change your life. If you have the chance to talk to any veteran from that era, it’s a treat. We consider them heroes (and they are), but they just wanted to do a job. No hero wants to be a hero. They are ALL heroes to me. Any veteran.
My birthday falls on a day in our history that means a lot to me, and should you. It was another generation’s 9/11, and if you remember what that morning felt like – the fear, the sadness, the anger – it was all there 68 years ago. Sadly, as time marches on, there are fewer and fewer survivors from Pearl Harbor. I was lucky enough to visit Pearl on a USO tour, and see the USS Arizona Memorial. And in this day of reflection, I have to mention that, luckily it was my guitar that led me to that visit, and has taken me to some amazing places since. It was a moving pilgrimage for me. There is a new museum that has opened on Ford Island, and I am hoping to see that as well. It is on the site of the old seaplane base. One of my favorite planes from WWII is the PBY Catalina. One day I would love to island hop in one.
You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. Tomorrow marks another anniversary, the shooting death of John Lennon. I was ten + a day when I heard the news (oh boy), and I’ll be honest, it didn’t really sink in. I saw a word mourn, but I wouldn’t know the impact of his contribution to our history, and of his loss to the world until much later. I was ten, so what do you expect? I am a big Beatles fan, and John’s dark look at things was the perfect compliment to Paul’s optimistic outlook. He is missed. On a trip to New York, and after having just left Strawberry Fields in Central Park, I walked across the street and saw the Dakota where John lived. Just as we were walking that way, a Bentley pulled up, and Yoko Ono got out and went home. Pretty much as close as I’ll ever get to John.
So what does all this mean? Well, to me it means the world. It all shapes who I am and what I do, which is play a lot of music, and try and smile a lot. This weekend we had a show in Greenville, MS. The venue is so very odd to me. They have an amazing theater inside of a shithouse casino in the middle of nowhere. We had a fairly decent show – I got to sing a verse and chorus of ‘Message in a Bottle’ during my intro. Super-Bucky-fan Glenda (thanks for the gifts BTW) says she has video of it, so hopefully she’ll post it, and hopefully it doesn’t suck!
We are winding down our touring a little bit, with just a smattering of shows from now until the end of the year. The touring may be slowing down, but I am happy to announce a couple of fantastic developments. First – two songs that Jeff Cease and I wrote and recorded are going to be the opening and closing theme songs for a new Canadian TV show. It is a hunting show and it debuts Jan 2. I’ll get you a website when it all goes viral. I am excited to be stretching the chops north of the border.
Supercharger, my little side project, in addition to finishing our record in the coming months, will also be backing up the legendary Steve Cropper for a very special show at 3rd & Lindsley on Jan. 7th. It is a benefit to help a friend with medical bills, and Steve is very gracious to donate his time. If you don’t know who he is, then do a quick Google search. I’ll wait. OK, now that you are amazed, then you need to come to the show. He is a treasure (and a member of 6 Hall of Fames), and this is a set you don’t want to miss. Details will be posted as they become available.
So that’s all I got – which is plenty! Enjoy the rest of your week, stay warm, and stay the course.
See you on the road!
11-30-09
How’s that belly?
Monday morning. A chilly one here in Nashville, or so I am told. I am still in my sweats and on the couch, so I haven’t ventured outside to test the accuracy of my thermometer. It reads 44, so I will take its word for it. It’s also drizzling, so there’s no way I am getting outside until I have to. I lead such the exciting life, huh? I made some popcorn late last night, and scattered the leftovers on the deck for the woodland creatures. (even MORE exciting) They have to be freezing their asses off out there, trying to carry a kernel back to the nest. See how handy thumbs are? Thumbs allow us to build cars to take us to warm restaurants. Clever humans…
I trust everyone had a great holiday. Mine was spent with family, and my new nephew is probably the cutest baby ever. Scratch that – I was the cutest baby ever, and since I am old now, much like the old year and baby new year, I must pass the torch. Although my ears are much bigger than my successor. It’s amazing to see just how much the little guy can fill a diaper while being so little. All part of the process I guess.
I have now successfully talked about nothing but popcorn and poo for the last five minutes, and I really don’t think you logged on for that. Or maybe you did? Either way I am glad you’re here, and I promise I will talk about something more substantial. Soon.
I am still holding out for the Steelers. It may be blind faith, it may be lunacy, but I think the team can make a push into the post season. Like I said last entry – we have done it before. The demoralizing part is that we supposedly had the ‘easiest’ schedule going in to this year. Ouch. Well, at least we’re not the Lions.
On to business. Last night I was hit in the face with a startling realization. I am pretty arrogant. Most of you know that, but I really am, and I will explain my thought process on this one. I recently set up a ReverbNation.com account to start pushing my original material, and to be a ‘soft-launch’ for Supercharger, which we’ll talk about later. In the whole process, I have been sending out notices and emails to friends to check it out. Last night I was hit back by a close friend saying ‘I don’t do bulk emails’. I felt terrible. Here I am, thinking my music is fantastic, and that if I put a link out, that people will flock to it for no other reason than the fact that it was from me. I was wrong. Dead wrong. I am wrong to assume that my friends will like what I write or record, and since I have met a lot of great people over the past few years of touring, I lump you in that as well. I never want to assume that you’ll like anything I do, and I definitely don’t want you to listen just to be nice. I just want to make some music, and if one person latches on to it, my job is done.
But here is the crux of my problem. It’s 2009, and the internet networking sites are basically the only way to get the word out. So I ask you – just short of emailing my address book individually, what should I do? How can I spread the word and not be arrogant or offensive? Send me a line- put ‘Arrogant’ in the subject line, and let me know your thoughts. I really want to do this the right way, and in a simple, unobtrusive way. Holla atcha boy!
So with all that being said, I am hard at work this week, trying to get some things done for different folks. I have 2 articles due today for Premier Guitar magazine, so I’ll be at my writing desk today. I am also awaiting some word from some folks about a thing that I did. More on that once the ink is dry so I can tell you about it. It is a pretty cool thing, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. Lastly, I will be working this week on more Supercharger music to piss off even more of my friends. I keed. I keed. The truthful, honest, most ‘real’ approach I can take is to get my music to the root of all music – don’t suck. If it doesn’t suck, then someone will like it. If it totally sucks, then millions will like it. I will take the road less traveled, and fly over all of it.
One show this week, and may turn into a birthday celebration. I do love a casino, and I do love my birthday! We are at Harlow’s Casino in Greenville, MS. We were there a few months back and had a great show. We don’t have many left this year, so if you come out, then let’s have a drink and toast the holidays!
See you on the road!
11-22-09
What’s round on the ends and high in the middle?
I can’t believe it. I ask for so little in this world, and yet, today I was let down. The Chiefs? The Steelers lost to the Chiefs? Ahh well. There’s always next week. We’ll be lucky to get a wild card spot this year. There goes our ‘Team of the Decade’ balloting. Unless there is another wild card-to-championship. We did it once before…
But that was my Sunday. How was yours? Actually, it’s still Sunday, so there is still time to get some things done. Like write a journal entry. Or do laundry. Or both. Life is terribly exciting around here, isn’t it? The touring season has wound down for us, so that means that other projects get put on the front burner. You remember my well-documented fire pit construction? Well, last night it was put to good use, with a dozen or so friends coming by to get their eyebrows singed off by burning everything that wasn’t nailed down. The neighbors LOVE me, not only for the distorted guitars, but now for the late-night pyros hanging around the back corner of the yard.
The fire pit was installed just for that purpose, so I was glad to finally have people over. Next phase is landscaping, so I’ll get to that soon. All in due time. For now I need to finish this, get working on my book, and finish the rest of the Supercharger record. And for those of you on facebook, you can download 3 Supercharger songs for free until Jan 1, so jump over there and let me know what you think.
It seems with my life there is never a dull moment, and this past Friday was no exception. Our pick-up time to head up to Ohio was 11 PM, so like good little boys, we got on the bus and headed North to pick up Bucky then roll to Ohio – Tiffin, to be exact. After picking up the boys, the bus transmission decides it doesn’t want to function properly anymore, so we limped along at 10 miles an hour to another bus lot. It took a couple of hours to get there, so while we slept, Kyle and Don were up calling bus companies to find us a ride in the middle of the night. Somewhere around 5:30 AM they woke us, and we had to switch from our bus to another, get settled back in and get to Ohio. Needless to say, we ran a little behind.
We were loaded in pretty quickly, and after lunch I went for a quick walk around the Sandusky river, which I’m sure is much prettier in the dark. The old houses that lined the river were pretty amazing, as I am a history nut, so I’m glad I made it over to that side of the water. Jeff B, Jeff C, and myself walked around downtown Tiffin, then we sound checked, ate, showered, and jumped on stage for a great set at the Ritz theater. The 80-year old venue has been completely restored, and it was an absolute joy to play. The people were top notch, and the crowd had as much fun as we did. I’d love to go back.
My favorite venues to play are the theaters. House of Blues doesn’t really qualify, but I throw it in there because it has balconies. (and the HOB New Orleans is my overall favorite, so I can’t contradict myself). The theater we play in Tiffin painstaking restoration was well worth it. You don’t get to see many of these old places any more, and I hope that if there are some left vacant, that they can be brought back to proper working order as well. It’s always good for the revitalization of a downtown as well.
So that’s my ‘save the clock tower’ pitch for the day. Since we are not doing any shows until the 5th of December, then once again, that means you have plenty of time to shop for my birthday. Oh yeah, I said last week I wasn’t going to mention it again. Well, that wasn’t for you, it was for my family, in the off chance that they forgot. (clever save, huh?) But even though we’re not touring a lot, it doesn’t mean I’m hanging out and drinking wine at the fire pit. OK, maybe it does mean that, but I am also tracking tomorrow through Wednesday, and then cooking some turkey. I hope you all have someplace to be on Thanksgiving, and if you find yourself alone (which I have on a few holidays), then maybe volunteer somewhere on Thanksgiving. You’ll be helping out a lot of people and you may make a new friend.
Ahh, the ever-uplifting journal entry from Steve. And I’m not finished. Don’t wait 6 weeks to start your resolutions. Start them now, and then you can make it through the test of the holidays. Then you’ll see what you are made of. My goal – finish this effing book! Soon, my loyal readers, soon. So enjoy the holiday, and I will check back in with you all next week. In the meantime, head over to www.reverbnation.com/steve cook and sign up!
See you on the road!
11-16-09
Everything old is new again…
Happy Monday afternoon! I was up early today. I had the laptop out, I was severely caffeinated, and the sun was out, waiting for me to write down this week’s musings and get on with work. Well, here it is, almost 2PM, and I am just getting it together. I point no fingers, but Scrabble on Facebook is the devil! OK, it’s not the devil, but I am routinely outmatched when it comes to that came, or at least I get whooped when it comes to Jeff B and my little brother. I can beat the majority of 7-year olds at that game.
I finally get a little work done, and decide to clear my head by splitting the last of my firewood before I start typing. I literally have 2 logs left. I say ‘have’ instead of ‘had’ because I drove my wedge right into the middle of the biggest log, and can’t get it out. So I left it. I supposed I could burn it out, but that will be a hot mess. Literally. I tried a crowbar, and well, that only got me so far, so I must now head to Home Depot and pick up another wedge to de-wedgify the first wedge. It’s tough to get a fire going around here!
Not that we’ve needed one lately. Well, does anyone really NEED a fire pit? I wanted one, so I built it. It was down in the 40’s last week, so to get a big, hot fire out there was a nice distraction. I do love it. And at some point, I will have all of you over. OK, maybe not, but if you can picture a big fire with stones around it in my backyard, then well, that’s pretty much it. But if you are coming over, red wine is mandatory.
Which is leading up to my selfish, shameless birthday plug. Dec 7 is fast approaching, so get your shopping in now. I honestly don’t need anything, but if anyone is in the mood – coffee and red wine are always appreciated. So back to business.
The one show we had this week was down in West Pam Beach. It was a short 15-hour bus ride down. We have a crowded bus. When I say crowded bus, I mean, like 12 people, 2 dogs, and generally no place to sit. Somehow, though, we all avoid any crazy blow-ups that would normally occur on a family vacation down to Disneyland. As we get older, we learn to respect space and others, and that has a lot to do with it. Still, being cooped up for a long period does wear you down. As soon as the bus was in park, I was out and on the patio by the hotel pool, reading my latest dine-store novel. The sunshine did me a world of good, and the 20 or so lizards running around were a nice change from the squirrels of Tennessee.
The Courtyard Marriott where we hung our hats for 3 hours was the same one we stayed in about 8 years ago with King Konga. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but when I got off the bus and looked around, I had stepped back in time for a moment. After last weekend’s show in Biloxi, it was a bit strange. Like I am on the right path or something…
After I hit the gym and showered, we clamored back up on the bus and headed to the fairgrounds. The driver was sleeping, and Scott has his CDL, so he drove us to the venue, except the police directed us to the wrong gate, so Bucky had to back us out and get us to the right spot. That was fun. Imagine cameras going off while you are trying to back a bus.
The theme for the day was hurry up and wait – Trailer Choir and Steve Azar were on before us, and the whole show was running behind. Common courtesy dictates that if you start late, then you should at least end on time to get the next act up. But don’t start late then play over your allotted time. It’s just rude. I am not pointing any fingers as to which artist is to blame, but if you think hard for a minute, then you can figure it out. SA, get it together, son!
So then a short 70 minute set and back on the bus we went. I was happy to see the Steelers on satellite, but unhappy that they lost to the f-ing Bengals. What is happening around here? But there could be worse problems.
Enjoy your week, for I feel it’s the last one of mild weather that we’re gonna have for a while. Bucky’s EP hits the ground tomorrow, so you can hear (and see) yours truly and company live from Rockingham.
See you on the road!
11-11-09
You are not forgotten…
First, I must clear up something – no, I didn’t forget you. I’ve been busy with some really cool stuff, and we haven’t had a ton of shows lately, so there it is. Not that I shouldn’t check in from time to time even if we’re not busy, but who really wants to hear about my fire pit? Oh, you do? OK, well, it’s bigger than a Mayan sacrificial altar, and twice as much fun. We’re scoping out a live chicken right now for tomorrow night’s party, but I am thinking a bucket of KFC will suffice.
Second, and more importantly, today is Veteran’s Day. As you may or may not know, I have strong ties to the military, and respect any one who puts on a uniform to fight for our country or keep us safe (yes, this includes police and fire staff as well). And as you may or may not know, I am not big on holidays (although my birthday SHOULD be a national holiday). No, I think that everyday should be treated like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Eve. Remember that when ‘normal people’ celebrate holidays, it’s because they are off on those days from work.
Historically, I have been on stage for the holidays, eating my turkey roll at a truck stop in West Memphis one year, and having Mexican another. New Year’s is generally a chance for the amateurs to party, so I am usually working then, too. You catch my drift. So I think that anytime you get together should be like Thanksgiving. Any day can be Valentine’s Day, and ANY day can be Veteran’s Day. You can tell any veteran ‘thank you’ any time at all, except when they are gone, so don’t hesitate. We are losing 3,000 WWII Vets a day.
So off the soapbox and back to the journal. Like I said before, we haven’t been super busy, but that doesn’t mean I have been hanging at the house doing nothing. Oh no. I finished the aforementioned fire pit, including stone benches around it, and have had 4 fires in it already. I cleaned my gutters, had some new electrical installed, and have been tracking a bunch in the studio. This time next week I’ll be able to tell you all about a really cool project that is coming to fruition, and one that you can check on periodically. More details to follow…
Biloxi, MS, is where we pick up the ‘live’ portion of the journal…I have not been back to the coast since Katrina, and so coming over the bridge to the Imperial Palace I was a little nervous and excited, just because of our steep history there. I have had a lot of amazing times on the coast, including at the IP, so it was nice to get back. I was bummed that there were no more cars in the casino. When did that happen? I had some fantastic ‘Quality time’ with Tony Lymon, King Konga’s percussionist extraordinaire, and of course the Buckaneers were out, too. (Sorry about your picture)
The next show on tap was down in Jacksonville, FL. It was about 9 hours down there, then we basically hung out the whole day setting up, doing nothing, being bored, etc. As fate would have it, as soon as we hit the first note of sound check, the sky opened up and started pouring remnants of Ida on us. So the tarps came out, everybody went to the hotel, and we waited. I had a crappy workout in the crappy gym at the hotel, but dinner was a high point of the day, and with only a 20 minute delay, we hit the stage to a light but enthusiastic audience. (I mean, I wouldn’t have sat in the rain, either.) Luckily, the rain held off for the remainder of the night, and I didn’t have to do a Diana Ross in Central Park performance.
Which leads us to today. I found out that the show we did in Rockingham was more than just a GAC special (to air in April), more than a video shoot (which is airing now), but also a live CD recording, which is available on November 17th. This kicks ass because a) We hit all three at once, avoiding any pesky retakes b) I get paid three times and c) it’s nice to hear and see yourself in HD. (although it is pretty scary when close up). I am really excited to be a part of all of it, and I hope that it helps the new record sell a million copies!
So the CMA’s are tonight. I was at the rehearsals for them earlier, and was sort of bored, sort of amused. I have had the pleasure to open for, play with or meet just about everyone that was performing tonight, so it was nice to just sort of sit back and smile. I have a shit ton of friends there, all playing the industry game, and in calling my Uncle tonight, he asked why I wasn’t out doing the same. He was right – being seen is always a good thing, but I am pretty comfy here on my couch. I will have to reflect, as I often do, at a time like this. I watched Dave Matthews sing with Kenny Chesney, and remembered 10 years ago, when we played Woodstock ’99 and watched DMB, who were the biggest show of the festival. They were just hitting their stride, and pretty much conquered the world after that. My band, on the other hand, went up for a little while, then met its demise a few short years later. Looking back, I smiled today, then sat quietly, getting a little sad for what could have been, but snapped out of that in about 5 seconds realizing that I was in the rehearsals for something very cool, and once again right where I needed to be. Nashville has been very good to me, and I don’t take a minute of it for granted. And when I say that I mean it, not because I need more friends on facebook. So thank you, for reading this and giving me a chance to do what I do!
We have a show in West Palm Beach on Saturday, which I love this time of year. Of course, it will be a quick in- quick out, so no sun and sand for me. It’s all good. I’ve spent a little time down there. I am in the studio tomorrow morning, then getting some things set up for recording projects in the near future. I am very excited for what lies ahead. I hope your week is a productive one, and well, since it is almost over, maybe you can still make it happen.
OK- get back to work!
10-28-09
Two scoops! It’s like one for free this week!
Or at least that’s what I want you to think. I skipped last Monday, then replaced it with a video to try and make up for it, and here we are on Wednesday again, and, well, guilt came a-knockin’, so I thought I would stretch my fingers and say hello once again the ‘old-fashioned’ way. I had some folks tell me they don’t like the video journal, which is totally cool. I listen to all opinions, then sift through the ones I want to apply. I understand that videos don’t go over well at work, so here I am typing for you old schoolers out there. (I’m old-school too, so don’t sweat it)
My week has been nothing short of hectic. First, there was the Miley show. You saw that. Then the next day I drove to Atlanta to see my nephew ( you twitter followers got to see a picture – twitter.com/shinybass ), then Saturday I drove to Memphis for the show at the speedway. I drove so I could get home before the bus made it back to Nashville so I could get to the Steelers game in Pittsburgh. Alas, I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s get back to Memphis.
I am not a race fan. I can tolerate the event, but I won’t hide the fact that I am not a fan of 1000 left hand turns. I dig the speed, the cars, the sound, and the power, but to me it’s just booooring. I don’t really dig much racing, actually. I’m sure it’s great if you are behind the wheel, but not in the stands. Or even the suite they put us in to watch the race and have lunch. I think it’s worse up there, because here you are, looking down and sort of getting dizzy watching these cars run on a short track.
I know – Steve quit yer bitchin’. My brother called and was jealous as hell that I was there and not him. He’s a huge fan. Grass is always greener, right? To each his own, I guess. The event was a decent way to spend the afternoon, and we had a fun time at the show, which got a little chilly towards the end, but I always say if the fans can stay and listen, then we can play.
The day after the Memphis show I was slated to fly to Pittsburgh to see the Steelers play the Vikings. I must back up a little bit to explain why this event is even noteworthy. The alarm clock I use is a ‘world’ clock- you just plug it in and it sets itself. Well, it must be using old technology or programming, because somewhere in the night, it rolled back an hour, ‘thinking’ it was daylight savings. So when I got up at 4:45, then it was actually 5:45. My flight left at 6:30. Needless to say, even though my ass was in the airport in record time, I didn’t make my flight. Apparently 10 minutes before takeoff isn’t enough time. So I was rebooked through JFK, and now, instead of an 11:30 arrival in Pittsburgh, I’m looking at a 2:30. The game started at one. Do the math…
Sounds like a tragedy, right? If you would have been at that counter that morning, then you would have seen a grown man welling up. OK, maybe not, but man was I upset. It turned out just fine, as all things in life do. I got to see the NYC skyline along with the Atlantic ocean that morning, then flew right over the stadium on our way into Pittsburgh. If you have never been to Pittsburgh, there are few better ‘ta-da’ moments then when you drive through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and bam! downtown is in front of you. It’s pretty sweet.
So the game rocked, Steelers won, and I spent some great time with my family. I spent the next day sightseeing around Pittsburgh, and then was home by 9 or so the next night, with a head full of memories and a few new Terrible towels. I also looked back at an amazing week – Miley, the race, and the game – and smile. I enjoy what I do, and believe me, never take it for granted.
Life is one of those fun things that can get you moving in all kinds of crazy directions, but at the end of the day, you can hopefully understand what it’s all about. It’s a great ride doing all the things I get to do, but unless you understand the little things that get us through each day, then it’s worthless. Give thanks for the little things, and the big things will follow.
See you on the road!
10-25-09
...and now for something completely different.
10-12-09
I’ve been driving through life lookin’ through a cracked windshield…
Happy Monday morning! Well, it’s afternoon now. I missed my window. We are on the bus headed back home from a short trip to New Jersey for a one-off. 15 short hours in each direction. The best part of the long trips is the sleeping. If it’s a long run, you can sleep in and it’s conscious-clearing. I can’t feel good about sleeping in so late at home because there is always something to do. When you go to sleep on the bus and wake up on the bus, then, well, you can only play so much Scrabble on Facebook.
Riding the bus up the East Coast was good. I like the ride up through that part of the country because all the cities are close together. You hit DC, Baltimore, Wilmington, and Philly all in rapid succession. Ahh, those colonists. If only they would have branched out a little further when they got here, but nooooo – we’re scared! OK, they were dealing with Native Americans, disease, starvation, and lack of the internet. I forgive them. If you think about the steps taken 400 years ago to get people here and more importantly, stay here, it really is remarkable.
A couple of years ago, my Mom and I went to Jamestown, VA a week before the 400th anniversary celebration. (Yes, I take my Mom on sightseeing trips), and being the total history nut, I was in amazement. Archeologists found the original site of the fort, not the tourist recreation up the James River a couple of miles. The size of the fort was about as big as my yard, and staggering to think that the settlers had to stay there for the winter, and forge their place in history.
And then we look to today, where people are OK with just getting by, just making rent or doing the least they can do to exist, with more concern for their happy hour beverage than with helping out another human being. We sit and laugh at the movie WALL-E, but what a great statement – or statements about a) getting to the point where humans have screwed up so badly we have to abandon the planet, but b) being content with just existing. This rant comes just on the eve of my nephew’s birth. I am actually waiting on the call right now. It’s the closest I get to being a Dad, and I would love to see him grow up in a better place then the world I came into.
So back to Jersey. The town was in south Jersey, about 40 miles from Philly, and honestly, we didn’t see much of it. We were at the hotel for a couple of hours, with the gym being out of commission (SUCK), but luckily the Friendly’s was next door, for all my ice cream sundae eating pleasure. If you can’t work out, you might as well eat poorly. We hopped in the shuttle bus and headed to the venue about 5:30, which meant a lot of ‘hurry up and wait’.
The show was a ‘throw and go’, which in proper queen’s English means ‘to throw (not literally) your musical equipment on stage, which includes (but is not limited to) uncasing guitars, drums, amps, and checking each instrument to ensure proper working condition and sound, and then leaving the stage for a short respite and subsequently performing’, or in layman’s terms – set up your shit and rock.
So we did. It was a bit chilly – somewhere in the mid 40’s, and my fingers weren’t as nimble as I like to think they are. It happens. I was smiling onstage at one point thinking of a fraternity party we played with King Konga outside, and it was so cold that between songs I held my hands up to the lights for warmth. Our percussionist’s hands were bleeding from the repeated contact on the cold drums, and the fraternity was gracious enough to let us knock off ten minutes early. Jackasses. These are probably the same guys running the DMV now.
So then we packed up and went home. I know it’s not very exciting, but that’s what happens when the bus goes 15 hours, then stops for about 10 hours, then turns around and goes right back. And in other news, we had a sub bus because our deer magnet from last week is still in the shop.
Back at home, I have a few more projects to tackle this week. The motto of any house is ‘It’s always something’. Well, it is, but this time it’s of my own hand. (and a few others) My cobblestone fire pit is in, so the next step is electrical and landscaping, then it’s party time. And you are all invited.
See you on the road!
PS- my nephew was born this afternoon at 1:52 PM in Atlanta. Baby and Mom are doing just fine.
10-05-09
The crow outside says hello.
There is a huge crow in my backyard right now. He keeps yelling at his friends to get over there, he found something, and well, he’s right. A couple of days ago I threw a whole bag of pretzels in the backyard by my deck (without the bag of course), as they were stale, along with most of the food in my house, and of course my jokes. The birds and squirrels in my backyard reap the benefits of the touring schedule, and I have also finally realized I cannot, cannot buy a big bag of anything, because ¾ of it gets thrown away. To my feathered and furry friends – enjoy the buffet.
The soundtrack to the morning is nice, and became even nicer yesterday morning. When we came home from bus call, I picked up my newly refurbished 1937 Philco radio. I got it home and tuned in a Nashville AM station and ate my pancakes with the TV of the past. I think I am an old soul. Or maybe I just wish I were. I prefer a ’47 Ford to an ’07, tubes to digital, and I think that props are much better than jets. (The PBY-Catalina is the coolest plane ever). I do text and email and twitter and facebook (and write here for that matter), but I would much rather talk to somebody. Call me crazy. But once again, I am off the subject: The soundtrack of the morning. The radio works great, and it compliments my Victrola nicely as well – maybe I’ll have 30’s era ‘dance off’ in the living room, with each console serving as the boom box…
I think I needed the serenity of the morning after the craziness of the weekend. Here’s the disclaimer: I am not complaining. I am not bitching, but merely offering a recount of the events that unfolded this past weekend. To have someplace to be is a good thing, and the fact that someone picked up the phone and said ‘We want to you to perform’ is great. It’s the smaller details that we need to work on.
Our first stop of the weekend was somewhere in West Virginia. I really don’t know much about the geography of West Virginia. Being from Virginia, it’s like the second cousin that nobody likes, but has to see once or twice a year. The upside is that WVA has some of the best scenery around. There is my narrow mind at work. So I think we were outside of Charleston, and at a lovely little bar called ‘Tomahawks’.
The bar is on the river – 1 cool point. Above a motorcycle shop with vintage Indian bikes – 2 cool points. Next to a seedy strip club – minus 5 cool points (or plus 5, depending on your taste), but with a decent restaurant with good salmon (plus 1) What are we up to now? It doesn’t matter. When the crowd came in, all bets were off.
First off, they had security that reminded me of the Stones at Altamont. Bikers/security being more rude than the patrons. One in particular, I dubbed ‘Skeeter’, ‘cause well, he looked like a Skeeter, was the worst. I wanted to put my boot in this SOB’s throat. Where do I start? First, he’s just acting like a drunk fool – dancing, lifting his shirt up, yelling, whipping his head up and down – and this is while we are playing. Then he’s groping the female patrons he is supposed to be holding behind the barrier rope. Then he proceeds to lie down and get a lap dance in said security area. Yes, while we were playing. Now, the place wasn’t that big, so it wasn’t like the place was dark and we couldn’t see. Next, the drunk girl right in front of me throws up. She was pretty hammered when we started, but about 6 songs in, just bam – nasty. I felt bad – there was a young girl – maybe 12 years old – in the front to see her American Idol, and sure enough there’s Skeeter and the Slush Queen making her experience memorable. The horrified look on the girl’s face was awful. True – she was in a bar, so there will be shenanigans, but I’ve been in plenty of bars and done plenty of shows where that kind of stuff doesn’t go on.
So the show is over, and I am ready to go. I tried to chill, and ordered a glass of red wine from the bar. Mistake. Last week was a great vintage. After pouring that crap out I went to the bus and looked for a way out. Four of us decided to get a runner back to the hotel, except that our runner was drunk. And the best part is that he also didn’t have a driver’s license. So our runner corrals some girl (who has the mouth of a sailor and I assumed had enough sense to get them back to the club), and has her ride in the SUV with us all. I’m so ready for this night to be over, and somehow, it continues. Jeff drives us to the hotel, since his license IS valid, and we went to bed, dreaming of nicer places to play. Like a bus station.
Day 2 of our journey landed us in Elkins, WVA at a college. Now, I’m not the smartest man in the world, but we were scheduled to play 2 shows with Heidi Newfield on this particular day, once at 6:30, then again at 10:30. Who thinks this is a good idea, raise your hand. That’s what I thought. Why on earth would you put us on twice? Fill the room once, and be done with it. It’s a place to play, so like I said – I’m not bitching. One of my favorite expressions – “I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’…” sums it up.
Not only did we have to do two shows (Steve’s head rears back up for the literary equivalent of ‘And another thing…’), but the crowd was one of the strangest I have ever played for. Very much like a dinner theater crowd at a country/rock show. Not cricket, gov’nah. Not cricket. Well, we had a fine time, and a good laugh later. And at the end of the day, it really was OK.
So being Monday, I am working like a little beaver today. We are doing some guitar work for Supercharger this afternoon, and I am working on some other demo material as well. Then it’s back to hot yoga this evening. Yes, I do hot yoga. How else can I keep this 50-year old body in shape? I hope your week is a good one, and I will check back with more news from the great wide open very soon.
See you on the road!
09-26-09
What a DAY!
Happy Sunday! Not too happy if you are from the Steeler Nation, of which I am I card-carrying member, but the wins don’t happen every single game, so I can lose gracefully. I say ‘I’ like I suited up or something. Hell no. Let other people take those hits. I’m old. Actually, I can’t use that as an excuse, either, since George Blanda played until his 50’s. I guess that means I am relegated to the sidelines, at least as far as football goes, but for a solid 24 hours, we were smack in the middle of the field, metaphorically speaking. We hopped on the bus Friday night to hit Rockingham, NC, to shoot a GAC special and the first video for ‘Gotta Be Somebody’. Pretty exciting stuff.
We arrived in Rockingham early, and headed to the venue around 10 AM. The venue was the center of town, where the crews were starting to set up for a day of recording, shooting, and a live show, all at the same time. There were fans camped out at 6AM, assuring their spot in the front row for the show that night. But before we could play one note, there was a LOT of down time, well, sort of.
Our job is usually a ‘hurry up and wait’ scenario, and today was no exception. Our gear hits the ground, but we can’t set up for a while, so we wait, but for some reason we have to be there first thing in the AM. So we find things to occupy our time. This is where the ‘Jeff and Steve Touring Exposed’ videos came from – pure boredom. Our creative juices were not flowing on this day, so we decided to take a walk and check out downtown Rockingham. 5 minutes later, we were back at the stage, having gained nothing except knowledge of the location of the Food King. Always good to know.
Here’s how the day’s schedule was explained to us: First we load in our gear. Check. Then we eat lunch. Check. Then at some point we were going to shoot an acoustic segment for TV with us in a relaxed setting on the stage. OK, well, we were told one, then 2:30, then at 3:30 we finally shot. That was the first time I saw Bucky as well. He was in Rockingham the day before to make a slew of public appearances, and Saturday he was all over the place visiting what seemed to be the entire town. He was in great spirits, though, even though I can only imagine how worn out he was.
So we shot a great acoustic version of ‘I’m Alright’ from the new record, and had a great dinner. One good thing about going to a small town is the cooking. You really can’t beat it. Well, unless you are in New Orleans. But that’s a whole other discussion. Speaking of, we will be down in Biloxi in November, so I am hoping to catch up with a lot of friends down there. Just giving you all a bunch of notice. Anyways…back to North Carolina.
So the town was under siege from the Bucky invasion, and we met the mayor, and probably every policeman in town. I wonder who was protecting the Food King? The crowd was really amazing, and for a number of reasons. First – they were lining up at 6AM. Second – there were a few thousand by the time we hit the stage. And third, because it was a video shoot – they had to sit through multiple takes of a few songs. And they kept the energy up the whole time. It’s going to be a great production when it’s all said and done.
Video shoots are fun, because anything can happen. And it did for us – the PA had problems out of the gate, and we had audio problems, so we had to do the video single at the end of the show. No worries, though. All in all, it was a long, long day – but longer for Bucky, who came through the whole thing with flying colors. I am not sure when any of the footage will air, but I will hopefully be able to put some of the raw footage up for you. I have to get my permission slip signed, first.
So enjoy your week – and do everything you set out to do. I have some lofty goals this week, but I’ll get there. More later…
See you on the road!
09-22-09
Once again…symmetry
You know, life is funny. Actually, too funny for words. So I won’t type any today. I’m kidding, of course, because, well, I keep typing, and you keep reading. Here’s how funny life is – an hour and a half ago, I sat down to finally type up this week’s journal entry. I was going to type about how things weren’t really going my way today. I have a bunch of little unfinished projects, I am waiting for lots of people to call me back about various musical things and well, I had a hell of a day, trying to get things done and not even coming close to succeeding. My story today was going to be one of woe and sadness, and a plea for help in this world gone mad. (OK, not really, but man it was a crap day)
So then the phone rang. It was my attorney. That’s never good. Except that he and I go way back, and he is always a positive force in my life. And today was no exception. He basically gave me a shot in the arm, whether he knows it or not, to get some things done. Then my friend Jeff Brown came over and helped me with another couple of projects here that I have been putting off and putting off. So now those are off the list.
My therapy when I get in a funk is to write – usually here, but also on guitar, and I usually come up with things that I would have never thought of in a million years, just because of the negative head space. But it’s cool, because I am not ‘thinking’ about writing – I am thinking about other things, leaving my hands to wander up and down the neck without any preconceived ideas. It works out pretty well when I can clear my head like that.
So here I am writing once again. And yes, it’s for therapy. First the Steelers lost. (Poor me) Then I realize that I haven’t written enough new material lately. Then I also realize that my fire pit is still not done. Then I look at the new light fixtures that are in my living room, but not installed. Then I look at my journals, and my book is at a standstill. Then I look at my bathroom and it’s a mess, and there are clothes all over my floor, and I STILL haven’t unpacked my bag from this past week. Seriously Steve – what the hell have you been doing? (Or not doing?)
Well, I don’t have any explanation, except that it’s all my fault, but it’s also all going to be OK. I mean, you really don’t read this to know that my jeans are still in the dryer. (or maybe you do, and at this time you need to go to google.com and type in ‘hobby’). But maybe, just maybe, the same way that I need to write this to get off my ass, you need to write it to get off yours. Who knows? My observations are a little skewed at times, and I am awesome at giving advice, and hope to finally take some of my own words to heart. Say it with me ‘I am…somebody’. (House Party reference for the low-budget movie impaired)
It seems like a year ago, but this past week we DID have a show. It was in Salt Lake City, and I learned that polygamy is dead. Just when I thought I had it ALL figured out. Oh well. Our show was a ‘fly date’, which was a true 24 hour experience. We left Nashville at 7:40 AM, played a great show, then hopped a red eye back, connecting in Atlanta (which was delayed), then walked in the door at 10AM the next morning. We like to milk ALL 24 hours out of the day. We then boarded the bus a scant 14 hours later to head up to Pittsburgh for a show with Joe Nichols.
I love that we played in Pittsburgh, because Bucky is always nice enough to mention my affinity for the area, and my love for the Steelers. Usually when we do the band introductions, I do my ‘hey I didn’t get to sing Message in a Bottle routine’ with Bucky, but this time was something different. He gave the mic back to me, so I put it on the stand and belted out the first verse and chorus to Message in a Bottle. It turned out pretty well for spur of the moment. I got to live my lead singer fantasy for a moment.
But back to reality, and my goals – and yours. I have decided that 30 minutes a day on the projects I need to conquer will yield fantastic results. And I hope that maybe, just maybe my self-ass kicking will spur your own spark to get something done. I will make you a deal. Do what you need to do for 30 minutes a day for 7 days (religiously), email me, and let’s compare notes. It’s not a contest, or that I can offer anything for whomever can actually build a fence in that time, but let’s keep it friendly, and hopefully we’ll both have something to show for it in 168 hours.
See you on the road!
09-16-09
Is it too soon?
Am I writing this too early? I only ask because I intended this to be weekly, and here I am writing again, a mere 6 days after the last one. I guess I am about on time. Eh. I thought I was being more productive. I think it’s because my internal (and external) clocks are so screwed up, that for a brief moment this morning, I thought it was 12 years ago. Then I realized that that was just a bad dream. There is NO place like the present. The past is past. And since last week is past, let me tell you all about it. (So sayeth the king of the segue)
The week was started on a Monday for us – and strangely enough ended on a Monday, which is totally out of sorts for our bus. But, we go where the work is, and the work this shining Monday was at Joe’s on Weed St. in Chicago. I like Joe’s a LOT. Great stage, very nice staff, and the room is really well run. I was happy to be back, and happy to walk around the area a little bit this time around. US 99 was very good to us, and as an added bonus, the head of Bucky’s label was out, so thanks to everybody who cheered and made us look good.
Our next adventure came in the form of a bunch of flights, some rental vehicles, and an angry bull. Lemme ‘splain. No, there is no time. Lemme sum up. We hopped a flight to Phoenix out of Nashville, then flew into Albuquerque to crash for the night. We then took two rental cars 3 hours into the desert to get just inside the Arizona line, on the Navajo reservation. I had never been to an Indian reservation before, so I was pretty excited. We were playing the Navajo Nation Fair, which was a pretty big event. At lunch, we learned some Navajo language lessons (literally the hardest language on the planet), and a history of the tribe. They are a beautiful and proud people, with a vision for the future, and moving in a positive direction. A hard thing to achieve considering how they were treated.
Day seemed to drag on, however, because we really didn’t have any place to hang out, and with the rodeo going on, we couldn’t set up at our usual time, either. So we basically ate and enjoyed the scenery, then finally it was time for us to do a show. Again, we had to wait until the rodeo was over, but I had waited long enough. The announcer came over to the stage and I started asking questions about the steel barrel he is in during the bull riding competition. He asked if I wanted to get in it, to which I replied ‘Absolutely’. Next thing I know…
So after my heart eased back into my chest, then we had a fantastic show for a very large and appreciative audience. Then we drove back that night, slept for 3 hours, and flew back on 2 flights home. Ahh, the glamorous life. After being home on a Saturday, which never happens, we had to get back on the bus that night for a couple more shows – one in York, PA, and two shows in Wooster, OH. I’ve been to York, and it was really good to get back, because whoopee pies rock, and so do apple dumplings. My Grandma used to make them for me, and I have not seen them since she passed, so my dessert took me back a few years that night. Thanks Grandma for always making a couple extra.
Wooster OH has to be the tractor-pullingest place on the planet. I swear they ran those things for 4 hours. The only reason I mention it, is that we couldn’t have the stage placed until they were done, which means basically to hurry up and wait. And wait. And wait. But the crowds were huge for both shows, and even though we did 2 shows, we still had the energy and the fun that we do. I slept very well that night.
And so here we are – Wednesday the 16th. I am not sure what happened on this day in history – I didn’t look this morning. My goal was to get this entry out for you and hit the gym. I love eating out on the road, but if I don’t work it off on my down days, then I am in trouble. And since we are on the plane at 7AM tomorrow, well, then this is my time. Plus it’s raining (must be my day off), so it’s a great gym day. Enjoy the rest of your week, and I will…wait for it…wait for it…
See you on the road!
09-10-09
‘The one after 909’
Love. It’s all you need. It makes the world go ‘round. (or was that chocolate pudding?) Love is the answer, the question, and the reason. Love cuts and love heals. Love is overused, underappreciated, and love is overexposed and commercialized – so handle it with care. Love me do, she loves me not, and something in the way she moves attracts me like no other lover…
OK, is anyone ‘Beatled’ out by now? I am a fan, of course, and with the launch of Rock Band Beatles (no, I did not buy it, nor do I own a gaming platform), and the remastered records (I plan on getting them all), the overexposure is necessary to shatter all sales records and knock Michael Jackson off the charts. Of course, the ironic twist is that Michael Jackson wins because his estate still controls a huge part of the Beatles publishing. Ahh, the record business.
But this overexposure to me is OK. If you think about it, the Beatles have never really gone away. They have been playing on rock radio for over 46 years, and unlike the bombardment of a new crappy song or a new movie, hearing the advertisements over and over are sort of like hearing your ABC’s over and over again. It is truly elementary, and the building blocks upon which modern music is based. So, in my humble, college-educated opinion – let there be Beatles, as much as the world wants to hear. Which is a lot.
Now that I have successfully written myself into the hype around Number 9, number 9, number 9, on to wiseness. I mean business. You caught me in the middle of a west coast swing – the second in the same amount of months. I posted my first picture online, which for me was like learning to walk again, but I managed. Alaska was amazing, as you can see and read, but on to the next stop – a day off!
Our base camp was in San Jose, CA, where there are some great things to see, but I have never been to San Francisco, and since that is where I left my heart, I thought I should find it. (Do you find the song references a bit much? Discuss amongst yourselves…) Bucky had to take the bus up to an acoustic gig, and so Jeff Brown and I rented a car and headed north on the 101 to see if they really built that city on rock and roll. (Enough, I’m sorry)
The best adventures in life are those that are not mapped, and even though we had a map, we pretty much got lost in the city. Our first stop was to find the Golden Gate, and well, after driving through Golden Gate Park (which is nowhere near the bridge), then we basically drove until we saw ocean, and turned right. We did come upon a park that had a bridge lookout point, so we touristed that area up, and moved on. The ocean was amazing, and imagine as you look at the pictures that you hear the barking sea lions in the background.
We crossed the bridge, took more pictures and video of Alcatraz, and moved up into, dare I say, wine country, where the creeks flow with Chardonnay, and the police men serve you Merlot as they write you a ticket. Jeff and I hit some nice wineries, and I bought a few bottles of some great reds (my preferred color of wine, in case you are thinking of early birthday presents). After a small stop in Sonoma for food, and the traditional drive down Lombard St., Jeff and I found ourselves at Fisherman’s Wharf with the rest of the tourists, but I am glad I checked it out. We got home late that night, but it was a great day off, and I am glad I finally can cross that one off the list.
We added a last minute show at a small place called the Wrangler in Elk Grove, California. The club was small, and I don’t mean coffee cup small, I mean like shot glass small. Jason Michael Carroll played there the week before, so I guess he’s got the cash to bring in the acts. It wasn’t the worst gig ever, and we played some mean horseshoes beforehand, so that was OK. I saw a female get physically removed from the property, which was a first for me. The bouncers literally picked this girl up and threw her out. They get rowdy up there, I guess.
The next night found us at the Rodeo Club, which is an interesting place – the biggest names come through, but I think it used to be a car wash. I don’t know – I get on the bus and play where they tell me to play. The night was highlighted for me by dinner and drinks after the show with a couple of long-time friends from the guitar manufacturing world, and they are always a great hang.
MacArthur, California was the last stop on this run, and it was nothing short of amazing. Northern California (where the girls are warm – yes, yet ANOTHER song reference). The scenery is beautiful, with the rivers, canyons, and trees that grow straight and true. The sunset was nothing short of spectacular, with the high mountains in the distance, and the moon was hanging low and was a great backdrop for our set. The crowd was absolutely rockin’, so thank you for that. It’s nice to end the week with a bang.
The next morning, we were on a flight out of Reno and back home somewhere around the 6PM hour. Leaving the west coast and flying all day takes a toll, but nothing a little nap and good dinner can’t fix. I love to cook – it’s a good release – and the end result is usually pretty damn good, if I say so myself. There I go, cursing again. It happens.
So I hope you all enjoy the new picture format I am going with here. I hope that with this and my twitter picture updates you can get a better sense of our lives out here. Now go enjoy the sunshine, because in a few short weeks, it’s gonna start getting cold.
See you on the road!
09-01-09
919, oh the symmetry…
Hello, and welcome to the first day of September. Does this mean that summer is over? Where is my deep, dark, luxurious tan? Where are my water wings? Why is my kayak still dry? I guess that means that where you have all been enjoying your weekends, we have been busy as hell. Where has the year gone? Actually, we have had plenty of chances to play, and to see some amazing, amazing things. And our year isn’t over. And either is yours.
We are on the bus right now headed for San Jose, California after a red-eye flight out of Anchorage. But I am getting waaaay ahead of myself. We have been out for about a week, and have been getting to some great places. The west has a vibe all its own, and I’ve tried to embrace the whole, big, wonderful thing.
Our first show was in Bremerton, which is across the Puget Sound from Seattle, and a quaint little town nestled next to the water. There is a huge Naval shipbuilding yard there, and because of the two hour time change, were up bright-eyed and bushytailed to explore the city at 7AM. There is nothing quite like the water, especially at dawn and sunset, but the rest of the day ain’t bad, either.
We played a fair, which is usually all about the deep-fried everything, but like I said before, we were in Washington, so there were dog shows, hippie camping, and veggie burgers. The scenery was good, the weather was perfect, and we had a nice, long sweaty show. The post-show festivities found us at a little bar called South Pacific, which is typically a Navy bar, but was empty for us, which we kind of prefer. We discovered this bar had been there for a long time, for in the basement (which was a bowling alley years ago) original cartoon drawings by the man who invented the Popeye were on the wall, drawn during his tenure in the Navy and before the cartoon took off.
The second show took a strong left turn, putting us on top of a high plateau town called Waterville, which was ironic, because it was dry as can be. We had to delay our show time a few minutes to take down the backdrop, because the wind starting kicking up pretty hard, and the last thing we wanted was a repeat of the incident in Canada where the stage came crashing down. The wind didn’t really die down until mid-set, so the dust storm that was blowing was so bad that people had to wear sunglasses during our show.
The next show was spent wiping down the gear from the show before. It’s amazing how dirt can get everywhere when it’s blowing around…The venue was another fair in Washington, and the stage and the crowd were both huge. We had a hell of a show, and not in a good way. Literally as the show started, my wireless went out. Two songs in, Bucky broke a string, Jeff dropped his slide, and it seemed like it took us a half an hour to get back on track. Of course, these are things that you, the audience would never see, but since we do it everyday, we strive for perfection.
So we blasted up north after that – way north. As we flew over the ocean, I couldn’t wait for the first glimpse of land. Soon we were flying over glaciers. Glaciers. The guitars made it in unscathed, and I headed to the rental car company to find my chariot for the day. After a checking in to the hotel, Mick, Jeff B, Jeff C and I headed south to Seward, Alaska. Not 30 minutes outside of town we found a spot called Beluga Point, which was at low tide when we visited, but is usually a great spot to see the gentle white beasts. 5 minutes after that, we spotted a moose hanging out by the side of the road, and spied some white mountain goats way up on a bluff. A few minutes after that, we saw a bald eagle in the trees over looking a mountain lake. All the while, the mountains reached up as far as they could, with yellow grasses and tall trees holding them to the earth.
We put the miles on the car, and saw so much in the three hour trip, that I have to give the short version, because it seemed that every turn we were all marveling at the natural beauty all around us. Seward is a small fishing village of about 3000 people, and everything you would expect in a small ocean side town. We had a great dinner, then drove back to Anchorage. You may think it’s silly to drive 3 hours, have dinner, then turn around and go home, but that’s sort of what I do. I live for that sort of thing. Why spend my day off at the mall?
The Alaska State Fair was really cool. It was a huge event, and although the stage is small there, I had no complaints – our backdrop was snow-covered mountains, and the crowd was really fantastic. We blasted out about an hour and forty-five show, then we hopped on the red-eye to Portland, where we hopped on the bus at 6AM, and here we still are.
Tomorrow I have off in San Jose, so again, I am once again putting in a call to Enterprise, and headed up to San Francisco, and maybe off to wine country. I know, it’s a hard life, but seriously – we just gave up a bunch of sleep and traveled for almost 24 hours. It’s time for some R&R.
I’ll give you some twitter updates from the day off tomorrow.
See you on the road!
08-24-09
Not so light…
And so it is Monday, yet again. And with Monday comes the usual moans and groans about it being Monday, as is evident by the Facebook postings running the gamut from ‘Ugh’ to ‘Sure hate this day already’. Not only is it funny to me that we feel the need to express our hatred for a day, or for the fact that we hate going to a job that we should be fortunate to have, but in my usual, reflective, deep thoughts with Jack Handey self, shouldn’t we be happy to have every day? My Mondays are not like others’ Mondays. My job dictates that Mondays are my Saturdays, so where everybody is crying, then I am breathing easy, although I seldom take a day off. I was up at 6:45 this morning getting things done. Not that I am bragging, because between me and you and the bed bugs, I am tired.
First, the Bucky updates: This past week we had two shows, one in West Virginia with Darius Rucker, and the second was in Indianapolis on the WFMS free stage at the State Fair. Both were fantastic shows, and both were something different. If you were there, you may have noticed a different drummer banging things out behind us. Tom is no longer with us, and our new drummer is Jeff Brown, a great drummer, and an all-around great guy. Please welcome him with the same open arms that you welcomed us when we arrived in Bucky’s camp.
The show in West Virginia was great for me because it gave me a chance to see Darius and his crew, which were all with Hootie and the Blowfish. I have known those guys for about 10 years now, so it was a nice reunion. And big ups to D for going platinum a couple of weeks ago. I’m happy that he hit as big as he did. It’s always a rough road when you have the safety net of a band behind you then you venture out on your own, let alone in a different genre.
Indianapolis was a pleasant surprise. For the first time in the three years we have been there, the weather cooperated. Last year it was hotter than Beyonce up on that stage, with the sun staring us right in the face. I don’t like to wear sunglasses on stage during a show, so I had an especially crappy time on stage last year, staring into the star that keeps us warm. This year was much more pleasant, and the clouds kept the summer sun at bay while we blasted through our 70-minute set. Thanks to all the loyal and devoted fans who made the trip in. And no, attendance was not light at all. We had a pretty rockin’ crowd that day, and for an early show, we were pretty happy with it all.
The hardest part about a ‘one-off’ so close to home is the always-tough decision ‘to sleep or not to sleep’. It was a 4 –hour trip, and the bus started rolling around 9, so it’s either stay up and be tired, or sleep and get interrupted and be tired, or you can do what I did, which was stay up as long as possible (think child on Christmas Eve waiting on Santa), sleep 45 minutes, then wake up even more tired than when you went to bed. I seem to have a knack for finding option C when there is no option C.
That seems to be my theme – creating options. If you tell me I can either go left or right, then dammit, I will find a way to go straight through. It’s sort of what I do. I am working on some fun stuff – submitting music for some new outlets (at least to me), so I am once again focusing on a new road, while keeping the map updated of the old ones. (Wow – how metaphorical) Supercharger songs are going to be making their way to the web soon. And for those of you just tuning in, Supercharger is the name of my rock and roll side project. Would you like to hear one of the new tunes? Well, drop me an email that says ‘Supercharger’, and I’ll send an early copy to you. You must promise to send feedback to me once you get it. Thumbs up, down, undecided. I have no problem with opinions, so bring it! And if you like it, you should probably buy downloads when they become available. A boy gotta eat!
What are we up to next? Well, we are gearing up for a nice, long west coast run that will take us from Washington State to Alaska to California and back home. I am excited to play in Alaska. I am one state away from visiting all the states in the Union (curse you, Maine!), and I need to play in North Dakota and Maine to complete my John Popper map. Will someone please book us in Maine?
See you on the road!
08-16-09
…and cheer I did.
Friday afternoon I found myself in my Xterra driving down I-75 towards Atlanta on a pilgrimage that has been on my ‘to-do’ list for years, although I am not sure when I actually put it on the list. I was on my way to see Paul McCartney. I was 10 years old plus one day when John Lennon was shot, and felt the impact when George Harrison died a few years ago, so as we age and life comes and goes, things become more focused, and we have to see the things that we may not have the chance to see later. And being 67, honestly, I don’t know how much longer Paul wants to tour.
I won’t bore you with the details of my Friday night with my little brother. There really aren’t many, except for a much-needed visit with my feet up and a few frosty malt beverages. After the gym and the pool on Saturday, my little brother and I were off to Piedmont Park via MARTA to see Paul. And our phony British accents were the order of the day. It only seemed fitting – and of course we quoted the Beatles scene in Walk Hard.
We walked off the MARTA around 4:30, and hit the Taco Mac Midtown for a snack. Somewhere around 5:30, we made our way, along with 40,000 other people to Piedmont Park to get in the middle of the General Admission madness. I will not lie - I have become a spoiled son of a bitch. I sure do like having a nice cool bus to sit in on those warm days. But today was my day to be a fan, not a performer, so I got crusty with the people. And crusty it was.
This was a bring your blanket sort of deal, so much like a land-grab from the late 1800’s in Nebraska, the people staked their claims and were not giving any real estate up. For my brother and I, who are card-carrying members of the ‘I don’t feel like lugging around shit’ club, we just came in with a plan: wait and conquer. So we grabbed some beers and walked the grounds, making our way to a prime spot just left of the FOH mix position and with a great view of the stage. Of course, it was only 6:20 at this point, so we had a little time to kill.
And time crept by. It seemed that the heat of the day was greatest with the setting sun burning into my shiny head, and the homesteaders weren’t giving up even a corner of their blankets, so basically we just had to stand in one spot. A small spot. I knew there was an opener, so we were still a good two hours away from the show. The opener hit the stage, and so we jumped in shifts to the bathroom to secure our spot, and then settled in for the long haul.
When the lights came down and Paul hit the stage, all my worries and pains went away. The 4 hours to get to Atlanta, the ride on MARTA and the wait meant nothing at that moment. The euphoria that hit transcended my physical being. I was a small child witnessing the magic of Santa Claus and my birthday all at once. There he was, banging out the intro to ‘Drive My Car’, and I couldn’t believe my ears and eyes.
Fast forward about an hour, and the rains came. Hard. And I was soaked to the core. My unders were wet. That doesn’t make for a fun show when you have no seat, but I didn’t care. Not one bit. I was standing there listening to Paul McCartney play ‘Blackbird’ in a downpour, on the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, and the 45th anniversary of the Beatles at Shea. All was right with the world.
Paul made a few historical references during the show, tagging ‘Purple Haze’ on the end of one of his tunes, and telling a Jimi Hendrix story. He also played ‘I’m Down’ from the Beatles Shea Stadium set. He said it sounded better now because they couldn’t hear a note they played. His set also included some Lennon material and a full band version of ‘Something’ by George Harrison, which sent chills down my arms. At the end of the song, he stared and held his arms up at the huge picture of his friend behind him. Very touching moment indeed.
So a scant 2 hours and 45 minutes later, the show was over. I had to head for the exit, and started regaining circulation in my legs. We didn’t sit on the MARTA until 12:30 AM, meaning we stood for 7 hours, the last 4 of which in one spot. I finally hit the pillow around 1:20 AM, and dreamt of nothing. I was so tired, I couldn’t even see straight.
In getting home today, I have been on cloud 9. I walked around the grocery store with a smile on my face that would take too long to explain. Today I changed strings on my guitars, and have been reorganizing different aspects of my direction and musical approach. I am inspired like I cannot explain. Not like I am climbing Mt. Everest, or even writing a hit song tonight after dinner, but affirmation that what I do is for a purpose, for a reason, and that I really, truly love what I do. I like to think that in a small small way, I can make someone feel the way that I felt at that show last night.
What do you do next after seeing such a popular artist? What’s next when the ‘to-do’ list gets shorter by one item? How can anything compare to seeing the top of the mountain? Well, my rhetorical question answerers, (or is that answeri?) it’s simple- keep on going. We don’t stop looking at art after we view the Mona Lisa, and we don’t stop watching football after your team wins the Super Bowl. There is so much of life to conquer, to see, and to experience. The secret is getting out and doing it. And bringing raincoat.
See you on the road!
08-12-09
Man, I am tired…
Happy Wednesday to you all. I am in my bunk on the bus, fighting sleep and trying to be productive before I hit the hay. We just finished up about 2 hours ago, but no matter what time I finish playing, my body says go to bed. That comes from the King Konga days, where I would be worthless to drive the van within an hour of the show. Come to think of it, I was pretty worthless to drive the van most anytime. I drove, but not nearly as much as I should have. I did drive more than Skeeto, who we decided would better serve our cause by sleeping. I can honestly say that I got no sleep when he drove. I love him to death, but that boy is a maniac! Sorry to call you out, Skeeto…
This week was a good one, and full of surprises. Monday I was supposed to be at the Sommet watching the Def Leppard tour, but they had to postpone the show, so we went out instead. After a few other stops, our little gang ended up at the Stage on Broadway. We saw Ricky Rocket from Poison there, and whereas I am not a Poison fan, he seemed like he had a good time. I saw Josh Gracin, and also caught up a little bit with Trent Tomlinson. We haven’t spoken much since I left, but he and I are friends again, and I am good with that. Life is too short for drama (as the kids say), and for us to be able to have a drink and converse like adults is a good thing.
Tuesday was a busy day for us, but even busier for Bucky. We had to play for the ‘suits’ over in the CMT offices to promote the new video. Come to think of it, nobody was actually wearing a suit, but that’s OK, ‘cause we don’t have a new video yet, either. Word on the street is that we are going to Rockingham to shoot it in a few weeks. I hope the ‘we’ stays ‘we’, because I would love to see the band in the video. If that doesn’t happen, that’s OK, just as long as the single goes number 1!
Tuesday night we performed 3 songs on the Grand Old Opry. I think I’m up to somewhere around 26 performances on the Opry now. That is nothing compared to lots of other guys, but being a rock bass player then jumping to country, I think it’s the coolest thing since moving sidewalks. My Dad, Step Mom, and Step sister flew in for the show, which made the event really special for me. As soon as we were done, I was back on the bus and headed to Rockford, IL, where we played tonight.
We have been playing some mean games of whiffle ball lately, and with a wide-open field behind the bus today, we had a good game going. I am a firm believer that a band that plays together well off stage plays well together onstage. Plus, we get to talk a lot of trash out there, and this band has a lot of trash to throw around.
You know, I have been doing this tour journal for years now, and I love it. I used to be in a cover band based out of Atlanta for all of 3 months. It was easily the worst 3 months of my musical career, just because of the nature of the gig, and some of the stuff in the organization. It was work, and it did get me to Las Vegas for the first time and to Key West for 5 days. That was about the only plus to it. Playing covers is not really for me, but some people love it. I have done my share, so I choose not to.
While in the band, I asked if I could write a tour journal. The guy running the show agreed, but then told me to rewrite some things because I mentioned that attendance was ‘light’ at one of the shows. He wanted to keep up the illusion of popularity. Well, tonight, the attendance was light. I say light, but there were about a thousand people there. That is a light crowd for Bucky. So there, I said it. The attendance was down, but the fair board told us they never sell very many tickets to the Wednesday shows. Oh well. I do have a point to all this, so hang on…
We’re gonna have bad shows. We’re gonna have lightly attended shows. We are going to have dips and speed bumps and problems from time to time. It happens. Tonight I could smell the fair food being cooked from the midway while we played, and could hear the metallic grinding of roller coasters between songs. It’s not a glamorous life every day, and anybody in this business who says it is is lying through their teeth. But what we do, even on the crappiest of days is magnificent, so if the show attendance is light, then so be it. We’ll still play our same show and bring the same power. It’s just what we do. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
There is something amazingly refreshing about Bucky. He knows his strengths and weaknesses, and anyone that can admit this is way ahead of the game. He knows that if I write that attendance was light that it doesn’t matter. We play a lot of shows in a year, so one or two bad ones is OK. Plus, just like us, he works just as hard at the big shows as he does the little ones.
Bucky just got dropped off in Chicago for a flight to LA, and we are headed home. My work week is over, so I am taking a little personal time and headed to Atlanta to see Sir Paul McCartney. If you see me in the crowd of 50,000, then come say hello. I cannot wait for this show. Like you, I am a music fan as well, and now it is my turn to cheer.
See you on the road!
08-07-09
Why you are more successful than me…
Well, I asked, and you responded. Here are more of my rants and raves, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I like getting it off my chest. Being raised Catholic, even though I am not practicing at the moment, there is still the inherent need to confess, or at the very least speak my mind when something is finally jingling up there. (And I hear the faint groan of the followers of other religions as I say that I was raised Catholic). I refuse to get into a discussion about religion with you, but I will say this – don’t sweat it – God and I are tight.
So why, pray tell (bad pun) the need for a second entry this week? And why do I need ask permission? Well, on the first account, I, as well as a lot of people I know, need a little push. We all need a boost from time to time, and well, being the self-proclaimed ‘most positive person on the internet’, I felt the need to maybe give my two cents on some things. And yes, it is MY website, and MY journal, so why ask permission? My views are just that – my views, and you may read it and take nothing away from it, or you may find one little thing that helps. It’s the one little thing that I am hoping sinks in.
I receive very nice emails from a lot of you about this and that, and one last week sparked my imagination. I look at all that I have done in music and beyond, and then I look at people I know, and frankly, I haven’t done shit. Before you think I am second guessing myself, I am not, because I am truly a cocky SOB on the surface. No wait – I have three levels – nice on the outside, cocky just under the surface, then good at heart. But I digress. I look at the people around me and realize how successful they are, even when they don’t think things are going that well.
We are finally showing some signs of life with the economy. That is encouraging for many reasons, for everybody knows someone effected, either directly or indirectly by the current trends. People are tightening up all over the place, and having to ‘make do’. But for years and years people have had to ‘make do’. And they make it work, day in and day out. These are the people that I feel are more successful than me.
I am speaking to the families out there. The Moms and Dads (Moms come first, everybody) that sacrifice so much for their children, without saying a word, every single day. Moms don’t get a lot of ‘me’ time, they don’t get the peace and quiet, and then pile on top of that the heartbreaking response to a child’s question with ‘No’ because you don’t have the money. Nothing is more hurtful to a parent. I don’t know these things firsthand because unlike you success stories out there, I have no kids. But I have seen that look in my parent’s eyes, and know the pain behind it.
But again, somehow, we turned out just fine. My parent’s made sacrifices, and we weren’t poor by any means. Not compared to what my parents had, and we were in a nice neighborhood. I know that the push-pull that was my household was my Dad spending and my Mom saving. It happens. It happens to many families today. But even if there is nothing in the coffers, then parents figure out a way to get the Little League fees and the Girl Scout cookies paid for.
My life is ridiculously simple compared to others’. I don’t have to drop any kids off at soccer practice, or get to the emergency room what seems like once a month (thanks Mom). I have some plants, and that’s about it. My brothers either have children or are expecting, and never could I see what lay ahead in the whole process. Nobody knows. But even that is OK. You (hopefully) learned the deal, and aren’t texting while driving with the kids in the car, and stopped smoking around them, and maybe are taking a minute away from your facebook (or shinybass.com) time and giving them a hug. They are your legacy.
And now the kudos – To all the wonderful folks out there who do ‘it’ everyday – caring for their kids, going to work, being responsible, and giving more of yourself than the world will ever see. You are the real heroes, and the daily success stories that we all love. In a time when people are looking at what they don’t have, you make it happen with what you DO have, and that in itself is a testament to your character. You are special, wonderful, and have purpose. You make what I do look so easy, and for that I thank you.
So when chips are down, and you second guess anything about yourself or your role in this whole beautiful world, then take a deep breath and think about all that you really have done, and how much you have shaped your little part of the world. Now take that and double it, and watch how good it will get.
Well, that felt better. Now that the nice boy side is out, time for cocky. We have had a great little run so far, and last night’s show up in Uniontown was pretty kick ass. It was only about 40 minutes from Pittsburgh, so I saw some family and of course the Steeler nation was out in force. As well as the pigs. Jeff had a deep-fried Snickers bar, and for that I am jealous. Two years ago I had a deep-fried Twinkie, and my doctor said that was the only one I can have ever. Ahh well, it was good while it lasted.
Tonight we are in Winchester, VA, at a little place that pulls in some pretty good acts. I saw my oldest brother today, so again, this job ain’t bad when I can see peeps, especially in my home state. Call me biased, but I think the air is a little better up this way. I’ll fill you all in on the rest of the week, and get you an Opry report after Tuesday as well.
See you on the road!
08-03-09
Crap.
I have been called an optimist. Not just an optimist, but borderline ‘Up With People’ ridiculous with my positive attitude. I look at life as opportunity, and problems are merely ways for me to expand my mind. Sometimes I get criticized for being too positive, and you know, I really don’t care. I am me, you are you, and we are we together. Or something like that. Looking back at my past postings, I think I have gotten away from what drew you here in the first place: Reports from the road, my sometimes long-winded insight into life, and the occasional curse word thrown in for effect and street cred. I know that me being me is inevitable, but I am going to turn over a newer leaf. An edgier leaf. And I am not sure if that is even cool to tell you that I am going to do it, or just do it. The problem with announcing it is that it may not be edgy at all, just my crusty mood for the day, then the next week it’s back to more of the same. Who knows? Who cares? Maybe I’ll just keep typing and see what happens.
Like I previously mentioned, I look back at the past couple of years and relish in my hot dog of a life. Actually it’s more like a fat, 2-inch thick ribeye of a life. I cannot tell you how amazing it is that I get to do what I do for a living. It could all end tonight, before this Southwest flight lands, and I would look back and have no regrets. Except one – well, no - none. I can’t help but think of the past when on an airplane. I have taken so many flights in my lifetime that I cannot even think about it. But it pales in comparison with say, a Paul McCartney, who over 40 years has crossed this small world of ours so much, he can go ahead and rename the planet. How cool would that be?
I, sadly, was not alive when the Beatles were together. I am a fan, but because they are good, not because they were popular at the time. I wasn’t alive for the first moonwalk either. I look at where I was born, which was in 1970 (for those of you scoring at home), and think that at least cars were mostly still made of steel when I was born. I came along and started having memories of things when disco was king and Elvis was a novelty act. I feel like I have been playing catch up all my life, just barely behind the cool curve. It seems the cooler kids in school were two years older than me – maybe because their parents could play a Beatles album for them as it hit the shelves.
That’s not to say I haven’t had a fantastic pop culture education. Backing up a notch, my Dad had an 8-track player in the game room, and a 50’s box set of LP’s that was pretty amazing, and going all the time. The 8-tracks were Beach Boys and 50’s and early 60’s music, too, which was the music of my Dad’s youth. I loved those tunes, and playing an analog pinball machine and a 9-foot pool table that came out of a pool hall was my late-night education into all things cool. My Dad also bought a Victrola, which we used to wear out as well. I found that music of the day wasn’t nearly as cool as music from back then, and for some strange reason, I have days like that now.
For TV, we had The Muppet Show (which is still some of the most brilliant art ever – yes, I call it art, because having pigs dressed as Vikings storming a village singing ‘In the Navy’ can be called nothing but art), and to further my education, we watched MASH, All in the Family, and Good Times. And on Saturdays, it was either John Wayne Westerns or War movies. Then, somewhere around the one hour mark, I would look over, and my Dad would be asleep in the chair. Of course, things never change. We watch a movie together, and there is a 20 minute section he’ll totally miss every time. My brother’s favorite movie is Car Wash, which is a very cool slice of life picture from around 1976. The cars were still big, as well as the afros, and Richard Pryor was as cool as they come.
So where does all this lead? Where are these random thoughts taking me today? I seriously have no idea. Where I think I am playing catch up, then people are looking at me for inspiration, which is remarkably flattering. I have amazing friends, amazing fans, and amazing people that I am blessed to make music with. My life is full of ups and downs, as is every life, and not always the sunny day that I make it out to be. Nobody’s is. Who gives a rat’s ass? Your life is your life. You may not think you are as cool as the older kids, or as up on things, but again so what? Call me an old soul, say I don’t dress one-hundred percent cool, or that I am living in the past. No. I am actually taking all that I have learned in the past and moving forward with it.
As we look ahead to the coming months, the anticipation of Bucky’s second record is high. I am pretty damn excited for him, and for this whole next step of his career. He has a lot of big things ahead of him in the coming months and the next year – talks of videos and tours and what not, so hold on to your proverbial hats. It is true the record has been pushed back a month, and I keep myself out of the loop as to the whys and why nots of things. I have seen records shelved for 2 years, and seen records pushed out the door as soon as humanly possible, so in our world anything goes. The delay only gives us more time to get all those pesky ducks lined up.
There is still some summer left this year, so try and make it out to the show. We are having a blast out there – last week in Kansas we played whiffle ball, Frisbee, and hit golf balls in front of the stage. It was like summer camp, but without the mosquito netting and group showers. And thank God for that. And while you are at it, we should thank God for lots of things today – like being who you are, and being right where you need to be.
See you on the road!
07-26-09
All we are is, well, you know…
Sunday night! That’s right, everyone – I am typing on a Sunday. This way when you tune on Tuesday (because I have been consistently behind), then YOU’LL be two days off. Oh ha! Looks like the glove is on the other foot! Seriously – I am so sleep deprived and loopy that I cannot be held responsible for the contents of this entry. Actually, I guess I have to be held accountable to something, since you are on my site, and it is my picture on the front page. Fine. But I get to keep the rocks.
I told you I was loopy. We have been going like mad since, oh, ’07, and this past week is no exception. We left the bus in Portland, Oregon, flew home for a few days, then on Wednesday, we flew back to Oregon to start the whole thing over again. The first show was in Central Point, and coming through Portland at sunset was pretty amazing. I sent a picture to Twitter, just in case any of you are following me there. I’ve been trying to update the picture part of it a little more. If it gets to be too much, then let me know. I surely don’t want to be ‘that guy’.
We were playing with Sawyer Brown at a big outdoor show, and since we were opening the show, we had enough time to workout, eat, and get all pretty before we were at the show site. While there, I fished with Buck our monitor engineer and caught a little crappie. I am NOT a fisherman. I cast, if I catch, that fish had better grow thumbs, cause I am not getting it off the hook. It’s not me. I went deep sea fishing once, and had a blast – caught a bunch of fish, but as this big red snapper is looking at me, and I am looking at him, well, you understand. He sure was delicious, though…
How much fun is Sawyer Brown? 28 years as a band, and they are still rockin’. It’s pretty damn cool if you ask me, and since Bucky was produced by Mark, then we know them all really well. You should hear the joke sessions backstage… speaking of – last week I bought a cheap bottle of California Merlot (I had to since I was out there). During Sawyer’s set I found a lawn chair, and pulled some gourmet cheese and crackers off the bus and had a picnic while watching the show from behind the transparent backdrop. Talk about completely relaxed…I had one of those full circle thoughts about seeing them on Star Search so many years ago. It was a good night.
The next day we found ourselves in Reno, Nevada until about 1PM, because where we were headed had no hotels. So after a nice breakfast, Jeff and I hopped in the hotel shuttle van and took in the car museum that houses the Harrah’s collection. Holy crap. What an amazing display. They had a Mercedes valued at between 10 and 12 million there. One car. They had James Dean’s 49 Merc from ‘Rebel Without a Cause’. They had John Wayne’s Corvette. And so on and so forth. Then we had In and Out, animal style and got on the bus for Yerrington.
If you do a Google search for ‘dusty middle of nowhere’, then Yerrington pops up first (then my checking account second). We drove for an hour to get there from Reno, and passed like 8 houses. But then somehow 4000 people came out to party at the show. It was a full-on rock show, with a great crowd, and a remarkable hospitality staff. I ate my fill of watermelon and spicy tacos for dinner, and again ended my evening with a Sawyer Brown serenade. The only difference was that there was dust all over everything we owned, inside and out of the bus. Such is the price we pay, I guess.
The last day of the run found us in Merced, California, a scant 24 hours ago. We just played last night, but it seems like last week. Kansas was there the night before us, and Jose Feliciano was there tonight. (Collective ‘Aww man!’) We had some time that day, so I got in a good workout, and I walked the fair after dinner to see what kind of crusty displays they had at this gathering. The petting zoo was the highlight, along with the Mexican wrestling masks that seem to be all the rage. Then the sun went down and it was our turn to go to work. Bucky had the crowd fired up last night. The show was pretty rockin’, and once again, the staff behind the scenes was top notch. And I got to see a camel at the petting zoo. You can’t beat a day like that.
Then our merry little band of minstrels crashed out for about 3 hours, rolled off the bus at the Fresno airport at 4:30 in the damn morning, and here I sit, tired, tired, tired. But I wanted to get this done, because I have a full day tomorrow and a show in Mississippi Tuesday night. The last time I was at the Neshoba County Fair, it was somewhere around 1996, and a recent college grad named Peyton Manning was at the show, about to be a rich man. We played on a stage that resembled a revival setting, and right in the middle of the cabin village. This time we are out on the fairgrounds, so I will have to take a little walk out there and see how crazy the cabin life is these days.
So there you have it – the latest and greatest. I am off to find some sleep and veggies to counter the 2 double doubles I ate while on the west coast. I know it’s so bad for, but that is my chocolate. I am back to my regularly scheduled program. Thanks again to the folks on the west coast who came out to the shows and made our trip(s) out there special. Bucky fans rock!
See you on the road!!!
07-21-09
When Monday becomes Tuesday…
Good morning! We left the West Coast on Saturday, and somehow the weather has followed us, and it feels like we are on the California coast here in Nashville. Usually my outdoor thermometer reads 103, but for the past few days, my windows have been open, and being outside in July has been a treat. Of course, there is a downside. The neighborhood dogs started barking around 4:45 for some reason, and that didn’t stop until after 6, then the garbage truck showed up at 7:15 then again at 8. I need to get back on the bus where I can get some sleep!
So the last leg of our trip started in Santa Maria, California at the Santa Barbara county fair. It seems we have been winning over a lot of new fans on our first big trip out west, and there were a great number of longtime Bucky fans there as well. I was happy that there was coffee and cake after the fantastic dinner in catering. I know, it’s the little things. I have to be careful, I have lightened up my gym schedule since straining my back last week, so my little belly could become a big belly before too long…
We stayed in Santa Maria until about 5 the next day, which found me back in the gym, and at the miniature golf and go-cart world just up the road. It sounds funny, but it really helped in Oregon when we played golf in the morning. I guess if you work at anything for an hour or so beforehand, it helps. The drive up to Albany Oregon was very pretty, and I was happy to see the landscape of yet another beautiful state.
We played 9 holes of golf outside of Albany with some radio folks and a guy who just signed with the Indianapolis Colts. And of course I was wearing my Steelers hat… I posted a picture on Twitter of the course for you all. I have tried to get better about posting pictures rather than ‘tweeting’, because I would prefer to show you what we are up to rather than tell you. I shot pretty well, and made some new friends in the process. The show in Albany was with Chris LeDoux’s old band, and they were a really nice bunch of guys.
We hopped off stage and drove 4 hours up to Seattle to make a 6:40 flight home. I was sleeping with a bass guitar and a bag of clean clothes, so my time in the bunk was pretty uncomfortable, and I didn’t get much rest. Such is life. We are headed right back out to Oregon on Wednesday, so I decided not to fly clean clothes home. Of course, when I fly back, it’s going to look silly with an empty suitcase. I’ll just tell them I plan ahead for shopping.
We got off the plane and home around 5 pm on Saturday, and after a shower and a bite to eat, I was off to Broadway to meet up with some friends. Anybody that knows me knows that I loathe Broadway. I understand that it’s our version of Beale or Bourbon Street, and that it is a huge attraction. I guess I don’t like it on the weekends. Mondays and Tuesdays are much better for me. Less people, and a better chance to actually converse with folks, rather than yell. In the span of 12 months, I will be seen on Broadway maybe 8 times. And this was one of them.
The NAMM show was in town, so I met a few of my buddies from various guitar companies at Robert’s. Now, I DO enjoy Robert’s. It’s just about the only place I will hit when I go to Broadway, but again, this was Saturday, and a musical trade show weekend, so it was packed. I took my peeps to the East Side, 3 Crow and Red Door East to be exact, which are more my speed, and showed them a side of Nashville that the tourists don’t see. I cabbed it home somewhere around 1:30, and slept very, very well.
So what did I learn on this long West Coast run? Well, I learned that a day off is like gold, and when given the chance, get out and see as much as possible. I also made my first trip west without hitting an In and Out Burger. Oh, it will be had when we get back there tomorrow. I also learned that a dry heat is still hot, and that my book is going to take longer than I thought. But I am making progress.
I am making a huge push, though. With the NAMM show comes added responsibility, such as a new bio, and updated pictures, etc. So now I am asking you, my loyal readers, to send in some high-res live pictures of me, if you have them. Alone or with Bucky is just fine, I just need to get some new ones for my website and the sites of the companies I work with. Can you help a brother out? Just email them through this website, if you don’t mind. Thanks so much in advance for your help.
See you on the road!
07-14-09
Out here having fun, in the warm California sun…
Is this awkward? I mean, we haven’t spoke in so long, and here I am again, out of the blue? You think you can just waltz back on to my computer screen, Steve? Who do you think you are? I know I deserve the virtual beatings for not being here, but I swear it wasn’t my fault. (This time). Since this journal goes back to when the earth cooled, then the files were a little bulky. I have top men working on the problem. Who, exactly? TOP men.
Current location: The lobby at the Fairfield in Santa Maria. Current status: Well rested, well exercised, and in a fantastic mood. Current hunger level: Low. Dinner will be had in a couple of hours. My sleep patterns are on Nashville time, but for some reason my stomach is in California. Current noise level: very low. The boys are rockin’ today outside. Let me explain – they set up a tent next to the bus, set up a grill and filled a cooler of beer for the day off. Gotta love those boys. I had a hot dog and decided to come in to get some work done before I jumped into the fray. There’s still plenty of daylight, so you never know. Must…type…faster…
But first – the week that was. Last look into our little terrarium we were on our way to Bakersfield for a couple of days off. The first day we had off, I took Tom and Rocky up to Lake Isabella for the afternoon, and we floated on the Kern River for a bit. The canyon was incredible, and floating on a fast river is pretty sweet, too. I showed them the spots, and they took 7 people back the next day. I opted for golf, donating some errant shots to the water hazards, and getting in 18 before 10:30AM. I came down with something that morning, and I was debating playing golf that day (I MUST have been sick), but I was a trooper and made it through, but promptly went to bed and took it easy for the rest of the day. I wasn’t 100% at Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace, but I had a show to do…
Walking around the venue was a treat in itself, because it doubles as the museum during the day. We had almost a capacity crowd, and had a really good show, even though the stage was a bit tiny. Oh well, you can’t have history AND a big stage. I was in bed pretty early, still nursing, and looking forward to Indio, where 110 degrees is normal.
The Fantasy Casino was a fine little resort, and our stage was even smaller than the night before. But the crowd was ecstatic, and we had a really good time onstage, as crowded as it was. I love it when we have time to relax before a show. Most of us worked out in the AM, then after sound check, we sat poolside sipping blue frozen drinks and getting mentally prepared for the show. (It’s hard work, I know). That night I went up a whole 60 bucks at the tables, and called it a night relatively early. I think I may have finally learned that when I am sick, I should not drink until I am fully recovered. And I have also learned that Jager is NOT cough syrup. Twelve years have NOT gone to waste…
The bus rolled out the next morning for Palmdale, which I found myself in my bunk for most of the trip. I tweaked my back somehow throwing football, so laying down was a really really good solution for me. I loathe taking pills, not the actual act, but I think that there are alternatives to popping pills for a quick fix. As I get older, I may disagree, but as for now, I’d rather stretch it out than take something for it. Call me crazy. But the show couldn’t suffer, either, so I had Mick grab me a couple of Advil mid show. My back couldn’t take it. And all that running and jumping with a 12-pound weight strapped to my back doesn’t help, either. Ahh the sacrifices.
The next day we did two shows in Pleasanton at the Alameda County Fair. The fair was huge, and our venue was a great little spot. We had a few thousand people at each show (yes, there were two shows an hour apart), and they were both a lot of fun, both for the crowd, and for the band. But the first show was something unique. And you can’t mention it to anyone in the band, or I’ll get in trouble. Promise? OK...
During the first show, we kicked into I’ll Walk, which is an emotional song for many reasons to many different people. There was a young lady in a wheelchair in the front row, and as we started the song, she started crying. Fortunately and unfortunately, I have seen that emotion come out on that song many times, but this one was different. As Bucky came down and sang to her, she started bawling uncontrollably, and then as Bucky paused, a new look came over her face. She reached down and pulled up the foot rests, and after a few seconds of sheer determination, she stood and gave Bucky a hug. If anyone in the crowd would have looked onstage, they would have seen 6 musicians welling up at the scene. After the show, we all walked back and talked about our various methods in hiding our tears. Of course, I had no hat, no glasses, and no hair, so I was stuck. Oh well. My heart is usually on my sleeve anyways.
The day off yesterday was spent by the boys riding ATV’s next to the Pacific Ocean, and Jeff and I visiting friends up in Santa Barbara and Ventura. It’s pretty cool to see seals swimming around the marinas – I am used to dolphins, but seals are pretty darn cool. I could get used to living in Santa Barbara. I said it a year ago, too. I just need to find a cool million or so for a house. I am gladly taking donations.
So tomorrow we are back at it. I will be checking back in with you all in a week or so, after my laundry has been put away and after the yard has been mowed. Again, thanks so very much for your patience through my technical problems, and thanks for coming back by.
See you on the road!
07-06-09
The Wild Wild West
Another Monday is here, and you know what that means. As of late it has meant disappointment, because for some reason I can’t get my website to update properly. But never fear, I decided to throw this entry up on the community sites to keep you all in the know. And that is assuming that I am in the know, which when you have the schedule that we do, is rare. But I will try and remember a detail or two to get you through the week that was.
Right now I am in the front lounge of the bus, about an hour past the Utah border, headed out to Bakersfield, CA for a show on Thursday. The past few days have been a blur, so as I gaze out the big windows watching the mountains go by, I am forced to jog my three remaining brain cells to try and remember what the hell we did over the past few days.
We are on the front end of a 2 ½ week run, and the first show was in Sheridan, Wyoming with Blake Shelton. We’ve done a few shows with Blake, and he really is one of the good guys. We had a 60 minute set to get the crowd ready for him, and it was a fantastic show. The weather cooperated, and the crowd kept feeding us, and then we fed it right back. It was a great start to this long run. It helps to start on a high note, pardon the pun. Since it was the 4th of July weekend then of course there were fireworks. This display was one of the oddest I have ever seen. The fireworks were shot off from behind the stage. Not a big deal, except where fireworks shoot up a few hundred feet in the air, these were like hand grenades, exploding about 20 feet above the ground. Maybe they got them at Big Lots, I don’t know…
Greeley, Colorado was our next stop, and once again we were with Blake Shelton. There were rumors of Miranda Lambert being in attendance that day, and the rumors became fact when I saw the two of them walking around backstage. The Rodeo was huge – there were a lot of rides in the midway, and horses and cattle everywhere. I like horses. A lot. I had a bag of carrots on the bus, and tried to make friends around the holding pens. I succeeded. Call me the horse whisperer.
The rain did not help much during the day or night of our show. It was pretty muddy (and combined with the livestock crap everywhere, the bus smelled great as we tracked mud inside), and the show was delayed by a good half hour as we tried to dry off. The rain stopped just long enough for us to go, but the stage was slick, and the fans were ankle-deep in mud. Not fun, but I was certainly glad they stuck around.
We stayed at the show just long enough to see some fireworks, and I ran into Blake and Miranda behind their bus lighting sparklers. Rain and poop and whatnot, it was a memorable 4th of July. And then we headed north of the border, to a fabled land where hockey stick forests line the avenues, and Bryan Adams and Rush blare from the speakers of rude French-speaking maple syrup workers. That’s right – we were off to Canada. (Did I get all the stereotypes in?)
The trip to Canada was certainly interesting. It consisted of us being up at the crack of dawn (after driving from Greeley to the airport Hampton Inn), catching a flight to Winnipeg, Manitoba, then hopping on a charter flight up to Dauphin for a country festival. I was pretty excited, and of course, all we did we sing Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens songs, because a lot of great artists have gone down in small prop planes. I have no fear of flying – I love commercial or small planes – but my bandmates don’t share my same excitement. That’s OK. I like a little adventure in the form of turbulence.
This charter was pretty cool – a limo service picked us up at the airport, then took us to the charter company. We thought we were pretty hot shit until this huge G4 jet pulled up, with three limos waiting for the occupants. Turns out it was the Jonas brothers, and all of a sudden our little plane looked pitifully insufficient. But we can play, and they can’t, so at the end of the day, we have that, right? Or something?
The show in Dauphin was pretty odd. For the most part, the crowd sat on their hands, and it wasn’t until Bucky pulled the Molson bikini team on stage that we got them moving. Actually, we had them by the end of the set, but it was a hard, hard sell. Not every show is going to be wonderful, and this was one of the less-than-wonderful shows, but then at the end, the stage hands were telling me it was one of the best sets of the weekend. Go figure. I was happy to chalk up my first show ever in Canada, and I hope we have a lot more.
After the show we got back on the Beechcraft 99 and I asked the pilot if we could buzz the show site. It was pretty rock and roll flying over the 10,000 people we just played for. The trip back was fantastic – we cracked a couple of beverages and watched an amazing moon light up Lake Manitoba from 5000 feet. After a silky-smooth landing we were taken to our hotel, and of course they had cancelled our rooms, so we didn’t get to bed until about 1AM, and half of us had a 4:45 AM lobby call for the flight back to Denver. Bucky had an acoustic show in Madison, so some of the kids got to sleep until 7. Lucky them. We got on the bus in Denver, and now, a few hundred miles later, I sit and type for you.
I hate that my website is having technical problems, but hopefully they will be resolved soon, and you can keep coming back to shinybass.com for all things Steve. Ahh, the third person reference. So underrated.
This week finds us in Bakersfield, CA at Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace, then we hop over to Indio, Palmdale, and Pleasanton to start this California run. I am happy to be headed out West, and hopefully win over a whole bunch of new Bucky fans in the process. I get a lot of emails asking how to get Bucky to a certain area. The best thing to do is to bug whatever venue in your town has National country acts and ask for us to be there. That helps out tremendously.
OK, I am headed to watch more of this scenery that is truly breathtaking. Enjoy the rest of the week, and I hope to see you all out at a show soon.
See you on the road!
06-21-09
Happy Father’s Day!
I couldn’t be here today without my Dad, both literally and figuratively, so before I jump into anything remotely sarcastic, then I must first wish a Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, my brothers, and to all Dads out there who are a long, long way from their loved ones serving in out military. Thanks for the years of support and encouragement, and for being a reason to do what I do. Much thanks and love. Now on to the funny stuff.
Hello from the couch in Nashville on a very quiet Sunday night. I actually cooked dinner tonight, which was pretty nice, but I also set a new record for amount of old and moldy groceries in one working refrigerator. People ask all the time ‘How do you travel week in and week out? Doesn’t it get hard?’ The hardest part is the amount of groceries I throw away. I freeze stuff when I can, but if you saw my shopping cart on a Monday, then you would laugh. It’s the barest of bare, and I almost have to figure out exactly how many meals (with perishables) I am going to eat while home. Pretty sad, really. But it’s also a great excuse to hit Las Maracas, which is one of the greatest Mexican restaurants EVER.
We jumped into the shows this week with a show for KIX in Memphis. This is my third time playing the Kix on Beale event, and it’s a blast every time. With my little brother living there a couple of years ago, I like to think I can get around Memphis pretty well, and I love hitting the ‘spots’. As is the ritual, we hit Tater Red’s and I bought a shirt, and went to Lansky’s in the Peabody Hotel. I sure wish I could afford to shop there on a consistent basis. Maybe if you all buy some more Bucky records, I can get a raise. Let’s work on that.
It was pretty darn hot that night on Beale, which I can only imagine how miserable that part of the country was 100 years ago without A/C. My jeans and shirt were soaked by the end of the 75-minute set, and Bucky had the crowd of 2000 whipped into a frenzy. After a quick change, we made our way out to Beale and hit the Hard Rock and Rum Boogie. I stayed behind in Memphis and the boys rode back that night. Needless to say, I had a long day the next day, and slept like a baby when I got on the bus.
Our bus call was early – 7PM to head up to Neenah, Wisconsin for Willie’s Country Bash. For he first time in a while, I had no earthly idea where the show was. I usually look the towns up beforehand, or know where we are because if previous shows, but for this one, I was lost. And for some reason, I didn’t care. Then I found out later that our hotel was in Appleton. Of course, I only found out on the way to the show, which did me no good for the day’s activities. I just finished Harry Houdini’s biography a few months ago, and Appleton is his hometown. There is a museum there and everything that I missed out on. Oh well – I did get to work out, so it wasn’t a total loss.
The Country Bash was in a baseball field that is behind the bar. It’s a pretty sweet setup – very nice ball field, and they put the stage at the centerfield wall. We had a great show, with the guys playing their asses off, and Bucky tearing it up like he does. We had a good time ‘getting crusty with the locals’ as my friend Jeff likes to say, and we got home early this afternoon.
It’s 3 days before we head back out, so I go grocery shopping (and pick out like 2 apples, a few yogurts and some coffee), I’ll get some video editing done, and then I think golf at some point – maybe even tomorrow instead of yoga. I can be at peace with the ball if it goes where I need it to… I’ll also be writing some more rock and roll this week. I got the bug. And not those pesky chiggers from my back yard…
If you know or don’t know, Bucky is on twitter, as am I, so log in and start to follow. We have an amazing few months ahead of us, and don’t you want to know what we are up to? Speaking of – I know it sounds like a broken record, but email or call your local country station and request ‘I Want My Life Back’. It really does help, and the single is ready to crack the top 30. Make you a deal – we’ll keep up the playing on our end, and you keep the requesting on your end.
See you on the road!
06-14-09
CMA, Minnesota, and beyond…
Happy Sunday to you all. I am currently in the front lounge of our submarine headed home down I-24 with a half-full (and semi-quiet bus – thanks Rocky), and looking at a 3 PM ETA back at home. The bus is half-full because Bucky, Jeff, Mick, and Ducky are on their way to El Paso for an acoustic show. There is a movie playing in the front lounge, and for the first time ever, I may actually see an entire movie on the bus. I may hold the record for the number of movies I haven’t seen from beginning to end. The bus is a tough place to watch a full movie, so I usually get about 20 minutes in. Kinda crazy that it takes 4 sittings for me to get the plot.
So this past week we were in Nashville for the CMA Music Festival. Bucky had his first fan club party on Wednesday, and it was pretty darn cool. It was great to see a lot of fans that I have met over the past year and a half, and I am glad we played a full show. A few artists just play acoustically, then do a Q&A, but Bucky wanted to give back, so there we were. The show was really good, and the whole show is online for those of you that missed it.
The next show we had was at River Stages. Well, it used to be called River Stages when there was more than one stage, so now I guess it’s called River Stage. Hell, I don’t know. I just know it was 11AM when we took the stage, and it was pretty warm out there. But a few thousand country fans were hanging in there, so of course, we could, too. Did any of you see the Oak Ridge Boys before we went on? They did ‘Seven Nation Army’ by the White Stripes. How f-ing cool is that? What a great cover, and we were standing side stage to hear them sing ‘Elvira’. No matter what your feelings on that song, it’s still pretty cool to be there.
Our set was a complete blast. I love big stages, and I love playing in town. And to look out and see die-hard fans out there is pretty nice, too. After ‘Different World’ Bucky took off his guitar, signed it, and handed it to an unsuspecting fan out front. I hope he didn’t fly in, because he sure didn’t get the case to go with it. For those that were there, I hope that you all had a great time, because we sure did.
After a quick lunch, we had to get up north. A short 16-hour bus ride later, we were in Winstead, Minnesota, and ready to play at Winstock with Heidi Newfield, Neal McCoy, Billy Currington, and Brooks and Dunn. Pretty nice lineup – something for everyone – and it was a perfect day. The weather was great, and the crew were top notch. Plus we saw a lot of Nashville folks that we knew. My favorite part of the festival season is seeing friends from Nashville in odd parts of the country.
After a few days at home we are getting to Memphis for a free show on Beale. I’ve played that show a couple of times before, and it totally rocks. It is the first show of the season for them, so it promises to be great. Plus we’re going to be there. What’s not to love?
So I have three days at home. Looks like the standard schedule for me – gym, film editing, recording, mixing, more gym, a few glasses of red wine, morning coffee on the back deck, and some yardwork. I hope my damn mower is fixed. Otherwise I am going to buy a goat. And the landscaping has to happen – I need to reclaim the bare spot where my sailboat sat. Yes, I sold the boat. I missed my deadline by a week. I told myself it would be gone by the end of May. Either way, I’ll probably get another sailboat before the end of the year. And you are all invited on it.
Enjoy your week, and I’ll see you on the road!
06-08-09
D-Day, baseball, and splitting 8’s…
Is it really Tuesday already? Wow. If I were filing my taxes right now, I would have begged for an extension. I mean, the deadline of Monday is my own doing, so when I break it, who do I really answer to? Sort of like when the government breaks their own rules, who do they answer to? Well, since I have no journal oversight committee, then I must answer to you, just like the government has to. (See - you run the show after all!) My location at present is on my couch in Nashville, which is much needed after the whirlwind few days I just had. And for a change, I am listening to music while I type, which is something I haven’t done up until now. Let’s see if the music of Mozart influences my entry, or if my brain is still reminiscent of Swiss cheese.
This past week was a busy one for me, with a writing session, a golf game, and a lot of video editing. I had to finish a special video project for Bucky’s record label, and get things together for the new videos that are coming out. I am still working on the USO videos, so please be patient. I promise you will see a lot more of what we got into. So the week was productive, and then on Thursday I was on the bus for Miami, OK.
I learned pretty quickly that it is pronounced ‘Miam-ah’, which I think was introduced by the Miami, OK chamber of commerce back in the Depression to avoid confusion with the ‘Other Miami – full of those snobby educated folk’. I am just messing – although I did hear that the state slogan is changing to ‘Oklahoma – OK because we can’t spell ‘satisfactory’. I’m done. But before you go – try the veal.
The staff and the fans that were out at the Buffalo Run show really were top notch, and the band had a good time. The show was packed, and I found myself at a blackjack table into the wee hours, and am happy to announce that in this time of stimulus packages and bailouts that I donated enough money to keep the lights on for 2 hours in the casino. Everyone needs some help, don’t they? I played blackjack by the book to the letter, but even after getting some 8’s and Aces to split a few times, the cards were not falling my way. Oh well, there’s always Philadelphia, MS.
So Sunday I found myself in Atlanta, GA for a little family getaway. My Dad treated the family to a baseball game held in Atlanta. Now, for most of you, it would be called ‘going to the Braves game’, but in this case they played the Pittsburgh Pirates, so I was at a Pirates game, regardless of city. Now, being the eternal child, I had to get to the park to see batting practice. My family had a great attitude about the whole thing, finding our seats 2 hours before gametime. Keep this in mind as the story wears on…
As infield practice ended, I walked down and talked with Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche, who, if some of you recall, was kind enough to bring me some signed stuff on the Dierks tour. He was nice as always, and I officially retired my Pirates jersey of 1994, which was one that used to wear onstage. I retired it in the fact that he had the team sign it for me before the game. Yes, I am guilty of waiting for someone at an event and having something for them to sign. I am human, too. So believe me, I try and sign and do what I can at shows for you guys. I know it’s not me you are there to see, but if someone needs me to sign something, I’ll do it. Play ball!
The game was the longest I have ever attended - a full 15 innings - lasting almost 5 hours. I remember looking at the clock on the field as we were leaving the stadium, and it read 12:00. Half of our group bailed a couple if innings before the end, but we hung on, spending 7 damn hours at the ball park for the love of my Pirates. I was as tired as Angelina Jolie’s adoption counselors.
So back to more of the reason for this entry not being written until this moment, 12:22 AM on what is now Wednesday. I got back to my house at 12:50 PM, with a recording session booked at my house at 1. We got set up and started tracking when a gentleman showed up at the house (early) to look at my sailboat. I had to bolt out and show it to him, and now, sadly, I am no longer a boat owner. That boat was in my yard for 2 years waiting for me to play with it like a dog penned up in the backyard, and well, sat there dry. It needed to be on the water. I am glad someone came and got her. I hope to see her out on the lake soon.
So after Nashville’s newest commodore left, I got back to work, and we finished up tracking drums around 5:30 or so. After I cleaned up, I collapsed on the couch. Lack of sleep, several long drives, a long-ass baseball game, and putting on trailer tires in the middle of a session are enough to whip Superman’s ass, so I am seriously ready for bed. But since I had to get this out, then here I type…
I hope that a bunch of you will be at the fan club party tomorrow night, not reading this yet and giving me a hard time about not having it up. And hopefully some of you will have read it already. Either way it will be great to see all of you, and I look forward to a great night. Enjoy the week, and if you are in Nashville, then be sure and catch Bucky at River Stages on Friday at 11.
See you on the road!
05-31-09
Wanted: Air conditioning repairman
Happy Sunday night to you all! I just finished watching my beloved Penguins lose their second game in a row to the Red Wings, and decided to get writing while I was motivated. Like anything in life, motivation is more than half the battle, and so my motto is to strike while the iron is hot. Well, the irons (and the bus) are blazing, and I am really looking forward to an incredible week of music, writing, and video. And some golf thrown in for my sanity. But before we look ahead, we must look back. Maybe we missed something.
This week found our merry little gang in Texas. 4 shows across Texas, and I’ll be honest – with the exception of Ft. Worth, I had no idea where we were this whole week. All I knew was it was flat, pretty warm, and there were lots of animals. I guess we could have been in Iowa with that description, but somehow, someway, we knew it was Texas. Especially when our runner in Odessa was serious about the secessionist movement. Yikes.
The venues for the first two nights were Graham Central Station, which is a chain with venues of various shapes and sizes around the country. The huge outdoor stage at the Odessa branch was awesome, but you would have needed 1000 people in there to make it look like there was something going on. Unfortunately we did not have that many folks there. Another hint that we were in Texas – the Texas music ‘snobbery’ – if you aren’t from Texas, Texas folks aren’t really keen on you. Before you all start in on me – I know that is a broad statement, and doesn’t apply, but it really is true. I’m not saying it’s impossible to 'win their hearts and minds', but as a new artist, it really is an uphill fight.
So we played to a light crowd. So what? We gave it the same effort we always do, and did our thing. There was a foam party going on in the bar afterwards, and since it was my first, then I had to check it out. I watched through a window, so no soap for me. That lasted about 3 minutes, then it was back to the bus. Much better drinks up there anyways. I have seen just about every type of bar imaginable from a VFW to a private bar on top of the world in Vegas to a dance club with 1000 people in it. My favorites are what we call ‘spots’. Little places with a great vibe, one or two crusty locals, and great music. This was not a ‘spot’. So off to bed I went.
Day 2 of ‘Takin’ on Texas’ was spent in San Angelo, which was yet another town I have never heard of or had the pleasure of being in. We were in great spirits – we played pickup football in the parking lot before yesterday’s show, and for two days I rode Bucky’s motorcycle around the parking lot. I’m excited to be getting my riding legs back under me. In three or four more years, I may actually get back into traffic. Anyways, the show was fine, and the fans were great. We ended up drinking and playing pool for a while after the show. I also had one of the worst ribeye steaks of my life at a chain restaurant in San Angelo. That was terribly awesome. I won’t mention the name of the place, but it rhymes with ‘Logan’s’. Seriously. I like big nasty, thick steaks, cooked medium rare. This thing was sad and thin and overcooked. I have had better meat at a Waffle House.
Day 3 in Ft. Worth started a little hazy. I was hung over, a little sluggish, and the bus was hitting all these stoplights, which for a bus is unusual, since we’re all highway dependent. I stumbled out of bed, and it turns out we had to fix the tire on one of Bucky’s bikes, so we were at a motorcycle shop. Across the street was a classic car lot, so Jeff, Mick and I walked around in a little slice of heaven. After talking with the owners, we found ourselves at the Dixie Diner, with biscuits the size of softballs, and a breakfast scramble plate that was the most unhealthy yet unbelievably satisfying breakfast I have had in while. Another 'spot' was found that morning.
So on to the Stockyards of Ft. Worth. A fantastic area with a neat vibe to it. I walked around a little, sat on a longhorn (picture Mongo from Blazing Saddles), and ate some amazing Mexican food. I even bought a great set of used Calloway irons from the local pawn shop. To play at Billy Bob’s is a great event, and this show was really, really good. If you missed it, then I am sorry. We brought the pain! Speaking of seeing shows – we had a devoted bunch that made all 4 Texas shows, and that’s pretty kick ass. I was happy to see familiar faces night after night. Thanks to all who were out and hung out with us.
Day 4 was in Harker Heights, TX. The event was a free show to celebrate the return of troops from Iraq stationed at Ft. Hood. I must tell you about yet another fantastic dining experience. We ate at a little Italian place, and in a nutshell, was unbearably awful. It took – are you ready – an hour and forty-five minutes for the food to come out. Seriously. We could have watched a movie while waiting. It was so sad. Then when the food hit, the orders were wrong. I couldn’t believe it. Dough, sauce, cheese. Shape, cook, serve. It’s pretty easy, right? Sheesh. I suspect there will be a business opportunity there soon.
The beauty of being in Texas for 4 days is how hard the A/C on the bus has to work. The units are on the roof, so they get cooked all day while running. Well, our bus air and one of those units went out on the ride home. Needless to say the bunkhouse was a hot mess this morning when we were pulling into Nashville under an 88 degree sky. The very back of the bus was easily that hot when we got home. Ahh, living the dream…
So now we are home for a few days, with Fan Fair on the horizon, and lots of great shows coming up just around the corner. I try and take a little bit of everywhere I go with me, as evident by the rocks I have in my yard and garden, but besides golf clubs, I am taking something else home with me – knowledge. I learned not to order steaks at Logan’s, leave the restaurant after the first hour of waiting for food, and that even though Texas talks of leaving, we have the greatest country on the face of the earth. And damn lucky to have it, and people willing to defend it.
See you on the road!
05-25-09
Holiday? For whom?
Happy Monday evening. I have exactly 30 minutes to get this done and posted to make the Monday deadline, and my East Coast friends are already writing me off until tomorrow. Today was the Memorial Day holiday, and I hope that you all had a great day away from work to be with family, get outside, and grill some type of meat. Since my path is a little different, holidays aren’t really the same for me. I respect and honor all the major holidays, especially where our servicemen and women are involved, but you may look at the calendar and see a day off, and I see ‘laundry day’.
I have been told that I can’t relax. I think that I am a little misunderstood on this point. My relaxation comes from seeing and doing, moving and shaking, and at the end of the day saying ‘I can’t believe I got to do that today’. My entire life I have been like that. I grew up on the beach, and I think I have fallen asleep twice on the sand. I just have to be moving. Let’s throw the ball or swim or kayak or sail or something. I cannot sit still – except for at a sporting event. That’s my chocolate. Oh wait, chocolate is my chocolate. Sporting events are my vacation. If you want to keep me in the same spot for 3 hours, then take me out to the ballgame.
So my holiday was spent helping a friend move, mowing the yard, doing laundry, grocery shopping, weeding, cleaning, framing, organizing my basement, and sweeping. And then the Pirates were on TV. So then, for 2 wonderful hours, I sat and watched my beloved team. Of course during commercials I cooked and did dishes, but I was still at rest. I sort of had my vacation the day before – I’ll explain shortly.
This weekend found us in the Asheboro, NC area at a Harley Dealership. Nothing says Bucky like a motorcycle, so this show was a match made in heaven. There were a few hundred bikes at the event, along with a few thousand people, so the show was a really good time for us. The show was kicked off by Bucky riding through the crowd with 2 escorts on bikes that did a burnout before we started playing, covering the stage in smoke. It was very Judas Priest.
After a few hours of downtime (and watching my Pens beat the Hurricanes), we made our way to Cincinnati for a show with Love and Theft and Trailer Choir. Both bands are really great to see and hang out with, so the show was something we all looked forward to. We arrived pretty early, so after some quick thinking and a couple of internet searches, we had a plan for the day – the Reds were playing the Indians at the TGABP. Baseball? On a show day? I was in heaven. Tom, Jeff, and I caught the game and enjoyed a little Ohio sunshine down by the river. Again – 3 hours in the same spot. As far as I was concerned, that was my Memorial Day celebration. I mean, having a beer, watching the game with friends on a sunny day? There ain’t nothin’ like it!
I really hope some of you made it out to the show Sunday. We had an absolute blast playing, and the band sounded really good. If you were there, then thank you. If you weren’t, then shame. You missed a good one. We’ll have video up of the weekend soon enough, but don’t make it a habit to miss a lot of shows this summer, OK?
So what did this weekend mean to you? Of the major holidays, this is one I think people should pay the most attention to. I realize that celebrating Jesus’ birth is a big deal, but if we remembered our heroes with the same fervor, then it would be an amazing event. I am a little biased in the fact that my Dad was a Naval Aviator for a number of years, and lost friends during the Vietnam era and beyond in the line of duty. My Mom told me once she still tears up at ‘Eternal Father, Strong to Save’, which is played at Navy Funerals. She said she attended too many. One military funeral is too many. Bring them all home safely, and soon, when the job is done.
So I learned a few things this past week: 1. I can still ride a motorcycle, albeit slowly. 2. My idea of relaxation is sick and twisted because I can only sit still with 30,000 people. 3. Everybody needs to find a little time for themselves, because work and school and life and death can be a bit overwhelming. 4. How to kneeboard – In all my years I had never done it until this past week. I got up on the first try. 5. Our country is a great one, and made great by the people who keep us safe, but I knew that long before this past week.
See you on the road!!
05-18-09
Fore! Five! Get the hell away from there!
Monday is back. I just checked. No need to look for it – I found it. Of course, my Mondays are not like normal Mondays. They are my Fridays. Or sometimes like a Thursday night if you the next day off from work. Either way, my first of the week starts somewhere around the middle of the week, and my summer vacation is in bloom around October. Such is the path I chose. The good part – when I travel there is less traffic, and the rates are almost always better. What does this early rambling mean? It means that I am back from more shows, and that I am slipping out of town for a little getaway.
One could see where what we do is a working vacation, but it really is more work than it appears on the surface, with the fun being the 90 minutes we’re on stage. With that being said, of course, we played in a Pro-Am golf tournament this past Friday up in Sacramento, California. I know, it sounds rough. (golf pun). There were a lot of great artists there – Chuck Wicks, Steve Holy, Love and Theft, Trent Tomlinson, and John Michael Montgomery, to name a few. Our tour manager and I were paired up with a group, and we had a really good day on the course, and made some new friends. For those interested – I shot OK. I was on rental sticks, and had some good knocks, but I also realized that I need to get out more. I will be bringing the sticks out this summer. If anyone wants to play, let me know.
Our show that night was a little odd. First, Jeff and I were told before the show that we would be backing up John Michael Montgomery. That’s great except we don’t know any of his songs on guitar. Then Bucky breaks two strings on one song, leaving us in a scramble (another golf pun). Then there was really no form or function to the show, just a ‘hey let’s play this one’ approach. In the end it worked, but I had my ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ look at times.
We got back to the hotel and crashed pretty hard. We had to be up and out at 6 for our flight to Arizona. We met up with the full band in Phoenix, then drove up to Payson, Arizona for the show. The scenery was amazing as we headed through the mountains. We saw wild donkeys and a bald eagle, (which was the only eagle I saw for the weekend - sorry back to golf), and then we stopped at a junkyard outside of Payson for some, well, sight-seeing.
The junkyard had thousands of motorcycles and bicycles, all in various states of disrepair. He had a few classic cars, pretty much all rusted out, and just about any form of transportation you can think of. Of course Bucky and Rocky were in heaven with the motorcycles, but the crazy coot that ran the place was the real story. First he got on to Bucky about touching a bike throttle. That was awkward, and a little tense. Then I picked up a great Triumph motorcycle gas tank that was on a car hood. The car was an old Amphicar, and rusted out to hell. When I put it back, he started cursing about his $150,000 car with the original paint job and how I was dinging it all up. I totally see his point, but I really did nothing. I was like ‘Man, I’ll pay for what I have to pay for’, and then he started in on everyone. So we left promptly, and it made for great jokes the rest of the day.
The outdoor show in Payson was at a casino, and being outside for the first time this year felt great. I do love the shows where the cool breezes lap the stage as we make noise. We had a great time, but the glory was short-lived afterwards, because we had to drive the 90 miles back to Phoenix to catch a plane home in the morning. The toll of the weekend was starting to show, as I faded in and out during the ride. We had about 4 hours at the hotel before we had to get to the airport. I need a vacation from my vacation…
So I am headed to New Orleans for a few days. That town holds a very special place in my heart, and I look forward to seeing how the recovery is going, and adding my two cents by contributing to the local economy. So if you need me, I will be on a bar stool in the Quarter. I’ll be the one with the rusted out Amphicar parked out front. Enjoy your week, and keep pushing that single!
See you on the road!
05-11-09
Ours goes to 11.
Good Day, and welcome to the Monday morning edition of ‘What’s new with the run-down carousel that is my thought process’. Actually, some days it is more like a Concorde jet – others like a popsicle stick riding a stream of syrup. Last night was the latter. I really tried to get some thing going, but dammit if the TV crept in, making me zone out and flip flop between two movies I had seen 50 times. Like my little brother says – don’t write it if you don’t feel it. Well, today is much better for thoughts. I think.
We were off the road this past week, and just as promised, I edited two new videos, and hopefully they will be posted soon. One was the next USO chapter, and the other was from Gilbert, WV. Both were fun for me, just because of the stroll down memory lane as I sift through suitable footage. The unsuitable footage is the real treasure. And it’s not that there is anything bad on the footage – I just can’t put curse words online – but man, we are a funny, funny, bunch. On a sad note – the town of Gilbert, WV was recently hit very hard by the storms, and we heard numbers of some 300 buildings with severe damage. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone dealing with the situation up there.
So now on to business. I have been doing this journal for a few years, and one of the things I hear a lot is that I should write a book. After about an hour’s worth of deliberation, I have decided that yes, Virginia, I will write a book. The topic? Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. Oh wait, that’s been done. I have to write the thing first, and then I’ll tell you what it’s about. If you have any suggestions, then keep them to yourself! I kid, I kid! The book will be on life – my life, your life, the lives of the people I get to interact with, play for, and work with. It will be about love, hate, and everything in-between. It will have action, romance, suspense, and maybe even a coupon for a slice of pizza in it somewhere. How’s that for incentive to buy it. So, now, after years of delay – I will specifically write the book that I am supposed to write.
All that being said, I have to say it is very flattering that you all read this, and that you want to read more. I am hoping that my music will have the same response. The mixes are being worked on in two secret locations, so hopefully they are finished quicker. Then, off to the races. I am not sure what races or where the signup sheet is, but I’ll find it. I’ll find it.
Bucky’s single is at #41 this week, so it is moving pretty quickly. I love it. Hopefully this record will produce three more top tens! Wouldn’t that be nice? Actually in this day and age, that is a remarkable feat, and you are the reason for the success. So again, thank you.
Now, more personal stuff. The Penguins are one game away from moving on in the playoffs. And by typing that I just jinxed them into losing. Dammit! Of course if a non-biased sports writer types it, then it’s OK, right? I guess it really doesn’t matter what you say when it is truly out of your hands. But I can send the positive waves their way. And someone please send some love to my Pirates, who have lost 8 in a row? Sheesh!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s day. I called my Mom and Stepmom, and hopefully you did the same, or at least sent a card. I know I preach about how I don’t really recognize holidays, but Moms put up with a lot of our shit and continue to take care of us long after we leave the nest, so don’t just say you care once a year. They need a boost much more often. Keep that in the ongoing ‘to-do’ file.
So now I am off to work. I made the Monday morning deadline by 36 minutes, so I am golden! This week we fly to Sacramento then somewhere in Arizona for shows this week. The first is at a golf tournament, then the second is full band. I am looking forward to getting out west again. And hitting the links. I’ll shoot some video out there, and I’ll make sure the camera is on for the par 3’s.
See you on the road!
05-04-09
Blame it on the rain
Oh crap - Milli Vanilli made it into the shinybass journal. How strange things have become, and so early on a Monday. And for the record – the website is ‘shiny’ bass, as in a shiny new penny or a shiny finish. Not to be confused with ‘shinny’, which is a form of hockey. Shiny is spelled, well, s-h-i-n-y. For some reason there is a rash of mispronunciation going on where people call it ‘shinny bass’, which is another website altogether devoted to hockey using a freshwater fish as a puck. PT Barnum said ‘I don’t care if I get good publicity or bad publicity, just spell my name right. I think that’s the reason for even mentioning the correction. I like the circus. And well, life is a circus. And grumpyoldbassplayer.com was taken at the time.
I don’t feel old, although this past week my older brother decided to remind me on more than one occasion that I am not young anymore. I am not sure why he kept driving this point home. I was up in Virginia for a couple days of family time before the show in Winchester this Saturday. My brother had his first child 21 months ago, and I think he may have been feeling his age, so he started in on me. That’s fine – I have been the brunt of many a-blame and displaced aggression over the years. I’m OK with it. I am also OK with the fact that I am not as young as I used to be. We are supposed to grow older. Otherwise we wouldn’t have ‘Old’ New Kids on the Block to make fun of. Crap – another lame 80’s reference.
The time with my family was fantastic. The mountains of Virginia are some of the most beautiful anywhere, and as I told my Dad on the drive, the worst part about being up there is that it makes you want to buy land. I saw some of the most beautiful tracts anywhere this past week. There were perfectly maintained horse farms and vineyards, and mountains everywhere that provided the perfect backdrop to the colors of spring. If you have the chance to drive through there, you should, but get off the highway and poke around some of the smaller towns. The land there is a hidden gem.
Back to being old. (Leave it alone, Steve! Geez…) OK, not being old, per se, but living a lifetime in a short amount of time. That’s sort of what we are in the middle of – a lifetime’s worth of travel, vacation, sightseeing, etc, pushed into a touring season. Think about it: How many trips do you take in a year? 20? 2? We go somewhere every week. So we have a lifetime’s worth of travel compressed into a year. That will age you. But as musicians, it also sets us up nicely for being old. There are a lot of guys who say ‘OK, that’s enough’. I’m done with travel. And they ‘settle down’ and get off the road, enjoying the trip to Disneyland once a year when it’s not work-related. I am from a different school. I love the road, and I love to play. I hope to be that crusty 80-year old jazz bass player in the Vegas lounge band on Sunday, then playing the martini bar at the Waldorf in NYC on Wednesday. My brother told me my life was already half over. As far as I am concerned, it’s only just begun.
Playing Winchester this past weekend, I was able to see even more family than I bargained for. My Great Aunt and Uncle made the show. They are in their late 80’s, and still going strong. They still take trips all over the country, and since retiring, his travel schedule almost looks like ours. They are busy every week, and I am certain that is the key to their success. They are a huge inspiration. You talk to other family members and they say ‘You know them – gone all the time’, and why shouldn’t they be? The world stretches beyond the edge of the driveway. My Great Uncle served in WWII, in both the Pacific and European theaters of action, so he has seen a few things, and whereas the service travel wasn’t glamorous, I think it was a spark to see what else is out there.
Our show in Winchester was pretty kick-ass. The crowd was good and sauced, but there were a legion of Bucky fans in the front that were giving us a ton of energy on which to feed. Plus it was hot, which I like, for a sweaty show is a good show. I don’t want to curse anything, but I really like Bucky’s new single, and I think it is going to be big. Of course, I am not the deciding factor in that – you are. Don’t make me look sillier than I already do…
This week is a light week for touring (we do have a Medrock gig at Blue Moon in Lebanon Saturday), which means that I will be editing more videos and getting my songs put together for you. I have finished tracking, so all we need now is to mix, master, and get the tunes online. Hopefully I can do all that before I get old. Ohhh - too late.
See you on the road!
04-27-09
Scenes from a deck...
A good day to all of you. Well, not all of you. On this day in History Magellan was killed in the Philippines. And they Beatles didn’t do well there, either. So let that be a lesson to you. Don’t piss off the dictators without suitable reinforcements. I am not sure where any of that came from. I am on my back deck as the sun is showing the last of itself on this fantastic Monday afternoon. Nature is going crazy back here. As I typed that, a wild rabbit ran by my deck and the owls are starting up. I found a foot-long skink in my garden yesterday, so that was fun. I figure he’s keeping the elephants away. I let it be. (and it all goes back to the Beatles)
Last week we were off, which gave me a lot of time to get other projects moved to the front burner. I spent two days recording some new music of my own, which is always a thrill. We have some really great sounds down, and tomorrow we’ll get more moving forward. In a couple of weeks I won’t be able to see straight with the schedule picking up, so now is the time to get this music done.
I also worked a lot of editing magic and made a lot of progress on that front as well. The next installment of the USO video journal is done. It’s a blast for me to relive the time we had over there. I didn’t realize just how much ridiculously silly footage we shot – stuff I can’t show the public because it’s just silly. Or maybe I will throw it in…
And now it is the next morning. Is my ADD so bad that I can’t complete a journal entry in one sitting? Well, no, or at least I don’t like to think so. My little brother told me last week not to write if I wasn’t feeling it. Well, last night, as I sat in bliss on the deck, I didn’t feel like my head was clear. That sounds odd because of the serenity of the scene, but right now is an odd time. Maybe you can relate.
There is economic struggle going on, so there are a lot of pissed off people. That will get better, but in our ‘Society of Now’ (is anyone using that, because maybe I’m on to something…) we want the quick fixes, the jackpots, the bailouts. The problem is that we are really ok. When we stop buying iPods and going out to eat then I’ll completely worry. I realize there is genuine threat to people’s livelihood as they are looking to retire and their 401k balance is half of what it was a year ago. There’s the thought of ‘why did I work so hard my whole life for this?’
This leads me to my point. If you hit the lottery, what would you do? (ahh…a Tuesday fantasy. I’ll wait) Get the initial crap out of the way – Vegas and a car and travel, new clothes, etc – but what would you DO with it? Would you help others, or would you look at it as your bailout, and to hell with the rest? Now, would you quit your job? My answer – no. The argument could be made ‘Steve, you do what you love’ – Ah ha! I do. Now – do you? And if you don’t, then why not? Now go back to the last paragraph – ‘Why did I work so hard my whole life for this?. At the end of the day your answer can be ‘Because I wanted to’. Not ‘Because I HAD to’.
Before you all quit your jobs and go fingerpaint (which is good work if you can get it), I am not thumbing my nose at ‘real jobs’ or people who have to support families and are in situations they are not fond of. Believe me – a few short years ago, I was serving lunches. It sucks. But moving forward is the key – and having a plan for the future, not just meandering. Life is not about coasting through. It just feels there are a lot of people coasting – not really working towards anything, but rather in a ‘wait-and-see’ mode. I am I wrong? Is it just me? Send me your thoughts – and the in the subject line write ‘Stuck in the middle’ so I don’t delete it.
And all this reflection may be my inside voice coming out of my own personal shortcomings. Look at that – you logged on this morning and got a big dose of Steve bearing his soul. Maybe I am the one falling short of his own goals, and not feeling like I am moving forward. It may be because we are not quite busy, and when you record songs, then it takes time for them to be 100% ‘finished’. Who knows. Next week my tune will be totally different.
All that being said – next week when I get back from the road I am starting a new project. Tuscan cooking. Yep – my half-Italian blood is ready. Before you all invite yourselves over for dinner, then I’ll have to get into a few things. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime – we are getting ready for a great summer of touring. Time for the sunshine.
See you on the road!!
04-20-09
Didn’t I just do this?
Hi again. Since I was so late with the last entry, I feel that this may be a bit much – forcing the mad ramblings of a shiny-headed bass player down your proverbial throats twice in a week, but rules is rules. This is the bear I chose to cross, so here I am, once again, giving you lowdown on the lowdown. We did have shows this week, and there were new video postings, and Bucky’s single DID go for adds today, so there. You DO have information headed your way. (and I used the word ‘headed’ twice in that paragraph in two different ways. Now if I were talking soccer…)
Focus. Focus. First – shows. We did ‘em. OK, I’ll give you more than that. Our first stop this week was in Ft. Wayne, IN, home of Purdue University and what seemed to be the only restaurant in the tri-state area: Texas Roadhouse. Seriously – it seemed like the whole town was there or waiting in the parking lot. Maybe it was all that secession talk by the Texas governor that had folks worried the place would shut down. Heaven forbid we don’t get rattlesnake bites or mini onion blooms anymore.
The Neon Armadillo (I can’t make that up) was packed, and it was definitely what we call in the business an ‘intimate’ venue. The folks were nice enough, and we did have a decent enough show. We have been trying out some new material, and the reception has been great. I know that Bucky is anxious to get the new CD out and in everyone’s hands so they can sing along with the new stuff, too. In due time.
The next stop was up in Fredonia, PA. It’s a little place in the middle of nowhere between Pittsburgh and Erie, but in Pittsburgh Steeler country, so I was OK with that. Bucky even made it a point to mention that on stage, which was very sweet. The crowd was fantastic, and we played really, really well that night. There are some nights that just feel better than others, and for some reason, that was one of them. Maybe it was the cows.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the silly string. Now some of you may recall a silly string incident a few months back down in Florida. I was asked by some fans if it were OK to silly string Jeff, and I thought it would be all right. Well, it wasn’t, and I got in trouble. So flash forward to Saturday, and someone sprayed it onstage, in Jeff’s direction. Luckily it was an ‘unrelated’ silly-string deployment, and I didn’t get in trouble. So, for that I am thankful. It’s really not a great idea – especially around electronics on stage.
So today was the day – Bucky’s new single officially went to radio. What does that mean? It means that just like in the old days, the more you call your local radio stations, then the more they ‘add’ it to their playlist, and then hopefully play it. So get on those phones, or websites, or even better – find the radio station’s twitter accounts and hit those up, too. Everything helps.
If you go to Bucky’s myspace, you’ll see that USO Day 2 is up. I hope you like it – I really had a hard time putting that together, because I had restrictions as to where I could and couldn’t film. But I think it came out OK. You get the idea – and Ducky was the true hero of the M-16 range. And that bomb suit was pretty damn heavy. Check it out, if you haven’t already.
Tomorrow (that would be Tuesday in about 20 minutes), I am working on a few things, including some of my own material. The wisdom here is that I am not going for a record deal or anything like that – but just getting some decent songs down on tape, and hopefully in a place where I can get them out to you – most likely just for sale on myspace for 69 cents a piece. I’m pretty excited, just for the fact that a) I am able to do this, and b) I have such a strong support group around it helping me shape it all. And if someone buys one or two, then that will be gravy on the taters.
So enjoy your week, and try and get outside. The sun is trying to cooperate, so if it pops out, you’ll be able to reach me on my back deck. Otherwise, I’ll be in my laboratory, working on music or video, or a combination of both, hopefully getting you USO Day 3 before too long. Of course, all the fun stuff happened off camera. Gotta love the Irish Pubs!
See you on the road!!
04-15-09
Day late and since it’s tax day…
Happy Wednesday! Really? I am two days late on my self-imposed deadline, and I show up with a ‘happy’? That’s actually kind of lame. One would think that I am trying to milk internet hits by making you check back, or one would think that I don’t care enough to get you updates. Well, every website loves traffic, but in all honesty, I have been out and about, and in the middle of nowhere, without much of a chance to get typing. I will explain it all in due time.
First of all, I hope you are finished with your taxes, have filed an extension, or are reading this then trying to set a record by e-filing before midnight. Good luck with ALL THAT. I filed back in February. Early bird got that worm this year! I cannot tell you how much less stress I have right now not having to worry about that. I have enough projects going on.
So last week we traveled across the country to Portales, New Mexico for a show at ENMU. Holy cow. The school took such great care of us, from the catering to the runners to the show, it was top notch. That always makes for better shows (good food + nice people = good show. Pretty easy formula, really…) We hit the road pretty quickly afterwards to get to Albuquerque for a day off.
Jeff and I hit the proverbial dusty trail, renting a car and heading to the Petroglyph National Monument, hiking the literal dusty trail. It turned out to be an incredible day, hiking through the park, checking out the ancient markings. We also hit a trail off the beaten path, which was the best – we had to do some actual rock climbing, and took in some great scenery. I am glad we got out and did it – some days are not the easiest to get motivated, but I am also not one for sitting around a hotel when there is a great big world to see.
The show in Wyoming was next on our agenda. I played here a couple of years back when it was half the size it is now, and well, it was pretty lame. This go round was better, but not perfect. We blew the breaker box three times during the show, which is always a bit of a buzz kill, and at the end of the night, as soon as the trailer was packed, we were on our way back to Nashville. 25 hours later and I was home for Easter.
So imagine being cooped up in a bus for an entire day. I am not complaining – we are set up pretty well with DVD, satellite, and whatnot, but sometimes you just want to feel the sun on your shoulders. Which is why I spent Easter at a baseball game in Nashville. No, Mom, I didn’t make church. Does it mean I am not a Christian? Nope. It just means that I chose to spend the time with a friend enjoying the beautiful day God gave me. And we were getting back on the bus at 10PM to head to West Virginia.
About a year ago we had the pleasure of riding the Hatfield-McCoy trails, and we were asked back for another TV taping, this time for Dirt Trax. So we arrived and literally suited up and hit the mountain. We stopped for lunch at the top of the trails where we met a couple of WV senators, and the director of the trail system. The weather cooperated perfectly, and I got muddy as can be. We didn’t have much down time, for as soon as we got back it was time to head out for dinner. It was at our host’s house, and we ended up staying there way too late, playing and singing, and enjoying the cool West Virginia night.
Day 2 on the trails was a lot different. It was raining just enough to make everything slick, and with the switchbacks on the mountain, it could have easily turned into a death trap. We didn’t ride as long, and really didn’t have that much fun on day 2, just because of the fear factor. I’m up for a thrill, but not a thrill of dying by falling down a mountain. Call me crazy. But we did manage to get pretty soaked, and I did love the chance to get up there and play. It was definitely a treat.
So then I got home this morning at 5AM. And when I got home, I hit the ground running. I do have off all next week, but I really wanted to get some work done today to lighten my load next week. I made some good headway today, and have tomorrow to work before we leave out. The more I get done now, the more I can enjoy the next 10 days. In all reality, I will probably have 3 of those days off. I know – cry me a river, right?
So that’s the last week or so of my life. I rocked, rolled, shimmied, shook, four-wheeled and hiked it to the top. I ate well, drank well, and played some good shows. All in all, life is good. No matter how bad they say it is on TV. My little brother told me not to write tonight if I didn’t ‘feel it’. This entry isn’t a life changer, but what I felt this week was completely lucky and blessed to be where I am. I did some incredible things this week, as I am sure you did, too. So that’s what I am feeling: Pretty elated about life and things to come. Love me or hate me, you can’t break me.
See you on the road!!
04-06-09
PLAY BALL!
Good morning. It is Monday, and even though from time to time I don’t make my self-imposed Monday morning deadline, I am here, in all my shiny-headed splendor to try and help your morning by taking 5 minutes away from you that I can never give back. How crazy does that sound? (Hear that? It’s the sound of hundreds of people logging off at the same time…) I hope these five minutes we have are at least as good as five minutes on ebay. And it’s cheaper.
But can you really ever get those five minutes back? If ever there was a weekend where I thought it was possible, it was this one. As some of you may or may not know, I did a couple of shows with Sister Hazel, who are long-time friends of mine. We first met Ken back in 1997, so it’s been a little while. I have to dig up that picture. Anyways, their bass player, Jett couldn’t make it this weekend, and since Bucky was out at the ACM’s, then the timing was perfect.
And now I will go forward by backing up a little bit. Back in the day, when I was in King Konga, we used to play in Oxford at various spots, and always headed for the Chevron that served chicken on a stick at 2:30AM as we were leaving town. (It still does). We also played in Montgomery at Huntington College, and then I ended up living a few blocks away from there after King Konga disbanded and that period became the stepping stone to Nashville.
And now forward – I flew into Atlanta with SH’s tour manager, then we met up with Ryan Newell, their guitar player. The bus was picking us all up at his house at 3AM, so we went out for a couple of beers and caught up a little. When I awoke on the bus, we were in Tupelo, picking up Drew and Ken, who are already raggin’ on each other. It was going to be a great weekend.
Oxford has changed a little – there are more shops on the square, and the record store is gone. There are more options for food and entertainment than before, and the sushi we had for dinner was really damn good. We ran into Charlie Mars, who has been playing guitar and singing for years. He showed us his place on the square, and we had a quick lunch to catch up. It started to feel like a time warp.
The show went better than I had hoped. The SH fans were like – ‘Who the hell are you?’ when I came out, and Ken told the crowd that I was, in fact, not Jett Beres. He is much taller and better looking, in my opinion (am I allowed to say that?), but Ken was awesome in introducing me from King Konga and Bucky Covington, both of which got cheers. I felt like the trip back to Oxford was a good one, reconnecting with old friends, and making new ones. And they have a fantastic bookstore on the square.
Then I woke up in Montgomery, AL. As I started thinking, it was 5 years ago this month that I made the jump to Nashville. I’ll be honest – demons from my past were tapping me on the shoulder, which I think is only natural. I didn’t want to leave Montgomery at the time – I was asked to move out. I fought that move, but also knew I needed to go. How different would life be if I stayed? Holy crap. I can’t even fathom. At the time it was the most narrow-minded half-hearted decision I had ever made to try and stay. There was much more out there for me. There’s a great Sister Hazel line that says ‘You were the one that taught me what I don’t need, and I’m thankful for that’. So true, so true.
So we are at the college, just cutting up all day. We threw football, played basketball, ate a lot of wonderful food, and met some really great folks. The show was not bad – I’ll be honest – the night before was better, but that was my performance, not the band’s. Ken and Drew were pretty much laughing the whole night on stage, and with everyone in a good mood, it makes the night much better. I did have a moment onstage. I realized that I was onstage with friends that I have known for about 12 years, and playing in a place that (formerly) held bad juju for me. That was a pretty exciting moment. Then I just smiled. I could stand tall knowing all that I have accomplished in the past five years, and excited for what is to come in the next 5. And grateful for my family and friends who helped in my growth, and continue to help to this day.
And now, back to Nashville…It’s cold! Hopefully it will be the last blast of winter so we can hurry up and get baseball going. I am a huge baseball fan, and look forward to getting in some Nashville Sounds games this year. I am also ready to get back on the bus with my usual suspects and help propel Bucky into the stratosphere. He has a new single out, and it’s going to radio on the 20th, so get your dialing fingers ready. This one is probably more important than his first, so don’t be shy in spreading the word.
So New Mexico then Wyoming this week. Get on your horse and come on out to the shows! I have been editing a ton of video lately, so the first USO footage and some acoustic stuff is going to be popping up soon, and there are tour dates being added almost daily, so keep checking back to see what’s poppin’. And keep on keeping on. You’ll be surprised where life takes you if you don’t give up.
See you on the road!
03-28-09
Getting ready…
Monday, Monday, Monday! Well, it’s here. What does that mean? For some it means spring break is over, and hopefully you didn’t get hit by any crossfire in the Mexican drug war. (That discount trip to Cancun doesn’t sound so appealing now, does it?) The weather has been crazy, but that’s all Al Gore’s fault for inventing the internet, then telling us the sky is falling. Am I too political today? Ahh – the earth heats and cools, and renews itself over time, and empires rise and fall. I think our problem as humans is that we don’t like to think of our little species as disappearing from the earth. I got news – it’ll happen. We still have a few years to go, so while we are here, let’s love each other and enjoy life.
Speaking of enjoying life, we had the past week off, and it was pretty nice. The weather wasn’t super nice, but nice enough to get outside and enjoy some things. And get trackin’. Which is not inside, but is a great outlet. We cut 5 tunes in an afternoon, and I think they are going to be pretty cool. If nothing else, at least I can say these ideas are finished, and now let’s move on to more. On the super-optimistic side, I hope someone says ‘Yes, this would be perfect to use in my movie’. We’ll see. But in the meantime, think of this as my hobby – my arts and crafts time, if you would.
And that’s one of hardest things about being a musician. Music is a passion, and fortunately it is also my employment, so I need to seek outside hobbies, because my hobby is my job. That’s why getting in my yard is so important. Not that I am a master green thumb at all (I fake the hell out of it), but in a zen-like trance I can mow and rearrange the rocks and get outside of the box for a little while. But the dangerous stuff that I would like to get into – motorcycles, snowboarding, etc, are things I have done, but need to put on hold until I stop touring. Which may be a while. Kayaking is the next phase, I think.
Look at Steve with all this free time on his hands to think about the cosmos. Actually, for the next month, I am going to be pretty damn busy, and I am thankful for it. In addition to shows with Bucky, I have 2 Sister Hazel shows this weekend, and I am editing not only the touring videos, but a 5-part USO video series of our trip, and doing other special projects surrounding Bucky’s new single release. I am also tracking my own project, which is pretty exciting, too. We are also heading up to WV to ride on the Hatfield-McCoy trails again for a TV taping, so it’s time to get muddy!
All this excitement is welcome after a long, dark winter. I think with the sunshine the moods change, and the productivity level starts to ramp up a little. Maybe that’s why we have the holidays at the end of the year. We need a little boost. It sure ain’t because Jesus was born on Dec 25, or the New Year is really Jan. 1, or the Indians decided to help us on the fourth Thursday of November. (Thanks Shawn) Anyways, there goes the soapbox again.
I try not to say ‘I’ a lot, but in this case, I will make an exception. I have another article in Premier Guitar in the April issue, which is out now. You can read it online, or if you play, then you should get it in print. It’s hands down the best guitar magazine around. To have that additional outlet is very rewarding. Check it out, and for those of you that have emailed after reading the articles, then thank you.
So what’s next? Well, if course this week’s it is Sister Hazel time, then I’m home for 20 minutes then on the bus to New Mexico and Wyoming. As soon as we’re back from that run, it’s off to West Virginia to get our ATV'ing on. But you’ll get updates along the way, so for now, enjoy the rest of your morning, and go tame that tiger, Pi.
See you on the road!
03-22-09
The wheels on the bus go round and round…
Good evening. It’s Sunday night around the witching hour, and I am once again back home in Nashville. I have way too much to do tomorrow, so you get the shinyjournal on Sunday night. I hope you had decent weather where you live. We had 75 degrees and sun today. In the spirit of spring, I decided to go to Home Depot where seven thousand of my closest friends were gathered. Mistake. I sort of forgot that they are open tomorrow as well. So guess where I am headed. Of course, after I get my other work done. But on to that later…
We had one show this week. One would think that getting to a show and back wouldn’t be such a big deal. Well, this particular one-off was in Minnesota. Like by Canada. According to mapquest, it’s like a 3-week drive by wagon or something. Do I sound like I am whining? I’m really not, it was just a long-ass haul up there. I am pretty used to travel, but 20 hours in the bus gets a little tough, especially when you just want to stretch your legs. But luckily we can sleep, play video games, eat, and eat some more when we are on such a long run. It sure beats the van.
Our show was at a casino, and since I have a love for blackjack, I was excited. But I couldn’t get too excited yet. We had work to do. After a quick lunch, a nice sound check, visit to the gym and then a shower was I able to hit the tables. Well, table, singular. They didn’t have much in the way of tables. Not as small as the Macedonia casino, but one blackjack table, and with a $3 min. Yep, I was rollin’ high class that day.
Our show was interesting. First of all, the stage was about 5 feet above the floor, so we felt like we were on the ceiling. Second, our monitors were in and out the whole show. That’s the part you don’t see, or really care about, but when we can’t hear ourselves, things can get dicey. We pulled it out, though. One of the highlights of the night for me was that we played the new single ‘I Want My Life Back’. I was happy that we put that into the show. Now you have three songs from the new record in the set. Kinda makes you want to see a show, huh?
After the show, we pretty much just packed it in and hit the road. Sometime Saturday night we arrived back in Nashville, and I finally ate dinner at 10:30 at night. I know, it’s tough to be me. After such a long ride, you need to get out and do something to feel normal. I usally opt for aimless wandering in the supermarket, but my stomach made sure I stopped in for sushi. Then it was home. I thought it would be hard to fall asleep, but oh no – that was no problem.
One question I get a lot from fans is about the travel: How do you do it? We don’t even really think about it. We just get in the bus and go. It’s pretty much second nature at this point. We could leave for 6 months and the travel wouldn’t be tough on me at all. Of course, the plants in my house would be dead, but I have no problem getting on the bus. More than being used to touring, I would have to credit the guys I tour with. They are a great bunch, and Bucky makes things so easy. Some of you get a few minutes with him here and there, so you may know how great he is, but he really is a blast to be around. I am honored to call him a friend.
The next shows we have are out in New Mexico and Wyoming. Talk about a haul in the bus. I am hoping that Southwest Airlines have something to so with that run, but if not, then the ride to Minnesota was a great warm-up. I know now that one book doesn’t cut it, and I need to pack healthy snacks. I also need to get better at Halo.
So my work is cut out for me this week. You’ll be seeing some new videos, and I will start recording my little rock project. I may surprise some of you with the direction of the music. Hopefully you will like the finished product. I’ll keep you posted. And speaking of – I made a mistake about Bucky’s single being released on April 6. It’s actually the week after that. Either way, phone calls to the radio stations do not hurt.
So that’s about it. I am off to dreamland, and not the BBQ joint. Although there is one in Montgomery. Maybe I can convince Sister Hazel to stop in…
See you on the road!!!
03-15-09
Hello Spring. Is that you?
Happy Sunday! The weather is slowly coming around, and the misguided flowers are starting to poke out, not really sure what the hell is going on with the weather. Brett Favre retired, so it’s 6 more weeks of winter. At least that’s what I heard. I know that a lot of stuff I planted last year is popping back, and for Steve Cook, amateur green thumb, I am happy about that. Plus gardening keeps me off the streets, so my parole officer sleeps better at night.
I am on my couch, currently enjoying a lazy Sunday. I went to Centennial Park in Nashville to see some acoustic performances this afternoon with Ken Block of Sister Hazel, Edwin McCain, and Emerson Hart of Tonic. I have known Sister Hazel and Edwin for about 12 years, so it’s always nice to see them. If you have been over to my tour page, you see that I have a couple of shows with Sister Hazel in April. Before anybody freaks out, no, I am not leaving Bucky. I help them out when they need it, and the bass player can’t make the weekend’s shows, so I am filling in. You are all more than welcome to come out and see the shows. Like I said, they are old friends, so it will be a blast. (On a side-note, Tom has known them for years as well, and subs for them from time-to-time).
Since coming back from the USO show, we have been a little slow as far as shows go, but it’s sort of the time for that. We will start to get busier as the days get warmer, and before you know it, we will be once again immersed in deep-fried Snickers and tractor rides. I love fair season! Although this year we have a ton of West Coast fairs, so maybe it’ll be deep fried sprouts and orange throws. Hell I don’t know. Anyways, don’t let the schedule fool you – we’re getting ready for a big year.
Bucky’s new single ‘I Want My Life Back’ is going to be released on April 6. There are a ton of really great songs on the next record, so get ready. We have been playing a couple of them live already, so you have been getting a sneak peek. And if you haven’t been to a show lately, then shame on you.
So back to the shows. We did a show with Sawyer Brown in St. Joseph, MO a couple weeks ago, which was a great night. Mark Miller is a firecracker, and a really, really good guy. And it didn’t hurt that the crowd loved Bucky, too. We played an acoustic 2-song set for Lyric Street Records the week of CRS, and that was pretty fun, too. The latest date was in Jacksonville, FL for an acoustic show at the Landing.
I didn’t know much about the show, or else I would have posted details on my site, but I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. Some say 5000 people were there, and I can believe it. If you were there, you know what I am going to type next, but the crowning moment was during ‘I’ll Walk’. Bucky sang the first line, and from then on, the entire crowd sang the song back to us. It was really a shot in the arm, and a fine reward for all the work we have put in over the last year. Now if we can get 1,000,000 people to follow suit and buy the record, then we are golden!
This week you will get the first peek at our USO tour. I am putting together a bunch of videos to give you guys a little look into our lives over there. I was onstage at the time of course, but hopefully someone recorded the Jacksonville acoustic show, and I’ll get some of that up there for you, too.
Before I forget, I must thank you – the fans for being so kind to me. I am a happy boy – I have coffee, oranges, and a new Terrible Towel for my ‘Pittsburgh Room’, and it is greatly and wonderfully appreciated. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
So now I am off to make dinner and salvage some of this lazy Sunday. I hope your weekend was a good one, and get ready to call radio for that single!
See you on the road!!!
03-10-09
No place like home…
I guess this is the last entry from the USO trip. It’s sad, but with every ending comes a new beginning. Or something. Actually, the new beginning is that Bucky’s new single ‘I Want My Life Back’ is hitting the airwaves on April 6. That’s pretty exciting, as well as the release of his new record later this summer. In the meantime, you get this update, plus there will be USO video footage being updated on his site as well. Be sure you look for that. In the meantime – the rest of the story (Paul Harvey rest in peace)
Our crew is unique. We are a great team, and with every team, there are people who have different attributes they bring to the table. Scott is the quiet one, Jeff and I the perpetual children, Brian the outspoken preacher type, but when this trip was over, no matter who you were or what you do, we were ready to go. Not that we didn’t appreciate the trip and all it stood for, but when you see on the calendar – any calendar - that your own bed is on the horizon, then it’s something you look forward to.
The morning of the flight out, we arrived at the airport, gave our driver Mike a big hug and went to the Delta counter to check in. Except at some point, we think during our initial SNAFU in Serbia, half of our travel plans were cancelled, so 6 of us didn’t have tickets to come home. Now, this usually is an easy fix – just explain what happened and roll, but for some reason, this mess was a mess, and we were in the latter stages of picking who goes home and who stays. Like I said earlier – the thought of the ‘dangling carrot’ of going home was a little stressful.
But, all’s well that ends well, and we made it on the plane. I have to say though, that the flight crew in first class (yeah, I rubbed that in a little) was amazing. Delta was about to get a letter because they manage to screw up just about every Delta flight we take. This crew went above and beyond to take care of us and to make the 9 hours we spent on the plane go by rather quickly.
We got through Atlanta with no real problems, except that it took the customs officials 15 minutes to find my travel info. Talk about sweating… However, once again we were in the US, and good to be back home. I shot some pretty funny video of everybody on the way back, because once again, we filled up first class, and everyone was in rare form, ready for some rest. Of course, we had a show to do in 2 days, so everyone’s clock was going to be totally screwed up.
So what did I bring back with me from this trip? I brought back a magnet and some wine. Oh, you want life lessons? Well, it was an eye-opener to be in Serbia, and to see how lucky we are in our country to have ‘things’ available to us. I realized that in Maastricht I saw maybe 2 people that were overweight. How crazy is that? They don’t eat fast food, and they walk or bike everywhere. Hmmm…From Germany I learned that when traveling abroad, don’t take on the role of the ‘Ugly American’. A little humility goes a long way. And I also learned that we were completely spoiled in first class.
The biggest lesson that I brought back is that there are servicemen and women stationed all over the globe that are a long way from home. Call me sentimental, but seeing a soldier eat dinner by himself 5000 miles from home kinda sucks. Remember that there are your brothers and sisters putting up with a lot of BS so that we can have iPods. I’m not asking you to send any money or put a ribbon on the old oak tree, but just think about it.
Now off the soapbox yet again, and on to fun stuff. I mentioned the new record. I mentioned the new single. What have I left out? Well, on a personal side, I am recording some music I have been working on for years. It’s slow right now from the touring side, so I can knock these songs out. I should have them posted on myspace and my website when they are ready.
I hope the lost hour has taken a positive role for you all, with a little more sunshine and outdoor time. I am selling a sailboat if anyone is interested in some serious outdoor time…
See you on the road!!!
03-06-09
If I built this fortress around your heart…
Happy Friday to you all. For those of you that check in on Mondays, well, then you are a little behind. Or I am a little forward. Well, I’ve always been a little forward. Call it a curse. Anyways, I hope this finds everyone in a good place and making plans for the spring. With the winter blues kicking everyone hard, I think it’s time for a little sunshine. Those of you in California, South Florida and Borneo, please ignore that last sentence.
Continuing on with the USO theme, we last left our heroes shuffling back across a snowy bridge at 3AM to get back to the hotel. And we made it. The band sort of stumbled into the breakfast area at the same time the next morning, so we sat and shared stories of the night before over smoked salmon and croissants. Tough life, huh? The schedule for the day was a day off, our first one on the trip, because the last one found us in a cold bus to Macedonia (which really wasn’t bad at all).
Our fearless bus driver, Mike (who totally rocked by the way), informed us that we would be taking a short ride to the city of Rothenburg for some sightseeing. We really didn’t know what to expect, but being in a walled city built around the 1200’s on a frigid Sunday seemed like a good idea. And was it ever. The city was out of a fairy tale. First you cross the bridge over the moat (how pimp is that? Puffy doesn’t have a moat), and then you are on the edge of a working, living, breathing town that has been there for 800 years. Mike tells us that all of Germany looked like this before the war. I didn’t know who to blame for that one – Hitler or us. Either way, the town of Rothenburg was spared by a US general during the war. The story says that he had orders to attack it because there were German troops housed inside. He refused to follow ordersand spared the town because he had a picture of the town on his wall as a child. We’re glad someone gave him that postcard.
The streets were narrow, and the tourist shops were peppered in with the houses, but not in a gaudy Orange Beach kind of way. And because it was Sunday, most stores were closed. The churches were beautiful, the town square and view from the top of the tower were amazing, and the Medieval Crime museum was pretty interesting. It housed the torture devices from the 1500 – 1600’s, and wound through some of the catacombs that are apparently dug under the whole city. The walls below ground were some 20 feet thick. Nobody digging in (or out) of there. And the things they used to get a confession out of people. Yikes. Hooray for our modern legal methods!
After a spicy schnitzel, a doughnut, and coffee (holy crap all we drank over there was coffee), we climbed back on the bus with a hundred more pictures and headed to Stuttgart, where we were being taken to dinner by USO. The hotel was very modern, and attached to sort of an entertainment complex, with a theater, movie theatres, restaurants, bars, and a coed naked spa. I didn’t visit – the ad on TV showed 2 dudes in the pool, laughing and swimming. Nope. Put some trunks on, sir, and we can hang out. Otherwise, I’ll stick to the Irish Pub.
This Irish pub was the most lame of all the ones we visited. It was a chain pub, but we were in Germany, so you take what you can get. I would have preferred a little German pub in town instead of the corporate complex, but we made it fun. I think an acoustic guitar came out the end of the night, so we were singing songs to a table of non-English speaking Germans. Priceless.
The next day I went with Bucky to the base to get some video footage of his visit there. For this trip, he visited the high school on base and spoke to the music students. He had a pretty long Q&A session with the kids, and I know it was appreciated. I went back to the hotel for a little chill time, then it was time to head to the venue for our last show of the tour. Again it was an early show, but we made it through OK, and we were back at the hotel early – like 10PM or so. We gathered in the bar for an end of tour drink, but I knew better than to stay late. We had to be at the airport at 8AM, so I had a nice glass of Irish sippin’ whiskey then called it a night for our adventure home. And an adventure it was…
See you on the road!
03-01-09
Big ass sausage!
Good morning. I realize we got home a few days ago, because, well, I was there, and that I haven’t posted all of my Europe journal entries. I was hoping to keep you in suspenders. Yesterday I posted pictures on Facebook, and this morning pictures went up on Myspace so you can see a little of what we saw over there. The ones that are up are a small sampling of the trip – I think combined we took some 1000 pictures or so, and also had a USO photographer with us, so patience, and hopefully more will be coming soon.
Where were we? Ahh, yes, Germany! Home to fine automobile engineering and big ass bratwurst. We arrived at our hotel in Kaiserslautern, Germany around lunch time, so we headed next door to a place called Big Emma’s. There was an Air Force unit eating out on the back patio, so I went outside and talked with them to see what the menu was like. Turns out this place is known for excess. It’s actually pretty silly. If you order the HALF hamburger, then out comes a sandwich literally over a FOOT across. The half order of sausage is 4 huge links – somewhere in the 2 lbs range total. I opted for a quarter order of something and it was still huge. Buyer beware. There’s a great picture somewhere of Bucky with his hamburger…
The show that evening was at the base club, which also hosted the Sheryl Crow/Kid Rock USO show a couple of years ago that was on TV. The crew we had was a German production crew, and they were amazing. I wish we could have them out with us all the time. They took amazing care of all our gear needs, and really were a pleasure to work with. The show went pretty well, with some fans even making signs for Bucky. It’s nice to be appreciated. The after-party became really good too, for once again there was an Irish Pub not 200 feet from our hotel. Karaoke and Irish Car Bombs for Steve. Then out came ‘Sweet Caroline’. It was magical. Or at least I thought it was at the time.
Once again our bus left early in the morning (these military types are strict – we thoroughly enjoy our sleep) to head to Schweinfurt. Because of its bearings production facilities, the town was leveled during WWII. It is home today to the company that provides bearings for every German car produced. Good work if you can get it. There are some very old churches and some buildings that survived the US bombings, and the town square is very nice. I walked around in amazement, for here I was in Germany, a stranger with no grasp of the German language. I went to a food court and had to point my way through ordering, and thankfully the lady behind the counter was very patient. It’s a bit unnerving not being able to communicate. Remember that the next time someone asks you for directions with a thick foreign accent.
The show was in a huge gym on base, and the crowd was really into it. It was more of the rock show that we are accustomed to. We met the base commander and his staff sergeant, and to do that is a thrill. We met a lot of brass on this trip, which is always cool to me. The bus then carried us on to the hotel, and just like our bus in the states, it is a carnival. 5 of us headed out into the night to see what was going on in town. It turns out there was only one bar open, and yes, it was an Irish Pub, and so we made our way down the steps and into a back room to drink and play foosball. Pretty soon the party found us, though, since people from the show started trickling in. The bar was perfect. The perfect size, then perfect amount of dirt and grime on the walls (they didn’t have to paint them yellow like a chain restaurant – they WERE yellow), and they had a little stage where a guitar player was doing his thing – singing American rock songs and having all the Germans sing along. Very funny.
Before we knew it, Ducky and I were onstage for a song, then Ducky played one tune by himself. We started to mingle with the locals, who were pretty cool. Somehow broken German/English makes more sense when drinking. There were a lot of Americans there as well, so it was nice to connect with them half a world away. Here’s the part that made it all amazing…
We ran into an Army unit that was in town for training. They were coming from Italy, but from all over the US. Before we knew it, we were exchanging stories, and doing Irish Car Bombs. The bar was closing, so we had to walk to an afterhours place. Now picture this – 20 people walking the narrow streets of town, singing and carrying on with a light snow starting to fall. The voices were amplified by the buildings and the cobblestone streets. The locals trying to sleep didn’t get any as we walked by.
At the bar afterwards, we talked more about the war, and about the soldiers we have lost, and that are still out in the field. It was during this conversation that my whole trip to Europe came into focus, and that my purpose for being right where I was at that moment was realized. It was an extreme honor to take this trip and play for the troops and their families - that goes without saying. The soldier explained more than any news report or any journalist’s take on the war. I was able to hear firsthand about ‘things’. And it was amazing.
Tom and I walked back to the hotel a little while after that, and talked the whole way about the night we just had. The snow was really coming down at this point, adding to the beauty of this little German town, and making this night and this trip something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.
Next stop – Stuttgart!
See you on the road!
02-25-09
Did you guess b?
Good morning! We are home and safe and jetlagged like crazy! I know that’s a little anti-climactic because I have so much more to tell you, but I haven’t spoiled the story by any stretch of the imagination. I wrote everything down in a journal while in the hotels, airports, and the plane (and no you can’t read that one), so I do have a reasonably accurate account of what happened. I will update you on the details over the next few days. For now, back to Macedonia…
So we chose b (of course). 3 or 4 hours of sleep wouldn’t have helped any of us at this point, just because our bodies were a crazy mix of exhaustion and adrenaline. We spied an Irish bar next to the hotel (which will become a theme with us), and decided to have a couple of drinks to celebrate our arrival in this tiny Republic. I think we were in Skopje, to be exact, but I only know this after looking it up because I remember telling someone how wonderfully blissful it was to have absolutely zero idea where we were in the world. As I walked to the bar, I saw Jeff, Mick and Kyle outside waiting on me. I asked why they weren’t inside, and within a few seconds I realized why. Suddenly gypsy homeless kids were running towards me and them, and apparently they had tried to pickpocket everyone in the group.
After a few rounds at the Irish bar, we made our way to a rock club next door. The Serbs were rocking pretty hard, as we descended on the bar like loud and boisterous Americans that we are known for the world over. The band was a great cover band, and it was the release that we all needed after the trip there. Ducky and I left the club and I found the casino in the hotel, which was like a mafia setup. Metal detectors at the entrance, and a full security check upon entering. Once in, the place was about as big as my living room, with 3 tables and 20 slot machines. It was not the most comfortable setting, but I took them for $75 at blackjack and left.
We made to the Alexander the Great Airport in Skopje, and waited for our flight in the business lounge. Once onboard, we noticed a pretty thick ice buildup everywhere. I was told it took over an hour to de-ice the plane, and another hour to fly to Croatia. I slept the entire way, then hit the ground running at the airport, literally running from the plane to security, then back on another plane that was being held because our flight was late. Once settled in, we flew over the Alps and some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. I think I slept 10 minutes on the flight in because I was so excited.
We arrived in Amsterdam and met Mike, our tour bus driver, and started heading inland. We stopped at a McDonald’s (don’t curse – I had my reasons for eating there), and hoped to order a ‘Royale with Cheese’. Well, dammit, it was still called the quarter-pounder, and it cost me 10 friggin dollars. That was the last fast food I ever want to look at. The bus ride was about 3 hours to Maastricht, and upon our arrival, I had about 20 minutes to walk around before we had to go. I was sad that our day off was spent traveling, but the bright side is that I got to put my feet on the ground of several countries I wouldn’t have seen otherwise, and would have later that night to explore Maastricht.
Our show was for military families and their kids, so we had a lot of 4-16 year-olds in the audience. It was a gas seeing little kids throwing rock fingers at us during ‘Another Brick in the Wall’. We spoke with a gentleman afterwards who was in charge of military security in Afghanistan, and boy did he have some stories. It was so good to talk to our people over there, and to get their take on everything. It is humbling. We are just musicians. These guys put their lives on the line daily to keep us safe.
After the show, as tired as we were, about 6 of us went out to hit the town. I say hit the town, but it seems it rolled up pretty early. The beauty of this town can hardly be described in a few short journal sentences. Look up ‘Maastricht’ on Wikipedia or Google, and get a look at the ancient and new beauty of this town. It really is a sight to behold.
So we waved goodbye to Maastricht about 9AM the next morning, but not before taking several group shots on the cobblestone streets by the hotel. Hopefully I’ll have that picture (and others) available for you in the next few days on Facebook or Myspace. Next stop: ‘K-town’!
See you on the road!
02-20-09
Good morning, Europe!
Hello from the back of our Mercedes tour bus on our way to Germany. I have been swirling in a crazy flash of airplanes, shows, food, and no sleep. It’s almost as if we’re on tour. This has been some kind of crazy touring, and instead of hopping ahead, let me look back at the first stop in Kosovo.
Camp Bondsteel is a big US camp in Kosovo, and they are part of the NATO forces keeping peace in that part of the world. There were soldiers from Italy, Greece, and Poland there (with really cool machine guns, too), and just walking around camp (as cold as it was) left me in a sense of awe and respect for the entire operation. More than once I thought ‘Wow, I’m in Kosovo’. Never did I think I would ever be in the former Yugoslavia. There is still tension in the area, and the combat patrols do not stop.
The day of our show we started early, having breakfast then going to the gun range for a demonstration. We were all allowed to run through the different scenarios with M-16’s and 9mm pistols in the simulator. I had some good hits and bad hits, but I have to tell you, the country boys named Covington can shoot. I achieved quite the reputation early, however for shooting civilians in the different scenarios. They shouldn’t have been standing there…
Next we went to an EOD demonstration, which actually became Bucky and I doing the demonstration. They had 2 bomb disposal suits for us to wear, so Bucky and I suited up. The suits can get hot as hell, and they weigh about a hundred pounds a piece. After trying to walk around (and of course we had to act like we were in sumo suits), they had us each pick up a (disarmed) shell and walk 50 yards. So now we have 100 lbs of suit and 50 pounds of bomb, and we start walking. Needless to say I have a whole new respect for the people that disarm bombs and mines. They showed us the ‘museum’ of sorts of ordinance they have disarmed and come across since over there. The team is amazing. They go out on patrol and disarm something almost every single day. Big ups to them for keeping the people in Kosovo safe, and for being the bomb. Yes, I said it. Forgive me, I’m punchy.
After the EOD demo, we went to the hospital and talked to a bunch of people working there. Luckily, the hospital didn’t have any customers, so we hung out with the medical staff and took the nickel tour. Bucky took a ton of pictures with people, and I know they were happy to have him over there. Afterwards, we went to lunch and then had to go set up for the show. We were originally scheduled to attend a K9 demonstration, but the gear we were using for the show was not ours, so we had to allow extra time to get set up and get things ready for the show. We actually tried to move the K9 demo, but couldn’t. And some of you may have read the backlash from that, but that’s the skinny. Not worth starting up controversy over, I assure you.
The show was fantastic, and appreciated by all that attended. Personally I needed to feel my strings under my fingers for a sense of normalcy. Poor Scott was using a very low-level keyboard, and the keys actually lit up while he played. Bucky turned that into part of the show, and it was a hit. Exhausted from jetlag and a full day, I hit the bed as soon as I could, because the next day was going to be a full travel day to get to the Netherlands.
The next morning we headed out for the airport in a cold school bus with a native who served as an interpreter and a guide, educating everyone on the country and the situation around the war. We made it through the snow and ice with our spirits high, and checked all our gear in at the airport. The snow and ice started building, and before we knew it, our flight was cancelled. Then the fun began. Jeff’s guitar was sent to London. I have no idea how that happened, but I hope it had a good time. We sat for hours at the airport, with our USO guide trying to book us on other flights to get us out of the country. Finally they came up with a plan. We were to drive back to camp, get new travel orders because we had to drive to Macedonia, fly out in the morning, going through Croatia, into Amsterdam, then take a 3 hour bus ride to Maastricht.
We sat in the airport parking lot (with essentially no heat) for over an hour, then traversed the ice and snow to get back to camp, which took longer than expected because of the weather. Then we got to camp, and had to go through security screening again, which freezing and unfed was not great. They are serious about that stuff, and with good reason. We ate and got back on the bus, then headed across the countryside, and it was a nail-biter. We were on tricky mountain roads with the weather really coming in, and passing lots of stalled vehicles. We got to the border, where the machine gun-toting border guard came up on the bus to check passports. Talk about intimidation. It was right out of a Jason Bourne movie.
Getting through and getting yet another stamp for the passport, we arrived at our hotel around 11:30, with a 4 AM lobby call. Now I present this question to you: If you just went through the day that we went through, and only had about 4 hours to sleep, would you a)go to bed and try and salvage some sleep, or b)go out and have a few drinks and stay awake, trying to sleep on the flights? Think about it, and I will let you know what WE did in my next entry.
See you on the frozen road!!
02-17-09
It’s official – I’m a world traveler.
Hello from Kosovo! It is 7 AM on Tuesday morning, which is about 1 AM back home, and I am jet-lagged as hell, working on but a few hours sleep. We arrived in camp yesterday, and met the base commander, who is very nice, and today is the grand tour, with the show being tonight as well. They tell us the turnout will be around 1000 troops or so. It should be a blast. Speaking of blasts – our activity sheet today says ‘Blow stuff up’. Not making this up here, so I’ll give you the full report in a couple of days on how that went.
So our journey started in Nashville, which is where all of our journeys start, and of course the plane was late leaving for JFK. That caused us to sprint to catch the next plane, so I really enjoyed our 5 minutes in NYC. And it wasn’t a short run, either. Luckily our USO guide was waiting, and holding the plane, so we all made it OK, and so did the gear, which was the important part. I showed my ticket to the flight attendant on the way in - 1A – and we all got settled in and a drink to calm us a little. By the way, USO rocks for booking us all first class the whole trip. The shrimp was tasty, and the ice cream sundae was a perfect ending. My first USO tour with King Konga was coach, coach, coach, so I was thankful for the fully reclining seat.
We got to Budapest, Hungary and after going through a quick security process, then had a two hour layover in one of the cleanest airports I have ever seen. There were a couple of things I picked up on while there. First, the coffee was intense and fantastic. I’m spoiled. Second, nobody was overweight. I’m not saying everyone was in speedos and had 3% body fat, but the Europeans eat less and have less junk food floating around. It made me very aware very quickly of how much less they eat, and I started thinking, well, maybe they’re on to something here.
The flight into Kosovo was pretty nice, too, and scenery coming in was pretty. Lots of mountains and frozen lakes, as well as villages dotting the landscape. We landed to a gorgeous crisp day, went through customs, then headed to the base. For some reason crisp turned into cold, and I stayed freezing cold until I went to bed last night. It’s cold as hell here, and even this morning is even colder. There is a huge mountain peak off on the distance (It looks just like the Paramount pictures mountain) and it is covered with snow.
Other than getting a lay of the land and meeting our USO contacts, we really haven’t done much. They give you a day to get your body clock adjusted before things get going, and well, today is our day to get things going. There is a lot of history in this region, dating back to the Roman times, but more recently scenes of fighting from WWI, WWII, and most recently of course, in 1999, when our troops were sent in as part of a UN peace-keeping force. Be glad that you don’t live in a country ravaged by war. These people are just trying to get on with their lives.
I am off to breakfast now. By the time you read this, I’ll be in The Netherlands and be ready to get you more updates. Thanks for checking in, and I will see you on the European road!
PS -- OK so I was able to upload this journal before we left. I'll get you details from today when we get to the Netherlands...
02-09-09
Fore!
Happy post-Grammy Monday to everyone in cyberland. Did you watch last night? I feel it’s my civic duty to watch awards shows, even though they are usually crappy. I have to see what the music folks are doing, but mostly to watch legends like Paul McCartney who prove that no matter what sort of production you pull out, black suit jackets and T-shirts and a song can move mountains. I had a few friends out there, working, playing and up for awards. Congrats to all of them for being invited to the big show.
This past week was a long one, but not as bad as you would think. There was only one show, and that was up in Rapid City, South Dakota. The thing about long distance runs is that you have to allow time for the driver to sleep, so we pick spots that have a mall and lots of restaurant choices so the natives don’t get restless. Our time off on the way up was in frigid Omaha (I think), and we arrived in South Dakota around 8AM on Wednesday, the day of the show.
Jeff and I jumped into the hotel restaurant for some breakfast and half a gallon of coffee. While eating, the owner of the hotel came over and introduced himself, and invited us to play golf with him that morning. Jeff declined, but I grabbed Mick and he and I went to the course to sneak in a few holes before we had to load in. It was about 50 and sunny, but there were still huge patches of snow on the ground, and the ponds were all frozen (which makes for fun water hazards). After making a snow angel and getting some good swings in, we had to go to work. Ah yes, the reason we were in town to begin with…
The venue was odd. It was an expo of some kind, picture an indoor fair, with booths and whatnot set up inside the arena where people would normally be. Then add to that a dozen big round tables set up right in front of the stage. Odd indeed. Not the show we are used to, with people up front rockin’ with us. For this show, we were the support act, getting the crowd ready for Sawyer Brown. What a fun show. Mark and company really do entertain, and make the show experience a memorable one.
Then our little caravan started heading back home, but not without incident. Somehow the suspension got screwed up, or the air pressure was off or something, but somewhere around 1AM the bus started bouncing like mad. Imagine being in a stagecoach, or laying down on the back of a horse as it was in a full gallop. That is how hard we got knocked around. I woke up in pain from being thrown up and down for over an hour.
The next place we stopped for the driver to sleep was Independence, MO, home of what US President? Anyone, anyone? Harry S. Truman. Aww, so close. And the bonus question for 5 extra points. What does the ‘S’ stand for? The answer later in the show. The mall was fine, Best Buy still Best Buy, and the hotel very much like the rest. There was a bowling alley next door, however, so Bucky, Brian, Ducky, and myself got in a couple hours of entertainment. That was a blast.
The bus hit Nashville around 8 AM, and this ride was much smoother. The next time we head out, it will be with passport in hand, and with much anticipation of the days to come. I have been hearing bits and pieces of where we are going, and to say I am excited is a severe understatement. This USO trip will be something amazing.
I am taking my laptop, so hopefully I can get updates on the site for you from across the pond. I’ll do my best, but please understand I’ll be ‘soaking’ in culture and sights, so between filming and my personal camera, I’ll see if I can pen a few words for you while working.
So if you are Kosovo, the Netherlands, or Germany, then come out and say hi!
See you on the road!!
PS – the answer is nothing. ‘S’ doesn’t stand for anything. Go figure.
02-03-09
Six-burgh!
Happy Tuesday, wonderful world! I am currently freezing. Not to the point of hypothermia, but the front lounge of the bus is cold, cold, cold. Currently we are trucking through Nebraska, where we are stopping in Omaha for a few hours. I know this is all cryptic and confusing, but I promise it makes perfect sense. We have a show tomorrow in South Dakota, and because of the distance, we have to stop somewhere midpoint and let the driver sleep for a while. So we chose Omaha, where a mall and video games await us, since it’s about 3 degrees outside.
The show tomorrow is in Rapid City, South Dakota, at the same arena where we played with Dierks Bentley last year. It has a great downtown, and of course Mt. Rushmore is there, but as cold as it is, I think I will opt for hotel and catering this time around. Of course, that could all change, since we are the opener on this one, and will have nothing but time once we get there. We are playing with Sawyer Brown, so I have a feeling this will be a really fun show.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fantastic win by the six-time champion Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Love them or hate them (which, of course, I fall into the the first category), it was a great football game. It lived up to the hype, and it really wasn’t a full four quarters of dog-eat-dog, but there were some pretty amazing moments. I hope you had a chance to get excited about my team the way I do.
I had a week of frustration, revelation, and eventually focus this past week. I got some new toys while out at the NAMM show. (Toys=new musical gear), and well, after patching and playing and this and that, I found out that my software was outdated, the patches all wrong, and this new wonderful set-up I was trying to construct wasn’t going to be up and running anytime soon. Then this crazy notion hit me: I’ve been spending so much time trying to get my computer-based recording set up together that I haven’t written anything on a real strings-and-wood guitar in a while. I had forgotten the reason I was trying to record in the first place.
I conceded defeat that afternoon. I shut the computer down, and went in the basement and banged on the drums for an hour. I didn’t bash the drums out of frustration, but I tried some new things and playing along with some new songs. After that little session, I came up with a new song idea, almost as soon as I walked back in the house. It was pretty amazing that in a short period of meditation (of sorts) the ideas started back. Then I talked to my friend Dan.
Dan was the lead singer in King Konga, and a very busy producer now. I had called Dan, sent him emails, and some texts to catch up and say hi. I finally got him on the phone, and we touched on a serious subject – being too tied to the cell phone. It was funny how it lined up with my technology-based dislike earlier, and he made some great points. Basically, as a culture, we have forgotten that the phone is there for our convenience, not the person who is calling. What’s the first thing we do when we sit at the dinner table? We pull our phones out and line them up. Why? Are we that important? Can we not have a dinner where we just talk to each other? Why is somewhere else always better than where we are?
So, being the motivated go-getter that I am, started a new resolution. I am trying to get away from the phone. I am DOWNGRADING from a Blackberry to a regular ol’ phone. ( PS- FOR SALE – 1 Unlocked Blackberry Pearl. White with gray protective covering. Great condition, all software included). I am not taking it out and looking at it for no reason during conversations, and leaving it in the pocket or even better in the car when I go out to eat. I solemnly vow to try and enjoy the places and people I am with more rather than be tied to an electronic device that I really don’t need.
So this maybe selfishly this entry was for me. Oh well, I am entitled, I guess. Hopefully a little change in your routine will inspire the same way it does me. And I’ll give you the report about tomorrow’s show with Sawyer Brown next week. I’ll make it by Monday. All I have to do next week is get a new phone.
See you on the road!!!
01-26-09
Ahh…sunshine
Look at this! Monday morning. I made it! It’s 8:45 AM on Monday, and I am back on the couch after a quick coffee refill and check of the temperature. It’s a great day for all you psychrophiles out there. I am staying in and staying warm today, catching up on emails, video editing, and some music work today. That’s actually the plan all week, because we are off the road until next week. Sort of like a vacation, but not really. Especially with this here recession on.
As a touring musician, you have to find ways to keep busy when you are off the road, or else you will go crazy. There is a lull in the winter, where there aren’t many shows, and of course it’s cold, so the blues can set in. Depression in winter is higher, because who is depressed on the beach in the summer? I mean really. But couple the winter with less work, and then it can get downright ugly. But I try and keep the hands busy and learn and look at my time off the road as another chance to learn or create. When it’s all said and done, I don’t want any songs left in the notebook. They all have to be recorded.
On to the shows last week. We only had two of them, but they were really great shows. Show one was in Florida, where we were happy to see palm trees and feel sunshine on our faces. It surprised me that night, getting down in the 40’s, and naturally I didn’t dress for the occasion at all. Mama was right – always bring a jacket. We tried a new song that night, too, that will be on the next record. Slowly but surely we are getting the new ones leaked out to you guys. I can’t wait to get them all up and running for you.
We had a long haul to Greenville, Mississippi for the next show. I woke up and found myself looking at signs in Hattiesburg, which is where I spent about 9 years of my life. I had to think of the hundreds of trips up Hwy 49 in the van and trailer with the Konga boys. I didn’t think it was possible to smile and cringe at the same time, but I did. There are very fond memories of everything we did, but at the same time, there are days I don’t know exactly HOW we did it. I do know that I was surrounded by fantastic and motivated people. I suppose that’s how we did it.
The theater in the casino was very nice, and we had an amazing time playing. It was just a fun show, with lots of room to run, and about 1300 really enthusiastic people in the crowd. We feed off that energy, and it makes the show so much better. So your job for the coming months is to remember to yell and go crazy next time you are at a show. Some of you already do, so thank you. The rest have a homework assignment.
So what are you doing with your week? I already told you what I am up to. I hope you are staying warm and positive. (When did I become Steve the motivational speaker?) It’s very easy to sink into a passive mode right now. Step up just a bit and get one big thing done this week. Clean the basement, fix the leaky sink, write a letter (people do still write). Do something. It’s easy to sit back and watch the world go by. Be in the show, not in the audience.
See you on the road!
01-19-09
On the eve of history…
Happy Monday night to you all! I am back on the couch, back in cold-ass temperatures from sunny California (more on that later), and just enjoying a quiet quiet evening. I must start by mentioning that the Steelers are headed to the Super Bowl, so this bass player is one happy boy. I had friends over last night for the game, and so after a joyous and loud night, I am happy to be listening to nothing. It’s even too cold for the dogs next door to bark. Ahhh…
So this week I we were off the road, but what do I do with my free time? That’s right – fly out to California. As if Southwest and I aren’t good enough friends. I know I have been flying a lot lately when I can do the crossword puzzle without reading half the clues. I went out for the NAMM show, which is a convention where musical instrument manufacturers show off the latest and greatest products. For a musician, it is a candy store, toy store, and amusement park all rolled into one.
What is so intriguing about NAMM is that you really never know who is going to be walking around. There is an eclectic blend of people at the show, and surprises show up all the time. I am fans of the musicians; the guys behind the scenes who make the records special and are just legendary players. I could care less about dorks walking around who can’t play. Case in point – I turned at one point at the show and saw Corey Feldman. Just a goofy short actor to me, but people were freaking out. Not 10 feet from him, though, was Tony Levin, a legendary bass player, and one of the baddest players around. Needless to say, I would have gone for a picture with Tony before Corey any day. Tony’s bass voice will be heard for the next hundred years. Corey will have The Goonies. Joy.
I endorse several companies, as you can see from the bottom of my website, and going out there gives me a chance to talk with my product reps and check out all the new fun stuff. It’s really a great time, very much like a reunion of friends every six months. I have been going to these for about 10 years now, and it really just gets better and better. This year I added a new twist – I was walking around the show interviewing people about new products on camera. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I am now writing for Premier Guitar magazine, so this was an extension of that. There will be clips of me interviewing people on their site. You should go over to www.premierguitar.com and check out my article as well as the whole site.
I know several of you have written in about the ‘big announcement’. Well, I have received permission to let you in on some of it, but not all. Are you ready? Can you stand it? OK, here it is. In February, Bucky and the band are headed to Europe to do a USO tour. Now I can’t give you dates or countries until the schedule is 100 percent firm, but that’s the latest. I am excited because, well, we’re going to Europe, and I have never been over there. I promise to keep you all updated, and get to you faster than once a week. I’m hoping to get you guys a daily update. I should also have some really great footage to edit down when I return.
New dates are starting to come in, and we’ll have a lot more once the details for the record come out. This is a very exciting time, not just for Bucky, but for the country. We are once again seeing history unfold before our eyes. Don’t let hate cloud your vision. And don’t let the economy be your excuse for not buying the new record. I know that money is tight all around, but I ask you this – if money is that short, why are we not giving up our blackberry phones, flat-screen TV’s, and lattes? I stood in a security line that was 150 yards long at LAX. (and that is not a joke) Don’t tell me we are cutting back on flying because of money. If you think it’s bad, look at what your grandparents lived without. No Wii back then. I guess it was a different world. (sorry, I had to…)
So I leave you with one more thought (and it’s not mine, but a great one): If the world chose to follow you, where would you lead them?
See you on the road!!!
01-13-09
You really shouldn’t split 4’s…
Good evening. It’s Tuesday, and I am so late with this week’s entry that last week is almost forgotten. OK, not really. We had our first shows back of the New Year, and they happened to be in Las Vegas. Go ahead with all the clichéd expressions and worn-out ad campaigns now, and get them out of your system. Vegas is a fine spot in which to vacation, but 3 days is my limit. My first time there was only 5 years ago, but I have been there quite a few times since (or at least it feels that way). I have even found spots that I like and restaurants I favor. I have been lucky enough to find that all over the country, but not with lobster tails for 3.99.
We were at the Suncoast Casino, which is off the beaten path, about 20 minutes from the strip near Red Rock Canyon. It’s a decent enough resort, with all the amenities you would expect, but smaller than other casinos. It was no Red Rock Resort that spoiled us last year, but we made do. The theater was nice, with great lighting and friendly folks, so that was fine by me. With our first two shows back, we played pretty well, with Saturday being a little more loose, and the band really playing its ass off. We have rehearsed new material from the record, but since the final tracks aren’t finished, Bucky decided to hold off on some of the new tunes. We have been playing ‘Evel Knievel’ and ‘To Hold a Woman’, which are two of my favorites of the new ones that we do. The live arrangements on those songs are really fun to play.
Vegas is a funny town. It was not built on winners. I am amazed at the size, elegance, and amount of money flowing in and out of that place. They have managed to build the strip and beyond into something out of a fantasy, paid for by you and I (even if you go there and don’t gamble, you helped), and it just doesn’t stop. Of course it’s been a slow burn for about 50 years now, and it keeps going. I read that a few years back in Dubai a ski resort was constructed in the desert. Hell, we got that beat by a long shot. We have pirate ships, dolphins, streets of New York, Paris, and the canals of Venice. And it can all be yours. Just sit down and spend your cash.
I like to gamble. I don’t see any religious or moral conflict with it – just financial. I learned the hard way on my first trip there not to get in over my head. So now, to me it’s fun. I shots craps for the first time ever. I lost, but I had a blast doing it. I played penny slots, blackjack, and some video poker (until the wee hours of the morning). But I was restrained, too. I didn’t have to sit at every table, or play at all the casinos I visited. I spoke with my little brother about 20 times on Sunday (because the Steelers were on – it’s only 5 times a day otherwise), and he reminded me not to bet on a game that I was emotionally attached to. Well, I did, and I lost, and he was right. I shouldn’t have bet, win or lose on that game. His point and mine are that money should not effect your passion or your emotion. (It took a minute, but I got to the meat of this column).
I was watching the game in the first half, calculating ways I could win, and whereas I was happy that we were up, I didn’t look at the game the same way. I let go in the second half, and as we started running up the score (yes I bet on the Chargers and took the points), I was more happy for them than me. I know they make millions to play, so why root for them when I do not make millions and was losing money at the same time? Well, because I am passionate about it. Just like, oh, buying the new Police on DVD in advance. They have plenty of cash, so why support them? Because of the passion.
Later that Sunday night, I started thinking about our emotional attachment to money. That sounds like a thought out of left field, but I really didn’t like how I felt watching something I enjoy every other day of the year because I bet on it. In other situations, though, I see people who let money alter their moods and psychological well-being. This, my friends, is not good. You can’t get mad at money for not being in your hands, because money has no loyalty. It will jump in someone else’s pocket as fast as it jumped in yours. And usually leave faster.
Passion doesn’t have a price tag, especially if you are lucky enough like I am to do it for a living. Am I rich? Hell no. Do I have a roof and something to cook in my pots and pans? Most days. So guess what? I am doing just fine. Actually, I feel very rich because of what I get to do. This week I got to see Vegas because of my passion. How rewarding is that? And in the coming weeks, well, I don’t think I can say yet. But next Monday (yes, I will write Monday), I will have permission to speak freely about our upcoming shows. I cannot friggin’ wait to tell you guys…
Until then, remember to eat your veggies, and if you are still holding fast to your resolutions, then good for you. If not, then you can always start new ones. It’s never too late.
See you on the road!
01-06-09
’09 is finally here? I wasn’t finished with ’08 yet!
Good morning, folks. I have to say I appreciate you guys checking in when we aren’t on the road, and my journal becomes more of a soapbox and sad sort of staging ground for my childhood memories. I promise that next week’s will be much cooler after our first few shows back. In the meantime, I hope that New Year’s Eve was a great time for you all, and that at least some of you have put away your Christmas decorations. There’s always one that leaves the lights up until February. Good for you. Spread that cheer year-round.
Which is sort of the theme this week. For some reason (hmmm, maybe Jan 1?), we start to think of the year as new and we ‘start over’, make resolutions, etc. It’s natural. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again – I am not a big holiday person. New Year’s Eve is great, don’t get me wrong, but we can party any night we choose. Again – Valentine’s Day – it’s crap. I think the flowers and cooking dinner or going out or fun weekends should happen year ‘round, not just when someone tells me I have to. And don’t get me started on Ground Hog Day…
But back to business – renewal, change, and bettering yourself. I think it’s overwhelming to try and do it at the first of the year. We probably need to work out more because of the holiday weight gain. OK, I get that, but what happens if you start going to the gym in October instead of January? You’ll already be in a routine, and getting in shape won’t be as tough. (You will, however, have to wait for a running machine because everyone who made the resolution is in there – don’t worry – they’ll be gone in a couple of weeks.) You can start lots of projects before Jan 1. I start a ton – it’s just following through that I have a problem with.
I have wood in the basement that was earmarked for a shelving project a month ago. Well, it still sits, patiently waiting for me to get off my butt and cut it. (It’s raining today, so that’s out.) I have songs unfinished, and 3 books that are still on the back burner that I need to write. I have a couple of rooms that need painted in my house, and curtain rods to hang. That’s my list right now, so if any of you want to help, then please, jump right in.
My projects would be there no matter what day it is, just because there are things we all have to do, and we just don’t, for whatever reason. I will get them done. There’s no question about that. With our touring schedule a little light right now, it’s the perfect opportunity to get to work on things other than work. Like those shelves. I am not going to write a novel today, and I am not going to write a solo-record’s worth of material in an afternoon. I am realistic. I think you should be as well in your new year. You know your limits, but you need to push yourself to that limit, as I will. Just don’t overwhelm yourself and quit out of frustration. Nothing gets done that way.
One of my goals before the year ended was to start writing ‘professionally’ again, and well, it’s happened. I am writing a column for Premier Guitar magazine, which hands down is the best guitar magazine anywhere. It’s like reading a year’s worth of knowledge in each issue, and I am honored to be part of it. As far as I know, my first column runs in the February issue. You can also read the whole issue online at premierguitar.com.
I am not sure of the program, but one of the news channels runs a ticker that will say ‘Today is the 7th day of 2009, 358 days left in the year’. I take notice around day 265, when it says there are 100 days left in the year. That’s when my tail gets in gear, that way there’s a greater feeling of accomplishment come Jan 1. I don’t know. I don’t have all the answers, but whatever it takes to get it done, get it done.
Speaking of getting it done, we are getting back in show mode this week. (Hooray!) I saw Bucky and the boys on New Year’s Eve, and it seems like forever since we have been in the same room. We have a rehearsal this week, with two shows in Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday. You should come out to the shows and watch some football with us this weekend! Speaking of shows, get ready for a bunch in 2009! The new schedule should be up in a couple of weeks. I’ll keep you as posted as possible. I am going to sign-off here. I have some music to get to…
See you on the road!
12-29-08
25th, 26th, who’s counting?
Happy Tuesday to you, fine folks. I am making my Monday deadline this time, but honestly a little tired (I had to be up at 3:30 Central time to catch my flight home), and I napped for about 7 minutes, so after I finish this week’s entry, this tired boy is getting some rest! Sometimes I think the holidays are harder than touring.
I hope you all had some good family time this past week. I made my way home to Virginia Beach for a few days, and it was amazing. Usually it’s pretty cold during the holidays, but the weather was so nice that I was playing football on the beach. Can’t beat that. Well, maybe with a dozen raw oysters and draft beer.
My mission when I get home is to just sort of unwind, but I also used to try and get home to see everybody, so my time with my family was shortened, and in pleasing the rest of the world, I found I was spreading myself too thin. I used to call it the whirlwind tour, but this time around, it was all about family, and whereas I miss my friends, I’ll see them soon enough. I took time out for me – just driving around with my brothers, and having a beer on the porch late at night. I actually sat down and watched an entire movie, which is a rare thing.
Last night (it seems like last year), my little brother and I decided to have a pub crawl of sorts, so we hit a few of our old spots down at the beach. I’m sure everybody has one little place they like to go, whether it’s a bar, bookstore, or barber shop. Well, for my brothers and I, it’s a little place called Seaside Raw Bar. It used to be part of a restaurant where my oldest brother was a valet, some 25 years ago. Now it’s a cool local hang, with about 10 booths, cold beer, and the freshest seafood anywhere. Last night I sat at the same booth I seem to always get, and I think it was the same spot where I had my first oyster. I have learned NOT to chew them since then.
That night I had my first oyster I was with my older brother, and I just thought it was cool that I was in a bar at age 13. Fast forward to last night, and this time I was with my little brother. It was like time stood still. Just being in there was all I needed, but then you add to my mercury level with a bunch of seafood, and I am in heaven. The feeling of being back in a familiar haunt without feeling outdated was pretty nice.
So now the vacation is over. I am home, and starting tomorrow, back to work. I am in the process of setting up a new tracking room at my house, and I have new Bucky material to learn for the new set that we are rehearsing. Ooh, did I let that out? New show? New material? A lot of you saw the show last year, and you have patiently waited on new material, so now it’s time to get it all together. You’ve already heard a couple of new songs, but we have some good surprises in store for you.
So I am keeping up my end of the bargain by writing, so you have to keep up your end of the bargain and keep reading. I appreciate you logging in this week, and I hope your team made the playoffs. If not, then you can help me root for the Steelers. Enjoy your week.
See you on the road!!!
12-23-08
Baby, it’s cold outside!
Happy Tuesday! Hopefully you are enjoying this wonderful weather. (and you caught my song reference...) My thermometer dipped to single digits here in Nashville, which I know for you northerners is nothing, but a rare occurrence in the Mid-South. Of course, the football game in Chicago last night had a game-time temp of 2. Now that’s cold.
Speaking of football, I attended the Steelers/Titans game Sunday, and even though my boys didn’t make it through with a victory, I had a blast. My spoiled self was in a luxury box, courtesy of my good friend/ former tour manager Sarge. Some of you know him now as being Luke Bryan’s tour manager. Needless to say, I was warm and well-fed, which made the loss a little more bearable.
So we are off the road of course, but still doing fun stuff musically. We did our little acoustic gig at Anchor High in Hendersonville last week, and it was a lot of fun. Just about our whole bus was there (I guess we just miss each other), and the drinks were flowing. The third set is always the best, because Jack Daniels sits in with the band and propels us to rock star status. I do my best, but at that point, it’s just smile and hang on. Ok, it’s not that bad, and no, I didn’t drive home.
Yesterday I was out shopping, because that’s the thing to do these days, and I was in my car, patiently waiting for an elderly couple to cross in front of me. As I am waiting, I look in my rear view mirror, and see the pleasant woman behind me mouth the words ‘Oh COME ON!’. So now I am torn. I was tempted to sit there for an extra five minutes just to watch her steam. I didn’t, but it lead me to think about a couple of things.
First – Really? Do you not have parents or grandparents that need a little extra time? If it were your relatives, I am sure you wouldn’t have a problem with waiting an extra 20 seconds. Second – How big of a hurry are you in? And why? You need to buy more cigarettes? Is Springer on? Do you have to get to Dollar Tree and get new ice cube trays then get back on your computer for a chat session? My point is that whatever it is, it’s NOT that big of a deal. What on earth are you doing with that extra 20 seconds, anyways? Planting a tree? Probably not. It all sounds a bit harsh, but we are all missing the point a little here.
People talk about giving at Christmas, but it really should be year round. Of course, if you had a birthday party everyday, then you’d be worn out, so I understand the thinking. If that’s the case, then let’s get back to giving. We are all going through financial strain and not knowing the next slide or rise is unsettling. But now, more than ever, shouldn’t we be just a little nicer? Holding a door for someone is free. So is saying ‘Hi’ or ‘Merry Christmas’. Giving of time is free, as well. Whenever things are bad for me, I try and give more. It helps someone else, and it comes back around.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am no Mother Teresa. I am selfish at times, and need some things to make me happy. We all do. I am saying that maybe not today, but in, say three months, you do something completely random and helpful to someone. Like help out at church. Or give some canned goods to the local mission. Or send a care package to a soldier overseas. We need love year ‘round.
So to the impatient people everywhere this Christmas, I offer you my extra 20 seconds today. Please use it as best you can, because guess what? You don’t get a ‘do over’ - those 20 seconds are gone. Why spend them bitching? To everyone – enjoy your Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivus, whatever you do, and remember that words are the strong. Choose them well, and tell your people how you feel this holiday season.
See you on the road!
12-15-08
I left my gear in San Francisco…
Good morning. I hope at least one of you got the song reference I just threw out, otherwise we are all going to have a sit down. I think the songs of our past are slowly getting lost, and we need to remember where we came from to know where we are going. And I am not talking about the hits from Garth Brooks in the 90’s, or the disco hits of the 70’s. I mean the jazz and big band songs from the 30’s and 40’s – the ‘pop music’ of its day. The songs your grandparents listened to. You must learn! (as KRS-One rapped…)
On to business. This past week seemed like it lasted a month. We had three shows, but one was a ‘fly-date’ to San Francisco. I was pretty excited, because I have never played in San Fran, nor have I seen it. When it was all said and done, I never got to see it, although we did play for a little bit. Our flights were delayed, my gear didn’t make it, and we didn’t even see Gretchen Wilson. If it sounds terrible, it gets worse. Our flight was so late, they had to hold off opening the doors for almost a half hour so we could sound check, we had a slice of pizza for dinner before we went on, and immediately after the show we hopped in a waiting van and went right back to the airport. Exciting, huh? We got home about 26 hours after we left Nashville. As big a pain as the date was, we had a great show, and I can now say I have played the Bay area.
The last two shows of the year were in Chicago and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Both are cities and venues I am familiar with, and two that I really like, so the year ended on a high note. The people at Joe’s on Weed St. are so very cool, and have been every time I have been there, starting with King Konga back in 2002. Grand Rapids was a total rock show. The place had at least 1000 people there, and the ‘pond was stocked’ with Bucky fans. And speaking of…
You guys are the best. I can’t say it enough. You make it out to a lot of shows, you force us to work that much harder to impress you, and you treat us like family. On a personal note –the photo album you gave me for my birthday was amazing, and I know the guys all loved the presents they got for Christmas. I look forward to seeing you all next year all over the country. Thanks for making each of us feel special.
So as far as the shows with Bucky, I am finished for the year, and the tour goes back out Jan 9 starting in Las Vegas. In the meantime, Bucky is tracking his next record (some of you have heard a couple of the new ones already), and we are all going to enjoy a little personal time. Of course, we can’t stay away for long… I believe Wednesday night of this week we are all getting together at a bar called Anchor High in Hendersonville to play an acoustic show. It’s basically the band without Bucky, with Ducky and Rocky on lead vocals. It’s all cover tunes, and very similar to a frat party. So if you are in town, then we start around 7:30, and play until midnight or so. Why? Because we can. Come out and get silly with us.
So that’s the latest and greatest. Enjoy this coming week, and the holiday season. I hope your time is spent with family and friends, and that you stay safe, happy, and healthy. Next year is going to be very exciting for everybody, so hang on tight!
See you on the road!
12-09-08
Instant Karma is gonna get you…
Hello. How are things? Things are fine? That’s good. Me? Ah well, you know the usual. Yeah… I had two shows this week, went to a going away party Saturday, then to Atlanta on Sunday for my birthday to watch the Steelers with my brother on TV, and I got two chickens. Pretty standard week, actually.
How can I start to put into words this crazy existence? Well, I guess it just sort of comes out. Thursday of this past week, yes, we had a show. The location moved on us, so where I thought I would be home, I was actually in Hampton, Va, about 30 minutes away (depending on traffic). It was a nice little acoustic show for the local radio station. It was our first show back in a couple weeks, so we were all itching to play. After the show we had dinner and hit the road to North Carolina. Not very exciting, I’m afraid.
The show in Jacksonville, NC was pretty exciting. We have been completely spoiled by big festival stages and sound, so to play a little rock room was a change. They all smell the same, and they are all loud as can be. I’m not sure what year they started smelling like this. Maybe around the punk era. I also think I have played at this club before. I can’t say when or with whom, but there are clues that make it feel a little familiar.
I dropped the ball on Friday night. I was supposed to give a shout out to someone on the Bucky conference call, and I totally forgot. I remembered all the way up until about a half an hour before showtime, then we got rushed up there, and it slipped my mind. If you read this, please know that Bucky and the rest of the bus is thinking of you, and send our prayers for a speedy and full recovery.
Saturday we were back in Nashville, and I decided to venture out. Yes, the hermit came out of his shell, and you know, I remember why I stay in my shell. I drove downtown, and not only was there a hockey game, but a show at the Ryman, so traffic and people were everywhere. I don’t think I am anti-social, just anti-crowds. And anti-traffic. And anti-decaf. I did my civic duty and contributed to this fractured economy and went home. I was going to Atlanta the next morning to surprise my little brother. Or so I thought.
I arrived at his house in the afternoon, and he had a look of surprise on his face. After the usual ‘what are you doing here?’ routine, we settled in and watched the Steelers beat the Cowboys. I had toyed with going to the game, but decided to watch it with family. A little bit after dinner, Shawn brings out a cake. Now, if I surprised him, how the hell did he have a cake? Well, turns out my sister-in-law let the cat out of the bag, and her thoughts were that I should be surprised on my birthday, not the other way around. So he got me. Again! I have only had 2 surprises on my birthday, and he is responsible for both. Thanks for getting me once again.
So thank you for all the cards, emails, and comment postings on the various websites. I also appreciate the gifts, and the donations made to different causes in my name. You are all good listeners, and I have to admit, the gift of two chickens to the world fund was pretty cool. I think I am giving chickens for Christmas.
So tomorrow we leave for San Francisco for a fly date. Get this schedule – we arrive at 3 PM, fly back out at 11:30. I’ve never been to SF, so I am glad that we’ll have so much time there. Actually, I think the venue is in the middle of some cool things, so we’ll have some time to play. Then it’s off to Chicago and Grand Rapids, MI, home of all things cold. Then we’re off until January. That’s when Bucky will drop a new single, and we hit the road in support of the new record. And the record is pretty kick ass.
Again, thanks for checking in, and I’ll give you the full report from the road next week. Sorry for the 24-hour delay. I had some cleaning and laundry to get to before I could find my computer. Funny how it piles up… And as you are shopping for the holidays, remember the best things in life are not things.
See you on the road!
12-01-08
Thankful for ‘failure’
Happy December 1. I just did a quick scan to see if anything fun happened on this day in history, and well, the results were slightly disappointing. The French and British workers met in the middle of the ‘Chunnel’, and ‘Thriller’ was released. Maybe yesterday was more interesting. You know, I thought about typing this up last night, making it a Sunday night blog rather than Monday morning, but I didn’t want to leave anything out, just in case something crazy happened at 11 pm last night. Well, it didn’t, but I did go to bed feeling better than at say, 9 pm, so I think it was a good move to hold off until morning.
So what happened in two hours that was so amazing? Nothing. I washed dishes and played bass and guitar. How exciting? For me, pretty exciting, because I like to get new sounds and ideas in the studio, but honestly, and cheese factor aside, having dishes to wash, a music room to play in, and a roof over my head made me happy. And it’s all because of things that DIDN’T happen that I am able to have these things. Of course I’ll explain.
This past Thursday was Thanksgiving, and I had some great family time. I hope all of you were able to spend some QT with your people. I cannot express enough how important it is to see the people you want to see when you can. I am lucky enough to have the greatest job in the world where we get to see family and friends in our travels. I don’t take it for granted. Time is short. Last Thanksgiving was the last one I had with my Grandma. I think she knew it at the time, but we didn’t. I was lucky to have her in my life for so long, and last year she was, for the first and last time, surrounded by her four grandsons and great-grandchildren from the Cook side at the same time.
I made it home to Nashville to spend more time with people that I care a great deal about. (I realize I am opening up myself WAAAAY too much here, so before you start to email, please know I am not responding to any grandma stories, or questions about my personal life. What you see is what you get.) One of those people that I am very thankful for is a dear friend that I realized this weekend I have known for 10 years. We had a chance to catch up Saturday and tell some stories, which led me to my conclusion that I am thankful for ‘failure’.
See, years ago, actually about 10 years ago, this friend was a substitute drummer for us in King Konga. We did about 40 shows with him, and in 2001, he also joined us on our USO tour. The band’s mood had changed drastically from 1998 to 2001, and by 2002, King Konga was no more. Failure #1. Of course, we sold a bunch of records, played a lot of shows, and made lots of friends along the way. Not a true failure, but not being able to lock down the record deal we so wanted was our shortfall.
Fast forward a couple of years. I was in Course of Nature, well, come to find out later, I was just playing in Course of Nature, not really a member of the band. I was let go after a tour and rehearsals for their next record. Failure #2. I was at the end of my rope, with my relationship on the rocks (Failure #3), and no gig in sight. I called my friend in Nashville, and once again, he came through, not only getting me an audition with the artist he played for, but letting me crash in his spare bedroom at times for 3 months while I got back on my feet.
After the initial move to Nashville, I soon realized lots of things about myself, about the path I have chosen, and the journey of life. To say I was depressed upon my arrival is an understatement. The notion to say ‘f**k it’ and move to another country and start over starts creeping in, as well as questioning my career choice. Being newly single and out of work is not fun, but, in time, wounds heal, opportunity knocks, and after the smoke clears, guess what? Things are OK. My family had to listen to me bitch for months, and my friend, whom I was on tour with, had to listen to my whining on the bus and in the van for hours on end. When I start in with something, careful if you volunteer your ear. I’ll use it.
So my friend, who shall remain nameless, is really an amazing person, and the reason I am here typing every week. So for him I am thankful. And it is because of him that I am not afraid of ‘failure’, and why you shouldn’t be, either. No matter what happens, things are going to be OK. I am not alone in having problems, losing loved ones, or having setbacks. I also know that I am not alone, and with that, I will never fail.
So, a couple of things, then on to business – if you see my ex, thank her for letting me go. This is much better, and happy can’t even begin to describe me now. And I don’t hold a grudge against Course of Nature at all. They are a great band, and Mark is fantastic. And, well, I could go on, but it doesn’t matter. It’s the past, and all a learning process, and further proof that you are exactly where you need to be.
This week we hit the road again, back to Virginia then to North Carolina. A show in my hometown of Virginia Beach three days before my birthday? MAN! And the venue is like 5 minutes from my Mom’s house at the beach. Not bad at all. I am just excited to be back on the road this week. I like making loud bass-type sounds with my friends. Only 5 shows left this year, so bundle up and get out and see one.
PS—Bucky has just about finished the new record, and it is going to blow you away! Just sayin’…get ready! And check out the new videos on Bucky’s myspace page. You’ll be glad you did.
See you on the road!!!
11-24-08
Take me back to Virginia
Monday morning, you sure looked fine. And here we are, furiously typing away with two song references already working their way into my journal. Or is it a blog? Sweet potato or yam? Dolphin or Mahi-mahi? I don’t know, Babs. But I do know this – (gotcha Shawn) – It IS Monday, you do look fine, and I am ready for a week of family, food, couch-napping, and late-night refrigerator turkey pickin’. Well, at least one day’s worth.
Our touring week was short, as it has officially ‘lightened up’ as far as the touring goes. We are finishing up the touring year, with only a few more left, so there won’t be much road stuff to report, but don’t worry – I’ll check in and let you know what kind of coffee I’m drinking even when we aren’t on the road. But back to business…
Lynchburg, VA, home of well, Cattle Annie’s, celebrating it’s 15th year of live music. It’s a big ol’ place, and we have been there a few times before. It has been about a year since our last visit, and it was a day of wonderful story-telling and reflection of the events that happened a year ago, and how things have moved forward in the last 365 days. I am sooo PC. Those that know, know, and those that don’t, well, I’m sure you heard. It’s all good. Just look at the smiles on our faces.
Seeing old friends and meeting new ones was the theme at the show. I had my big brother in attendance, and for the first time in a LONG time, I beat him at pool. I’m OK with that – he has a new daughter, so he hasn’t been spending any time at the pool hall. I also met Bob Reinhardt, who is one of the country’s premiere guitar amp builders. He and his wife were amazingly cool, and Steeler fans, so that was a bonus. And if you are a guitar player, check out his gear. It is some of the best stuff anywhere.
Our next show was in Nashville, IN. Back in the day, I used to pass this place on the side of the road on the way to Bloomington, and sort of wonder what went on in there. Well, careful what you wish for, because there we were, at the Little Nashville Opry. If you were at the show maybe you will agree, but it was more like playing in church than at a club. Of course, the Ryman used to be a church, and this was modeled after that, so I get it. I really do. I just think our show is a little different than your usual ‘Stand in one place and play’ sort of show. I hope we didn’t scare the locals. I know there were die-hard fans there, so I am happy they made the show more exciting.
So now we are off for a couple of weeks. That gives you plenty of time to shop for my birthday. (See last journal entry) It is a week of family time, giving thanks for what we have, and for Black Friday sales (Come on, economy!). I have done this in the past, so now I will present you with my list of things I am thankful for in my last year of touring:
Bucky Covington, new guitars, Fisher’s ATV world, Southwest Airlines, catering, hotel gyms, Don Harris, bus pranks, Zowie Bowie, Jamaica, Vegas, all points West, football, Mick Adkins, Luke Bryan and his crew, large crowds, wonderful fans, action figures, Bud Light sponsors, Little Sahara, big stages, 3 top ten singles!, smooth bus drivers, extra pillows, Steeler football, fantastic friends to tour with, a never-ending stream of new memories.
Now get out there and be thankful for something. Like the fact that you have a computer to read this, and a roof over your head. And a damn fine journal to read every week. Well, two out of three ain’t bad. Enjoy your holiday, and I will back in a week!
See you on the road!
11-17-08
Three weeks until what???
Did you like that subtle reminder? Since the attention span of the average American has become shorter in the past 30 years, I thought I would go ahead and say that my birthday is on Dec 7, Pearl Harbor Day, or as I like to try and duplicate – “The birthday that will live in infamy” Roosevelt knew what he was talking about. My birthdays are no different than yours, just with less hair. Some years are blowouts, some are low-key, and once I was completely surprised by my little brother by a party. Either way, I am a year older in three weeks, so shop well. And by shop well I mean send $5 to your local mission that serves Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for people who need a little help this year. That money you would spend on a beer (ONE beer at a bar) can help a lot this year.
This week we were in sunny Florida. I saw reports of snowstorms in some parts of the country, and don’t think I didn’t think of you when I was sipping a frozen drink getting a brain freeze. It’s tough being out there, sometimes. OK, I really didn’t think of you. I like cold weather. I like warm weather. I like it with a goat. I like it in a boat. It was actually pretty hot during the day and at showtime, but I like to sweat when I play. It validates my performance.
There were a ton of people there that night – a few thousand jammed in front of the festival stage. I understand there was a large Bucky fan club presence. I spoke with a few of you, and let me say how cool it is that you a) drive such long distances to see us (little easier now with gas coming down) and b) that you actually want to talk with the band. And you guys take the best pictures! So thank you for making the shows great.
After a night of celebrating the warm weather, we headed to The Barn in Sanford, FL. It was built back in 1890, and now is a big-ass country bar. The show was a lot of fun for us – we get spoiled on the big stages, and to be close in like that is pretty fun. Plus, it keeps us humble. Again, there was a nice fan base there, and again, thanks.
Now on to the controversy. OK, I did give the approval for Jeff to be hit with silly string. Now, I did not authorize the use of silly string INSIDE the 100-year-old bar while Jeff was EATING and on the PHONE. So, the sentiment was not lost, however, just like when you play any practical joke, the thought process has to go from start to finish. That being said, it was pretty funny, and Jeff is one of the funniest people I know. So next time, just do it outside. That’s all.
This past week, although short on shows, was pretty cool. I saw the space shuttle after it took off, which was a first for me. It was pretty cool to see the streaking orange rockets separate from the glowing star that was our technology headed towards a space station. How ‘Buck Rogers’ is that? I know you Floridians are used to that, so it’s old hat to you. Kinda like the time I went to Montana looking for bears and the locals thought I was nuts. (No, I didn’t see any). I also just had fun playing, which I know sounds crazy, but we are learning some new material that will be on Bucky’s next record, so it’s fun to stretch out and try new things.
On a personal note, I reconnected with a long-lost friend this past week. He was my band director from high school, and I haven’t spoken to him in 20 years. (For those of you scoring at home, I am about to be 38). I missed our 20-year high school reunion, which is odd for an instructor to attend, but he was there to see his former hooligans. Unfortunately, this former hooligan was absent, but the conversation I had with him this past week made up for that. I was so happy to be able to tell him things I needed to say, and let him know how much his words reverberate in my big ears to this day. He was and continues to be an inspiration.
So now it’s time to get back to work and get things moving. We are headed out to Virginia this week to Cattle Annie’s, which is nice because I’ll see some family. Then to Indiana, where I’m sure we’ll freeze our butts off to make up for last week. See? It all evens out in the end. (No pun intended. Ok, maybe…)
See you on the road!
11-09-08
Is it Christmas?
Happy Sunday to you all. If you are tuning in tomorrow, then that means you are on the ball, and I am even more on the ball by getting this done early. I felt that I had to get it all down before I forgot something (which I am sure I have already), and get to what was a remarkable week. Again. How have I become so lucky?
We had three shows this week, one in Dothan, AL, and two in South Carolina, with the show Saturday at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. I think our three shows were some of the best we have played in a long time, and I have a feeling that the offstage events had a big part in that. It was the Covingtons’ birthday this Saturday, so these three shows were a chance for fans to get out and say thank you to the twins and wish them a happy birthday.
Bucky’s fans are amazing. I know many of you read this every week, and I have come to know several of you through emails and at the shows, and I am truly moved whenever someone says they read this. I heard it a lot over the past few days, and it really hit home. I cannot begin to express my gratitude for your constant support.
It may have been the twins’ birthday this weekend, but it felt like Christmas because of all the wonderful presents I also received this week. You have all seen the Don Harris action figure in video and on my bass rig. Well, someone made an action figure of me, and I absolutely love it. I carried him around during the birthday party last night. I am thinking of having action figure Steve wrestle action figure Don on camera. We’ll see how it turns out. I also received shirts, rocks, coffee, and lots of hugs this week, which is really, really cool of all of you. A thousand thank you’s.
With the shows in the Carolinas, Bucky’s family was out in full force. They are proud of their boys, as well they should be, for they have come such a long way in a few short years. 3 top tens on your first record is pretty amazing, and we are hoping to continue that trend into the next record. Of course, that is up to you (wink wink)
Speaking of, Bucky is tracking in our days off the road, and the new material sounds amazing. We have been playing ‘Hold a Woman’ live, and throwing in one or two new ones every now and then to spruce things up a little. (and where did THAT expression come from?) I am excited of what is to come.
It was about a year ago that we came on board with Bucky, and it has been a fantastic year. We were on a major tour with Dierks (and yes, I still have that boy’s jacket), and have seen the show transform into what we think is a pretty kick ass little event, and I am happy to say that I have made some really good friends this past year, and met a lot of really cool people.
This wasn’t intended to be a year-in-review, so I’ll stop now. Changing gears - there is one event that happened Saturday that touched me in a way that I have a hard time putting it into words. There was a girl, maybe 13 or so at the show who, I am guessing, was seeing Bucky for the first time. She was in the meet and greet line, literally shaking and could hardly stand the anticipation of meeting him and seeing the show. I saw her near the front of the stage, hanging on every word Bucky sang and following every move he made. At one point, she leaned over to someone, I am guessing her Mom, and gave her a hug. It was one of those ‘Mom, thank you so much for making my dreams come true by bringing me here’ hugs. I was moved. (You’d be surprised how much we see from the stage).
Seeing her and her Mom there took me to a whole new level during the show. I realize that Bucky is the reason she was there, but we are still going to do everything in our power to put on the best show we can, main attraction or not. She reminded me how amazing my job is, and she reminded me of how, just a year ago, I was watching the Police and doing the same thing. I am still 13 years old in many ways, just starting out with a bass guitar and a dream. And flash forward to today, and I am sitting here smiling, knowing that there are so many wonderful people that support Bucky that make it easy to smile.
So armed with a pound of Starbucks’ finest, a new action figure (he is in my recording studio), and lots of great juju, I am ready for the week ahead. I am (hopefully) going to have the first edit of the video for I’ll Walk done, and get it to the powers that be for revisions. I am also excited for a couple of Florida shows this week, and the fact that Dec 4 we booked an event in Norfolk, VA, which makes that just about a hometown show 3 days before MY birthday. Life is good. Really good.
See you on the road!!
11-04-08
Stop reading now.
Well, obviously you don’t follow directions. That’s OK. To those of you that tuned in yesterday, I am not sure I am sold on the Monday journal posting. I mean, it’s nice to have some sort of stability and structure in our lives, but I am also from the school of hating to go to the movies. Not because they make you wear pants, but because it’s on a schedule. I like to be entertained on my schedule, not someone else’s. Of course, I am a walking paradox because we have to set our show times, and you have to attend. I take that back – you don’t HAVE to attend, but it sure is nicer when you do.
So this past week, as you may or may not know, we had off. What on God’s green earth did you do with yourself, Steve? Well, I’ll tell you. Actually, I can’t really tell you. I know. It’s lame. I told you to stop reading, you didn’t listen, and here we are. I can say this – I had one of the best weeks of my life. Really. Day in and day out, things were happening, (good and bad), but the past 7 days have been amazing. My Mom called and asked where the journal was yesterday, and I had to explain that I couldn’t really tell anyone. I even toyed with the idea of posting an entry just saying one thing:
‘One of the best weeks of my life. The end.’
I know what kind of curious flurry that would have started. I will not tell you what happened, or why it was so good, but I will tell you the things I have learned in the past week.
It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, that you really can do anything you want. If you set a goal, and work at it, you can do it. I haven’t reached my goals, but I am working on them, and this past week, I was one step closer. That was pretty encouraging. Now I have to keep working and follow through.
Second – I am truly blessed to be doing what I do for a living. (I have been called spoiled, and I would agree. I am spoiled. Rotten.) I don’t know – I am appreciative of all that I get to do, so I hope that doesn’t make me spoiled. This past week I witnessed and heard things that solidifies my belief in music, the soul that surrounds it, and the effect it has on people. The beauty of it all is that there are still heros out there, and that inspiration comes from so many places, near and far.
This week has been interesting. Today is an historic one, and the election has people yelling about this and that. Through it all, I realize that we all really want the same things. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. However that may fall for you, may you have them all, for a long, long time. We live in a country hated by many, yet envied by all. Funny how that works. So hopefully your voice was heard today with the touch of your finger, or the hanging of your chad.
Last, I learned the value of being. Being who you are, being true to yourself, and ‘being’, which I will summarize as your existence, your actions, your attitude, your words, and your day-to-day. Your value of being is priceless. You may not think that everyday, but let me step outside the box for a second – If you are raising a child right now, do you know how valuable you are? You can’t put a price on what you do, or the influence you have to lead that child to greatness. Your value of being is off the charts. You may sweep up after people (which I’ve done a lot in my life), and your friend calls for help. You help. How much are you worth? A ton. The same call may come in to the CEO of Pepsi, and he doesn’t help. To me, he is worthless. I don’t care how much money you have or don’t have. You cannot put a value on people because of what they have, but rather the things you can’t touch. It’s so cliché in this time of material goodness, but it’s true.
I realize that the Beatles sang ‘All You Need is Love’ well into their millions of dollars. I get that. It’s easier to be generous when you have extra money. To me, it’s when things are darkest that you should give more of yourself. Just a thought going into this holiday season. Money is tight, but don’t give up. Give more.
So look for little hints of my week in the coming weeks. (And that’s cryptic, too) I promise I will talk more about things as they progress. Back to business, though – my boss and friend Bucky Covington now has 3 top ten singles from his debut record. I don’t know how you feel, but that pretty much kicks ass. Big congrats to Bucky. Now keep calling radio and get ‘I’ll Walk’ to number 1!
See you on the road!
10-25-08
Controversy!
Good morning. It’s early Sunday, and since I’m up, we’re off for the week, and I have Starbucks, then I am typing. I made a mistake when setting the alarm last night, and set the actual time an hour off. I woke up thinking it was 6:30 and too early for anything. Then I walked to the kitchen, and thought I was in a time warp. Guess I got the sleep I wanted after all. All is right with the world. Well, almost, but we’ll get to that in a minute…
Last week was odd, since we got off the bus Sunday morning, then got right back on Sunday night to head to Pittsburgh. Jeff, Bucky, and myself had to do a radio station visit and have lunch with contest winners. It was a lot of fun, and the fans were great. My Uncle Lou (yes, I have an Italian Uncle Lou) was there, and drove Jeff and I around the city that afternoon. I was in heaven, absorbing all things Pittsburgh, even eating at the original Primanti’s in the Strip District. That sandwich is 3000 calories of goodness.
We left the Radisson that night (after a sighting of SNL’s Chris Kattan) and flew south to Raleigh. It was family day. The Covingtons were all in town, as well as my Dad and stepfamily. I was happy to see all the loyal and supportive fans there, but quite honestly, that venue is THE worst sounding venue I have ever played. The show was fine, but we couldn’t hear a thing all night. It happens. Of course, the building wasn’t designed for sound, it was built as a rodeo arena and converted. Led Zeppelin and Hendrix have both played that venue, so that just about the coolest thing I can muster about the hall.
After trying to go to bed with our heads ringing, we woke up in Akron, OH, home of tire manufacturing and LeBron James. There was actually a Goodyear store at the mall, because after I have been to Lucky for jeans, I realize that I need 4 whitewalls. We played a benefit for breast cancer research, and the venue was Tangier, a dinner theatre that has hosted everyone from Milton Berle to Ray Charles to Tony Orlando and Dawn. (Knock 3 times…) Anyways, the show was really, really fun, and there was a lot of money raised.
Now on to the controversy. As most of you know, Bucky received a scathing review from a reporter in Raleigh, NC. His article ‘5 things I learned watching Bucky Covington’ stirred up a lot of emotion. The reporter, probably a freelance writer, probably gritting his teeth at having to review an ex-American Idol, said some harsh things. First of all, the fan response was amazing, so thanks for sending in waves of comments to the reporter. I used to have a syndicated column (10 monthly papers at once, thank you!), and had to do the occasional review. Now, I’ll be honest – going to shows pains me because I would rather be playing than watching. But, I always went in with a clear head and looked for positives. People are working on stage. A lot harder than the 30-90 minutes you see. Even if everything was terrible at the show, maybe the drummer’s beltbuckle was cool, so I’d mention it.
I feel that the reporter had a chip on his shoulder before he walked in the door. I respect his opinions, as I respect anyone’s, but if you are going to hate with ballooned facts, then we have a problem. For the record, sir, Jeff Cease is the guitar player, and I (the slick-headed one with the Union Jack shirt) am the bass player. I know that we are REALLY hard to tell apart. Also, we played for 75 minutes, not 135. Maybe your watch was a little off. And as far as hating on facial hair, well, folks, I found a picture of this reporter. His facial hair would give Uncle Jesse from the Dukes of Hazzard a run for its money as the scraggliest tangled mess around.
All that being said – I do know how much this article angered a lot of you, and my thoughts: ‘So what?’ Bucky’s record has been on the charts for A YEAR AND A HALF! This reporter’s stock actually escalated because of this article. His website probably shut down from all the hits, so his boss thinks he’s doing a good job. Well, either way, it’s out there, and people will do what they do. I harbor no resentment for him, because for this one bad review, I have read 100 great ones about the show, from more esteemed and widely published reporters. Again, your unwavering support is fantastic, and it really makes me smile. Plus I can’t wait to send him our new punk record next year.
So there’s your dose of, well, I’m not sure, but it’s a dose of something. Maybe a lesson for the week. Try and stay positive and not step on others. And remember that words can hurt a lot more than a punch in the gut. Now check the calendar and come out to one of our shows. Because really – shouldn’t you judge for yourself?
See you on the road!!
10-19-08
Wait! It’s only Sunday!
Good morning! I am throwing everyone a curveball here by posting my journal on a Sunday. The bus got in at 8 this morning and leaves out again in about 12 hours for three more days, so I thought I’d knock this out while the shows are still fresh in my head. At least I think I remember where we’ve been. Hang on, let me grab the schedule…
We started out a long 90 miles from Nashville in Huntsville, AL at Sammy T’s. I have played there a few times in my career, and honestly, every time has been sub par. Case in point this time – the owner, looking to ‘cash in’, in my opinion set the ticket prices too high, and attendance was low. Bucky doesn’t set the prices – the promoters and venues set that – so it makes us look bad when prices are so high. Those of you that went, thank you, and thanks for helping us have a good time.
Day two was a rainy one, and we honestly didn’t think Aiken, SC was going to get a show. We went on a half an hour early, and beat the rain, with the clouds opening just as we did our encore. The stage was slick as can be, so walking on it was like being in a hockey rink. My knees and back were a mess the next day – imagine trying to stay upright on a frozen pond with a 12 pound weight on your shoulder. That’s what we did for almost 90 minutes. And thank you to those wonderful fans that rode out the storm with us.
Day three found us in Pensacola, FL at the fairgrounds. We really needed that show – the place was packed to the gills (my one oceanfront reference for the week), and we had a really good time. It’s amazing how the energy from a crowd can push us. Bucky pulls from that energy, and you can see the genuine smile on his face. That’s just one of the many positive aspects of that boy. As many of you know already – he really is a genuine and good person. And you just see what’s on stage. I get to see it 24 hours a day on the bus.
Speaking of on the bus, I want to take a sec to talk about someone special on our bus. His name is Brian, and he is our production manager/monitor engineer. As a musician, we need to hear ourselves. Brian makes sure we can hear what we are doing, and get as close as possible to what we need every night. That’s a tough job when you have a lot of changing factors every show. He jumps right in every day and works very hard to make sure we are taken care of.
As you travel and work with people, there is a bond that happens, and that bond carries to the stage. The chemistry sparks things onstage that are spontaneous, and then things start happening with just a look, or even body language. Tom, Jeff and I have been playing together a little while, so that happens all the time, and here we are a year later with Bucky, and that is happening almost nightly as well. That’s on the musician side. It also happens when I look out to the front of house engineer and we smile at each other, or when I look over at Brian, and he is already reading my mind and making adjustments.
Yesterday I looked over at Brian, and just smiled, because now he has all my monitor cues in his head, so I don’t really have to ask for anything, just baby adjustments as my mood requires. Last night as I hit one particular song where I bump up some vocal level, it was already there, and all I could do was smile. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but remember that Brian has monitor duties over seven people onstage, all needing things throughout the show. That bond is one more little reason I love what I do. So thank you Brian, for being you, and for making us sound good night after night after night.
So now I get to watch the Steelers, which I am very excited about. Then I pack up, and head to Pittsburgh in the morning. Ironic, or something, I know, but it’s family week. I’ll see peeps tomorrow, and in Raleigh on Tuesday. It’s a good week to tell someone you care, so why don’t you?
See you on the road!
10-13-08
Oh no, I found America…
Hi. It’s Monday. Again. Usually you are reading this at work, trying to figure out which stack you want to conquer on your desk first. Hopefully, if you are like the millions of others around the country who work in banking, mail delivery, and for some reason the garbage collectors, then enjoy your day off. We give praise to Columbus, who basically already knew there was land here, because his brother made a copy of a map made by the Chinese about 60 years before Columbus set sail. If you want to celebrate today in style, read 1421: The year the Chinese discovered America. It’s a really fascinating theory.
This week we set out to discover America in a tour bus loaded with guitars and dirtbikes. Day one was spent in Delhi, LA, which was literally in the middle of nowhere. The boys (Rocky, Bucky, and Mick) had their motocross bikes out, so they went riding during the day at the venue, which was on 1600 acres away from most cell phone coverage and law enforcement. The High Delta Ranch has an exotic animal preserve (we were feeding camels, yak, and, strangely enough, Chinese Deer), and a big party barn/bar where we played. The place was like a big backyard party. I knew I was in the country when I was standing behind the bar, and the bartender hands me a live chicken. My new chicken friend was cute, and it was the first time I have held a chicken, so there it is. Now I have avian flu. Ahh, the sacrifice…
We had a long 3 hour drive to Shreveport, LA the next day (that was sarcasm), where we were playing the Red River Arts Festival. Shreveport has been a stop on my tour schedule for years, and it seems that every time I go, I eat at the Blind Tiger. It’s just at the foot of the bridge downtown, for those of you going, and it is amazing. I actually ate there twice on Saturday. We don’t get good Cajun food very often. I told the guys that each time I have been to town, it has been with a different band, but it seems that each time is a more positive situation. It’s interesting where you find the benchmarks in your life. Mine happens to be in a big bowl of gumbo and bread pudding for dessert.
The show was a lot of fun. It was a huge festival stage, and the weather was perfect. The river was our backdrop, and the crowd was decent, considering the LSU/Florida game was on TV, and the Cheetah Girls were playing across town. Hard to compete, but I was happy with the showing, as was Bucky. I have to say a huge, wonderful thank you to Glenda for bringing me a bag of Starbucks goodies. I am sipping as I type.
Last night, Sunday night, was another show, but this one a quickie downtown. We played for the ‘decision makers’ that book fairs and festivals around the country. It was a private show, and we only played 3 songs. There were a bunch of bands performing, but our little block was cool – it was us, then Sawyer Brown, then Jack Ingram. I was talking with Mark Miller and Jack on our bus before the show, and it’s a pretty cool thing to have watched Mark and Co. on Star Search so many years ago, and to now be working with him. He is really an inspiration to anyone in this business, for he has been around for 27 years. Not many people have careers like that.
So I am off today, and headed out to crash a golf tournament in town. Steve Cropper, another hero of mine is hosting his annual fund raiser. We are going to watch him get inducted into the Musician’s Hall of Fame in a couple of weeks here in Nashville. If you have a minute, ‘Google’ him. He is legendary.
So I am off and up out. Enjoy this fantastic day. Tackle everything you want to tackle, and don’t take no for an answer. Unless the question you ask is ‘Do I have to pay my rent this month?’ We have a lot of shows in the coming week – 6 in 7 days, I believe. There are only about 20 shows left on the books for the year, so get out while you can!
See you on the road!!
PS- A special thanks to everyone who has watched the Ol’ Kentuck video on myspace. If you haven’t seen it, give it a peek.
10-06-08
Fore!!
Good morning, good morning! So it’s Monday, and here we are, once again, on a sleepy morning, laptop in lap, coffee in system, and thoughts of summer in my head. Summer is over, but for some reason, our summer has been extended a little bit into October, once again making us the luckiest people in the world. The weather is still great out – so get out in it! But first…
Our shows this week were everywhere. Or maybe it just seemed like it. We started our long journey in upstate NY at a college in Brockport for a show with Craig Morgan. He is such a great guy to play with, and his band is really down-to-earth as well. We finished our show and found our way to a local watering hole, located on the Erie Canal. I am a sucker for cool history like that. And coupled with Blue Moon? Can’t beat it. Except the next morning.
Day 2 – Aurora, Indiana. For the longest time I thought we were going to Illinois, but I was wrong. I was hoping to make Wayne and Garth references, but maybe next time. We were with Heidi Newfield from Trick Pony, and set up right in the middle of town. I love being set up like that. There were people up and down every street packed in to see the show, and we had an absolute blast. We got some great video footage of the show, so maybe that will show up in a future clip.
Speaking of, the Ol’ Kentuck video is now online, so we put it in the show. The response was fantastic, which means some of you have been watching. A million thank you’s for checking that out. I am pretty happy with the final edit, and I am looking to do more, maybe from this record. I’ll keep you posted. For now, please enjoy the video, and watch it early and often.
Day 2 found us in Lancaster, PA. We played this festival last year, but this year it was at a different location. So 20,000 people and a really, really good show later, I was changed out of my rock and roll clothes and into my collared shirt for as much golf as we could fit in before sundown. The show was located on a golf course – the driving range, actually, so Jeff, Mick and I snuck away for a few holes. The best part was looking over the #2 green, which was on this hill overlooking the people we just played for. That was a sight. As far as my game – the drives were fairly straight, but the greens were smokin’ fast. That blew it for me.
Because Monday is my journal day (and because I have to hit the ground running tomorrow), I am updating you without finishing the week. I am on the bus in Winston-Salem right this second, getting ready to go work out and then shower. Is that TMI? My point is I will probably forget to report on this show next week (At least I am honest), so I guess you’ll have to get in the car and join us tonight. We’re on at 7:30, for those of you making the trip. And since Bucky tried out for American Idol right down the street in Greensboro, then it’s a sort of homecoming.
So no big revelations today, no big insights. Yes, the all-knowing, super smart-ass Steve has nothing to comment on. Write that down. For once I have nothing to say, except that the Steelers rock. And speaking of, after the game last night, Bucky went into a truck stop in PA and bought me a Steeler football. Can you understand why I am happy all the time?
See you on the road!
09-29-08
I Swear…
Sip. Ahh. Wait. Sip. Ahh. OK – Now we can get our fingers moving in the proper typing sequence. It’s 7 something Monday morning. I don’t know about you folks, but I like the back end of 7, not the front end (which reminds me – I need to look into getting back to New Orleans once the crime eases up). It’s a fantastic September morning, very similar to the mornings I would have to stand and wait for the bus. And very similar to that one time the dump truck driver ran over my lunchbox. Looking back, in his defense, it would have been funny as hell to do, but of course, I didn’t think so at the time, and it was plain mean. We used to line our lunchboxes up at the bus stop, so how could a big truck resist running over 5 shiny, new lunchboxes all lined up for him? Sad, really.
Back to business. I started off with ‘I Swear’ because we started our week with an acoustic show featuring Joe Nichols and John Michael Montgomery. If I started the entry with ‘Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off’ my Mom would be on the phone immediately. (Both are song titles Mom, so I am not swearing and doing shots – it’s too early for that). It was a writer’s-night type of show to benefit St. Jude’s, and it was a blast. It was odd- we had to bus in and back 3 hours each way because the rest of the band was in the next town. All told, we spent about 24 hours on that bus, with a small break to do the show. Ahh, the life.
Since we were already in Morris, IL, the next day was a breeze. We had a chance to walk around and check out the Grundy county corn festival, and since it was held downtown, we got to see some of Morris. It was nice – they have a lot going on downtown for such a small town. I don’t know if you read TMZ, but there was a report a couple months ago about moving the show because of the crowds that were expected. TMZ of course was poking fun, but sorry to tell you that they could have had the show at a minor league baseball stadium and it would have filled up. I couldn’t see where the crowd stopped it went so far back into the city streets. Easily 5000 people. Thanks for making that show special, and for the die-hard Bucky fans who make the shows great.
Then day three was in Hillsdale, Michigan with another huge performer, Tracy Lawrence. Once again, listening to someone like Tracy with hit after hit after hit is pretty cool. Tracy is also having Michael Scott do a couple of songs during the set. If you recall, we met Michael during the Fisher’s ATV shoot in WV. He is also on Tracy’s record label. Nice to see him out and on the road, and not stuck in the mud like in the new video for Ol’ Kentuck.
Ooh wait. Was I supposed to say that? Hmm, well, I guess I did. Yes, there is a new video for Ol’ Kentuck, and it should be on youtube, myspace, etc this week. Here’s the kicker – it should also be on GAC.com and CMT.com, so if the response is big enough…maybe…just maybe…you have the power to see it air. (And how cool would that be?) Once it’s posted, then drop me a line, and let me know what you think. I happen to know the guy who directed it.
That’s it for the report from last weekend. I am about to hit the dentist. Maybe literally if he hurts me. We just got a new calendar, so I’ll have the powers that be update the tour dates today as well. Thanks for checking in, and enjoy the week. The word for the week – focus.
See you on the road!
09-23-08
It’s always something…
Happy Tuesday, everybody. For those of you that tuned in yesterday, only to be let down by a lack of new material, then I hope my small apology is enough for you to keep coming back. I SWEAR journal day is still Monday. Once again, as soon as the bus hit town, I was out of town, and had another much-needed break. So here I am, fresh from out of the car and on the laptop to fill you in with the week that was.
We travel a lot. I know that’s sort of a silly thing to say, but we really do. And we have played a lot of places, so sometimes we get to return to towns or fairs or venues. The best part about that is the food, but also being somewhere familiar helps us out. We were at Coyote Joe’s in Charlotte, NC on Friday night. We were there a couple times with Trent, and now a couple of times with Bucky. It was one of our first shows with Bucky, so coming back with a whole new show was great. It’s nice to see progress, and we are encouraged by the great strides we have made. The fans were really great, and for some reason, security didn’t let us near the inflatable bull arena. Maybe our reputation precedes us…
Day two found us in Bloomsburg Pennsylvania, which has the largest fair in the state. They shut down school for this thing. Yeah, um, maybe the kids should keep learning how to read, and we’ll let the grownups handle the concession stand. But who am I? We shared the bill with Jason Michael Carrol and Jason Aldean. All we needed was Jason and the Scorchers, and Jason Mraz, and we would have been set. Huge rockstar stage and huge rockstar light show made for a great opening set for us. We can hurt you with our long set, but we’ll totally knock you out in 30 minutes. And we did. Both Jasons sounded great as well, and I’m really happy for Jason Aldean and his success over the past few years.
We had a run up north to finish out the week. It took us to Rochester, NY, which is home of well, Lake Ontario for one, and Kodak. So I am to assume there are great pictures of the lake somewhere. We weren’t really sure about the show – it was cold and rainy when we got there, but it cleared up, and we had a fantastic night. Who would have thought I could have such a great time on a night when the Steelers lose?
I woke up the next morning ashamed. I whole-heartedly took the blame for everybody getting home late on Monday. See, we were supposed to roll at 9PM. I was inside hanging with the locals, and I went back on the bus for a sec. That’s when everybody came back inside, and we ended up staying until the bar closed. Now, I didn’t force all those people back in the bar, and I didn’t tell them all to stay as long as they did, but it just sort of happened that way. I think we needed it – It was Don’s last night as our tour manager, and it was our new tour manager Mick’s birthday. Double-edged sword there.
So the bus got back to Nashville around 4PM, and everyone was trying to figure out how much gas we had in our cars, because there is no gas here in Nashville. It’s like Mad Max part 4. I am growing out my mohawk and sharpening swords. It seems that’s the next logical step. Regression.
I hope that you are enjoying fall, since it is now officially fall. We start to make the holiday plans and get the kids ready for mid terms, and get the jackets out of storage. Things are tight for everybody financially, and with gas up, it’s nice that we had a cooler summer than last, so AC didn’t kill us. Of course, the hurricanes brought havoc down South, but we are getting through that, too. Good or bad, it comes and it goes. The economy rises and falls, but eventually evens out. The weather does the same, as well as most things in life. All we can do is try and remember that – putting the good in our memories to make us smile, but the bad in the back for reference so we can learn from the down times, and know that it will all even out.
See you on the road!
09-16-08
Fat Tuesday?
Good evening, my friends. Having a website is a challenge sometimes. It is even more of a challenge when one or two people expect a journal entry on Monday to help them through the first workday of the week. I know how I feel without morning coffee, so to those of you (and there were a lot) that logged on yesterday in search of your light literary fix, then I am sorry the pusherman didn’t come through. I was on vacation. Honest. I was in Atlanta visiting family for a couple of days. That was my break for the year. (and yes, I enjoyed it)
So last week was interesting in the fact that King Konga got back together. For those of you that only know me from the country world, I will give you some back story and get you up to speed. King Konga (horrible name but great music) was an acoustic rock band started back in 1994 by friends of mine in college. In 1995, I left Nashville and went back to Hattiesburg, MS (where I have my degree), and joined the band to seek fortune and fame. Neither happened, but we played about 1200 shows (mostly in the Southeast – inside joke), all over the country and sold about 30,000 records independently. We were sort of favorite sons of Hattiesburg (if I may be so bold), and had an amazing time doing what we loved.
We broke up in 2002, and it took me a little while to find my way after that. I honestly thought I would be in that band much longer, and our success would be enough to sustain us for a while. I was wrong. However, a good thing never dies, and by some act of Congress, we reunited in 2005 for a New Year’s Eve show. That was a healing that we all needed, and we made a lot of people happy to get back together.
After that we spoke of recording or touring or just hanging out again, but life gets in the way. We are all tackling new projects now, so a full-blown reunion is pretty much shot. However, once in a little while a cause comes along that is strong enough to knock the cobwebs off the old songs and have some fun. Last week was one of those causes. It was a benefit for some friends that are having a hard time with covering medical bills. For them to ask us to help out was awesome, and the fact that it all came together was even better.
The town of Hattiesburg has changed a lot since we lived there. I will say though, that the ‘hood that I lived in has not. I stayed in a run-down house that was $375 a month with 3-4 people living there, and had a hard time making rent every month. I lived there 5 years. I drove the streets in disbelief at the absolute poverty I was in the middle of trying to make my dream happen. The funny part is that I didn’t know better. Of course, I knew there were bigger houses out there, and they probably didn’t have rats and roaches, but I certainly couldn’t afford it, so we made the best of what we had. And worked harder.
Of course, it didn’t pay off. Or did it? There is an expression called ‘paying your dues’. That’s sort of a crap statement, because for a lot of people, they pay dues their whole life. I look at every thing as ‘paying my dues’. You still have to work (even if you hit the lottery – you may disagree, but call me in 6 months when you are bored to tears). You still need to work hard and take something away from everything you do. Learning is key to working it all out later on. I think that’s what made King Konga so special. We were ignorant sons of bitches, so we look at our past with a smile, and chalk it all up to being naïve.
Our show was fine enough, although the rain kept a lot of people away. I don’t know what the grand total was for money raised, but I do know we had a really good time getting back together, rehearsing, and just hanging out. We saw a lot of people that we haven’t seen in years, and in many respects, we got to go back in time, if just for a night. We are very lucky, indeed.
So flash forward to reality, where I got back on the bus at midnight, literally delirious from severe lack of sleep during the week. I was working on 3 hours of sleep, and about 12 total from the three days I was in Hattiesburg, so I slept like a pet rock on the way to Abingdon, Va. I was also ready to play. The crowd for Bucky’s show was 6000 strong, and where we had a week off, it felt really good to play together again. Poor Rocky, though, he had his wisdom teeth pulled, so he was pretty miserable. But he pulled through.
So to all that attended both shows this past week, thank you for stopping by. We can’t do it without you. Some big changes to the website will hopefully happening soon, too, so maybe I can give you more to look at/listen to. Thanks again, and...
See you on the road!
09-07-08
So what did you do in the last 24 hours?
Happy groggy Sunday afternoon. I am back at home after what seemed to be a dream. We had a fly date to Seattle (actually about 20 miles outside of Seattle) Saturday, and instead of trying to explain how nuts it was for us, I’ll give you the famous Steve Cook timeline journal entry to try and show the toll one of these days takes. If I get a couple of times wrong, then, well, I just plain don’t remember…
Sept 6 –
5:30 (AM) Arise and pack. This was an easy one, because we weren’t spending the night. Gig clothes worn on the plane, but I did carry a laptop. This is important later.
7:00 – Meet the band at the airport to check 17 pieces of gear. Gear is important to play shows. This is also important later.
8:30 – Flight to Denver. A short 3-hour jaunt where I get the middle seat and can’t sleep. Perfect start to the day, having gone to bed late the night before due to staying up and working…
10:45 – Flight lands in Denver, but we are informed we have 15 minutes until the connecting flight takes off. 10 sleepy people, 7 dressed as rock stars quickly walk through Denver airport to make the flight. I also woofed down a hot dog as I was walking in the jetway. Healthy and attractive.
11:00 – I get a window seat so I can sleep. Very excited, especially since the scenery headed west is beautiful, too.
11:30 (I think) I fall asleep.
11:45 (I think) man behind me is trying to figure out the correct deployment of tray table to accommodate his in-flight beverage service, which takes several minutes, including opening his Coke next to my head and repeatedly pushing my seat forward.
12:12 PM - I fall back asleep
12:30 – I am convinced the man behind me is using his tray table and my seat to train his jumping monkeys, and they have chosen to use my flight to perfect their routine.
1:30 – Flight lands in Seattle. Say hello to bass player from the band Live while waiting for our gear. Turns out I could have had a much longer conversation. Where we have legs, our gear does not, so it didn’t make the connecting flight. We pile in a van and decide to head to the venue, and start trying to figure out who needs what and what to do in a ‘worse case’ scenario where our gear doesn’t show.
2:30 – Stop at McDonalds for yet another dose of healthy nourishment. Now I’m working on pissed off sleep and a ton of fat and sugar. This is second to ‘waterbaording’ on the federal torture list
3:00 arrive at the fairgrounds. Very nice accommodations, people, and look – food – We walk around aimlessly, because, well, we have no gear to set up. The backline company does have guitars they are bringing over, so enter in the ‘pot luck’ portion of our program. Speaking of, a couple of fried chicken legs make their way into my stomach. Now we’ve moved on to deep-fried gluttony. Sad, really.
5:00 – The company that provided the bulk of our gear for this show is now providing 99.5% of it. We are allowed to play one song for soundcheck, and then the arena is used for a rodeo.
5:30-8 bored to tears. I am not a huge college football fan, but I do like football, so I watch the backstage TV, but find myself walking in circles around the backstage area and arena, maybe looking for a place to nap.
8:30 – Tensions mount because the rodeo is running late, and we have to be on the flight at 11:18 to make it back home before 6 PM the next day.
9:10 – We watch the last of the bull riders, and we are set up to play in record time, standing on stage waiting for the lights to go out.
9:15 – The intro starts up as we fire into our hour-long set.
10:15 – With the last notes still lingering in the air and the stage still dark, we pile into a running van behind the arena to get us to the airport, which is a 35 minute drive. Do the math, and well, you know…to add a cherry our driver says ‘I’ll do a couple miles over the limit, but it’s not worth me getting a ticket to get you there for your flights’. Hmmm
10:22, We finally get moving with a police escort. Well, it’s a walking Police escort. I’m not kidding. Not exactly Led Zeppelin. They had to make sure we didn’t hit anyone on the midway on our way out. It’s pretty lame, and we make our way to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
10:30 – Check watch
10:32 – Check watch
10:40 – Shown the time by Brian
10:43 – Check watch
11:01 – After checking my watch for the 20th time, we finally arrive at the airport. Now picture 10 people sprinting to security.
11:04 – Now my stage boots have morphed into running shoes, as Brian, Jeff, Ducky, and myself sprint for the gate, which is literally at the end of the world. We are also carrying backpacks full of what may as well been rocks. Nocturnal 2000m Rock Sprint Unofficial standings – Gold – Jeff Cease (USA), Silver – Steve Cook (USA), Bronze, Ducky Medlock (USA)
11:10 – The last of our crew arrives on the plane, winded, sweaty exhausted from the day.
11:18 PM – I am once again in a middle seat, trying to figure out how to get any sleep before we land in Chicago at 4:45AM.
(Time unknown) – This flight was a blur, dozing in and out, with the man next to me sleeping with his tray table down, rendering the lavatories useless. So now I am tired, hungry, and have to pee. For 3 hours.
6:20 AM – Connecting flight to Nashville is not full, I have a window seat in an exit row, and my shoes are off and I am fast asleep. At least for an hour.
7:45 – We touch down in Nashville, and head to baggage claim, which is what normal flights do. We wait for our gear so we can get home and all crash hard.
8:00 – No luggage
8:30 – Still no luggage.
8:45 – Still no luggage, and no one to help us on a Sunday morning, so I walk up to the ticketing counter, where it seems there are ticketing problems of every kind, so I go back to baggage.
9:00 – Gear finally arrives on the belt, and we are finally on our way home. A scant 25 hour trip away from the house.
9:30 – I pass out at my home, and get up around noon-thirty, trying to remember everything that happened so I could get it all down for you here. Someone order me a pizza. Better yet, celery sticks. I’m on a diet again.
See you on the road!!!
09-01-08
I guess we’ll sleep later…
Good evening, and happy Labor Day to you all. It is a day to reflect. A day to reflect on, um, working? Sales at the mall? To honor the American worker? I am confused as to the reason for Labor Day, except to boost sales of charcoal (I’m a sucker, so I bought some today), and the sales of steak (yes, I bought one of those, too), and to maybe give us some breathing room after the kids started school. Of course, when I was a wee lad, school started after Labor Day, so I have no idea what is going on these days. That sort of was the theme for the past week of touring.
I owe you a report from last week’s shows. At this point, all I remember was getting back home from Jamaica and asleep at 11PM, only to rise again at 4AM to catch a flight to upstate NY. It was a huge show with Keith Anderson, who is pretty darn cool, and then we had to book it down to NC for a show with Jack Ingram, who we just saw in Jamaica. It was family day, for Bucky had his folks there, and my Dad and stepmom came over for the show, too. Day 3 on that run was up to Baltimore, where we played a show at 4 in the afternoon on a Sunday, which I don’t get at all, but there we were, roasting in the afternoon sun. After a scant 12 hours home, we enjoyed 2 days off then we were back at it.
Now, 2 days home isn’t a bunch, especially when we have been out so much. Am I complaining? Hell no! I was still tan. We hustled up to Duqouin, IL for a show with Kellie Pickler. Not a fan. Sorry, Kellie – you don’t do it for me. I’m allowed to have an opinion, right? Now, before the hate mail comes in, know that I am quite sure there are one or two artists you don’t like, either, so think before you email…
Now begins the whirlwind. We left Nashville on Friday, the 29th for Reno, NV. It was two flights, 22 pieces of gear and luggage, and not a lot of sleep. The flights were packed, but entertaining, for Bucky was picked to hand out peanuts and pretzels to the people on the plane. I’ll post the video from it later, but it was pretty funny. The show was part of the world-wide Ribfest, so the smell of sauce-soaked meat permeated the desert air like a familiar beacon to us southern boys. My Dad and stepmom were at this show, too (quite the world travelers they are), and as tired as we were, the show was fantastic. There were easily 5000 people packed in to see us, and it was the boost we needed. Of course, we had to be at the airport at 11PM to take the red-eye to Minnesota via Houston. Go figure.
We were hassled at the airport, which for a bunch of weary musicians is not a good thing. We were already pretty tired from our day starting in Nashville at 5 that morning, and now Miss Rules behind the counter was trying to charge us for every pound of baggage we had over a certain amount, which was crap because coming in we had no problems. After that mess, we slept for a couple hours before we hit Houston, then slept for a couple more into Minneapolis. The bus met us at the airport, and we could have all kissed the tires. The next 5 hours were awfully quiet as we all napped before the next show, which was a scant hour and a half after we arrived. So now we’re stinky from no showers, hungry, road-weary, and our show starts in no time at all. Such is the path we chose.
We didn’t stick around for Lorrie Morgan or Joe Nichols. I do like them, but we were on a mission. Showers and food. We got to the casino, and managed both in record time, and I felt like a million bucks. I crawled in my bunk early – freshly shaven and fed – and slept like a baby. The next show was only 4 hours away, and it was at another casino. You know it was literally just last night that we played, and it seems like last week. Already. Our bus driver made record time, so we were all able to enjoy some of the Labor Day holiday. I say holiday, but you know me – everyday is a holiday. The only way I knew something was up was that my mail didn’t come.
So kudos this week go to our bus driver, Billy for getting us everywhere safely and fast as hell, Dakota, the superfan who has a deer as a pet, of which I am jealous, because having a deer come when you call is pretty cool, the fan who brought me a river rock last night, even though I couldn’t get it, that was very cool, and my Dad, who made 2 shows in a week on opposite coasts, and to Southwest Airlines, who ALWAYS take care of musicians, and are so very nice.
Big thumbs down to the ceviche at the raw bar at the Nugget. Glorified fish bait. Thumbs down to US Airways Airlines, the crappiest, saddest, worst excuse for transportation since the slave ships of the 1700’s. I am not kidding. I know we’ll have to fly them again at some point, but it won’t be long enough. Can you tell I am not a fan? How about some courtesy, and maybe a smile?
With that rant complete, I have given you the full update. I am leaving my house 24 hours from now, so I think I’ll build my entertaining bar outside. I kid. I did, however stain the deck in one of my half days off. I just can’t sit around idle.
So the reunion show for King Konga is a go. It’s in Hattiesburg, MS on Sept. 11, and I cannot wait. Mostly to hang with my boys that I have known for about 15 years. Plus, we get to play some music, and to help out an old friend. If you are close, then you need to see this show. It’s going to be very special.
See you on the road!!!
08-25-08
Lively Up Yourself!
Good morning, and welcome back. I am once again sitting on my comfy couch, a little more tan and world-traveled since last we spoke. I am going to try and recall the trip we took to the little 3.8 million-strong (and fast gold-medal winning) nation of Jamaica, reported growers of pot, distillers of fine rum, and lovers of all. And if you have money, it doesn’t hurt, either.
We arrived at Montego Bay later than expected, but we caught our little overcrowded shuttle to the Beaches resort, and found our way in to our seaside rooms. It wasn’t terribly late, but the beach was beautiful, and for me, it was just good to smell the salt air again. It’s different from Virginia Beach, but a beach is a beach.
Jamaica is a very beautiful and proud country. What they don’t have in money or infrastructure, they have in tranquility and national pride. It was totally evident when the Olympics were on every TV ‘round the clock, with the country coming to a stop every time a replay of the medal races were shown. (That was at least 100 times a day, so imagine how much LESS was getting done). The beauty was everywhere, from the little lagoons with a lone fishing skiff anchored in shallow water to the ruins of sugar refineries from the 1700’s we passed on horseback to the tropical foliage lining the roads.
Back in 2001, I went on a USO tour with King Konga, and we headed to the South Pacific, where we were instructed that the shows there would probably be unorganized and to ‘go with the flow’. Well, the same held true in Jamaica. Jeff and I basically had to set up the show for the resort, because they weren’t prepared for 5 acoustic guitars. We made it work, playing barefoot and in linen pants, with a Red Stripe at my feet and a song in my heart. In our gift bag we were given disposable cameras, which we used while James Otto and Jack Ingram were playing. I’ll post a couple when I get time.
All in all, I had an amazing time, and being in the birthplace of reggae was a pilgrimage for me, so I am glad I had the chance to go. It’s sad, because it is a poor country, and from what I am told, unsafe after dark off resort property, so my adventurous spirit was kept in check, because there were about 100 rum bars that we passed with my name on them. I only left the resort twice, and the cab ride from Sandals resort to Beaches was some of the scariest moments of my life. Note to self – 2:30 AM is NOT the time to ride in a cab in Jamaica.
I had all of 7 hours at home before I had to be up (4AM) to catch a flight to upstate, NY to meet the band. I will start in with those shows in a few days, but I thought I would give you the ocean report first.
It seems that with every glimmer of goodness that comes into my life, a dark shadow is lurking around the corner. I returned home to Nashville to find that a dear friend of mine passed away suddenly while I was away. I had just spoken with him 2 weeks before and was looking forward to filling him in on my trip. I try and preach it everyday, but tomorrow is not guaranteed, so live life, and give a hug when you can. One day, you won’t be able to.
But on to some exciting news. It seems that King Konga will be reuniting for a show in September. I believe it's Sept.11, to be exact, and I am happy as can be. We have been talking about playing again, and a friend is in need of some help with mounting medical bills, so we are doing a show to help out. If you are near Hattiesburg, MS at that time, come see the boys that helped shape who I am today.
See you on the road!!!
08-17-08
Welcome to Jamaica. Have a Nice Day!
Good morning, Good morning, Good morning! I am in the jump seat of the bus, about 45 minutes from Nashville, watching the trees and slow rolling hills go by, getting ready to trade this landscape for another. In about 4 hours, I am jumping on a plane to Jamaica, and the phone and computer are staying home. For the first time in a long time I am getting away. There is a Hobie cat and a mojito with my name on it somewhere, and it’s my turn to find it.
The day-to-day of the past week has been dizzying. It went Michigan to West Virginia to Virginia, which on paper doesn’t sound bad, but factor in small, remote towns, lots of fried foods, and small stages, then it takes its toll. But working out takes the bite out of travel. Lesson #1 – working out really does help with more than just health.
Up in Michigan we played with all-around good guy Craig Morgan. It was a fine show, and a good hang afterwards. He and his band are really nice, and the cool summer nights have really been good to us, as opposed to last year, where the oppressing heat took a bite out of everyone. (Like how I used two ‘opp’ words?) Plus, we’re playing more at night, which I like because it means you are the headliner.
Two shows in West Virginia were next on tap, and really, uneventful. The first night Jeff and I opted for the gym and sleep rather than the hotel bar with the rest of the crew, and I am glad I did. I know it’s not very rock star, but remember, I am going to a resort soon. (Did I mention that?) Not only am I saving it up – I mean drinks are free – but I need to get into my yellow speedo again.
So on to Virginia. I am always excited to get to the Motherland, and seeing some family was good and much-needed. The only bad part about this is not seeing family and friends as often as I would like. Of course, I know a lot of people who can’t wait to get away from their family, so go figure. Once again, after the show, we partied in rock star fashion at the Huddle House and hit the bed. Have we become lame? Adult? Boy, I hope not.
Then it’s off to Berryville, VA for the last show of the run. Demolition derby, corn dogs, and homemade rocky road cake. That was our day. Then we were packed in record time to get back to Nashville so Jeff and I can catch our flights. Of course now we have a few hours to chill at the house before we leave, so that helps out at lot. We really have the best crew – I mean, they are on break for the next few days, too, but not to Jamaica. They busted their butts to get us out of there last night so we could get home before our flights. My metaphorical hat is off to them.
Which reminds me – since I have time, I should repack, and put my straw cowboy hat in the bag. Tomorrow at this time, I should be in the water with said hat on, sailing around without a care in the world. OK, who am I kidding. I’m going to be hungover, and sleeping it off under a Caribbean sky. Bucky flies down on Tuesday to join us for the ‘work’ section of this trip, then we get back Thursday to get back on the bus for another week. And like I have said a thousand times before, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I spoke with a few of you this week that read this and watch the videos I post on Bucky’s myspace, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Jeff is now known as ‘Mr. Pizza’, and many of you have said you are living through me. Well, I am trying my best not to let you down. I’ll give you the full report from the ocean later this week.
See you on the road!
08-11-08
I have no idea what is going on right now…
Good morning. We have a lot to get to today, so everybody take a seat and let’s dive right in, shall we? Ouch. That sounded like an 8AM college class. I hated 8AM classes, especially my first year, until I realized that if I went to school early in the day, I had the afternoon off. I had a 3 o’clock class once, and it was miserable. That post-lunch nap time was being interrupted by some sort of sociology class, and well, if this job isn’t a lesson in that, I don’t know what is. I do know that I escaped college with a fresh outlook on what I was going to do with the rest of my life, and well, it had nothing to do with what I am doing now. Funny how that works.
I will let you in on a little secret. We have been a little busy. It was my intention to update you all a little more often than once a week, but we have been playing just about every night, and honestly, that does take a toll. So the bus rolled in at 5 this morning, and the dryer is running (It’s 7:15, btw), and I am hazy; my body is not awake, my mind only slightly ahead of the curve, and I have a laundry list next to me of what I have to do today, and oddly enough, laundry has been crossed off. We go back out at midnight tonight for another long run that will basically take us through the rest of the month. You have the scene, let’s have a look at the highlight reel.
We have been everywhere in the past week, but one highlight of mine was in upstate New York. We had a day off, so Bucky treated us all to an amusement/water park. Picture 7 of us running around acting like children for a day. It’s kind of what we do anyways, but this time without guitars. We had a blast, and in the middle of a big run, it was a perfect release. Plus we got some sun.
The next day we played a rodeo in upstate NY, which had the stage built above the chute. During the day, some ranch hand walks the bulls around the ring to keep them exercised. Well, being bored and adventurous, I jumped in the ring, too. First, let me say I was scared to death. No joke – a dozen bulls in the ring, with the hand telling me which ones like to charge. I guess I was keeping a theme going from last week’s wrestling debacle – take on huge impossible tasks. The thing is, where as it was scary, it wasn’t totally crazy. (I was told) as long as you show them who is boss, they don’t realize they can stomp you. I think there is a lesson in there – keep your wits about you, and you can conquer the bull. Or at least get out of the ring in one piece.
After that show, we went up to the bar for a few drinks to unwind. We were in a corner table. Next to us were Bucky and Rocky, with cameras flashing and fans vying for autographs. Jeff and I decided to have some fun. We took our shirts off and sat there for a minute to see if anyone noticed. Of course they didn’t. Just another random act of lunacy.
So here’s the timeline of that night. We left the show at 12:30AM, arriving at our hotel in Albany and getting to bed around 2:30AM. (John Fogarty’s band was checking in at the same time, which was pretty cool). 7AM lobby call, which means a bunch of sleepy boys. The flights were overbooked, so half of us went at 9, the other half at 10, one flight through Charlotte, the other through NYC. After delays and long layovers, we arrived in Indianapolis about 30 mins behind the other crew, and arrived at the site about an hour before show time. Of course, Bucky has interviews and fan time to manage as well, so I was really feeling for him. I did something awful though – I didn’t get back to a fan that needed a picture, and I really felt bad about it. I mean, we get it a lot, but I never take it for granted, so whoever you are, I am sorry I didn’t come back to get your shot. We’ll do it next time.
That brings us fairly up to speed. I appreciate you all checking in, and I will be back here very soon.
See you on the road!!
08-04-08
And the title goes to…
Happy Monday! Once again it’s Monday, but this time my location is that of a hotel bed in Warren, PA, for our day off. I am sitting here freshly worked out and sauna’d (if those are even legal terms) and I am trying my best to recall the past four days on the road. It’s not that we’ve been drunk the whole time, because, well, we have – Kidding! – the days have run together so badly that I don’t know which end is up. Like I said – careful what you wish for.
I know that we have been in Ohio a little bit, because there and Alaska are the two places my phone doesn’t work. It was too warm for Alaska, so guess what? That’s right. Ohio. At least I believe we are in Ohio. That is what the day sheets tell me, and honestly, I haven’t even looked to see where we are going on this run. I am taking the ignorance is bliss route. (NOTE: It’s now Tuesday evening late, and sadly, I am in the exact same hotel bed where I started typing this 36 hours ago. I apologize to my Monday visitors that had no love)
I’ve seen quite a few carnival rides and deep-fried everything on this trip, but the one day that I must get off my chest (Big pun that you will understand shortly) was from the show in Streetsboro. First of all, we played with Nelson. Now, for any child of the late 80’s, early 90’s you know that these two were, well, sort of lame, and pretty. They are now seen mostly on the ‘Remember the 90’s’ shows on VH1, where they make fun of themselves. Ok, so that chapter of weirdness started the night. (On a side note – Matt and Gunnar are very nice, and my shiny bass was envied – sukkas)
The whole day we heard of this bar in town to hit after the show. Now, we like going out, but a crowded bar right down the street from where we just played is going to cause chaos. So we chilled. Hung out at the hotel for a little bit, then snuck in about an hour before closing time. By this time the crowd had thinned, but the liquor had not, and the mechanical bull was in full swing. Yes, it gets weirder.
After a few shots of liquid courage and talking with Nelson, we moseyed on over to the bull ring, which was basically a big inflatable pen. OK, so I learned my lesson a couple of years ago – no more bulls on regular speed, so I took my chances on the lowest setting. Matter of fact, all of us did. Even Bucky. No pictures of that, but like a good brother, Rocky would tackle Bucky off the bull. Well, then that turned into a wrestling match, no bull needed. Back story: As you may know, our tour manager, Don Harris, was a wrestler for 20 years. The bartender that night was Dan Bobish, a UFC fighter, coming in at around 330 pounds. You see where this is going, right?
Earlier in the night, we tried arm-wrestling Dan, but to little avail. Jeff tried with all his might against Dan’s 2 fingers. No luck. So, more alcohol, please, because now that the wrestling has begun in the bullpen, Jeff and I challenged Don and Dan to a match. It was just about the funniest thing ever. Two skinny musicians taking on champions. We were bouncing off them like super balls. Bodies were flying – well, our bodies were flying, and at one point, Dan pinned me, collapsing my ribs. It was pretty scary, actually, because I couldn’t breathe at all, and my bones crumpled like an accordion. He let me up, and as I am panting, he said ‘I know what I did, it’s cool.’ Yikes, I say, yikes.
Don also tried to clothesline me at one point, and I ducked, so he caught me square in the nose. We laughed so hard, and the entire next day all of us couldn’t look at each other with a straight face. My nose is healing nicely, along with the bruises and aches. It was one for the books. I am glad the cameras weren’t rolling that night. It would have been a shameful display.
So again, sorry for the delay in my entry. We have the day off tomorrow, and I am hoping to get you caught up on a show or two, but I thought I would give you some really-behind-the-scenes action. Thanks for dropping by...
See you on the road!
07-27-08
It’s raining Mendon…
Happy Sunday. I threw you off a little, there, didn’t I? We rolled home this morning at around 7AM, and I guess I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to write. I will do a little test and see if my mind is more awake now or at 8AM. I have made some coffee, which is pretty ridiculous to be drinking at 9PM, but it’s only like my 7th or 8th cup after dinner. I’m sure I am what I am thinking I am going to be I am. Is this shirt grey or gray? What day is this? Am I a helicopter? Woooo! Ok, I’m kidding… I am back at my desk after cooking a nice dinner for myself, and ready to tackle the world.
This week has been odd – two days out, then 12 hours at home, then two or three days out again. It’s like going to 2 for 1 at the donut stand, and only getting one donut. I mean, if we’re gonna tour, then let’s tour! Oh wait. Careful what you wish for. I leave Wednesday until September. Check. Note to self – no more donuts. It hasn’t been bad. The best part of a short run is only packing one pair of jeans, two T-shirts, and my Superman undies. Of course, the next run I must learn discipline. Just because we’re leaving for a month doesn’t mean to empty all the dresser drawers. Note to self – we can do laundry.
Our first stop was in Mendon, IL, close to Hannibal, MO. The Adams county fair had your usual attractions – cows, pigs, and a rabbit pavilion. I grew up in the city, more or less, so it touches me when I see a boy walking his cow around. I mean, the cow is a few hundred pounds, and really doesn’t have to move at all, but for some reason, he does, and the cow has a friend. That is until Dad makes up a story about him getting out of the fence and there are burgers on the table the next night. Ouch. Slow down, Steve. I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t ruin it for anybody. There is a Santa Claus if that makes you feel better.
The bus was stuck in the mud in the morning, which we captured on video and I hope to have sent in later this week. It’s pretty amusing seeing two tractors on each end try and get the bus out. And speaking of mud, the show site was a mess. There were die-hard fans in the front, standing ankle-deep in mud to watch our show. It was insane. The show has really taken off lately, with new songs working their way in, and I will have to say, I love the sweaty summer shows. Peeling off jeans afterwards is always a challenge, but if I am sweating, I am happy. Why else would I mow at noon?
I am going to sort of break a code here. There is a bus code about conduct, and what is said and done, etc, but this one is too good. I hope he doesn't kill me for sharing, but Scott fell out of his bunk the other night. It scared the crap out of me. He’s embarrassed as hell about it, but we have all had our share of accidents (see: Steve : Entire life) I only share it because a) he wasn’t really injured (his pride more than anything else), and the joke of the night was that it was ‘Cloudy with a chance of Scott’ or ‘It’s raining Mendon’. And the best part: he wasn’t sleeping.
The next show was in Hot Springs, AR at an amusement park. Huge amphitheater, and blazing hot. (Again, careful what you wish for) Mid set we were playing ‘Seven Spanish Angels’, and the sky turned a beautiful color and made a fantastic backdrop for the thousands of people. They were watching our show, and we were watching God’s at the same time. It was so cool, we all sort of looked at each other as it was happening, and the crowd was oblivious. Kind of our little secret.
The bigger stages always get us fired up, so this show was a lot of fun for me, because I like to run. And sort of visit everyone onstage and have fun. Plus, it makes me sweat more. The facility was great, and the people running the backstage were very good to us. I’d love to get back there next year. And maybe I’ll be able to get on the roller coaster.
So I actually knocked out the lawn this afternoon, and barring any revisions about the Scott incident (still waiting on a text back as of post time), then my journal is done, and on to business. Like laundry and lots of wardrobe planning. Like which jeans/t-shirt combos am I wearing on the next run…
See you on the road!!
07-21-07
Man those cuffs hurt…
Good Morning! I used to say it must be Monday because I am typing, but I threw in a rogue journal entry a little while ago, and I am not sure how many people caught it. Of course, I am typing today, but in the next month or so, look for them every couple of days, because looking at my schedule, unless I ‘download’ my memory card (that would be my brain) onto my journal, I am not going to be able to tell you guys anything. My brain has trouble remembering the day, let alone what we did during the day before.
They say the ‘touring season’ is the summer, although with Bucky we have been touring non-stop since we came on board in November. It’s a great problem to have. In country music, we take the music to the people, which translates into fairs and festivals where said people congregate. We played our first show this week in Ohio at a fair, with some fine deputy sheriffs that helped me film a little myspace video clip. I had to get special permission to air it, so look for it in a few weeks. No animals were harmed in the filming. After a brief negotiation with the fair folks, the fans were allowed to come down front during the show, and it made the whole night much more fun.
We were in the sprawling metropolis of Belle, Missouri for day two of our little trip this week. Not much in Belle, but it is a nice part of the country. I had a fan reluctantly ask me for a picture at the show. She was hesitant because of the journal entry I posted about fans and their picture habits. I have no problems with anyone taking pictures, but when the fans get pushy, or snap 35 pictures and ask for one more, it gets a little taxing. I’ll talk to anyone, but when it gets rude, then it’s a little uncomfortable. For the most part, Bucky fans are great fans, and I truly do enjoy talking with them. And when they say they pop over here and read this, well, then my day has been made.
I saw a pig auction in Belle. (I know – rock and roll, huh?) I like pigs, though. They are delicious. They are also cute, especially the pot-bellied ones. I didn’t realize they were auctioned by the pound. I heard bids of $2.20 and I got excited. I was going to get one for the bus. Then I realized it was for a 300-pounder, so simple math dictates that would have been more than my allowance. I can only imagine how funny it would be to see a pig on the bus, though.
The next day was an early one in Georgia somewhere. I think we were outside of Chattanooga. It was an amusement park – Lake Winne-something-or-other. We had two stifling hot shows, but luckily there were showers back stage, and a wooden rollercoaster for us to ride. I sure do like rollercoasters. Get me a BLT on a rollercoaster, and I am in heaven. We also took in some putt-putt, where I practiced my chipping. Yes, chipping. Just keep the ball back in your stance, and it can work. We also tried a brand new song during the set, which was a fantastic success. It’s called ‘Hold a Woman’ (I think), and it’s a very smooth soul number. I look forward to playing that song a lot more.
Well, I am going to get moving. It’s a short 18 hours at home, and I have 10 to go, so time to get some more work done. We are in Maryland and Delaware the next two days, home for about an hour, then back out again. Someone please email me and tell me where we’ve been…Speaking of email, like you, my account from shinybass gets a lot of spam, so when you write, please put something in the subject that tells me it’s not spam. Like ‘Cheap Rolexes’, or ‘Pills for Cheap’. Ok, not really – how about a code word like ‘Bacon Sandwich’.
See you on the road!
07-14-07
What’s a ‘curd’?
Happy Monday, my wonderful friends. I have chosen a new location to type this morning. I have moved into my music room, put on some Bob Marley, and enjoying the Starbucks in my cup. It’s really amazing how Bob Marley’s music can take you so many places. Whether you are happy, sad, drunk, sleeping, partying, boating, surfing, skiing – whatever – it doesn’t matter what you are doing. The music transcends race, social status, or political beliefs. His music will be played for hundreds of years to come. No question. He built a legacy without trying to build a legacy. He was just talking about what he knew. One should be so lucky. He always makes me feel good, so this morning it’s a happy morning. Maybe it’s because I am looking ahead at the calendar for my trip to Jamaica, and getting schoolgirl-giddy. I am looking forward to sailing again, and for getting into (more) tropical climates.
Before I get into the past few days, I have to offer a heartfelt thanks to those of you who read this journal and, even cooler, tell me about it. It’s nice to see people out there who are a little left of center like me, and don’t ever let people tell you otherwise. It’s being yourself that makes you wonderful. Like Bob.
This was a ‘light’ week for us – just two shows. The first was up in Wisconsin, and for the first time in my short life, I had a cheese curd. Thanks to our friends who brought them to us. I am still not really sure what a curd is, someone said it’s like a by-product of cheese, but I am still confused. The thing is, if it looks like cheese, I’ll probably eat it. I love cheese. My heart doesn’t like cheese, but I like it a lot. Bucky loathes cheese, so watching his face when I opened 5 bags of curds on the bus was pretty funny. Our show was just good. We had a nice, big stage, so I was running around a little more than usual, which I like doing. One funny highlight, though, was watching our bus being towed out of the mud by a John Deere plowing tractor. That and the ‘sandbox’ the kids were playing in full of corn. Yes, corn. I’m telling you, folks, you can see it all on the road with us.
The next morning found us in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Yes, the still soggy Cedar Rapids. 1.3 billion dollars of damage to date. I spoke with a nice lady who was helping with catering, and I asked her how she was affected by the whole thing. She was a farmer by trade, and said she was going to lose a fortune. I asked how she could just smile and say that. Her response was ‘What else can I do?’
As I am sure many of you know, because you are living it, let me educate the people in the cities of this country: This attitude really is America. It is the thought that all will come out OK, even though we have temporary setbacks. The small towns that pull themselves up by the proverbial bootstraps and get to the task at hand is the thinking that make this country great. Not waiting at the house for something to happen, but getting out of the house and making something happen. We saw people who lost everything; their whole world gone in a few short hours, and they are back at it, just ‘doing what they have to do’. I can’t complain about shit. Ever.
As we live in this time of ‘recession’, ‘pre-depression’ whatever, it seems bleak. What seems to be the theme is ‘me and mine’. It’s funny how helping others is only around in times of prosperity, when we actually need to help out when things are tighter. My friend Patrick Davis reminded me of this point this morning as I read his blog. ‘And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make’. (How cool were the Beatles?) I propose this: For one day this week – we’ll take baby steps – do something nice for a someone, and at the same time, for 24 hours don’t complain. The ‘something nice’ can be buying a pack of gum for the checkout girl at the supermarket, or feed a parking meter anonymously, or pickup the tab at lunch. You don’t have to spend money – weedeat the neighbor’s yard. Bring them their paper and say hi. Whatever. I don’t care, and furthermore, I don’t want to hear about it. Nor does anyone else. Do it because you want to, not to make yourself look better. I know it’s a tall order, but can you imagine if everybody did it? Just one day?
This was inspired by the wonderful people I met this past week who make me believe in this wonderful country, and the blessings we all are given every single day, no matter how bad it may be at the time. I am off my soapbox now. Enjoy your week, and…
…see you on the road!
07-10-07
Dad, what’s a lavatory?
Happy Thursday, my friends. I know it’s not Monday, so you may be a little surprised at a new journal entry today, but we had an acoustic show in Portland on Tuesday, and quite frankly, it feels like I have lived a week in the past 2 days. When the end comes, I think I like the math on that. 3 ½ lifetimes in 1? I’ll take it. It just wears you out a little. I’m not upset as long as I can have a window seat. Funny – when I was little, I wanted window seats to look out and see the world. Now I need it as a headrest. (But I still like to look).
We were home at 9:30 or so on Monday morning, and I filled my day as best I could Monday. Tons of errands, emails, bills, and a couple of meetings were on my schedule. I was up Tuesday morning early for our flight to Portland. We had a 2 hour layover in Vegas, which I was smart enough to stay away from any slot machines, even with my brother calling and telling me how much he won the last time he had a layover. We opted for lunch. Behind us was Hall-of-Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, which was pretty damn cool. I had to remember my previous journal entry and not bug him, even though I do collect sports autographs and Sarge is a huge Bears fan. I tipped Jeff off, hoping he would want to say hi. I needed an excuse. No dice. See, I slip too.
We made it to Portland, which is a beautiful place, and had about 30 minutes at the hotel before we had to leave for the show. Poor Bucky walked right off the plane, went straight to the radio station, and then to the show. We had dinner at the club, played the show, and Bucky signed autographs for an hour then boarded the redeye back to Nashville. I thought my day was busy…
Generally we don’t stay at the hotels on the road. I have showered in some really nice places, but we rarely stay. That’s sort of the ongoing joke. For once we had comfy beds, a nice big flat screen, and a balcony. We had the idea to leave the door open because the night was so nice. Somewhere around 3 AM I had to shut it because of the sirens, people yelling, and general city noise going on. Not fun when the head hits the pillow at 1, and the alarm is set for 5:15.
The 5 weary travelers boarded in Portland, and of course I had an aisle seat, which means I can’t rest my head anywhere, so for the first 2-hour leg I was miserable. It was funny, though, during preflight when the little boy asks loudly ‘Dad, what’s a lavatory?’ We take off, hit our cruising altitude, and I look up to see the rest of my crew sleeping. And no, I am not taking a travel horse-collar next time. Actually this time, I didn’t even have a bag. I took my bass, toothbrush and contact case. That was it. I loved being streamlined like that.
The next flight my friend Jeff let me have the window, and I slept just about the entire 2 ½ hours from Denver to Nashville. I was asleep right after the plane took off. Boy, did I need that. As we were getting off the plane, the guy next to us said he was going from San Francisco to Philly. I think he said it was like 3 stops, equating it to Greyhound. I thought we had it bad. Another tip – someone else has it tougher than you. I got home at 3 something, and of course hit Las Maracas for a late lunch. I had to smile when my favorite waiter was excited to hear where I had just flown in from. He is from Spain, and hasn’t seen much of the country at all. It’s good to be us, I suppose.
So all these little events kept reminding me that no matter how hard the trip, the lack of sleep, the bad food we eat, or the accommodations, we do have a job to do, and it really is the greatest job in the world. No matter which seat I am flying in. I hope Thursday and the rest of your week is a good one, and that you always get a window seat.
See you on the road!
07-07-08
Happy 232nd!
Hopefully everyone is fully recovered from celebrating our independence from Great Britain, or England, depending on your mood, or island preference, and remember how we, the underdog, came out ahead and went on to start a wonderful country, while buying all the Beatles records and Cooper minis we can get our hands on. I guess it’s the least we can do, right? I am very patriotic, but sometimes the holidays get lost on us, and we sort of forget why we have a long, drunken weekend next to the grill. Or all the sales at the mall. There are Hallmark holidays, which force you into a buying frenzy, and there are reflective holidays to remember our past. In my not-so-humble opinion, I think the Hallmark holidays are crap. Celebrate life daily, on your calendar – not theirs.
As I hop off my soapbox and on to the couch (No, Mom, I am not jumping on the couch again), I once again have a calendar next to me to remind me where we visited in the last 7 days. The clichés of the road all looking the same (except in Arkansas, where the roads are awful), and the same old song about the towns running from one to the next are valid, but I have said it before, you can remember more of what we do than ‘It was here we threw all the furniture into the hotel pool’. On to Day 1. Muskegon, Michigan.
Upon arriving, I did have the faint sense that I had been there before, so I had to text my boy Dan for confirmation. I was here with King Konga a few years back on the ‘small stage’, so returning to town to play the big one was a nice change. Honestly, our show was awful. At least I thought so. The radio people loved it, and the crowd was into it, but I was in no mood after that show. When Kyle, our front of house engineer came back, he looked at me, and I just shook my head. No words were exchanged. Oh well – it happens. We decided to hit a local watering hole after the show. That turned into a hassle as well, which, we sort of expected, but we tried to get out of there before Montgomery Gentry was finished so we could ‘escape’. Not so lucky. Bucky is so gracious with his time, but people in the bar were being extremely rude trying to get to him, and if they didn’t get their 15th picture with him, then they got mad. Rule of thumb – just say hi. It’s much cooler that way.
The next day found us in Charleston, IL, another spot we have visited before. We played in a little league field, which is funny to me, going from LP Field to the T-Ball Field. We had a great turnout, though – probably 2000 people packed in to see us. That was a treat, and the rain sort of held out. We had to get out of town pretty quickly for a 9 AM load-in for the next show in Lexington, KY. Why we had to be there so early, I will never know. The rain was a problem (sensing a theme yet?), and we had a rain delay then cut our set short. That always sucks. If we are there, then we want to PLAY!
After a long night in Lexington (which found us in a martini bar of all places) listening to Ben Lacey, an amazing guitar player, we headed to Hillsboro, OH, the land that T-Mobile forgot. It’s not terrible losing the service on your cell phone, because what we have all seemed to forget is that the phone is there for our convenience, not everyone else’s. I only got frustrated when I couldn’t make a call, as opposed to the other way around. Liberating is the word, I believe.
Hillsboro is nice. The town itself is a perfect little slice of Americana, and I thought the 100-year old buildings were pretty cool. There were about 5000 people packed in the middle of town to see us, and the weather cooperated. And catering, well, they had peanut butter fudge. Come on…
That brings us to the last show of the run, which was in Lisle, IL. So it’s a balloon festival. I didn’t see one damn balloon. I saw a kite. I saw a horse. I saw Cajun sausage for dinner. No balloons. Someone said there was too much wind. Hmmm. You got trucks. You got spotters. You got a 5-story-high inflatable, flying billboard, so seeing it won’t be a problem. Work it out! I’m sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for letting down all those people. Just kidding, fair board, just kidding. We had a good time playing, and the festival is a lot of fun. And the balloons were really cool. Oh wait…
So after 24 hours at home, we fly to Portland, Oregon for an acoustic show, and then home for another 24 hours then out. And aren’t you happy I haven’t mentioned my lawn? Until now. And thanks to everyone who made it a point to tell me they read this journal. I am glad you drop by.
See you on the road!
06-30-08
Oh geez…
OK. Before anybody starts in, it IS technically still Monday here in Nashville, and so I have come in under the wire on my Monday journal. I know that I only have about 20 minutes to satisfy that requirement on the East Coast, but I am going to type at my usual rate, and hope that I can post it before the witching hour.
In my defense, I was up at 7:30 this morning, and after coffee, ran to the store for Roundup and mowed the front and back, sprayed (I thought the rocks were supposed to hinder weed growth), showered, made several business calls, and ran a bunch of errands. Then I went grocery shopping, played guitar, had lunch with the boys, a business meeting with my web developer (look for some really cool stuff on this site in the near future), played 9 holes of golf, showered again, cooked dinner, and watched Ken Griffey, Jr. hit a walk-off HR to beat my Pirates 4-3. And I still have time for you. How do I do it? Speed. Lots and lots of speed. OK, just unsweetened iced tea and a love of life.
The past week’s shows were like a flash from the past – I played all three of the festivals before. First was Osh Kosh, which was where I saw Dierks for the first time a year ago, and we had a little reunion because Dierks was closing out this year’s show as well. It was so good to see the crew again, after so many fantastic nights to kick off our year. Bucky had a great show, but I wasn’t in a great place when we finished. There are nights that aren’t always peachy, and for some reason, I just couldn’t find my sound. That’s a little frustrating when that’s sort of our ‘thing’; equate it to a surfer having his board, having big waves, but for some reason not getting any good action. I have all this nice gear, and I can’t get it to sound good. Ahh well. I chose to have a few shots of whiskey and forget about it.
Day two was in Cadott, WI, which hosts a bog festival that Jeff and I have been part of for three years in a row. Life is good. Last year we had a piñata for him. (and Microsoft Word automatically places the tilde on top of the ‘enye’ – they think of everything). This year, just a good show. And my show was heads and shoulders better than the last. The rain was there in the morning, but cleared 100 percent for our show. And it’s also cool to look over and see Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton watching the show.
Day three of our magical mystery tour was spent in Manhattan, Kansas, where we played two years ago. We were with Terri Clark, Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts. Once again, just like the rest of the shows from the week, we were on early, and we had to ‘throw and go’, which means unload, get the gear onstage and ready to play as quickly as possible. I kind of like it that way sometimes, because it eliminates the waiting around part. The show was a lot of fun, and I had a chance to hang with and see the other acts as well. And once again, it was pretty cool to look over and see the guys from Rascal Flatts checking out our show. Very flattering (no pun intended), and they are nice as can be. Some of us snuck Bucky out to the front of house to see the Flatts show, and that was pretty funny, not only getting him out there unrecognized, but getting him back. We felt like secret service without all that tac radio and automatic weapons baggage.
And then we came home and showered, which was much-needed and wonderful. Well, I would like to assume everyone showered. I know I was a stanky mess when I got home after being in the Kansas dust all night. But I digress…We head back out for 5 shows this week, and my laundry isn’t even close to being ready. When I say it’s about to get crazy, then that is a complete understatement. Hang on for the ride.
Stay classy, San Diego.
06-23-08
Awesome!!!
Monday morning, you sure look fine. Friday I got traffic on my mind…Hello wonderful world. I am once again on my couch, sipping my espresso blend trying to recall the week that was. As I think about it, typing from my couch every Monday just may be my therapy, without all that clock-watching and ‘Tell me how that makes you feel’ baggage. Actually, I need to enjoy my Mondays. I have our new calendar sitting next to me, and it looks like Mondays are all we have at home for the next month or so. Love it!
Twice a year NAMM hosts a trade show, one in Anaheim in January, one in the summer someplace, in recent years being Indianapolis, Austin, and now back in Nashville. I have spoken about these shows before, and I really do love walking around checking out new toys and gear. I have made some really good friends through the years within the companies I work with, and to see them at least twice a year is a cool thing as well. This year my schedule allowed me to host a little party at my house for my musical peeps. We had an absolute blast, and I finally had to kick people out late to get 3 hours of sleep to make my tee time the next morning. Ouch. But a good ouch.
Thursday we found ourselves in Marion, MI, for a show with Lady Antebellum. One of the things that we have to do for our show is find a place off stage for Jeff’s amp. In arenas and amphitheaters that is no problem. Stick it just off stage. Since this venue had no backstage, Jeff’s rig was set up inside of our bus trailer next to the stage. I feel for whoever walked by that thing during the show. It was pretty funny to see. It’s sort of a little game we play now, to watch the unsuspecting people jump when they are hit in the face with a wall of sound from nowhere.
Next stop was the Indiana theatre in Terra Haute. They have been dealing with flooding like most of the Midwest, so seeing the fans come out was a huge thing for us. The venue was beautiful, built in 1922, and had the original fixtures inside. I love playing theatres. To me it is the perfect balance between the full on rock show and the intimacy of a club. And no smoke. We usually arrive at the venue an hour before show time. When I got back to the bus, it turns out Jeff was getting a new tattoo around the corner, and the guy finished literally 10 minutes before the downbeat. So Jeff played the show with his forearm wrapped in Saran wrap. Very rock and roll, baby.
We had to leave right after the show to make Marinette, WI, home of the Porterfield Country Fest. Jeff and I played it two years ago, and well, they still haven’t made the stage any bigger. Today’s bill was us, Kellie Pickler, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Gretchen Wilson. Well, Gretchen’s crew was late, so Billy Ray’s crew had to ‘approximate’ how much room her production would need. That left us and Kellie all of 8 ½ feet of stage to work with. Talk about caged animals. We had to set up in a line straight across the front of the stage. The funny thing was – the 10,000 people out there didn’t care. And the folks running the show were some of the nicest around.
Sunday morning is usually a time of getting home, unpacking, starting laundry, etc, but yesterday I showered and changed quickly and hit the NAMM show. I played with some great new toys, and opened dialogue with some new companies to work with. It’s a wonderful little recharge that happens twice a year for me, and this year was something special. Just walking around we ran into a ton of people that we knew, which once again, is that little reinforcement that we are all exactly where we need to be.
This week we are in for some more (hopefully) cool northern weather, with two shows in Wisconsin, and one in Kansas. The one in Kansas is with Rascal Flatts. I have never seen the show, so I am looking forward to that. And more BBQ.
See you on the road!
06-16-08
We’ll name it Cinnamon.
Happy Monday morning, everyone. I hope you all had an enjoyable, cool, fun-filled weekend that left you breathless and making plans for the next weekend. Summertime is here. Time to make the most out of it and get out and play. I say this with limited conviction, because my whole time off last week consisted of yard work. And now that it is all finished (well, is it ever REALLY finished?), then I can get on to more pressing things, like oh, writing, recording, and enjoying this summer right along with you. I look ahead to our schedule, and all I can say is wow. If you can’t make a show this year, then I guess you just don’t like us, because we’re going to be all over the country.
After our show at LP Field, we had a few days off. Of course, Bucky had to go shoot a movie with Miley Cyrus, and I was relegated to landscaping, which, as I think about it now, wasn’t so terrible. I got home yesterday, and sort of walked around the yard, looking for signs of new grass under the straw (none yet), and walking the new driveway and out into the street finding more ways to improve the yard and throw out my back. But there was a serenity to the whole thing. Just walking around thinking of what the house looked like when I first moved in until now was fulfilling enough, even if I was limping.
It’s not as bad as I make it out to be. I mean, working in the yard is the one bit of ‘normalcy’ I have in my life – that and the occasional trip to the grocery store. I’m serious. We got off the bus yesterday, and getting in a car and going home was an odd event. And we were only gone for three days. Oh yeah – ask me how much rain we had while we were gone. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Well, you could have looked inside of the door handles of my SUV. I left the windows down for 3 days while I was gone. My mind is slowly disappearing. Someone save it, fast!
Our first show was with Phil Vassar in Danville, VA. It’s been a little while since we’ve seen Phil, and he has gone through some changes, but he is doing great. He is one of the good guys. I had a great time catching up with him, and he is always really positive, which is a great attitude to have, especially after all these years. We have settled into a great groove with our set, so our shows have been really, really good. The venue in Danville was really cool. Danville is doing a revitalization of the tobacco warehouse district, and it looks like it’s going to be a rockin’ place to live in the very near future. And the Wreck of the Old 97 happened not far from there. How can you argue with such history? And I took a big rock from under the train trestle for the front. I got big ones from all over now…
Day 2 was in Reinholds, PA, a little town in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania. I was up early that morning – like 7:30 – and walked around the grounds. There wasn’t much there. A big field and small mountains in the distance. I will be honest. I wasn’t expecting much of a crowd for the show. The stage was small, and the show was put on the by the local fire station. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There were about 2000 people out to see the show, and we had a blast. And dinner was remarkable. Home-style wonderful. The people were all really good to us, and the fans made the night a complete success. Plus, we found the ‘secret’ keg under the stage. Ducky and I had to investigate. Very Indiana Jones.
Home again for a couple of days now, then we are back out Thursday. The NAMM show is in Nashville this weekend, so Sunday I will have a chance to walk around and look at all the new toys. More than anything, I am looking forward to catching up with old friends. And the Cinnamon reference? Jeff’s daughter came over and named the rabbit that has chosen my backyard as his/her home. I haven’t been close enough to check on gender, so I hope it likes the name.
See you on the road!!
06-10-08
A tale of two cities…or maybe just one.
Happy Tuesday. I am once again on my couch (I swear I get up every now and then to eat), and this morning I am serenaded by the industrial sounds of pavers and tractors feverishly working to beat the midday heat. I am having a driveway put in. It’s pretty exciting stuff around here – one week it’s rocks, the next it’s paving. Next – the sand volleyball court in the front yard. Anything I can do to piss off the neighborhood association…
This past week in Nashville was an annual event that is like no other – CMA Fan Fest, otherwise known as Fan Fair. A hundred thousand folks came to Nashville to hang out and watch about a thousand shows over the course of the week. I was texting with Taylor Swift’s drummer, and we agreed that it is hands down the most stressful week for an artist – every minute of everyday that week is accounted for. If it’s not booth signings, it’s interviews, or shows, or fan club parties, or TV. It’s pretty much nuts.
I didn’t see Bucky until Sunday, but he was ‘somewhere’ from 8-6 everyday. I can imagine that the show for him Sunday night was a relief. The media blitz is a necessary evil, but at the core of everything, we just love to play music. (Then of course, after our show he headed straight home because he had 3 days of shooting with Miley Cyrus for the Hannah Montana movie). I guess it just doesn’t stop.
So my only commitment last week was to be at LP Field in Nashville around 1PM. We have played in football stadiums before, but there was something very special about this night. We are literally 2 miles from home and playing in a crazy big venue with some great artists. Being a ‘hometown’ show, that means we are under a microscope from the record label and management, but I’ll be honest – I really didn’t think about that. I was just hopeful that my guitar cable would be long enough to walk over and mess with Jeff during the show.
Soundcheck was good – really good. There’s something really cool about looking out over 30,000 empty seats (and even cooler looking out over 30,000 filled seats), and we came in under our time allotted – which was due to our amazing crew, and some familiar faces – 4 of the guys that worked with us on the Dierks tour were there, and since they knew us so well, it was easy like Sunday morning. Or afternoon.
As Tom Petty sings: the waiting is the hardest part. I went home after soundcheck and had dinner and get back to the bus to sort of hang out before the show. I think we were all a little excited, but very loose. I have seen tensions run high before big shows, and it’s not good. They golf-carted us over the stage, and wow. We were all taken by the number of people out there. And how good that stage looked. And then the adrenaline kicks in a little, but not too much. Of course all you are thinking is ‘Don’t screw up. There are 30,000 people in front of you, and millions more will see this on ABC, so whatever you do is burned into TV history forever. How does my hair look?’
And then, just like that – it was over. 3 songs, Bam Bam Bam. And my head was rolling with sweat, so it was a good show. The band sounded great, Bucky was fantastic, and the night was a huge success. I looked at video of the show yesterday, and at one point I did a Michael Jordan fist pump after Jeff’s guitar solo. My excitement couldn’t be contained, I guess. Jeff and I went out for a celebratory beer on the East Side (Red Door for those of you scoring at home), and toasted our show, and relished in our brief moment as golden gods on the pretty stage.
I woke up the next morning with the worst back pain I have ever had in my life. It actually started to twinge a day or two before, but Monday was miserable. The adrenaline that had helped me get through the show was gone, and now, back home, I was mortal again. The rocks that were placed in a new home Wednesday were having a good laugh at me from the front. I knew I should have conned someone into helping me that day. Lesson learned.
So thank you to everyone for coming out to the events for Fan Fair, especially the show at LP field. I have played a couple thousand gigs in my short life, and that one was one of the best ones I have ever been a part of. No joke. Thanks for the support, and thanks for making it special. And for the signs!
See you on the road!
06-05-08
Gee, it’s hot George…
Happy first week of June, everybody. I am home on a Thursday, which is an odd occurrence, but it’s my last one off for a while, so I had better enjoy it, right? Ah yes, my 90-degree day will be starting in a few hours when a dump truck brings 3 tons of Carolina river rock to my door for me to do what I please. I have regaled you with stories about my yard for months, and this year, even as busy as I am, I am trying to make a better effort of taking care of this thing. So, my solution – take care of my flower beds by not taking care of them. River rock. Lots of big, flat stones to stamp out the weeds. I’ll keep you posted. I know you are on the edge of your seats.
This past week was filled with some familiar sights, sounds, and smells. Our first stop was in Kansas at the Country Stampede. I think. I know we played there last year, and finished right before the sky opened up on the festival. We had a very, very long day of waiting around, and took in the bustling town of Winfield. I made the mistake of suggesting a restaurant in town. I will seek out the independently owned places before the corporate any day, so I thought this one would be OK. I was wrong. I always say one of the best parts of this job is finding the good places to eat. Well, you have to eat at some crappy ones, too.
We played with Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, and Lorrie Morgan. The way the whole thing was set up, I saw Luke for about 10 minutes before we went on, and that was it. They had to leave, we had to leave, and I couldn’t even steal a glimpse of Lorrie. Oh well. We had more ground to cover. Like 600 miles to Colorado. Back to the Grizzly Rose in Denver.
I was there last Valentine’s Day, and the place hasn’t changed a bit. We were at the same hotel, and some of the folks remembered me from the last time we were there. I kept hearing about our exploits in the ‘shot bar’. I don’t know what they were talking about. We’re good boys. Well, I say that, but we knew after the show that we had to ride for 1200 miles home, so to drink and sleep it off on the bus is always the best plan on a long road trip. I promise. Until this run.
Somewhere around 1PM we were riding along and POP! Something blew inside the bus. It sounded like a gunshot (I know what those sound like close up), and the bus filled with smoke. It turns out we blew a pipe having to do with the A/C, a very important factor in the whole ‘spending your day in the bunk’ equation. Within minutes of diagnosing the problem and getting back on the road, the bunkhouse was a sultry 88 degrees. Awesome if you are at the lake, but no so good on the bus. Of course, Bucky flew home, so we were left to patiently wait for the sun to go down. So instead of sleeping off a hangover, we were left to roast in the bus, not being able to sleep. Hot and hungover pretty much sucks. Let this be a lesson to all of you. Make sure the bus is in perfect working order before you arrange for a hangover.
The bus pulled over on the side of the highway probably looked pretty funny to the random travelers that sped by in their nice climate-controlled cars. It reminded me of the good ol’ days in King Konga, when our van would run out of gas, or we would drop a drive shaft (I think we went through 5), or when we skidded off the road in Mobile. Or blew one of many tires (hell, the van had 400,000 miles on it when we finished with her). It made me smile that hangover or not, heat or no heat, my life has moved in a wonderful way.
I crawled in my bed around 6AM on Sunday after the long ride from Denver, only to get back on the bus at midnight Monday for a trip to Virginia. Wise, Virginia, to be exact. If you look at a cell phone coverage map, it is in the middle of the isolation zone, which was actually nice to just turn the phone off and worry about it the next day. I know not everyone shared my sentiment, but I think we are way too attached to our phones, and I am guilty of it as well.
I have to give a huge, wonderful shout out to my Virginia friends who are not only great music fans, but great friends (and Pittsburgh fans to boot). We met them a little while back, and the fact that they make out whenever they can is really cool. So thank you guys.
So there’s the latest and greatest. Any minute now I’m supposed to get a call about my rock delivery, which will probably occur at the hottest part of the day. Check the Nashville craigslist later – I’ll be the one posting an ad looking for a new back. Enjoy your day, your weekend, and mostly your Sunday, where we will be rockin’ LP field in Nashville for 40,000 of our closest friends to close out the CMA Music Fest. If you are close, then come on!
See you on the road!
05-27-08
So this is how blackjack works…
It has been said many times that gambling is evil. I am not sure the origin of this sentiment. Maybe it started in the Bible, where it seems everyone was ‘casting lots’ to solve their problems: ‘Sorry Jonah, the storm was your fault. Me and the boys threw dice to decide.’ Or maybe it started when Roman soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothing as he was dying on the cross. I think that was the ‘final straw’, really, I mean, divvying up Jesus’ clothes? Actually, it can be argued that ‘casting lots’ is more like fortune telling, but then again, playing craps and blackjack is just that: Guessing.
So I personally don’t think gambling is evil. I know there are many good Christians that will disagree with me, but I don’t think it is evil. Here’s why: We gamble every day. With life. With getting in that car and driving down the street. With our actions, with our words (or maybe our tour journals), with our money in the stock market, and with our career choices. The only gamble I don’t have is my relationship with God. I know Him, He knows me, and He has a plan. For you, for me, and for everybody.
I went into that intro to get to the end of the entry, but first, the recap from last week. Dateline- Kansas City. Event – a ‘guitar pull’, where several artists are on stage at the same time, singing their songs one at a time acoustically (try and follow). We just go down the line, and take turns singing our ‘hits’. Of course, we had a different approach, which was doing a shot after each of our songs and keeping things interesting on the back row on stage. I say we meaning Jeff and I (Bucky was up front), and so we had his back keeping the party going, and by the end of it, we were playing with the other artists, having a blast. Well, we had a blast. I think we had a blast…I kid. We weren’t bad, just having fun.
I hit the blackjack table at our hotel, and made up for my last table trip in Vegas. That’s not defending my rationale that gambling is not evil, but I honestly think whoever started that ball rolling lost a lot of money, and had to explain to his wives why they couldn’t visit the oasis that summer for vacation. I’m not saying, I’m just saying…After a scant two hours’ sleep we flew to Mississippi to meet the bus for a show in Meridian. I went to school 90 miles away in Hattiesburg, so I wouldn’t call it a ‘homecoming’, but I am familiar with the weather. We had an excited crowd, and remarkable ribs for dinner. At one point, the bus was full of our crew, and with mouths full of hickory-smoked meat and sauce, it was the quietest it has ever been.
After a trip home and a couple of days off, where I caught up on my landscaping (OK, I mowed and edged), we had a one-off to Cincinnati to play a street festival downtown. It was a fun show. It was an hour-plus set, so we were happy. Anytime we can play longer than 30 minutes is just fine with us. It was a great indicator of the summer to come. But it was probably cooler that night. If this summer is anything like last, then I will go ahead and write off my yard now. I have to give a shout out to Rodney, who booked home from the Indy 500 to see our show. He met us through our past gig, and for him to come out means a lot. Thank you.
So back to my initial statements. Gambling within life. I have taken several big risks in my life in the past few years, and some have been good, some have been not-so-good, but in the end, it all has turned out just fine. I only get into the whole thing because, like a sentimental fool, I think about the events that led me to Nashville, and what has happened in the 4 years since I have been here. I think of all the shows, the die-hard fans, the amazing places I have been, and the memories that have built up. It’s all part of the plan. All this was brought up by the fact that we are on the Opry again tonight. I have lost count. I will ask Jeff, but I think it’s 21. Blackjack? Hmmm…
See you on the road!!
05-20-08
24 and counting…
Good evening, my friends. I am at home working on some loose ends – music, video, etc, that I couldn’t get to last week, and also realized that I haven’t typed for you in a while, either. Get one week off, and it all goes down the tubes. I guess I really do have an excuse this time: we haven’t had any shows, so I haven’t really been required to write a ‘tour’ journal per se. Of course, this has sort of morphed into more than just observations from the road, so in that spirit, I give you this entry. I will call it ‘How to succeed in the music business in 24 short years’.
Yesterday marked the 24th anniversary of when I plunked down my $100 at Littman’s Pawn shop in Norfolk, Virginia for my first bass guitar. Here I type, 24 years later, looking back on the things I have done as if it were all a blink of an eye. I am surrounded by reminders of my past – my music room has a poster from Woodstock ’99, guitar picks, pictures, about 100 backstage laminates hanging on a door knob, but it just doesn’t feel like 24 years. It feels like last week I was standing in front of the mirror with my new bass, and then *poof* this afternoon I am standing in front of the mirror with a new bass. Oh yeah, that happened. So if you have learned anything today – yes, Virginia, I do stand in front of the mirror when I get a new bass. If ANY guitar player says he has never done just that, then he is a liar where he stands.
So in addition to getting a new bass today, I also worked on a couple of original tunes with Jeff Cease and put my rock and roll boots in the shop. I guess that’s sort of what I do now. Work on music. And play live. And record music. And play live. A lot. And give thanks. Many, many, thanks for every day I get to do just that. I am not a rich man, but I feel like I have hit the lottery. I read somewhere to live as though you are rich without money, and for me, music makes me feel rich. It always has. It’s the one friend that won’t let you down, and as I have heard before: ‘Music is its own reward’. It is very true. Just creating something with your hands from an inanimate object is really fascinating.
Before I get so deep in the philosophy of man, I will take a few steps back, and see if maybe I can recall some things that I have learned in 24 years of playing bass.
There’s no #2 on the bus.
Well, that’s about it. OK, not really. As a bass player, my learning experiences may be different from other musicians. For us, less is more (check the hair for that theory), and we really are the most important instrument on stage. Come on, if there weren’t any signature Steve cockiness, then it just wouldn’t feel right, would it?
If anybody is thinking of presents to mark this occasion, then spend exactly one dollar and get me a prayer candle. We actually get asked about presents all the time, and some fans have been fantastic about it – Starbucks gift cards. Ah yes. Bullseye. But on a personal and completely selfish note – I love prayer candles. (Think House of Blues candles). I can never have enough. Especially when I am practicing. So no more meth, please.
And now, as I look over my touring schedule, once again I am very thankful, because we are going to be busy in the coming months. I love it. It’s why I am here. That and to hopefully make you smile a little when you read about our exploits on the road. Speaking of – tomorrow night is an acoustic show in Kansas City, then off to Meridian, MS, not far from where I went to college. I may go down to Hattiesburg and see if they have electricity yet.
See you on the road!!!
PS – Thank you for allowing me to make noise for you all these years. I hope to make noise for many years to come. – Steve
05-14-08
Indio, Chino, I can’t tell the difference…
Happy Tuesday! It’s been a week since I promised details from the Stagecoach Festival in Indio California, and I am happy to say I am ready to give a full report. It took a week because of the endless hours of interviews I had to conduct with fellow band members, concert goers, and representatives from the local, state, and federal law enforcement communities that were involved in the events of the day. OK truth. My first two days at home were spent adjusting my clock, and the rest of the time I was mowing. So here we go…
I guess I should start with the night before the show. We were enjoying bottle service with Dierks and his crew along with our posse in the middle bar at Red Rock Resort. I only mention the bar because it was NOT the rock room from the night before. That would have been bad. So we get our drink on, our dance on, a little gamblin’ on, and our bus is slated to leave at 8AM. Turns out that was not the best idea, because getting to the festival took a little longer than we thought. We had 10 minutes at a hotel to primp (actually Bucky was the only one that showered, and we headed to the show. Our production guys rock, by the way, because I don’t think the bus had stopped before they had people unloading our gear. So we get off the bus crusty from the night before, in our rock and roll clothes, and I hit catering for a quick burger literally 15 min before we are supposed to be onstage. Everybody wanted to know where we were, but they knew. But I may add that we were there, and we rocked.
The set was hot, like 98 degrees hot, but looking out over 30,000 people wasn’t all bad. I couldn’t help but smile as I took in the scenery – beautiful mountains and tall palm trees all over the place – and realized that the day, as rushed as it was, wasn’t bad at all. There were a lot of record label folks in attendance as well, so we had to impress. I have to say that I was a fan of the outfit of choice for the ladies – bikini tops and cowboy hats. Ahh, Southern California.
As I have said before, one of the best things at a festival is seeing everybody in the other bands. It seems we know at least one guy from each band, and in most cases, the artist themselves, so it’s always a reunion. At one point I was surrounded by drummers, which always scares me. I kid. Drummers are my favorite. You hang out with other bass players, and it gets boring really fast. We’re pretty much nerds.
We saw Dierks’ tour manager after our show, and we ‘hugged it out’ since this was our last show together for a while. He asked Jeff and I ‘What we did to his boys in Vegas’. Why? We asked. He said ‘Look at them – they look like hell, feel like hell, and are playing like shit’. Well, they left Vegas at 2AM, us at 8, and we went on 2 hours before Dierks. Hmmm. Simple math dictates that Jeff(a) + Steve(b) + Gig(c) = rock, no matter what you factor in with ‘a’ and ‘b’.
When Dierks’ set ended, Jeff, Tom, and myself were standing along the ‘fan path’ backstage. As Dierks walked by signing and taking pictures, we lifted our shirts and he signed our chests, not seeing that it was us b/c of our shirts over our faces. The Jeff ran off yelling, and some perv magazine photographer wanted to take pictures. I saw Dierks a little later and told him it was us. I got one of those ‘Aww man. You have got to be kidding’ responses. Anything for a laugh.
So we packed it all in and headed East to Phoenix, where we arrived mind-blowingly early to catch our flights home. And of course, Arizona doesn’t celebrate Daylight Savings, so we were there even earlier than we had suspected. So, like a fool, I stayed up. Maybe that’s why it took me a little longer to get my clock right. That Waffle House coffee in Phoenix at 3AM.
We’re off for a little while, but I’ll still check in, and maybe give you the sordid details from my undisclosed location where I am spending my holiday. I’ll give you a hint – it rhymes with ‘Virginia Beach’.
See you next week on the road!!
05-06-08
Really? You are gonna hit when the dealer shows a 4?
Happy Tuesday morning to you all. Technically in the central time zone it’s Tuesday, but my body is still living longitudinally on Pacific. I had a hell of a time trying to sleep last night, but I think tonight will be better. Before anybody suggests it, I am not taking anything to put me to sleep. It’s not that I don’t like pills, I just hate taking anything if I don’t have to. Call me crazy…
I promised you stories, well, so I have one or two. Last time I left off, we had three days off in Vegas. Normally, I would be really excited about it, but I knew that we were going to be back in a few days for a show anyways, so I rounded up my partner in crime, and Jeff and I went to sunny California for a little visit to my old friend, Craig at Warwick.
We arrived in Ventura around lunchtime, and headed out to a fantastic seafood restaurant overlooking the marina for beers and some catching up. There is nothing like raw oysters, a cold beer, and watching sea lions play around the sailboats. It can never possibly get old. The ocean was exactly the recharging my batteries needed from being out on tour for a little while, and that lunch for Jeff and I was a collective sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, 300 miles away, our band mates were out at the pool, getting red faced and splashing at the hotel pool. Or at least that’s what they told me. I saw Kyle when we got back, and he was burnt to a crisp. I’m glad they got to have a little release as well. Bucky rented a FAT Cadillac and found his way around town in style.
Jeff and I went up to Santa Barbara to meet up with another old friend of mine and check out the town. It was our first time there, and I have to say, it was one of those places that instantly captured my heart. I could very easily see myself living there. The only problem is that a 1000-sq ft house runs in the $800,000 range. I’m workin’ on it, people… just keep buying records, and I’ll make it there.
We came back to Vegas the next day and headed to Rio Rancho, NM, just outside of Albuquerque for the last ‘official’ Throttle Wide Open show with Luke Bryan and Dierks. It was sad playing the last one with everybody. We had such a great time with the Luke boys, and of course, all of the Dierks people were so good, it was tough to see it end. So we had a really good show, and I just found a couple clips from it on youtube, so treat yourself and check it out.
We left the middle of nowhere (it was literally miles in the desert – sandstorm and all) – and headed back to Las Vegas for yet another day off in paradise. This time it was at the Red Rock Canyon Resort, where our show was going to be the next night. In addition to an amazing spa, pool, restaurants, and gambling atmosphere, they had one of the loudest bands I have ever seen. They were 100 percent Vegas, but, they are playing for a living, and making a stack of cash, so no one can fault them. And it was fun having the whole band hanging out together for the entire night. And hearing the headache stories the next day, mostly from me.
If you are tired of the same old Vegas strip action, then head to Red Rock Canyon resort. I am not a paid endorsee, but they treated us so very well, that I am heading there for my next trip out west. It has everything you need, and there really isn’t any need to hit the strip, unless you like traffic, snooty clubs and driving while drunk. Stay and play, as they say. That was sooo lame. No more random poems. I promise.
Our show in Vegas was really good. Bucky sounded amazing, and the band was nice and relaxed. (2 hours in the pool will do that to you). I cannot lie – the beautiful people were out in full force at the show – but really the night was about the hang, so we hit the bar for a proper after-party. Did someone say $500 bottle of Jager? Hmmm…
PS- I’ll give you the tour wrap and the Indio review next go ‘round. It’s a good one.
It IS Good to Be Us. Now get over to the calendar section and check out a show!
See you on the road!!!
04-30-08
Wow.
So happy Thursday. Has it been ten days since I have said hello? Wow. I had to think about that – and look at the last journal entry to see where things left off. I am swirling right now trying to recap where we have been recently. I do know it has been out west, and I do know that I have been having the time of my life.
So we hit Pullman, Washington, when we got back on the tour, and the landscape resembled Ireland. Not that I have ever been there, but I would imagine it looks like Pullman – lots of steep hills, green grass, and sheep. Oh, those are on the bus all the time. Never mind. If I could remember any thing about the show, I would tell you. They had a beautiful campus, and a great basketball facility, where we played with the kids. I don’t know why my lungs get so small around the gym sometimes.
The next stop was a ‘driver stop’, which was spent in Billings, Montana. I did a whole lot of ‘nuthin’ that day. I slept, read, worked out, and ate some really good Mongolian BBQ. I needed a ‘do-nothing’ day, especially after the pace we set trying to do and see so much. The next day found us in Rapid City, SD, where we walked the town a bit and had a really good time. I have been on a kick lately – I am redoing my front yard, so I am collecting some great rocks from all over the west. Yes, I am hauling rocks from coast-to-coast. My bandmates let me hear it whenever they can, and it’s rumored I will have to pay a gas surcharge at the end of this tour. So, yes, in Rapid City, I got a big-ass rock.
Next stop was Casper, Wyoming, which is a bit of a one horse-town, and we managed to find it. Jeff and I decided it was a nice day, so we grabbed a couple of bikes and hit the streets to see the town. We had a really, really good Mexican lunch, then found a bike trail along the river. Well, somewhere between setting out and getting back, the temperature dropped about 20 degrees (with snow approaching), the wind kicked in, and the last half mile of our 10-mile ride was a steep hill. Add the elevation, and man, I was beat. I will say this – being up high the past couple of weeks has really paid off in the gym. I love it. And I found a really big rock to put under the bus.
The next morning the bus pulled into Colorado Springs, CO, and again, I was in rental car mode. God bless Enterprise for picking you up. Tom, Scott and I rambled through the countryside, and made it to the top of Pike’s Peak- 14,110 feet above the earth. Now that was a white-knuckle drive up, and some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. We shot some fun footage up there, as well as great pictures. There are a couple on myspace, if you want to check them out. And I got some great rocks.
The next stop was Salt Lake City, Utah, home of Karl Malone. He wants the Beanie Babies. That’s a very inside Crank Yankers joke, but one of the funniest skits ever. Anyways. We were at the E center, and sadly enough, the shows have been so good that they have been running together. I can’t tell you much about that show, except that once again, the after party was legendary. OK, not legendary, but we had fun, and it’s a good release. I can’t remember if I got any rocks that day…
After our show in Utah, we had a three-day hole in the calendar, so we parked the bus in Las Vegas. I will tell you all about that one in a day or so. I hate to keep you in suspenders…
See you on the road!!
04-20-08
We have three options – flip a coin.
Happy Sunday evening. It’s a huge step forward for me to even know what day of the week it is, so for this installment, I may be hazy on some details. I am currently in a hotel room just outside of Salt Lake City, where the sun has gone down on some beautiful scenery just outside my windows – the snow-capped peaks of the Wasatch mountains – and we are mounting back up for a trek to Washington State shortly. We have been out since Tuesday, so I am going to attempt to get you up to speed.
Our first show was in Maryville, Missouri, at a university. How sad is it that I can’t even remember the name of the school? I do know the mascot is the Bearcat. I don’t even know what that is, but it must be scary. The show was in the football stadium, so naturally, I got out the football and threw. A lot. And let me say this – Rocky Covington can kick the crap out of a football. He was nailing FGs left and right. In 3-on-3, our bus beat Luke Bryan’s bus pretty badly. It was like Techmo Bowl bad.
The after party started out at a college kid’s house across from the show. They had a huge party in the front yard, but we wanted to hit a bar. The kid we were talking to said there were three bars in town – flip a coin. Like to see that coin. Ahh, the future of America. We did drink a little bit because we had the next two days off, and we were going to enjoy them. And enjoy them we did.
We made a stop in Waynoka, OK, which is home of Little Sahara, an ATV/dune buggy park in the middle of nowhere. It was unbelievable. As soon as I have a chance, I will have some video edited from the day. We rode our butts off, and the dunes went on forever. And these weren’t day-at-the-beach dunes – there were 100 footers out there. I found sand everywhere that evening. I just got it out of my bunk yesterday.
The next day we had off, we stopped in Albuquerque, NM. We travel as far as we can, but the driver needs time to sleep, so we try to stop at areas with things to do. I rented a car in the morning, and we hit the town, being good little touristas, we visited the Museum of Natural History, Old Town, and took the (world’s longest aerial) Tramway to the top of Mt. Sandia. It was an amazing day, and coupled with the riding from the day before, I was beat. We headed to Florence, AZ for Country Thunder…
Upon our arrival in the middle of nowhere, AZ, we found out there were some scheduling changes, and realized very quickly it was shaping up to be ‘one of those days’. It didn’t matter to us, though, we generally go with the flow, do our thing, and do it well. We had a lot of time to kill, so we were treated to running some dune buggies and getting even dustier that morning. But opening up that buggy in the desert was pretty fun, and worth every bit of crust forming on my body.
We had an OK show. We were told it was great, but onstage, we didn’t feel it was our best. It’s all good. We’ll be that much better next time. Whenever we have a bad one, then the next our next show out is always awesome. It’s like we take it personally or something. Oh wait, we do. I feel pretty honored to be with guys that care that much. I know a lot of musicians that just ‘go through the motions’. Not this bunch. You are spending your money, so you should get the full show, every time.
I love these festivals. You see all of Nashville out there, it seems. It was kind of surreal yesterday, just in the fact that Chuck Wicks, Luke Bryan, Heartland, and Dierks Bentley all stopped and said hello to me yesterday. Coupled with the previous two fantastic days off, it’s just more proof that I am right where I need to be. To be honest, we all are.
Back at it tomorrow night with Dierks on the Throttle Wide Open tour in Pullman, Washington. We have a new opener on the tour for the next couple of weeks. It’s Lee Brice. I don’t know much about him, but I’ve heard he’s good. I’m looking forward to the shows.
See you on the road!!!
04-14-08
Mouth wide shut
Happy Monday everybody! And, before we go on, yes, Virginia, it IS a happy Monday. My last journal entry was a little melancholy – mel-an-cho-ly, and I have learned an awful lot in the past few days. But, as always, before we get into all that, I will give you a quick tour update.
Rockin’.
OK, on to business. Because of wonderful, wonderful friends, fans, curiosity-seekers, dirt-seekers, enemies, and direct links, my journal has been attracting more attention these days. I welcome it. I love it. I am not ashamed or scared to talk about anything, or answer any questions you may have for me. That’s why this is here. For me to reach out and give you a slice of my life as a touring musician.
When I get a little emotional, or have days that aren’t all wine and roses, then I have to right to tell you or not tell you about it. That’s the one small power I have here – the power of omission. There are details that I don’t share, because they are personal, or not in good taste, or not for everyone’s eyes. But, I don’t play favorites here, so you read what my Mom reads. When I do let out a little ‘TMI’ as the kids say these days, then well, all hell breaks loose.
Before I go on, there is nothing wrong with anything anybody has written me, and I openly welcome any and all responses. This is not in response to any one email, and please don’t feel bad for anything you wrote. I just have to clarify that first and foremost. You are the reason I write, and the reason I wake up and try and figure out new ways of making you laugh.
I have seen a flurry of emails about the last entry, so I’ll just say it. First of all, I appreciate the condolences about my family’s loss. Your kind words do not go unnoticed.
Second, as far as my personal life, and my path, well, that my friends, is the sticky part. I am a private person when it comes to my life, and when I choose to share, then quite frankly, I am not looking for direction. I know my direction. For the few of you that seem to think you know what’s best for me, well, I appreciate the input, but I really don’t know you, and you really don’t know me. I’m not mad at anybody, just genuinely surprised at the responses I have received.
So that’s all I really have to say. No, I am not sad. I am eventually getting married and having children, and still love and genuinely appreciate each and every one of you. And my time off in May will be spent in an undisclosed location so we can fire up more controversy later. I am actually going to be a tourist for a change, so no, not very exciting.
So back into journal mode. This week we head out for a 2-week run out west. I love to fly, but seeing these states by bus is really where it’s at. There is so much beautiful country to see, and I hope to be watching and filming as much as I can. We hit South Dakota, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and California to end the Throttle Wide Open tour. Get out and see it while you can.
Of course, that’s how I live my life…
See you on the road!!
04-11-08
Sweaty again…
Hello, and happy Friday. I am currently in a student commons area on the campus of Illinois State University. I am very sweaty still because I played 2 hours of basketball (hell, it could have been 20 minutes, I don’t know) with Luke Bryan, his band some of the college kids. The old man didn’t do bad at all, but I can’t get a shower before soundcheck, so I have moved away from people to help with the odor.
So, last time I checked, this was my journal, so I am going to use this forum for a couple of things that I don’t usually use it for. That would be to vent, and to get a little personal. If you are sensitive to cursing, then please stop reading now, because one or two may slip out. Forgive me now.
I had a crap day yesterday. I lost a family member, and it was one of those days that thoughts drift to days gone by, and how much we take for granted. I talk about my life out here, and how much fun we have, and my friends read this and say ‘I want to be you’. No, you don’t want to be bald. I realize that this is a ‘glamorous’ job, and please, please don’t take this like I don’t like what I do, because for me, and it is my chosen path, it really is the best job ever. In my meandering all over the place for the past ten years, I have only settled down once, and well, you know how that went. My friends live through me, I have been told, but you know it works both ways. I see the baby pictures and the vacation photos and hear the sports stories, and once in a while I wonder what I am missing by not having a family. Then I wake up and say there will be time, and it will all happen when it’s supposed to happen.
Now the venting part. Actually, I was really pissed off yesterday for some reason, and here we are, 24 hours later, and I have no idea why I was so mad. There it is. Maybe a deep breath every now and then would help things, because as mad as I was, guess what – it couldn’t have been that bad. Especially after we had a rocking show last night, my worries went away. I met some really nice folks after the show who said they read this journal, so that put me in a better mood. Not for the egotistical part of it, but to me it’s the coolest thing ever that I can write something and someone a thousand miles away can read it. Ain’t technology great?
Back to last night. Complete and utter rock and roll. (and no cows were hurt in the performance). Huge college crowd, and if they had allowed alcohol on campus, then it would have been out of hand. Oh well. Maybe tonight. Ooops. Another college. I guess we’ll have to keep it in red Dixie cups again. Actually, I have been very good so far on this run – no drinking and I’ve had two really good days in the gym in a row. Let’s make it three.
I just received an updated schedule this morning, and my website should be updated with them soon. I am pretty excited about some of the things brewing that are on the ‘tentative’ list. As they take shape, I’ll let you know. We’re also taking some time off in May before the busy season. Anybody feel like meeting somewhere and making a party out of it?
Have a great afternoon, weekend, etc, and don’t do what I do just what I say. Give the kids a hug, take a deeeep breath, and know that it’s all for the best.
See you on the road!
04-07-08
You sure these are real?
It must be Monday, because I am once again on my couch, enjoying a huge cup of coffee, and watching birds rifle through my freshly-cut grass looking for breakfast. I had every intention of writing a journal entry before my usual Monday rant, but I guess we were just having too much fun this go-round. (there’s a good country expression…)
Have I told you lately how much I love this schedule? I may have explained the schedule before, but for those of you that missed it, then here it is again. We get to the shows at 9AM, then don’t have to sound check until 4:30 in the afternoon. That’s just because we’re the support act on the tour, so when we headline, we’re slammed all day. I say this because I have seen more on this tour than on others, just because of the free time allotted. And have I told you how much different this tour is? Bucky loves life, and wants to get out and do things rather than sleep all day. Refreshing…
The first stop was Jackson, TN. I have been through Jackson a few hundred times, but never been downtown. The venue was in the heart of things, so we went on a little walkabout. A favorite pastime of most musicians is visiting pawn shops. We love to see if there are any cheap treasures out there. We have pipe dreams of seeing a ’62 Fender Jazz bass hanging in the window for $300. Of course, there were none in Jackson’s downtown pawn shop, but we did find some really nice crap. We have enough of that on the road, so we passed.
Day 2- Birmingham, AL. After a fantastic workout in a gym where NOBODY wiped down the equipment afterwards (is it that hard, people?), we had the runner take us through 5-points, where memories came cascading down from all sides. We used to play there a lot back in the day, and it has been about 3 years since I performed there. Good to see some of the old haunts are still around, and that I have matured a little since then. OK, maybe not, but I do find that my hangovers last longer. Across from the venue in this town was the Birmingham Museum of Art, which was better scenery than the pawn shop from the day before. Taking in Renaissance paintings and Rembrandt sketches always makes for a good afternoon. And our show was one of the best of the tour so far.
After our show, I was completely taken off-guard by running into a friend of mine from the past. He knew me from a different chapter in my life, and seeing him made me realize just how far I have come, and how blessed I am to be where I am. I showed him backstage and introduced him to all the peeps, and he and his friends came to Mick McCarthy’s, Dierks’ after-party room. For some reason the air conditioning was off, so it was a sauna in there. It actually reminded me of college – 40 sweaty people drinking and dancing in a tiny room, except at the end of the party, we get on the bus rather than try and walk across campus (or to Krystal – holla if you hear me)
The last show of the week was in the beautiful town of Hot Springs, AR. It was my first time there, and it was really nice. I touched a ‘hot spring’, which may have been a 2000-gallon hot water heater running through the fountain on a cycle, or it could have been real. Either way, it was, well, hot. We walked through an old bath house where they would channel the hot springs and sit around and make shady real estate deals (sorry Bill Clinton), and just enjoyed the sunshine. The area was hit by flooding and tornadoes recently. Seeing people out and about, and especially at the show was a good thing. Plus, well, we rocked.
As this tour rolls on, we have all become fairly comfortable with everyone. If you see a bunch of people 4 days a week for a month, that will happen. There are always going to be one or two people you don’t care to hang with, but for the most part, everyone is cool. So cool in fact, that when I got on the bus Saturday night, Dierks and his drummer beat the pants off Bucky and I in Halo on XBOX. Oh, his day will come, and I will find the same cheat codes he uses…
See you on the road!!
03-31-08
April fool’s eve, where everything is totally serious…
Hello and welcome to the 100 percent serious edition of my tour journal. Yeah, like that will ever happen. It’s Monday afternoon, and I am just whipped. Oh, I got up early on this, my day off, but I’ve been going non-stop, and I love it. I was just asked by a friend of mine what I was doing with free time. Thing is, I really don’t have any since I am writing. And I don’t even take speed. Go figure.
I have stated before, and I will state again, I love what we call ‘fly dates’. A fly date is where we get on a plane and play somewhere, hence the name ‘fly date’. Now, these are notoriously crappy, because we have to deal with carrying guitars on the plane, or even worse, checking them and running the risk of them not showing up, or showing up damaged. You’ve all looked out the window to see the guys on the tarmac playing ‘Samsonite shot put’. Plus, you have to deal with flight delays, getting up early, and the rule that if it can go wrong, it will.
Luckily for us, we had almost all of the above for our trip home to Nashville on Sunday. Saturday night we had a show in Connecticut, which rocked, by the way. Even better because I saw some cousins that I don’t get to see that often. Anyways, we rode the bus and flew out of Hartford, but didn’t get to the hotel and settled in until after 2AM, with a 6:30AM lobby call. Ouch.
Our flights were delayed leaving both Hartford and our connector in Charlotte, and so we had to head straight to the Sommet Center in Nashville for load-in and soundcheck for the KDF birthday bash. Of course, the crew at the venue are running extremely late, and so our hurry up and get there turns into hurry up and wait. And wait. And wait. Then 4PM hits, which is when doors were supposed to open. We couldn’t even set up until 4:15 PM. We get off stage as soon as we can, rush home and shower, forego any sort of real dinner (we really didn’t have a meal all day), then get back for a 7PM dressing room call for a 7:50 show.
Well, as some of you may know, we didn’t exactly start at 7:50. It was more like 8:50. So here we are, rushing all day, being behind, then rushing then being behind. And still no dinner. It’s pretty taxing when you are just worn out, and then ready and then told to sit tight. But for some reason, the end results are some of the best shows we do. Like the fly date we were late for in Houston a month ago. It was a blast, and last night was the same. We all had a really good time playing a ‘hometown’ show, and I slept like a baby. I’m still a little slow, but for some reason, got a lot done today. I love it.
We are sort of close to home this week, with our first show being in Jackson, TN. I am looking over the calendar, and we have some really amazing shows coming up. And the weather is warming. And my golf clubs are dusted off… anyways – check out Bucky’s myspace page for a bunch of new videos that were just posted. More insight of the road and beyond…
See you on the road!!
03-28-08
It’s really good to be us…
Happy Friday! I am currently in the posh dressing room backstage at the arena in Poughkeepsie, NY. We even have couches this time. I have some time to kill today, and opted out of the gym, so here I sit. I am actually waiting on the rain to lighten up a little, and I am going to see what the town of Poughkeepsie has to offer.
Last night we had a fantastic show in Binghamton, NY, and then celebrated by utilizing the Bud Light sponsors to the fullest extent. Actually Sarge and I hit a little dive bar across the street from the venue. I love the northern mentality. We walked up to the bar, and were met by the owner’s son. We told him we just played at the arena, when he asked if I was a hockey player. Loved that. We set him straight, and the bartender bought us shots. I am appreciative of people buying me shots, but not shots of brandy. First, you don’t ‘shoot’ brandy. Second, I am not so sure it was brandy. It tasted like battery acid. Not that I know what that tastes like, either.
We just got some pictures back from the ATV trip, and I posted one on myspace. I can’t wait to see the footage we shot. If you get a sec, check it out. We also filmed a little bit for American Idol last week, which will air April 2 on Fox, so you may see my fingers for all of three seconds on TV.
I go back and read my journal entries from time to time to see how many jokes I use over and over, or to see how my life has moved from one spot to another. I can see when I was down or up, or how things have changed. It’s a good thing. My Mom always said to keep a journal of things, and well, I guess this is it. I started doing this as a road project for King Konga, but it has moved beyond that, and I like that.
I have also noticed that my life has changed so much in the past four months that it has been amazing. I didn’t think that changing jobs would have such an impact on my life, but it has. For so many reasons. I won’t get into the nuts and bolts of it, but if you know me and talk to me, you already know. I will say that the people who still find it necessary to badmouth me about my career move – keep talking. Like Katt Williams says – go ahead, hate on me. I welcome it. If you have nothing better to do, like maybe reading to your kids or rake the yard, then type away. I have been PC and very kind this entire time, but people, you really, really need to let it go.
Off the soapbox. Back in tour mode. Like I said earlier, last night’s show was great. I am really looking forward to this summer where we can play longer than 30 minutes. The worst part of being an opening act on a major tour, if there is a worst part, is the fact that you only get a short time to play. By the time you are warmed up, the show is over.
So spring is here – the fertilizer is out, new flowers are planted, and hopefully my lawn will make a comeback. Keep the fingers crossed.
See you on the road!
03-20-08
Got Mud?
Good morning, and hello from Nashville, where I am once again on my couch, only this time surrounded by muddy riding helmets and swimming in fond memories of the last few days. Sometimes I can be so poetic. The last few days were a blur of mud, food, mountains and hangin out with a bunch of dudes in the woods. Was that out loud? Out being the operative word. Just kidding. Bucky, Rocky, Don, and myself headed up to Gilbert, WVa to shoot an episode of ‘Fisher’s ATV World’, which will be seen on the Vs. and Outdoor Network channels. I’ll keep you posted on times and dates.
We get off the bus early, like 7 AM, after a rough ride in. The mountains are no place for a tour bus, and big love to John for getting us there safely, even though I slept about 3 hours. It wasn’t his fault at all, but I have to give it to him – I wouldn’t want to drive that thing up there at night. Brian Fisher, the host of the show, met us and outfitted us in riding gear, then we went to the restaurant for breakfast, where they served what I dubbed ‘drumhead pancakes’ – they were literally a foot across, then they ask how many we want…
We had a big convoy going up to the trails – 14 ATVs and Gators plus motorcycles were being towed up there – we had a gang. Bucky and Rocky are naturals – they have been riding most of their lives, and were more than excited to tear it up. The tough part about doing this for TV is that the camera crews have to get set before we ride by – they shoot us, then they leapfrog up ahead. It makes for slow going, but we were still able to have a lot of fun.
I am a novice when it comes to serious trail riding. I have been on plenty of ATVs, but this was a step up – there were serious hills, lots of rocks, big mudpits, and streams to cross. I loved every minute of it, even when I am looking down to my side and seeing a 150-foot drop off. (These were everywhere). Day 2 was especially fun/dangerous, in the fact that it rained, so everything was slick. One wrong turn, and you were literally a dead man. It rocked.
The first night found us in the restaurant, which was closed down for our private party. The staff at both the hotel and the restaurant/bar were outstanding, and fed us very, very well. My heart is still trying to recover. And my back from the trails, but we won’t talk about that. The beer was out, as well as the guitars, so we had the obligatory sing for your supper. Darryl Singletary and Michael Scott were there, too, so we didn’t have to carry the whole load. It was a blast, but I had to get to bed. And, and of course, write the journal entry from a couple days ago.
Day two on the trails was not as scenic, but it had more places for us to ‘play’. I attached my new Flip camera to the front of my ATV and got some sweet footage. Hopefully I’ll have it edited and on youtube soon. Because of the rain, the trails on the second day were full of big mud holes and lots of obstacles. Again, it rocked.
The trail system we rode is called the Hatfield-McCoy trail, and yes, there are still Hatfields up there. We even met one. If you enjoy the outdoors at all and want to do something a little different on a vacation, then venture to WVA and get muddy. There are over 600 miles of trails, with 150 more being added. There are stores (go see Bill at IROC in Gilbert) that rent ATVs and riding gear, so grab some friends and get riding. We weren’t back in Nashville and we were already planning the next trip over there. I can’t wait.
So there’s where I have been for the past two days. The good part is that I had no cell service up there. I emailed the family, told them I was safe, and away I went. It was nice to completely get away. Don’t you need that right about now?
Next stop for us is St. Joseph, MO tomorrow night. It’s a full show for us, so get out and have some fun.
See you on the road!
03-18-08
What gator?
Hello everybody from the hills of West Virginia, where I am currently in my hotel room in the bustling town of Gilbert where we are filming an episode of ‘Fisher’s ATV World’. It’s 1AM, and I am beat, but I thought I would recap the past week so I don’t get too far behind, then I ‘ll give you all the trail riding dirt (yes, I said it) later.
Thursday we were back on tour with Dierks, this time at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC. It was almost a hometown show for Bucky, and became sort of one for me because I had some family show up. They left before the moonshine came out, so they didn’t see any weirdness that occurs when the white lightning shows up. I think the craziest thing we did was throw the football over the fence into a gator farm. We made Ducky go get it.
Friday found us in Tampa, FL, and what a day. Not only did we play 9 holes of golf, but had a kick-ass show, and then the real treat. Sarge (my former TM) arranged a little surprise for me from Adam LaRoche of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a friend of Luke Bryan’s who attended the show. Not only were there 3 Pirates in attendance, but Adam brought me a team-signed ball and one of his bats. If you know me at all, then you know I collect sports memorabilia, and that I bleed Pittsburgh Black and Gold. Go to youtube and check out the video presentation. Search for ‘shinybass’.
The next day we were in Estero, FL, which to this day I have no earthly idea of its location. All I know is that I was on the golf course yet again, played crappy, and got some sun, and had one of the best shows yet with Bucky. The band has moved to the next level, a level of comfort that hasn’t been there before, but has moved in that direction over the past few months. I think that comes from hanging with all the boys more on the road. It definitely carries over to the stage.
If I remember correctly, we blew it out that last night a little bit, with all of us in rare form at the after-party. Tom had his shirt off and Jeff and myself were being our usual selves. Enter childish antics here________.
So now we are up to speed. Speaking of (man, I am good at that), I will be racing down the ATV trails in less than 7 hours, so I have to get some rest. Seriously. Full report and videos on the way from the past week. Thanks for stopping by!
See you on the road.
03-10-08
Snowblind!
Happy Daylight Savings. Day one, and we are all out one hour of sleep. I think we should get that back on the day of our choice. I’ll start the petition. But I do have coffee (pretty standard), and the sun is starting to come up, the rooster is crowing, and the water company is checking meters outside, so every dog within 3 blocks is barking. It’s quite the early-morning symphony right now. Not exactly the picture of serenity.
On to business. Last Tuesday Jeff, Bucky, and I performed on the Crook and Chase show. We were with Randy Owen, a new guy who has just started coming into his own as a performer…come on – Randy is the lead singer of Alabama; his four billion records sold speak for themselves. Also on the show was Miranda Lambert. I think the show went well. Jeff and I had a good time cutting up, and the makeup lady magically wiped away my little red line on my head from my ‘recording accident’. (Which is healing very nicely, thank you).
Thursday was the dress rehearsal for the CRS ‘New Faces’ show here in Nashville. It’s not open to the public, but part of the Radio Seminar that comes to town every year. We played it last year, so doing it this year with Bucky we dubbed ourselves the ‘New Faces House Band’. The run-throughs are pretty strict, because there are 5 artists, so everybody gets 45 mins to do a sound check and run the set. To make things even cooler, Bucky made his entrance on a dirtbike. Pretty sweet. That boy has zero fear.
Friday’s show was a good one, after we worked out stage cues so nobody got run over. The tricky part of riding in like that is to not be on ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ the next week. Our show was with some cool folks – Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Jason Michael Carroll, and Taylor Swift. I hear Taylor has a hot tub and a fireplace in her bus now. I’m not kidding. So, needless to say, I never saw her. I would soak and warm right up until show time as well. Who wouldn’t?
We walked out of our show to a snow-covered Broadway, and the streets were a mess. We probably should have left sooner, but we hung out for about an hour, which added more ice to the road. It took us a solid hour and a half to get home, and I live about 10 minutes from downtown. What amazed me was the amount of selfish ‘Screw you, I see that you’re stuck but I am in a 4-wheel drive and won’t help’ mentality that was out there. We were in a two wheel drive, and it was all we could do to get up the hills. I know – all of you in the Northern states are laughing at me right now, because 6 inches of snow is nothing. But for around here…
This week we are off to warmer weather. First stop is Myrtle Beach then on to south Florida. I am bringing my golf clubs on this run, baby. Daddy’s been locked up for too long. It hasn’t been that bad. I am just looking forward to swinging the clubs again. And getting some sunshine on my shoulder. It makes me happy.
Back on the tour this week, so get out and see a show!!!
See you on the road.
03-02-08
Indy FACE!
It’s early. For me, at least. It’s 7 AM on Sunday morning, and I’ve been home for about an hour. The bus rolled in from Indianapolis, and I was a zombie trying to find my things and get in my truck and head home. I have elected to stay awake, which means that I’ll be napping later, I am sure. But I have a little Dunkin’ Donuts coffee in me (which I have determined is my favorite right now), and I am sitting on a very quiet couch, ready to recap the week for you.
It’s really funny how things don’t ever change. When I was a young lad, I was in trouble a lot. Wrong place, wrong time, acting up when I shouldn’t have been, and I admittedly push the envelope just about every chance I get. I cross the line occasionally, but I generally live in a delicate balance just teetering on the edge. Until I get in trouble. Then I have to step back.
The reason I say this is because I seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time on this tour, and I feel I have become the unwanted stepchild. Here are my greatest hits up to date: Day one of the tour. We’re in Dierks’ makeshift bar where the after-parties have been happening, and well, we’re out of Patron. I am then handed the radio by one of Dierks’ people and announce that ‘Bucky needs more Patron in the VIP immediately’. Well, that went over like a fart in church. It seems the production people use the same radio, and the crew that was loading out didn’t think that was too funny, especially Dierks’ tour manager. In my defense, I was given the radio and told to make the announcement because it would be funny. Then I am sent to the principal’s office.
This past week, I needed to send some large email files to Bucky’s record label. I went to the production office where they have a high-speed connection and asked, yes asked, if I could set up to send these files. I was told OK, so I set up my computer and started working. About 20 minutes later, Dierks’ bass player came in, and he and I started talking music. I guess the tour manager didn’t want to hear all that music talk that morning, so I was promptly kicked out, like a child that went into your Dad’s ‘off-limits’ trophy room or something. Well, that set a nice tone that day for me. It’s been a long time since I was ‘talked down’ to.
Then last night, after I had made up with Dierks’ manager, I walked into a side door of the theater, after our set, and right before Dierks’ set. Well, I burst through the door, and there is Dierks and his manager. Little did I know that he would be sneaking through this door when the theater went dark to make his grand entrance. So the door is open, the lights are on, and people right there can see him. I was like ‘crap’. I just can’t win.
So I am going to spend the rest of the tour in my bunk until it is my turn to play, then go back to my bunk until the next day. I think that’s the safest bet, and Dierks’ tour manager won’t keep rolling his eyes at me. OK, not really. We’re having too much fun. The bands all get along very well, and we can pretty much all hang out at all hours. All the bands hit the gym on a daily basis, and we are all starting to talk trash on the basketball court and in the video game world. Dierks even bought us an Xbox 360 for the bus so we can play Halo bus-to-bus. Life is good.
We have changed our set around completely since the first couple of weeks, and I like it a lot more. We are hitting our stride as a band now, and the show is stronger than ever. My point – get out to see this tour. You will be glad you did.
See you on the road!!!
02-25-08
It’s so good when it hits the lips
Dateline: Nashville. Monday. Stomach: Better. Tour: Great. Food: Solid. Thanks for all of the support last week during my episode. Whenever you say ‘Stomach bug’, the reaction of people is a sympathetic wince and a long ‘oooooooooooh’. Life is much better now, and I am happy to say that my first real meal for 4 days was a 16oz steak. It was so damn good, even if it was tainted by mad cow disease. I'm a helicopter! (get it?)
I think I was writing from Detroit in the last installment. We were at the Palace at Auburn Hills, which was pretty darn nice, I have to say. I literally spent all day there, not feeling up to getting to the gym (my first day back at the gym is today), so I wandered around aimlessly for a long time. It’s a big place, and we had the run of it, so there was a lot to look at. But they locked the Piston’s locker room. Man…
The Bucky caravan rolled into Flint, Michigan the next night for a show at a rock room called The Machine Shop. What a cool place. It’s a ‘biker’ bar. Not Hell’s Angels kind, but like pinup girls and full sleeves of tattoos kind of bar. It was a small place, but a great venue. The show was our first ‘long’ show in a few weeks, so it was good to play some new songs and sweat a little bit more, even though it was below freezing outside.
The show ended, and the bar opened up for us. It was a great night for everybody to let off some steam. Our tour manager, Don, used to be a professional wrestler. He’s about 6’ 8”, and can give a look that will kill. But he is one of the funniest and nicest people you will ever meet. When the crew got back on the bus, somehow in the front lounge a pillow fight broke out (So rock star, I know), but then it turned rather quickly to a WWE match. There were no less than 6 people jumping all over each other, with Don right in the middle, not even moving, looking like Superman with bullets bouncing off his chest. That was my cue to get to bed. If I have learned something in all my years, it’s to never take on a pro when you are amateur.
Next stop on the frigid run was to the home of that great American institution, Kellogg’s. Battle Creek, Michigan, where the streets are lined with Corn Flakes, and you can hear Snap, Crackle, and Pop gently echoing downtown. Well, it ain’t that storybook, but the crowd that came out was. Big, wonderful, supportive crowd that made us feel very welcome in their home. And great carrot cake in catering. Back off – I got to put on some weight that I dropped.
So that was the week that was. What have I learned this week? That it’s not so bad. It just sucks at the time. I am slowly getting my phone numbers back, and my new Blackberry is pretty fun. It has ‘Breakout’. (I am still a child, people. Don’t you get that by now)? On a serious note, Dierks’ show is really good, as is Luke’s, so get out to one of these shows if we’re close. And make sure you say hi.
See you on the road!!!
02-21-08
Have you seen my phone?
Good morning. Here we are at week two of the Throttle Wide Open tour. I am feverishly typing this morning, as we have been wandering around here for an hour or so, and have, oh, several more hours to go before we can really do anything. We load in at 11AM, but don’t soundcheck until 4PM, which leaves several hours to get into trouble or lay by the pool in the beautiful Michigan weather.
I promised I would catch you up on last week, so here goes: Pompano beach, FL. 80 degrees, and I rode a horse around the venue parking lot, and sunned by the pool. And we played outdoors. Bonus. Plus they had Oreos in catering. It’s the simple things. How good is a glass of milk and 4 Oreos? Man…Next day was the Wild Adventures Park in Valdosta, Georgia. Easy show for us – we were on first because we were in Luke’s hometown. But catering was a different story. I think I caught a bug from the undercooked chicken.
Now, the bug could have come from anywhere – door handles, a sneeze, etc, but both our monitor guy and I got sick after eating the chicken. So I get home Sunday, and Monday through yesterday were the worst days I have had in a long time. Did I mention I had to get on a plane and do an acoustic show in Houston Tuesday? I can’t complain. Won’t complain. And I am pretty sure the last thing you want to read about is my illness. I am feeling tons better today, so my mood is on the upswing, and I can start enjoying life again.
Speaking of enjoying life, I had some emails coming in that have been inspiring. It seems that a few of you are embracing more of life, and doing some things after reading this journal. I cannot tell you how that makes me feel. That is probably the most amazing compliment I can ever receive. So thank you.
Flashback to Houston, Texas. We fly in to play an acoustic show with Luke Bryan for KILT as a thank you to those who contributed to St. Jude’s. So not only do we see Luke everyday, but now we’re flying with him on our days off as well. In honor of Luke and his good sense of humor, we started our acoustic set with the chorus of ‘All My Friends Say’. Good times. The acoustic lineup is Bucky, Jeff and I, and I love it. We really have a great time together, and I look forward to more.
It’s almost noon, which means one thing. That’s right. Catering is up. Looking forward to a stout helping of bread, a banana, and water. Oh yeah, and on Monday I washed my cell phone. Which means I lost about 80% of my numbers. That was cool too. But, I have a new phone, feel better, and am back on the road, so life is great.
See you on the road!!
02-17-08
Gee, it’s hot George
Welcome. It’s 6:58 AM by my watch, and we have just arrived from the first weeks’ worth of shows from the Dierks Bentley ‘Throttle Wide Open’ tour. Who wants dirt? Who wants stories? Who wants ice cream?
First, about me. (Because, it’s my journal, and if I am writing instead of sleeping at 7AM on a Sunday morning, then I write what I please. Like the word ‘marshmallow’) I’m burning bandwidth for this? Back to front – On Tuesday afternoon, my good friends Jeff Brown and Jeff Cease were at the house to record a new song. Things were moving along nicely, and we moved the session down to the basement to track drums. While I was setting up the mics, I stood up very quickly and slammed my head on a plastic overhead pipe. I immediately fell back down, clutching my head in pain. I moved my hand from my head, and blood was now covering my palms.
Jeff Cease took me to the hospital, and they glued me back together. Literally. No stitches, which was good, but if you see me in public, then my little head is covered until I heal up. It’s pretty gruesome under there. I have been in pain pretty much all week, and being the smart one, hate taking medicine of any kind, so I have been playing injured, so to speak. I’m having residual problems as well, with my jaw hurting like all get out, which, for you worriers (Mom), I am having looked at tomorrow. My point is, this past week, although supposed to be joyous, was a little lackluster for me. I still reminded myself that we are on a major tour, and that life is really, really good.
The tour started in Gainesville, FL, which is Tom’s hometown. It’s interesting on the first day of a tour. It’s like the first day of school, as you walk around and meet people, talking about past shows or mutual friends. Then of course, there is the general waiting, eating, waiting, and eating that goes on for what seems like forever. My day was spent hat shopping to cover up my wounded melon. And soaking up the 70-degree weather, a stark contrast from the 20’s we left in Nashville the night before.
We were on after Luke Bryan (hell of a nice guy, and a great dancer – more on that later), and the crowd was rockin’. I will admit this: Not a show goes by when I don’t think about how lucky I am to be where I am. Hurt head and all, I try and make the most out of every show, and this was no exception.
It was nice to see some old friends at the show, and in a strange twist of fate, our old tour manager Sarge is managing Luke Bryan, and our old merch guy Ponyboy is out with Dierks, so everyday is like a little family reunion. It’s pretty nice, actually. Lots of great people on this tour. Luke and Dierks are very nice, and I suspect that by the end of this thing in May, we will have made some really good friends.
We have an acoustic show this Tuesday in Houston with Luke, so I’ll type more about the other shows when I get back from that. Send me a myspace message if you have any specific questions as the tour rolls on. I am sure we will have many stories for you. I think the tour is worth every penny – three great acts, and the artists are three great people. Bonus.
See you on the road!!!
02-12-08
Underwear and socks
Happy rainy Tuesday to you all. I hope you are dry, warm, or a combination thereof. That goes for all of you. I have been getting hits on my website from all over the world, so if you are freezing in Canada, or laughing at us from the sunny Australian beaches, then welcome. There is room for everybody in this party.
I was off all last week, and tried to get as much work done as humanly possible in those 7 days. I did a lot, but also realized that Rome wasn’t built in a day, either. Plus when my little brother came to town, well, all work was out the window at that point.
Usually I update you on shows and events from the past week, and since I had no shows, I will update you on the status of my laundry. It needs done. Next topic. The upcoming tour. When I say ‘tour’, I immediately think of leaving for months at a time, coming home to brown plants and moldy bread on the counter. The tour with Dierks is a little different. We only have shows Th-Sat. at first. It will get busier, but for the first month or so, it should be pretty painless. And still with brown plants and moldy bread.
There is a lot that goes into preparing for a major tour. Since we are the second opener (Luke Bryan is on before us), then it’s not as crazy, but still needs preparation. The bus just got wrapped by our tour sponsor (Zippo), and we have a sweet new backdrop as well. On a personal side, I have a bunch of new gear. Christmas came a little late, but it was worth the wait. I am still like a little kid when I get a new guitar.
Here’s a little secret to three-day touring, especially on a bus. We can really get away with murder hygienically speaking, but it’s all a matter of personal preference. I’ll explain. I can feasibly pack one pair of jeans, one shirt, 3 pr socks, and 3 pr of underwear, and I am set. For the whole week. I can fit all of my luggage into a grocery bag with room to spare.
Of course, if you know anything about me, I have a ridiculously huge racing ‘track’ bag that is my suitcase, with ample room for a television, 3 small puppies, a wine rack, and a hotplate. Everything I need for a weekend away from home. The problem is having the discipline to only pack a few things, especially since I have to tote that barge everywhere. I guess, like anything, it’s just discipline.
So, if you come to two shows in a row on this tour, I will try my best to have on a different outfit. I think I will smell better that way, too. And you might see the new bass, the new shoes, the new jeans, the new shirts. Do you think I went overboard? (And on a side note - socks are the perfect present for a touring musician)
It promises to be a great tour, a great time, with three really good bands. We all know each other, so it’s like a bunch of friends hanging out. And speaking of, look for us out and about afterwards, too. More stories on that to come, of that I am certain. Thanks again for checking in, and, as always…
See you on the road!!!
02-06-08
Tea and tornadoes
Happy Wednesday evening to you all, and thanks for dropping by. If you read the last journal entry (and if you didn’t - just scroll down - I’ll wait.), then you know that I am in work mode. Serious, serious work mode. More on that in a little bit. For now, we must get you up to speed on last week’s shows, and what lies ahead.
Last week we had two arena shows with Trace Adkins. That is a great human being. And so damn cool. I mean, drink a beer on the porch and barbeque cool. Plus, he agreed to answer some questions for one of the books I am writing, so even better.
The shows were a blast. The first was in Lowell, MA, which is a quaint little town, and hometown of a very good friend, and fellow bass-player. His name is Dino, and if you see him, say hi. He’s good people. He drove us around and gave us the nickel tour, which I really like, because more often than not, the most we see of the towns we play are the venue and the hotel. We really didn’t stay very long in Lowell, because we had to get over to PA for the next show with Trace.
Johnstown, PA was a great little town, and the people were friendly as can be. They have an incline (look it up), and in the short one-block walk from the hotel to the venue, I passed a little bar called Scott’s by dam. Well, out on the front steps was Scott (by damn), and he was nice, by damn. I told him I’d be back later, and sure enough, before you could say ‘Yuengling’, we were surrounded by the good folk of Johnstown, and I was in heaven.
Scott’s by dam is a working man’s bar. It was all of 20’x30’, and only had about 15 people in it, including two 70-year old ladies from Pittsburgh, one of who was from my parents’ neighborhood. Small world. Jeff and I decided that would be us down the road - two crusty old men drinking draft beer at 10PM on a Friday, shaking our heads at the kids.
Everybody from the bus came over to party for a little bit, so all of a sudden, we were rockin’. The owner even offered to lock the doors to keep it private. Very cool, and completely unnecessary. It just ain’t that kind of party. I will say this – Bucky & co are some of the easiest people to hang with and nicest people you will ever meet. Hands down. Being out with them is a joy on so many levels.
So the week has been a very productive one for me so far (and it’s not over yet). I am excited for the next seven days as we gear up for this tour with Dierks Bentley. Make sure you come out for a show. It’s gonna be insane. I’ll make some announcements on the site by the time we leave to show some fruits of my labor.
Please take a moment and think about the people who are without homes tonight due to the tornadoes that ripped through the South last night. It sounded like the sky had fallen on my street last night, but we came out ok. North of town was a different story. Www.redcrossnashville.org has set up shelters for those in need. Donate a couple dollars and help. Seriously – just $5 would help. (and yes, I donated…) Thanks.
God Bless.
01-28-08
And now for something completely different…
Good morning, wonderful world. It is Monday. It is cold. I know my stocks are down, my heating bill up, and my hair, well, gone. Such is life. The market will turn around, it will warm up, and I can still comb my hair with a towel. You have NO idea how much I save in primp time by not having to comb. Anyways, I don’t want to talk about the shows from this past week, but I want to vent a little, and maybe offer a little direction.
I got a little lost this weekend. Not direction-wise, but life-wise. I walked the grounds of a very nice B&B where we had our show, and went to the ‘dark side’. I was down, but walking around always gets my mind moving, and I needed a small event to turn my head around.
I have been wrestling with some points in my life lately, namely ‘unfinished business’. There are chapters left unwritten, songs with no second verse, and too many blank canvasses in front of me. The last one was the only metaphor. I have been writing three books for the better part of 10 years now, and have a ton of songs in notebooks waiting to be sung. The only thing I have painted lately is the varnish on the teak of my sailboat, which is another one of those unfinished projects.
I am busy – I like to stay busy – but this is deeper. I have things I want to do, and just haven’t. That’s a crime. I can make time for everything I want to make time for, I just haven’t. So – I say this to you: I will do the things I set out to do, and you can ask me about them anytime, because I will see them through. And you can judge the results as you see fit. But now on to something else.
There is a big difference in not doing something out of being lazy and not doing something because you think you will fail. I have heard from more than one person lately that they aren’t doing something because they are scared of the outcome. First of all, there is no mountain that cannot be conquered. And if someone is not being supportive in your dreams, goals, aspirations, then move on. Do it without their help, but do it.
Back to me for a second. I called my little brother the other day and talked about a day we took out the boat down in Mobile. It was a very windy day, and I was too scared to pop the sail, because it was the most wind I had sailed in. I told him ‘We should have popped the jib at least’. I don’t want to live like that. I don’t want to say I’m sorry for not trying something. If it sucks or doesn’t work, then so be it. But I will tell my grandkids that I had some great sails, and the one I ‘should have’ had, hopefully so they won’t have a day they regret.
So I am off to conquer the world. I hope that those of you I speak of read this and realize that you can do anything you want. You can get a new job, leave that crappy person you are seeing who doesn’t support you or nurture your life, start a new hobby, or take that first step. The first step is the hardest, but after you get a little down the road, you’ll realize how easy it really is.
Oh yeah, this week we’re with Trace Adkins for two shows up north. Come ask me in person what I have done this week.
See you on the road!
01-19-08
What happened to your face?
Hi there, football fans. It’s Sunday night, and the Patriots and Giants have punched their tickets and are headed to Superbowl 40-something. Lah-die-frickin’ dah. Yes, I am a little mad that the Steelers aren’t going, and that they couldn’t get it together. But, as they say, there is always next year. I hope. So the TV is off (actually it’s been off a lot lately), and the below-freezing temps outside have forced me into my footed Spiderman pj’s.
It was awfully cold elsewhere this week. Take Boise, Idaho (PLEASE!) for example. That was the scene of our first show; a couple of acoustic performances for some radio contest winners. It was pretty out there, but the highlight of the trip was when my boss hit me in the cheek with his chin by mistake. It did bleed, and has left me with a wonderful red badge of courage on my left cheek. I look like I belong in Fight Club. I know, the first rule is…
4 short hours of sleep, and I was on an airplane, headed for LA. No, not lower Alabama. I was attending the NAMM show in Anaheim. It’s a trade show, not open to the public, where manufacturers show off the latest and greatest musical gear. I call it heaven. And hell. It’s like a Guitar Center in there – everybody playing waaay too loud, and they don’t do it tastefully. And it’s like Vegas – you really don’t get much sleep because the corporate cards are out, and the beer flows like wine. I didn’t get much sleep, but not because of drinking. I caught a cold in Boise, but still tried to stay up and hang. It was tough, but the people I saw are some of my best friends anywhere, and I have been representing these companies for over 10 years now.
I slept all of 2 hours, then got on a plane to meet the band in Dallas for Saturday’s show. We were at the Glass Cactus, which is an upscale club on the Opryland Resort property. Not only was it a nice room, but every single waitress there could have been a model. Yes, this job gets tougher all the time. Eye candy aside, the show was good, and I was happy to be back on stage.
Back to NAMM – it’s a fun show in the fact that it is an affirmation of where I am in life, and that the paths I travel (seem to be) the right ones. I didn’t have a great first day there, but on day two, I turned it all around, and made a bad situation good, just by practicing what I preach. I went in telling myself to be positive and, well, it was. I know this all sounds very cryptic, but my point is this – if you want something – go after it. It can happen for you.
To recap – let’s go over some other things I learned this week:
If your artist (or anyone else for that matter) is being thrown in your direction, then duck.
A human body can technically function on only 2 hours of sleep a night. Is it a good idea? No.
Tommy ‘Deebo’ Liston is a huge human being. No wonder it was such a big deal when Craig ‘Knocked him the f**k out’
If you are going to be without sleep for extended periods of time, just make sure there is a nice warm bunk waiting for you, with a long ride home to pass out on.
After over 10,000 miles of travel this week, I am home, and looking forward to a fantastic week. The new tour dates are looking great, and I am getting excited about the months ahead. I have to go put Neosporin on my face now.
See you on the road!!!
01-13-08
Son, you’re just too loud.
Good morning. It’s Sunday, and the world is teeming with activity. My coffee is brewing (actually it’s brewed and I am three cups in, which is why my thoughts get so scattered. Look – a helicopter!), the birds are chirping, and the neighborhood kids are rattling the ground effects on their ‘88 Cutlass. Oh, to be in Nashville in winter.
The past week or so I have been off the road. I have cleaned, darned, shammied, and shimmied all over my house, and now I am ready to be back out. Like a sailor called to the sea, I need to be performing. OK, not that dramatic, but seriously, I don’t know what to do with 10 days off. OK, that’s a lie, too. Gym, writing, gym, cooking, gym, cleaning the basement. There’s what I have been doing. Oh, yes, and a little show called the Grand Ole Opry last night.
So we’re back at the Ryman for the Opry. There are a lot of guys in town that have done it. It comes with the job, I guess, but there is nothing like walking out on that stage, looking at those windows behind the audience, and playing your instrument. We were on the TV this time, which means you have to get there early and do a different sort of soundcheck. They always tell you to not be too loud for TV. Oops.
Backstage, the walls are filled with old black-and-white pictures of the greats. The stars of the past, all sort of hanging out and playing. Our dressing room last night was the Johnny Cash room, filled with shots of him at the Ryman. Pretty inspiring. Last night was no different than the snapshots. You can spot artists and musicians just hanging out, having coffee and catching up. It’s really a ‘neat’ scene, watching the older cats talking with the new ones, and here I am in the middle, again asking ‘How did I get here?’ Ours is not to ask the question why…
It was Rocky and Ducky’s first time on the Opry, and they hit the trifecta. They played the Opry, on TV, and at the Ryman. Nice for a first time. Hell, nice for anytime. I’m glad I could see the excitement on their faces, and imagined I hope I looked that cool my first time. Speaking of TV, we did two songs on air, then one for just the audience. We did ‘Suspicious Minds’ because Elvis was told he was too loud there. Punks.
So where to this week? Well, we have a private acoustic show at a school in Boise, Idaho. The school donated the most coats in a clothing drive, so they get Bucky Covington to play for them. Pretty cool if you ask me. Then I am out in Anaheim to attend the NAMM show, and I’ll have the full report from there when the hangover subsides. Off to Dallas on Saturday, then home for about 48 hours. We’re getting back in the swing, and I love it. Phase II of the basement cleaning will (thankfully) have to wait.
See you on the road!
01-06-08
Ahh, the new year is upon us. And we didn’t even ask for it.
So welcome to 2008, the year of the rat. (I think). When I was little we would go to a Chinese place that always had the years mapped out, and so if memory serves me correctly, then it must be the year of the rat. OK, I have no idea what I am typing about this very second, but that is usually the case. Either way, it is a new year, the Chinese do have some sort of animal representing it, and it’s time to get moving forward.
Did you have a good 2007? Were there some things that could have been different? Well, of course there were, but hindsight is 20/20. I am living proof of this, and have had to explain this to several people recently, but you are right where you need to be. Longing for change makes you motivate into change, and when that happens is right when it is supposed to happen. It may not seem like it at the time, but it really is. So if you are looking for a change, get to it. That’s all I am saying.
I hope everyone’s holidays were good. My tree is coming down this week, because I have to make way for the Groundhog Day bush that I put up. That is followed by the President’s Day obelisk, and the St. Patrick’s Day clover display. There is a lot going on around here. OK, I don’t really celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Right now we are on a bit of a break. I had a show on New Year’s Eve with Bucky, and honestly, I didn’t have a great time. My amp decided to crap out as we hit the stage, and whereas none of the open-bar party goers had any idea, I did, and it made for a subpar night. As a bass player, I like to feel the air moving that comes out of a bass amp, and when your amp doesn’t function, well, what can you do? I am not faulting the bass amp company at all (keeping my diplomatic side), because these things happen, and for 10 years, this is the most serious issue I have had, so I am not complaining. Let me see – 1750 shows and only one bad amp problem. I can handle that.
So I had last night off. What did I do? That’s right – my one Saturday night off in the past fifteen years, and I get in a car and go somewhere. It was Steeler playoff night last night, and since my closest brother is in Atlanta, I had to drive down and watch the game with him. Why drive 4 hours each way to watch a 3-hour football game on TV? Well, first, because I can. Second, when I am 80 years old, I don’t want to think about time I ‘should’ have spent. You never get it back. No matter how much money you have, or how much botox you get. You never get it back. So enjoy it all while you can. And take lots of pictures before you wrinkle.
Back to music this week with a show on the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday. I think this is either number 13 or 14 for me. I can’t remember now, but it is at the Ryman, which I am so excited about. That experience is never lost on me. So if you tune in to GAC on Saturday night, watch for the cheesy grin on yours truly’s face. Actually, I won’t be smiling, because we’re going to be on TV, and supposed to look cool. It’s not cool to smile on stage. Yeah, right.
See you on the road!
12-17-07
It’s beginning to look a lot like….
Well, I am not really sure what it’s beginning to look like. I talk to friends who are under several feet of snow, then we go to Florida for a couple of days and sweat our butts off, with the humidity totally ruining any chances of my hair doing anything worthwhile. Oh yeah, that got messed up years ago…It is Christmas? Not yet, Virginia, but it’s close.
It is the typical post-tour Monday for me: laundry, a little grocery shopping, then ‘normal’ (whatever that feels like) living for a couple of days. I am a funny bird sometimes. OK, most of the time. I have a hard time relaxing. I love to relax, don’t get me wrong, but when I am home with a couple of days off, I am not the sit-on-the-couch kind of person. I own a couch. I sit on it, but not much. I guess that helps the resale value. Craigslist ad – ‘One gently used couch. Minimal sit time, and when used it was used sparingly and with guilt of being lazy.’
But I am somewhere else. Back to touring. Focus. Focus. This week we hit Sarasota, FL, then Tallahassee. The first night was fun for us – we were allowed behind the bar (like leaving peanuts with the elephant), and of course, we took full advantage. Then we got back on stage after our set to stumble through a couple of songs using the house band’s gear. It had a very bad frat party feel to it.
We were at Floyd’s Music Store in Tallahassee on Saturday, which wasn’t a music store, and I don’t think they had anybody named Floyd there. We DID however, have BBQ for dinner, and a good workout at the Doubletree before the show, which makes me a happy boy. Good crowd, and for us, a fun show. I have been sick for the better part of a week, so to get some notes out of my throat was encouraging.
That’s one of the problems with living on a bus – if one person gets sick, it’s only a matter of seconds before everyone else follows suit. And my suit is at the cleaners. I just spoke with Jeff this afternoon, and now he is sick. Not because I spoke with him, mind you, although that could have a lot to do with it. You want to bring us presents? Airborne and sudaphed. Well, I had better not advertise that, or else the feds will pick me up for suspicion of cooking meth. Not that I even know what that means. I know it usually involves a bathtub, bad teeth, a hotel room, and a fun segment on COPS.
Speaking of hotels, did you know that Holiday Inn has the absolute worst coffee on the planet? Just thought you should know. They switched to some enviro-safe brand, and whereas I am all for saving the world and cutting down on workforce beatings, something’s gotta give. It’s like tobacco juice. Worse. I have never actually had tobacco juice, so I am lying. You caught me.
So this week empty your ashtray and bring those quarters down to Harrah’s in St. Louis and Kansas City, where we are at the Voodoo Lounge both nights. I am a fan of the blackjack, so if you are in a playing mood, come on down.
PS—big tour dates being added very soon. We are out with Dierks Bentley from Feb-Apr next year, so look out!
See you on the road!
12-06-07
It’s been three days….
I am in a writing mood lately, so I have parked my little butt on a roadcase backstage at the latest and greatest venue, a place called the Pepsi-Cola Roadhouse about 25 min outside of Pittsburgh. Right this minute the outside door is open, so a rush of the 35 degree weather is coming in, and it is wonderful. Really. I feel like I am at Grandma’s for the holidays.
If your family is like mine, you probably had to get in the back of the station wagon (I was in the third seat that faced the other way) and what was the crash-test rating on THAT one? Sheesh. Anyways, my parents would pack the four boys into the family truckster and get us up to this part of the country. I can only imagine the hassle of packing enough underwear for us, plus sandwiches, constant bathroom breaks, crankiness, fights, and general mayhem that would ensue between my three brothers and myself.
I always liked coming up here because they always had snow. And railroad tracks. And apple dumplings and long walks with my Grandpa, where he would tell wonderful stories about the town whenever we would pass something that would spark the memory. Grandma always had food, and we always were afraid of the attic. I am not sure why, but even years later when we cleaned out the house, I was a little skittish being up there.
We would double-dip the visit to PA, heading from one Grandparents’ house to the other’s in Pittsburgh. My Mother’s Mother was an amazing woman, and her cooking was incredible as well. She would always worry about us walking down the street, and made sure we were always fed with something sweet. Then we would visit the Italian side of my family, the many aunts and uncles and cousins that made up practically a whole side of town. I was always stuck eating at the card table, not old enough to play the big room yet. In Italian families, the hierarchy of eating was by age, and honestly, that’s how it should be.
I am fortunate to have had many of my relatives live to ripe old ages – late 80’s early 90’s is the norm in my family, so I was able to hear some good stories, eat some great food, and most importantly, I was able to learn some things about my background, and possibly why I am who I am. Turns out there are a lot of musicians in my family, so that would explain why I am poor. I am also of ‘Old World’ blood, so I am thankful for the lessons that I learned by keeping my mouth shut at the dinner table.
I am waxing nostalgic today because I am on the eve of a birthday, and seeing some of the Italian family tonight at the show, including my Uncle, who is really the reason I am playing today. I hope that in the upcoming holiday season you realize that the fighting is silly, and that family is really the best thing ever; worth every hassle of packing the car and making sure your kids spend time with Grandma. It’s much more than dinner and a football game on TV. There is nothing like hearing about when Dad painted the car when he was a kid, or when your brother used to pee in his toybox. We are all human, have made mistakes, and are allowed forgiveness.
Did I screw up somewhere to go into confessional mode? At some point, sure, but not today. I am just feeling good – life is good, and I am happy to be alive. And now I talk too much at the table, when I should probably listen more. So sue me.
See you on the road.
12-03-07
Is it Monday again? I guess if it is then that means I have some juicy stories for you from the week that was. I am not sure about juicy, but the stories, well, we are making them.
I will start with a personal story, then try and dive into some road stuff. I attended the first induction ceremony for the Musicians Hall of Fame last week, and it was one of the greatest nights of music to ever take place. If you are a musician and didn’t attend, then you missed some of the best studio musicians in the world assembled on one stage, performing songs that they recorded. I’m talking about the greatest songs over the past 50 years. These guys did it. They played on so many amazing records - everything from Elvis to Sinatra to Johnny Cash to The Supremes to Neil Diamond to Garth Brooks. If you own any 5 pop or country or classic R & B CD’s, chances are you are listening to these guys. The night was one I will never forget, and reaffirms the belief I have that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.
Then we climbed back on the bus. We had some cold touring this past week. I am not opposed to it, because since Al Gore made it 100 degrees everyday this summer to promote his Nobel campaign, then I welcome the seasonal change. We had a great show with Taylor Swift and Eric Church in St. Louis. The show was really good, and as a band, we have started to hit a groove. I like that it’s coming together pretty quickly. Taylor is nice – she watched us play Bob Marley and Better Than Ezra tunes at sound check, and then asked me out which was sweet of her. I keed I keed. One highlight of that show was playing ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’, and seeing thousands of cell phones being waved around. They are the new cigarette lighters, since there are only about 900 smokers left in the world.
The next day was spent in Kansas City, where I have been on a few occasions. I like knowing where to get coffee, shop, and get a great dinner when on the road. As you all know, we love to eat, and this time for dinner it was Ichiban, for awesome sushi and flaming acrobatic displays of culinary expertise. And watching juggling knives is always fun.
The last night of the run was at Billy Bob’s in Ft. Worth, which was my third time around that area. All you can eat ribs for 9.99? Hell yes, I say. Hell yes. Great show, great hang, and one of the best practical jokes ever was played on me. Ask me in person, and I’ll tell you about it.
I have been getting a lot of questions about Bucky. What he is like, how is it touring with him, etc. Bucky Covington is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He is so laid back and easy going, which makes for a better touring experience all the way around. He always has a joke ready, and never pulls the celebrity card out. He is just down to earth and real. It’s very refreshing.
I am enjoying my 20 minutes at home right now, but that will end soon. We arrived at home yesterday, I had a rehearsal last night, with an in-town showcase