A Pueblo cow and the silence of Llamas

 Nothing really spectacular about the Colorado State Fair. It took a coupla days of driving to get there from St. Paul,MN. Here's some "highlights" (there weren't many).

Holy cow, The Minnesota State Fair and Quebe Sisters

I walk into the little room that was for me to set up my merch stuff and there's a pretty little young, kinda shy girl already in there. I assume she's selling merch for the act before us. Hulda Quebe's her name. She then tells me after a little bit that she actually plays in one of the bands. She tells me the name and we go our separate ways. A few minutes later I see her back in the "green room" (common area for the bands) and then something seems familiar about the name she'd told me. Taking a shot in the dark, I ask her "did you guys play on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion last year?" She says yes and I'm like HOLY COW (which is like a polite HOLY SHIT, to me) I LOVED you guys!!! I was on my travel journey & blog of last year across the South, at that time vainly looking for great music in GA., and caught them on that show! The WHOLE band was SO damn sweet, nice, humble and sincere. Not to mention that they were an UNBELIEVABLY talented group of singers and musicians! Watch some of my clips above in the "vlog" AND go see them! Enough of that other than to say it was my favorite "State Fair" though I DID love the Oregonians and they come in a valiant 2nd place.  It's all in the vlog of what I saw, 'cept for the birthing of the calf, TOO many damn people in there watching the blood and guts and my short ass couldn't even get my camera high enough to see over the tall assed Minnesotan's!

P.S. Marcia Ball was damn entertaining with a great band, as well.

I love me.

I don't care if anyone is entertained by me or not. "Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggonit, people like me"-Stuart Smalley. I never claimed to be original.

How the HELL do you deal with the "up's and down's"? Toomey

My question to John was "How the hell do you play for 8000 screaming people in arena or fair one night and then get excited about a few scattered people the next". He brought me something that I didn't think addressed how it really hit him inside. John's not a guy to bitch or to complain. He works his ass off, don't say a word and goes about his job. So I appreciate him coming back with this. The show he's referring to was regarding a show 2 nights ago in Pembine,Wisconsin: 

Toomey's POV 

Ominous thunderclouds loom overhead.  The stage is an exorbitantly modest assembly of ply-wood, 2 by 4’s, and tin roofing spanning a breath-taking 25ft by 25ft of which only half is covered (the clouds just got a little darker overhead).  A few dozen people indifferently await our performance, or maybe it’s the opener they’re here to see.  I don’t think it makes a difference (I happen to know half received comped tickets to increase the head-count).  I guess we’ve seen less comfortable stages.  I mean, it’s a new market after all.  Who am I kidding?  My ego is tattered and torn right now.  When I think about how we just come from shows playing for no less than a few thousand, I mirthlessly chuckle and remember that the people today deserve the same great show. 

          I’m finally contributing this story because our merch guy / auxiliary band helper / friend, Scott Gunter, asked me for my perspective on handling a show emotionally and professionally that…how should I say it…falls short of expectations.  Let it be known that there is a great disparity among shows that we are exposed to on a weekly basis.  On the bright side, our hosts today in Wisconsin have provided our band with the most lavish accommodations that we’ve seen all year.  Let me get this straight: 6 luxury suites, golfing, a group-kayaking trip, two nice “bromantic” dinners at the resort’s steak restaurant all on the house?  Yes, I’ll have some of that please.  It’s been a lovely stay.  Wait.  What’s that?  We have to go sound check now?   ...Shit. 

The man is a drinking and driving fool! O.K., so it's kind of a posed shot.

          Before you say, “John, get your head out of your butt and show some gratitude,” relax, I already have.  You see:  I never forget why I’m here.  I came to do a job regardless of the circumstances.  Regardless of the meager turn-out.  Regardless that out of that turn-out, only one couple had heard of us (literally a man and woman), and the bass player of the opener is doubling as our monitor engineer, and doesn’t have enough inputs on the 2-car garage-worthy monitor board he brought to put all the drums in my mix, and looks at me like I’m crazy to make such demands, and gets the cable-routing he and his assistant hooked up confused more than once, and twice, and if I’d known the bass guitar and electric guitar were going to play a vanishing act half way through the show, I would’ve spent less time at sound check on those and more on hearing my own drums in the mix.  Where was I going with this?  Oh yeah:  A job.  No matter how challenging the production can be or any other problems we encounter, I came to play the drums.  Professionally, I remind myself that I’m getting paid to be here and the show must go on.  Emotionally, I tap into the love I have for my craft.  I haven’t spent more than half my life trying to perfect my performing ability to show up with a bad attitude and play poorly.  I’m always hoping the people I’m sharing the stage with feel this way as well.  It’s a team effort.  You have to realize if one person isn’t on the same page, my attempts to play at my full potential are made in vain.  You may think the exhaustive time and effort spent to pull off an hour-long show is pretty close to insanity.  And sometimes, you’re right.  But, I know that 60-minute moment spent behind my drums is right where I belong.  If I ever start dreading that experience, I’ll know it’s time to stop. 

          In the end, the show ended up being a huge success.  The crowd really enjoyed themselves, and once we checked our egos and resolved ourselves to the small sacrifices we had to make from a sound perspective, we had a great time too!  The way I see it, it’s a job from the moment you leave your house to the moment when you take the stage.  If it’s still a job to you during the show, you’re in the wrong band or the wrong field.  These days I’m more concerned whether tomorrow’s itinerary will progress smoothly or if it will be a bumpy ride to get to my 60-minute payoff.  When the time comes to deliver the show, I trust the guys I live with and play on the road to forget the hardships and play our asses off regardless of the crackling acoustic guitar jack, regardless of the blown guitar amp speaker, regardless of the faulty, "backlined" hi-hat clutch, regardless…  Oh well, I said I was always happy behind the drums, not that it was always easy.

Feast or Famine and my first Video blog

So after another 12+ hour drive to the middle of a nowhere we're at a Four Seasons in Pembine,WI. From Shitbag 6 motel to the Four Seasons. I'm sitting here in a bathrobe looking out onto a BEAUTIFUL little 9 hole golf course. We'll there ya go. Quick little note. We went to the VERY swanky restaurant last night and met two nice guys, kinda. Or at least that's how it started. Actually, they were an older rich gay couple from Chicago who didn't get (or like) my sense of humor (or lack there of in their minds). I kept saying little things and the one guy setting right next to me would stare blankly back. Actually, I couldn't tell if he didn't get it or if he was just acknowledging my lack of humor (like "yes, I heard that.... and it's not funny"). They spoke quite proper. Kinda like an american version of "The King's English". Either way, Matt thought it was funny and after I kinda changed the subject on the rich guy (apparently 3 times according to John who was keeping a tally) I think they decided I was too rude (and redneck) and got up and left which wasn't all together bad. Oh well, I guess they thought I was an ass (Hey, and I wasn't EVEN "Whistling Dixie"!)..... . Shit and I got more gay friends than "straight" back home so it wasn't that! Gonna enjoy the 18 hours of this place before we hit the road for South Dakota and then Colorado and probably somewhere else. Oh, YEAH Detroit! Can't wait for that one.

My view yesterday:(

My view this morning :)

How the hell you spell Muskegon & The Parting (or not) of the Red Sea?!

I'm in the SECOND to last bench! YAY! Short lived, I'm sure (and Aaron behind me slobbering on his pillow).

Is it Meskegon, MeskeGAN, Maskegon? Hell if I know and weren’t there long enough for me to remember. Driving through a rain storm, construction zones and two lane, four lanes, etc… we arrive late for a radio show for Moosefest (which was having a rain delay of sorts of their own). Given that, I drag enough shit out to sell and the band pretty much walks up on stage and starts playing. I don’t remember much about it other than the signing line (once again) was long as hell and took forever to get to the end (for me that is, Jason loves that shit) signing earlobes, armpits and scrap pieces of paper (many not understanding that we do need money for the simple things, like GAS). I say that and up walks this older lady, thinning grey hair and smiling a sweet smile (through what few teeth she had left) and takes probly 5 minutes counting out $5 in change (including the last $3 in dimes) from the bottom of her worn out purse. There's OBVIOUSLY 2 sides to this story. Basically, I'm an ass for not remembering that a lot of times people just don't have any money to spend.
 Ran into my merch/manager friend Charly (Steel Magnolia’s merch guy) who was setting up after me. There was JUST enough room for each merch guy so I came in after the opener and Charly comes in after me. Well holy shit, there’s a great old college bud, Jack Purcell! Jack’s now VP of Promotion for Big Machine (Taylor Swift's record label). I use to cheat offa him in “Music and Art” class at Belmont (back when Minnie Pearl was still a cheerleader there). I STILL ended up with a damn “C”! I graduated. He didn’t. I’m selling T-shirts and driving a van. He’s a VP for the hottest label in "Country" and flying home tonight. He tells me that he’ll wave to me as he flies over. I shoot him an angry bird. Daddy, I think you should ask for your money back about now. At least I did learn (at Belmont) that Moses didn’t necessarily “part the Red Sea”. It coulda been a mispinterpretation of sorts (or more than likely he had a  GREAT publicist!).  I feel like I’m on a rodeo circuit of sorts, me as the clown. Promise to take pic’s next time I’m out. I’m just bored right now in the back of the van on the long ass ride into Nashvegas for a whole whopping day and a half off before a 11 day run. HEY, I think I’ve earned a little respect from the band. I get to sleep on the NEXT to last bench in the van (at least for 6 hours). Things are a lookin up (or at least a little closer). 

From Bike Racing to Confederate Thongs

PLEASE contact me at scogun@gmail.com if you find one of these in a department store (in Nashville).

Bike racing ain't got jack shit to do with Country Music. Well, who knew? We (I say “we” but I know it ain’t) played in Columbus, Ohio at the "Pelotonia Bike Race Festival” yesterday. I think we might as well have played the “Pelotonia Bridge tournament” or something. I’m guessing it made sense to play there cuz we did. My merch table was set up "over the hill and dale" from where the stage was and what few people walked by were more interested in bike shit. Spoke to the guys next to me about their bike shop and he said that it’s a charity ride and that the longest riders had to raise $3000 each. This all goes toward Cancer Research. TOTALLY admirable purpose. Spent a long conversation with Tyler Reeve’s Manager Anthony who was out there with him to NOT sell any merch, either. Those guys have been working their asses off on their own for years in a tough state! I’d blogged about Tyler on my other blog journey of last year when I saw him play in a bar I called the “Pig Sty” in Tallahassee, FL (actually, I think they called it Pot Belly’s). NASTIEST bar I visited in my 6 months of travelling/bloggin from West Texas to Washington,DC and that's after seeing some mighty stiff competition. That was what I considered a high (or low) honor, of sorts. Anyways, Chuck Wicks followed us and though our set was cut short because of the obvious paranoia about the combination of thunderstorms and festival stages, I figured we came out in better shape than Chuck. He had to play a full set (being the “headliner”) to a handful of people who just as soon had been watching a bowling tourney or actually a bike race. Chuck (who has sincerely ALWAYS been so cool to me even after leaving the “Corporate Bizz”) “gamed up”. GOD I had the strongest urge to put on a Confederate flagged thong and run across the front of the stage during Chuck's show (preferably during "Stealing Cinderella") to see if ANYone would give a shit, but I was afraid that they wouldn’t and I’d be crushed, that and I don’t have a thong of that kind but would LOVE to know where to find one (just in case).  People that ran it all was very nice, just the people attending wasn’t a good match. Guess you never know. We’re off to do some radio show in Michigan. We’ll (screw you, I’m still referring me as being part of the band) see what comes of that.    

P.S. I was ending the blog “officially” but continuing as long as I feel like it…and I feel like it.  It’s my blog anyways. That and the band liked seeing their name in print other than on Jason Jones' checks. 

It Ended As It Started

Justin ("Jebus") Butler-Guitar

Matt ("Mattapedia") Anderson-Bass

John ("Toomey") Toomey-Drummer/Tour manager 

Jason Jones-Boss Man/Oh, AND the guys who pays us all.

It ended as it started with 5 guys unloading a van. No lights, no fans, no help. Just 5 guys tired from 48 hours of traveling from Billings, MT. If you've not been on the road with a band (like me up until 7 months ago) you have NO idea what it's like. I'm embarrassed to have ever thought that I EVER had a clue. The 5 guys (including Aaron who we dropped off in KC) don't see their girlfriends for the better part of a month. There's no privacy. I'm trying not to listen to John, Jason, Matt, Aaron & Justin's conversations with their girlfriends and family. It's none of my business and I don't wanna know, but it's impossible. There's NOwhere else to have most conversations (unless they talk to them on the "shitter"). You're together 90 PLUS % of the time. In the van, hotel room, at the venue. The sacrifices that they have to give for the sake of what little time they get to enjoy music out there is ridiculously high on their personal life (you can't help but over hear it). Would they do it all over again knowing what they are in the middle of right now? There's no way for me to know and it's a good question. Jason is RIGHT in the thick of the battle. 10 years down the road and he's FINALLY getting his shot (which is typical). There will NOT be enough hours in a day for the foreseeable future and this is not if he's "successful", this is in JUST getting the opportunity. There's huge admiration but not an ounce of envy in me about all of this. I told this really talented young artist yesterday (from what what little I've seen) that 4 hours of sleep for these guys is a pretty good night of sleep (so get use to it). I'm continuing on with my new journey. I'm loving "the battle". I loved this month. How long can I do it, I don't know and can't say. Someone  (from Texas) posted a comment to me saying that when they see a van pullin a trailer passing by they wanna stop them and "make 'em a sandwich". God bless you sister, you know WELL what I'm just beginning to learn. Onward and upwards and please give Jason Jones a listen and if you do like him call your radio stations and go see this band play "live". He IS a helluva performer (as is his band). You may or may not like it, but fuck you if you don't respect him and his band for what they do. X's and adios amigos and amigas, S  

"Private life"

It's all down hill from here

Good GOD we're home :)

The long drive home

Loading all the goodies from the night before for the long 24+ hours of driving before us...

So the band is watching the vids from the show Saturday night and that gets us through the 1^st hour or so of the beginning of the damn LONG drive home, THEN we begin the drive home across South Dakota, parts of Nebraska to stop in Council Bluffs, IA (not stopping for ANYthing other than gas) to sleep, shower and hit the road for another 12+hour drive that will take us into Nashville. We want to GET the hell home!!! There’s not really much to typa about, otherwise. I’m NOT good at just making shit up…. 

God and Montana's blessings

Billings, Mt 

Aaron mixing at 104db's, baby!!!

The days they all start the same at this point. You wake up and head out early not really thinking about the town you’re heading to.  We opened for Dierks Bentley last week so I expected more of the same. We then pull up to a big ass arena in Billlings, Montana (thought it’d be just another dusty and hot stage) but it ended up being (to me) an imposing  building. Our van looked like a matchbox car beside it. Walk in and it’s the same. I felt tiny and a little lost . Where’s the “grandstand” and the place to put up my little plastic table (and where’s the smell of cow and horse shit)? They point me in direction of my “merch place”. It was across the BIG ass arena and up an elevator . I walk that mile, go up that elevator but THEN, I see a guy (who ends up being  a nice guy) who wants all of our merch. He works for the venue. I end up having to give all of Jason’s “product” to a group of people that was "to sell for us".I can’t touch it, they tell me. Well THAT sucks! They don’t know who the hell Jason is nor do they probably care. I told them about the single and video and everything that I could think of to make them interested (one of the girls then started watching the “Ferris Wheel” vid on her phone). I just basically tried to get them to like me (and  in turn Jason and his music).You know, after a while they actually seemed to show interest. Still I hated the idea and getting them to understand that what we needed was to sell as much as possible at the “signing table” and for them to help us out with that, which they actually did with 2 cute girls (which always helps) walking up and down the line selling CD’s and pix (ran outta ALL of our pix and almost ran out of CD’s).

Show started. HOLY SHIT, it was just really something to watch unfold. How the guys responded I did NOT expect.  I didn’t realize that Jason had never played in an arena of this size (probably held 10,000- 15,000). He said (to the crowd) that when he first walked in to the building that “his heart sank”. It was imposing to him. But then it became indescribable to say what it was like to watch the guys shine from the FIRST to the last damn note.  I’ve seen it go either way, some get swallowed up or they get inspired and you just don’t know until it all goes down. I could hear the crowds response and (later heard) that there were a BUNCH of them on their feet during the last song but I was in the middle of getting all of the signing shit ready (uh, they didn’t know he’d actually need a table)L. Hell I’m just their merch guy, but I felt so proud for the few songs that I DID get to watch.

 Signing table. HUGE  and seemingly endless line that we had to “cap” as soon as we could because it was SO long and around a corner.  After a while, Jason looked up and then looked a little helpless at how much was left to do. It was SO great to watch happen. Everything, from the line to the people’s comments to Jason about his music and his show and his band.

The freakin endless signing line

You know, you could not have asked for a better way to end 3 ½ weeks on the road. In looking at the “flipcaming” this morning it was SO great to watch the guys see how great they really played. More times than not you look at stuff in the morning and it just don’t play back the same as you’d remembered (or maybe had created) in your mind. Last night really happened. The crowd response, the performances and all. Maybe it was God’s little present I guess for all of the dusty stages, the never ceasing dirty sweat, the times where the “green room” was a scalding hot van in the middle of a dirt field. Don’t get me wrong and crazy as it sounds, I actually enjoyed those days and I think without them you would  NEVER appreciate this kinda night. Thanks to God and Montana for that gift to the band (and me).  Don’t even  think that we took any of it for granted.

Post show beers with Cassidy (current Dierks Bass player/ex JJ player) 

The Big ass building

Justin and the girls selling some JJ merch :)

SOMEbody can't wait until they get to their room

Now the LONG 24 hour drive home… finally.  

Losing my shit and porn star fantasies

Our "Green Room" for Friday night. Seriously, this was our "green room".  Stage is 10 yards to the right of this.

Charly Salvatore-helping a poor guy out... me!

Leaving shit behind is my life as of late. I went on a 6 month trip all around the damn south and literally left a tooth brush and phone charger (traveling by myself). In the last 12 hours, I’ve left a (Jason Jones) banner AND my glasses somewhere in the last 120 miles! Yesterday, we made our next to last show in Ogallala, NE. ran into a friend who’s doing what I’m doing, managing a new act while selling merch for a label act. Good to trade ideas in how to develop a new artist in today’s new world (basically, building an artist's following outside of the traditional “Record Business’). Charly also told me little tricks to being a “merch guy” as little as how to arrange money in your pocket. You get a few hundred dollars in your pocket and it just becomes a wad of money. Shoulda asked him a system for NOT losing all of my shit!). Thanks Charly. Stopped at lunch and Matt had his first taste of “Rocky Mountain Oysters” (Bull gonads). Actually, bout everyone had a sample ('cept for Jason/wimp). It tastes like Chicken……balls. Actually, not that bad but I won’t be ordering some for lunch today. Show went fine sales were average (which now I’m unhappy with). Here’s to getting the banner back, finding my glasses and getting laid by a porn star all in one night (a man can dream can’t he?).  

How fast is $77?

Coincidentally it's 77MPH. Well, I lived to tell the story Wed. night . Actually there’s no story to tell. My B&B owners were not mass murderers  :( or if there were they were kind enough to spare me. I had to cover 500+ miles to pick the band up which was going along smoothly (minus the hellacious cross-winds of southern Wyoming) until officer Jeff stopped me north of Rock Springs, Wyoming. Apparently I was going $77 over the speed limit, which was nice of him seeing I couldn’t find the insurance OR registration! 

A few more miles of Tony Lane songs later got me to Denver to pick up the band. There were BIG hugs ALL around and Matt (always the tough guy just "broke down"). It was a touching reunion. The band then subtly fought Jason for where to eat but given it's "Jason Jones" (that's reason we're all out here) we stop at his suggestion. Actually, it was a good choice. I guess I was still buzzed from all the caffeine and decided to keep on driving on to Ogallala (good GOD what a town name), NE. It's a buzz kill leaving Colorado for Nebraska but gotta get back to work.  

 2 shows (plus two days of travel) left on this blog trip. So far, so good. Jason’s getting his "Ferris Wheel" video played on GAC and CMT. Hopefully it'll help the damn single on up the charts. I'm just hoping in the immediate future that we'll sell a SHIT load more of merch! You can't eat with "airplay" but you can eat with cash :). All about cash, baby!

Hefeweizen,howling coyottes and my dying words

Tetons

B&B for the night

Stayed under the blankets for as long as I could this morning then got my weenie ass out and into a pretty damn cold morning (probly in the 40’s still). I said screw it, with ALL those people at that KOA, I’d just as soon head on down the road. Driggs,ID, and the incredible Teton Valley led me to Jackson Hole where I decided to stay for the night. Had a nice local Hoback Hefeweizen and pizza at the Snake River Brewery. Blogged about the day before at the bar while furiously looking for a cheap place to stay and NOT finding a camping area available but I did find a “somewhat cheap” B&B (Priceline sucked the BIG one this time around). I have been the last to discover that Jackson Hole,Wyoming does NOT have an “off season” and a coupla hours down the road gets me to the middle of nowhere. Gonna have to be an 8+ hour drive tomorrow to Denver. No biggie. Least I won’t have crying babies, THREE different snorer’s in the nearby tents (one guy I assume was SO low, I seriously thought it coulda been a bear) or buffalo, grizzly, howling coyotes/wolves or something that was eerie as shit or snakes to worry about. That is, unless my B&B hosts are mass murders. They seem sweet enough but I guess that’s always an option and would make for a mighty entertaining blog (if I lived to tell, that is).  Then again, if I don’t I’m staying in the “Twin Mountain River Ranch” in Jackson Hole, WY. Somebody make it a dramatic article and obit where I fought tooth and nail down to the last and my dying words were “Why didn’t I have that sex change at 16!” Surprisingly enough said his friends, family and ex-girlfriends (his ex-wife only saying that she was glad that he was dead). 

I bet the band is SO excited to see me tomorrow!!! I can tell how Jason and the band have grown SO emotionally "attached" to me. It's obvious. 

Yellowstone "Ain't That America, For You and Me"

 Well the northern bastard U.S. Grant did a great thing. He made "Yellowstone" the first national park and  that was a great thing! In the few days away from my merch gig, Scott Kernahan asked me if I wanted to "stay out there" (don't think he meant it figuratively) while the band had other things to do and to do what I did a year ago, blog and shit. Well, it's been a great thing (oddly enough, exactly a year later). It made me do what I did last year, pay closer attention to things that I'd otherwise ignore. Well I stopped by Yellowstone maybe because me and my family went there 30+ years ago. It was about a year or so after my mother had passed away on like a "Brady Bunch" vacation around the country. Don't know if that's why but I knew that I had to try and do it. Anyways, here's what I did:

Holy SHIT, the prices have went up in 30+ years!

Checked in to the 'Mack Daddy" of KOA's! I don't know how many tents there were but it was HUGE!

Had a great pizza and beer at "Wild West Pizzeria" in West Yellowstone. Checked the weather and realized the forecast for the overnight was 37 degrees and thunderstorms!

Set up my tent,  and in driving in to the park, this mid 60's serious looking "Park Ranger" asked me if I was on business (seeing the trailer behind me, I guess). I said that I was killing time between here and Denver to pick up a band (I guess I should said the "kids"). He looked at me hard (for a "Park Ranger", that is) and said, are you HERE for commercial business. All I knew was to repeat what I'd said the first time (didn't seem that tricky). Anyways, he said that because I seemed to answer him "honestly", I was allowed to go through but otherwise NO commercial vehicles were allowed inside (still don't know if I was commercial or not, it didn't feel like a commercial to me). Whew, I'd made it through "customs", of sorts I guess. Anyways, once inside it was one of those times where you feel SO much like an american for some cheesy ass reason. I was listening to a 920AM station play "Pink Houses": "Ain't that America, for you and me, Ain't that America, Something to see baby, Ain't that America, Home of the Free..." Those specific lines couldn't have been more fitting. As stupid as that sounds, that's actually what I felt. Well, I made the predictable pilgrimage to "Old Faithful". Watched it "go off",  walked around the area and just watched the people. People from all other the world were there. Stopped by the big ol' Old Faithful Inn.

This is how you take pix while driving (I KNOW I'd cleaned those damn windows!)

If only I knew how :(

Old Faithful Inn Lobby

I SWEAR be damned! I checked their license plate and they were from Louisiana! Cyndi won't believe me but it's true!

Another drive-by shot

this car in front of me actually passed me. There's like a dozen cars in front and the speed limit is 45. Can you say "Type A"?

Tent City

That dude on the right got HAMMERED!

After driving back in the afternoon, seeing Elk, Moose and buffalo along the way, I got back to my tent, warmed up some soup over my Coleman burner. Looked at ALL the literature about how many ways you could get killed in the area: bear, buffalo (who apparently gore a shit loada people) and rattle snakes just for starters. Well, I started a fire, blogged about "Kostas and Custer" drank some box wine, pulled everybody's blankets out of the van, crawled under them and waited for whatever animal chose to "do me in" (local options seemed to be endless). I have to admit, there was a family behind me with crying babies (most of the night) and I was hoping that the bears would be more willing to head that way seeing as I had a damn gun (which I'm not sure would really help against a grizzly) and they in turn had helpless, defenseless babies (it was a NO brainer, to me!). Well, I woke up (alive) and headed out. ON to another day before I get to Denver. 

Custer, Kostas & Blogging by the campfire

da man himself, Kostas (pickin steak outta his teeth)

Kostas' Antique Store

Custer's last stand

I saw these horses on the next hill over from "Last Stand" hill

Driving to Custer's last Stand/Little Bighorn. I expected what I hear of Gettysburg. A modern world built around a civil war site. Little Bighorn is nothing of the sort. Check it out if you're ever in Mid-Montana area. Great! I'll post a coupla pics.

Kostas. If you don't know him but listened to Country Music in the last 20 years, you've probably loved a lot of  his songs: Timber, I'm Falling In Love", "On Down The Line" & "Blame It On Your Heart"-ALL great Patty Loveless hits,  "Ain't That Lonely Yet" & "Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose"-GREAT Dwight Yoakam hits and one of my faves EVER "Lord Have Mercy On The Working Man"-Travis Tritt. Those are just a few. It's just laughable that this guy AIN'T in the “Songwriters Hall of Fame". Anyways, that ain’t my “card game”.  Well being in the land of Kostas, I thought I'd give him a ring. We meet at his place and head out to this GREAT steak place in his area (Manhattan,MT) and this is some of what we talked about (aside from Greek Orthodox Church history):

Born in Greece but moved to Montana with his dad, mom and aunt when he was young.

I made Kostas stop to take a picture. Guess he sees it every night, I don't.

His first job at 7 was “cleaning the chicken shit off of the eggs” for $2 a month.

His mom bought him his first guitar when he was 7 or 8, which was a Harmony Sovereign. He said they were “industrial strength” guitars that she’d probably paid around $35.

Grew up listening to Greek, Middle Eastern and Baltic music while in Greece. After moving to the US (in the mid 50’s) he and his dad listened to Faron Young, Kitty Wells, Elvis, Buck Owens, Wanda Jackson, Fleetwoods, etc….  

Kostas moved to Nashville in '89 and felt REALLY outta place winning the NSAI "Songwriter Of The Year" that year. He'd never heard of the organization long before that and felt outta place as hell at the awards. He said, I'm sure they were like "who the hell is Kostas?" (as he was thinking what the hell is the NSAI). He'd given some music to Claire Lynch back in the 80's and a few years later she'd given the music to Tony Brown (successful A&R guy and Producer) and the rest is what you'd call Country Music history.

Bloggin by the campfire

 Kostas still writes and played me a song “Indigo” I think he’d call it. It was more of a Samba typa song and was cool as shit! Kostas said he never wrote "for Nashville" and said he was never good at “copy-cat writing”. He wrote more based off of inspiration, I guess. Seems to have made him a good retirement. If you want to hear one of the most unique writers of the last 25 years of Country music songwriting, Kostas IS a must listen. No one else wrote, sang or played like him. He now lives above his antique store outside of Boseman. He seems happy. Kind and VERY wise man. Kostas makes me glad to have been lead down the road that I was lead down. I've learned something from every visit with him.
Onward to Yellowstone... en-route to Denver to pick up the kids.

Dropping off the kids

Me withOUT the whiny ass kids in the backseats a bitching and a moaning. 

I've GOT to get this windshield cleaned! East of Billing, MT

Back to camping with some storm clouds looking west

Another early morning yesterday so we could drive the 4 hours to Bismarck,SD to drop off the kids (band) and leave me to myself until Thursday afternoon. Had a plan to camp at a KOA in Mile City, MT., no luck. It was full and they recommended another "campground" that looked more like a field beside the interstate. No thanks. I thought I'd go ahead and head toward Billings and see how far I got. Googling, map searching and 120 miles later I found this KOA (I'm bloggin from) around Hardin,MT. It's close to "Little Big Horn" and driving in looked JUST like the terrain of my early memories of watching the (now) cheesy Fess Parker and Ed Ames/Lone Ranger landscape. Bluff's where the Indian's would come over to attack the poor harmless cowboys in other old movies. Today I'm gonna go see where that old Union bastard died (Custer, that is).
Spent last night laying in my tent like old times. Why JUST a year ago today I was spending two hours trying to grill a potato at an oilfield campground in Odessa,Texas on my original blogging journey (last years blog). Oh how time flies and who knew (AND the last potato I've grilled)?

Well, ain't those some purdy stars?!

The lovely town of Great Falls,MT ( I'm only assuming, cuz this is all I ever saw)

Rodeo minus the BS

Load-in looks easy enough, don't it?

Last night of a 4 day run. Another rodeo ring without the aroma in Sydney, Montana. Jason opened for Dierks Bentley. Yesterday started the way a lot of days do. I'm one of the first one's down to the deserted little street that looks like a beautiful little town that I'll probably never see again or really saw on this visit. Leave town around 7 or 8 (getting to bed sometime around 1 or so I think). That's pretty normal. I FINALLY get a little sleep on the first part of the long straight and narrow as hell drive across Montana. John always man's up and take the first leg. EVERY time, damn near it. I took the last half and on this terribly narrow and bouncy road and sure 'nuff we come over a hill and there's a car up on it's hood to the side of the road with people coming over to help out the couple sitting there still trying to collect themselves but no obvious injuries. There was about 6 or so people helping by this point so we ask them if they need anything else, give them some water and head on (me gripping the wheel a little harder). We get there, load in, have one of my best nights in merch and head back to the shitty little interstate-side motel 6 or 8 or something 'er other. We get about 30 minutes into the hour long drive to the motel and Jason asks Matt (who's driving) to PLEASE pull over to the side to pee as soon as he can. You see we're on a mile or so long busy as HELL gravel part of the road (their working on it). Matt pulls over as far as he can which isn't too far at all, well I gotta pee TOO (go figure) and I turn around and the WHOLE damn band's (Aaron included) piling out and is standing there while God and the whole of Montana parades by (seriously, you'd have thought it was rush hour or something). Matt's now seriously hollering for everybody to GET BACK IN THE DAMN VAN and then the idiots (not me of course) start staring up at the sky and saying how damn beautiful it is and how bright the stars are. Matt's seriously pissed and after all of his yelling, people finally pile back in (while I'm laughing my ass off) and we head back to our Shitbag 6 or whatever that motels name was. Fun times.... .
 I get a few days off to myself starting tomorrow while the band flies to Indy for a radio show. Over and out and see you next time from the campgrounds, S