Defining moments

I live my life in a shell more times than not and this bloggin thing has really made me ask questions that I should've asked (anyways) but getting too caught up in my self-indulgent self  I don't think (or care) to ask. I know it's not good to admit, but the truth. On our 6 hour trip to Spokane, I ask Aaron (sitting behind the wheel) what got him to where he’s at today. He tells me about playing in bands, high school, college, moving to Denver then about moving back from Denver after someone put a gun to his head and then says "I didn't tell you about that?". He hadn't. : I was walking back (home) from work one day in late Fall and it was getting dark. (I was)Still dressed up from work with a briefcase for crying out loud! I passed 4 or 5 kids (walking). One kid starts following me and (then stops him) huffin and puffin and saying how I had beaten up his girlfriend. I didn’t do it, I told him (all the while the kid has a gun in his hand pointing down at the ground), after finally convincing him that I didn’t do it. He (then) puts the gun up to my face and says ‘gimme your wallet’, and cool as a cucumber, I’m like I’m not giving you my wallet,(I’m like) I’m going home! So I turn around and start walking home  (I only hoped he wouldn’t pull the trigger). He didn’t. I was not afraid. In hindsight, I shoulda  took the gun and pistol whipped the fuck outta him. There are few things in your life that steer you in directions, you know? That was a defining moment in my life as far as what brought me to Kansas City… and is the reason I’m sitting here *laughing*.   

You know, Aaron don’t act like a badass, not an imposing guy, he's the one with a contagious smile and first to laugh or make you laugh.  But given this situation he was someone who was put in a life or death situation and had the guts to walk away from the kid (with a gun pointing at the back of his head) instead of giving him his wallet. NO WAY IN HELL could I ever imagine doing that.  I don't know if it's "a book from it's cover", "a man from his smile" or what? But I didn't see that one coming and would have given the kid my billfold along with my 401k. You just never know what someone’s made of now, do you?

  

Home Sweet Home, Oregon

Our little van is in there SOMEwhere.

L-R: Lindsay, Heather, Nan, Jo & of course Shirley. Are these some sweet faces or what?

Always asking everybody if this is an unseasonably cool day and their all like, no it's a normal Summer day in Oregon. Well yesterday's goal was to play the Oregon Jamboree in Sweet Home, Oregon and to make a shit load of money. Actually, that's only my goal, the band pretty much "makes what they make" on those dates (flat fee, I think). After again having to hold me pee for about an hour (cuz we're running a little late) we finally get to the grounds.  When driving up John (tour manager) asks the fellow "man-ing the gate" who's the guy in charge. "The man" says it's Dennis. John asks will how will I recognize him, "he'll be in shorts and a short sleeve shirt". John says "guys (in the band) keep your eyes open for a man in shorts and short sleeve shirt". Anyways, we eventually find Dennis. They take me to my merch area which is no where NEAR the band and I start setting up. That's where I meet Shirley. Shirley's responsibility is to inventory my "inventory" meaning to "count in"and then at the end of the night to "count out" and figure the "splits" of the festival which is 20% on this night. A little higher in comparison to the other festivals. I HATE not being where I can see the band but in these situations I guess they have a lot more to consider other than where the hell I wanna be put. The "signing line" for Jason also being at a separate table all together bums me, as well. At least the area was right next to me. With time to kill after setting up and not really selling much yet, I talk with Shirley and the other INCREDIBLY sweet volunteers, Jo and Lindsay mostly. Where their from how long have they been doing this and such stuff as that. Lindsay's been doing it for I think 3 or 4 years and now drives about 4 hours to do this every year. I asked her why the hell does she do it since she don't even get to see the bands. For her Lindsay says that they've all become friends and she wants to keep doing it because of the friendships they've all built. Jo buys Jason's CD at one point and asks if she thinks I could get him to sign it, that's an easy answer :). Shirley's talking and telling me how she and her husband are planning to take a month off from work to travel Hwy 20 (which runs close by) all the way to Boston. Says she loves all the small towns and has always wanted to do that. Over the whole night we end up having our best night in sales since I've been out. The "signing line" AGAIN was great and because of a 2nd show that Jason had to play later we had to "cap it" pretty soon or it would have went on WAY too long. It was like the perfect night of weather and people. Sweet, small town people, like my Harbins community back home (in Georgia where I grew up). I could really learn to make this place home. My favorite night of the Summer. We load up and drive the coupla hours back to Portland. Couple of days off before a 5 day run.

Didn't get a good shot of the line but it stretches back there a long way...

Wanted to get a picture of the "packing up" and of course John's shirt is wet with sweat. Jason's stooped in the trailer helping me load my shit. Actually I'm just taking pictures. They are loading my shit.

The merch tables

Could I have another glass a that Pine-Sol, sir?

Jason and band KUPL show at the Bing Lounge

Jason with the local DJ post interview/performance

Driving the guys in downtown Portland for a show for the KUPL guys, Jason's behind me doing his vocal warm-ups, while John's being the navigator and I'm being the confused driver with all of the "bus only" lanes, "bus AND car" lanes, bike lanes, people lanes and one ways. Shit, it's like readin a map on the street in front of you with all of the damn marking on the road. A little confusing for a redneck from Georgia (who was raised far from anything other than bowling lanes). The venue was incredible (once we found it and SQUEEZED into our parking space). The Bing Lounge is a room designed for video recording, as well. This was recorded and sorry to say that I've not found anything posted yet but Jason and the guys really sounded great. After the abbreviated show I followed the band upstairs (for some reason) for some "on-air" stuff. I stood in the hallway talking to a cut promotions girl. Being a "merch guy" there's really not much need for me to be around for this typa stuff but I followed them on up as if there was a leash attached or something.

Great lunch!

Well lookie here! Portapotty's that's in the "trough" design! I made a comment to the fellow "pee-er" beside me of how cool this was. No response.

So many beers, so little time

Aaron, still sober, oddly enough

These damn bikes are ALL over the place!

Anyways, that was the first part of the day.
Page two: Aaron persuaded (o.k. not really) me to go with his cousins to the Oregon Brewfest. We all bought our mugs and tokens and started walking into these huge tents with what seemed like maybe a 100 different beers or more. I stood in the longer lines, the shorter lines and the taps with no lines at all and after 10+ "samplings" of which two or 3 I kinda liked, I was ready for just a normal average everyday beer (Pine-sol seems to be the popular beer taste of late/YUUUCK!). The tastings thing is a good idea but I'd decided that I would SUCK as a beer taster. Gimme wine (unless it's wine made from pin trees, too). OH we did eat at a great lunch place called Paddy's (original name, huh), another Irish pub. Great food though! I've now been to 2 Irish pubs in Portland and both claim to be in the top 10 in the nation for some kinda "I'm more Irish than you" typa competition, I guess, but they both were really good pubs worth visiting none-the-less. We're off today to do an actual show where I get to sell some merch in Sweet Home, OR. The "Oregon Jamboree" (imagine that). High's in the low 80's and low's in the low 50's. It's OK to hate me. Lotta people do already.

Night of Portland

Bailey's Tap Room-Great local pub

Kells

I spent last night just tooling around downtown Portland on an incredibly beautiful day, high's in the low 70's and I even had to stop and buy a long sleeve shirt for the cooler nights to come. Felt like Fall back home. The coffee shops that I wanted to try were closed by 6 so I missed that shot BUT I did get to sample the beer :) at Kells a great Irish pub. I had a glass (or 2) of my fave Irish beers from my visit to Ireland a few years back, Kilkenny's. After watching the Americans (MLS Allstars, or at least "our" allstars) get destroyed by Manchester United (soccer), I stopped by a decent Italian place (Pazzo) and had an overpriced pizza on the way to Bailey's Tap Room. Great tap room that specializes in local brews (Cascade Double Red and New Belgium was my "samples"). Not much else to share about yesterday but it was a good day to not travel, relax and pretend to be in the middle of October. OH, I did get a haircut (I'm going mohawk). O.K., that's about it. Sorry, I didn't promise you drama, humor and life lessons in everyday's blogs. S

I'm guessing there must be a Medusa living in the area

Pazzo

Billings to Portland and HOW can you hide something THAT big!?

The guys were like a bunch a kids in the van ooo-ing and aahh-ing and taking pix and stuff. It was a BEAUTIFUL 6 hour drive and here's the view:

Ain't this something?

Drivin, textin and takin pix while tryin to find the right music on my ipod. It gets really complicated sometimes!

Almost ran off the road while doin all that shit. I told the guys it was just a "wind gust".

Looks like Justin's fixin to shtoop an unsuspecting Jason (who's innocently just eatin his corn dog).

Swear to GOD this isn't "posed". He really looked like that while going down the road.

She asked if I wanted to "super-size it". I'm like what the hell. I mean at that point it's like jumping off of a 80 ft or 90 ft cliff. BOTH area highly unhealthy.

Ain't this purdy?

NO idea what the hell they are doing back there. Aaron seems a little concerned with his "size", I guess.

Mt. Hood in the distance. I've not seen it since this picture (and we're 2 hours closer). Seriously, how do you hide something THAT big!?

The wit, wisdom of Matt Anderson, The Bass Player in 20 questions:

Me: Where are you from?

Matt: Winchester, Virginia

Me: What’s the best part of being on the road?

Matt: Getting to see the country

Me: Worst thing?

Matt: Driving 

Me: Who’s the best band that you guys have opened for?

Matt: Zac Brown

Me: How bout the band itself aside from the artist?

Matt: still Zac Brown

Me: Have you ever slept with a man?

Matt: Good question

Me: What’s your favorite ABBA song?

Matt: Who? Wait a minute didn't they sing “Dancing Queen”?

Me: If you have to ask, I think that disqualifies you from having a favorite.

Me: Favorite Shawn Cassidy song?

Matt: Who?

Me: Bread song?

Matt: Who? (Jason from behind: “What do you mean, like the food?”)

Me: Would you sleep with Jason for Double Scale?

Matt: No

Me: Being from Winchester, Va. I feel the need to ask a more “regional question”. Who’s the better kisser, your mom or your dad?

Matt: JESUS!

Me: He wasn’t an option

Me: How many questions is that?

Matt: is this part of the interview?

Me: No. Screw it, I’m outta questions already. This interviewing shit is really hard to do and to think up even on a 12 boring ass hour drive. How much further we gotta go?

Matt: 6 more hours and leave me alone, can’t you see I’m trying to drive?

Me: O.K. I’m sorry. 

NOTE: These may or may NOT have been the questions to the given answers above. For Christ sakes I needed to do something entertaining  and in the words of my hero Rupert Murdock “I don’t recall much of the details” (I’m paraphrasing and assuming  Rupert said that at the “hearings” in London, I SURE the hell woulda)

There you have it ladies and gentleman, Matt Anderson. I hope you now know him a little bit better. I don’t.

In Spokane tonight and still working our way toward Portland, OR. Happy Trails, S

What do you do with 12 hours of riding...

The Badlands of North Dakota

Western N.D.

Hell if I remember. I know I took it but damn if I remember where. Let's just call it Montana.

Didn't wanna waste the roll of film so I took this...

In the words of Craig Wiseman  & Don Poythress "Fields Full Of Summer Wheat, Peppered With Rounded Bales...". Always think if that lyric when I see these.

...you stare at the cars in western Minnesota, you stare at the landscape in western North Dakota and you try and keep your eyes on the road in Montana.
Saturday night was a BIG break from the crazy 4 shows in 3 days and thanks to John for getting us a GREAT deal at a Crown Plaza (Priceline BABY!!!) in Minneapolis where I just stood in the shower for a long time and washed off what felt like 5 days of dirt & exhaustion. Couple of us went and had a relaxing dinner and I had a hankering for a "glass of red". :)
This was a day of driving and the great thing with being 48 years old is that (I think) you enjoy looking out the windows more. Maybe it's early onset of what ends up being dementia and it evolves from staring out the windows to just staring at a corner of your room. All I know is it was a beautiful drive!
As you already know by reading this pitiful writing, I'm no Walt Whitman so I'll just show you pictures of the drive instead of describing it. OK., no Ansel Adams either but you'll get the point...or not. I drove the last 4 hours and Matt (I'm SURE) got tired of me pointing out things that I thought was just beautiful (even keeping his earphones in didn't help him). I REALLY fought to keep my damn finger from pointing but it was a useless struggle. All the while driving I was listening to the Texas writers of Hugh Prestwood, Walt Wilkins & Nanci Griffith with demo's of Montana's own Kostas thrown in for good measure "Turn it On, Turn it Up & Turn Me Loose", Dammit!!!!  8 more hours to Washington State. Journeying on...

"Have you started writing your book, yet?"

Not so sure what the guy on the organ was so worried about but that's John in the orange setting up his drums.

People loadin in for the show

Zac Brown's "Eat and Greet" set up AFTER the storm but before the actual "Eatin and greetin"

  Pulling into “Country Jam 2011” in Eau Claire, WI it looks like another hellacious rainstorm is about to hit. Zac Browns “Eat and Greet” trailer/kitchen has batten down the hatches with long ropes that have anchored it from blowing over. We sit in the van for a minute and then once it finally starts raining we find our backstage camper/trailer. There’s Richard again (from Blackberry Smoke), at the mess tent finishing breakfast. Those guys have been touring with a fancy bus for about a year and a half and Britt says (about keeping up with the payments) “once you get a bus, it makes you focus a HELL of a lot harder on making money on the road”. They had toured out of a van for many years. In setting up my merch table I got to be buds with David the BBS merch guy. Once AGAIN, him giving me so much great advice on how to best sell merch. He asks me after a few minutes of small talk “have you started writing your book?” I’m like “about what?”, he says “you see SO many things out here behind the merch table, you’ll wanna put it in a book one day”! Thanks SO much dude (in case you read this) and hope to see you guys again very soon. Because of the rain Jason didn’t get to come out and “sign” after his show which I can’t believe I’m saying but I was a little bummed about it. I think I get some enjoyment out of watching him meet his fans. It’s honest fan to honest artist and probably  one of my biggest reasons for getting out from behind a desk. We did sell more than I expected EVEN with Jason not getting out there. As a sidebar here, you know you just sweat a LOT out here. You get out of the van and start loading in, you set up and count in while the band is setting up sweating their asses off. You set up and stop sweating for a minute while the band starts playing and sweats a HELL of a lot more, then you pack all your shit up, jump back in the van with a shirt dripping with sweat (as does the band from the always frantic loading up of equipment and helping me with my gear) and hit the road soaked to the bone.
Anyways, because of my lack of thinking, I’m gonna have to steal a coupla pix of yesterday from Aaron. I took none. You’d think I’d get better at this blogging shit after a while, wouldn’t you?  Right now I’m typing on the 12 hour drive to Billings, MT. Then onward to Oregon.

In the words of Kostas (GREAT writer and one of my fav UNI writers EVER) and Trent Summar: “Sunday drive, Sunday drive, my whole life’s a Sunday drive, I’ll get there when I’ll arrive, honk your horn when you pass by …… let’s go on a Sunday drive”!      

Avoiding the wrath of God

Because I suck SO bad a photography, I "collaged" this pix. The crowd went freaking NUTS!!

A run a nights with little sleep is not atypical to these road trips. Friday started at 12AM with a 10+ hour drive through a HELLACIOUS rain and wind storm that had the bus feeling like we were sailing around Cape Horn or something (literally floating at times). I said I’d be the one who would sleep on the van floor that night seeing as we didn’t have enough room for everyone to lay down. Seemed easy enough since we were all tired as shit and I can usually sleep anywheres. I then laid down between seats and started freaking out with a little claustrophobia seeing as I couldn’t move my arms OR legs and it being just a struggle to wedge my way down there in the first place. About the time I kinda settle down, James (still our driver) lets out a BIG damn yell after a bolt of lightning hits within 40 yards of the front of the van. The storm evolved into being just an epic flood of sorts without the bolts of ‘lectricity all the while I crawled around on the van floor until I found the best place to get a little rest and later split a seat with Matt for the coupla hours of actual sleep later on. ‘Bout 11am we pull into Twin Falls, WI while it’s still raining like hell. Water getting up to the level of the seats  in the front section of the festival.  After maybe 2 or 3 hours it just stopped (and drained). Believe it or not, it ended up being a great day of music. “Country Thunder” (which maybe shoulda been called “Country Thunder and God’s wrath”) is a pretty big festival and one of a bunch big ‘uns in Wisconsin (I think there are like 10 big ones). It gives a lot of the bands and crew a chance to catch up back stage with old friends. Jason (and band) ran into a good old friend Dominic who’d played guitar with them for years. Me, running into some great friends and band Blackberry Smoke from my publishing days (Btw, they are fixin to record a new record J). Those guys are just the real shit in every aspect (look up the word "Authentic" and you'll find a perfect description for those guys). Well lookie there, it's Scott Kernahan, Jason's manager that got me this fabulous gig. He's out slumming with the road dogs for the weekend (but in a damn bus none-the-less, I'd call him a bastard but he could now fire me). 

The aftermath of the morning floods

Another long line of autographs. Nice bikini ma'am. 

The wrath of Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke. THEY freakin' rocked (again)!! 

O.K., the show that everybody that I talked to raved about was the Charlie Daniels Band. Because I was back stage blabbing I didn't go out front and see it but apparently he is GREAT again. I'd seen him years ago and thought he was just "fine" but apparently he's now a show NOT to miss. Big surprise to me.

It seems some of these festivals sometimes have unexpected shit that comes up but after some back and forth with the festival guys Jason did end up playing his 2^nd set of the day at the scheduled 11PM-ish time (after the Zac Brown Band finished their show). Jason’s set WAS a great set and the pretty drunk crowd went pretty freaking crazy (see pix)! Good to have after a freaking long… hot… DAY! We get close to 4 hours sleep this night. Think we’ll throw a little slumber party.  

Proof that I'm really here (whereever we are).

Show date: Hot as hell on a dirt track in Beatrice, Nebraska. While setting up my table the merch guy beside me says he’s been doing this on and off since he was 17 years old. Mike Tipton (out of Atlanta) said in one of the earliest of days he sold for Ted Nugent. This was during “the hay days” of the early 70’s. After only a coupla months of doing this, I’ve found that there is such a camaraderie among all the merch guys. They’ve ALL been incredibly helpful in teaching me how best to do it. One guy (Tom from Travis Tritt’s outfit) even went so far as to get out his fan from the bus and made sure Jason had it blowing on him in the 90+ degree heat (while he was signing).  I’d met the guy only 2 hours earlier.  

Back to yesterday: Being out of town so much, I’m trying to get to where I find a gym as much as possible. We’re in luck. One’s a block from the hotel (the “Elegant Victorian Inn”). Me and John head that way. We both do our own thing and after about 30 minutes, he’s finished. I’m about half way through. Here’s the deal. John’s got abs like he does nothing all day but crunches. Me, I've got abs that look like I do nothing all day but drink PBR. Not one to be snitty (like a girl), I do hope that one day he becomes the first pregnant man and ends up with the abs of Roseanne Barr. Fuck him (promise to not use the “f-bomb” often but this is an unavoidable occasion and the only word that really expresses my emotions and by the way Hemmingway used it, didn’t he?). Well, I end up working out another 30 minutes, blow off my “cardio” part cuz it STILL ain’t gonna make me look any better and head back to the hotel (I’ll say it again,  and in the words of Hemmingway (I’m guessing), “fuck him”). 

Mike Tipton-Steel Magnolia's Merch guy. He didn't like me.

My view of the stage. Keeps me from throwing shit at the stage,I guess.

Aaron passing gas around helpless bystandards

My favorite part of the night.

The show goes pretty good. It’s the first show of this run and a little loose given that these guys are usually tight as shit but it all goes pretty smoothly. THEN comes my favorite part of the night. The “autograph line”. You see Jason has a serious problem. He sincerely likes people. I don’t think he wants to sign their picture, have his picture taken with them as much as he sincerely wants to really meet them and talk to them (bizarre, ain't it?). Well see, since this isn’t a Sunday dinner, I have to be the A-hole who tries to get as MANY people "through" as possible in the limited window and before the next act starts. As good as this guy has really become as an artist on stage, this IS his God given gift (I believe) meeting people. Anyways, I gotta get all my shit done, so I kindly (in my on sweet way) push/pull/pry and cajole them along, take a blurry picture and tell them that it’ll all be “photoshoppable” (just trust me). Well, we get through it, load up, shower at the hotel and hit the road for what turns out to be a HELLAVU night/drive to Twin Lakes,WI.  Sloshing onward and upward….  X's to one and all, S

Wherefore Art Thou O Beatrice

I gotta pee an hour into the long ass ride to Beatrice, Nebraska. Swear to GOD I pee every chance I get and after putting it outta my mind I sit up and think about other things for the next hour or so (baseball, sex, calculus, how much could I make as a "driver", etc..). Bored and looking around the van: Matt's crashed on the bench front of me covered in a blanket, Justin's wearing his joggin jacket as pants (legs in the arms) and has another jacket across his chest , Jason's in the first row and John's in the co-pilot seat. It's always on the chilly side in the van for some reason.

Gratuitous ass shot.

Jason as a Honey badger-"Honey Badgers's a bad-ass. He just don't give a shit".

The left is Justin's head, the right is his legs.Hard to tell really.

He likes us better than the "Dirt Drifters".

Keep this in mind for future Wine Tasting's. Paducah, Kentucky exit.

You know, there is some kinda pride guys carry in having to see who has to be the one to have to stop for any reason so I hold my pee until we stop for cheap gas before we hit the Illinois state line (the gas gouger of the south!). After gas-ing up, getting a McDonald's b-fast we hit the road again. O.K., I think I gotta pee again. Screw it, it's only in my head. We have a driver James for these first 3 days seeing as it's a HELL of a 3 day run :14hr, 10hr (through the night), 5hr runs consecutively. Damn, this country's big as SHIT! Btw, then the real trip begins after this weekend heading to Oregon (plenty of time to get there, though). Riding on we pick up Aaron in KC after a Cracker Barrel dinner . He's our sound man who's always great energy to the trip and also always the one up for the "Hot Wings challenge" or "beer bong" or ANY typa challenge and other things that need willing spectators (which we gladly oblige). 4 more hours and a BEAUTIFUL sun setting drive across the corner of Kansas we get to our hotel in Beatrice. The "Elegant Victorian Inn" (Ok, I added "Elegant"). The name overshoots the hotel. With the name I guess I expected something out of the "Victorian" times (I mean it's in the damn NAME!), late 1800's. It's more of the strip mall/late 1900's. The beds felt late 1800's so maybe that was the deal. HEY, it beats a damn tent, which I'll be resorting to again in the near future (which I'll get to later). We watch Aaron do a coupla Flamingo bongs (Flabongs, I think they call it) or something to that nature (beer bong made out of yard art/pink flamingo), laugh at Aaron's long drawn out stories (uh, kinda like mine) and turn into bed. We're gonna need a good nights rest before the next 48.