We're going home!
Posted on August 30, 2010 with 1 commentJust finished the last leg of HippieFest, and thus the last leg of my summer touring itinerary. So how did the end begin?
With a hometown show at Westbury Music Fair, that's how. Not a hitch. Drove out (no traffic, yay), nailed it with all the cats, drove home (no traffic, yay again). Then a Crack O'Dawn taxi to the airport (not yay), early flight to Atlanta. For what?
A nice day off at Tour Manager Ron's house in the suburbs of Atlanta, that's what. Gig in Atlanta was cancelled, but the tickets were booked so there we are. Or were. Eating and drinking Ron out of house and home until nightfall (just as the moon was rising), at which time we got on the bus and drove (or "rolled," as we say in the trade) to Marksville, Louisiana.
The Paragon Casino Hotel Resort Enclosure Complex seemed alright to me at first, but my stomach had other ideas. Bug? Food poisoning? Fatigue? Not sure, but lunch from the dodgy buffet sure did make everything worse. Got sick 20 minutes before my downbeat, but soldiered on thru the gig somehow. Then I staggered off the stage and directly out the back door into the parking lot to the bus, and crawled into my bunk to sweat and sleep thru a 13 hour drive to Clearwater, Florida.
On solid ground at Ruth Eckerd Hall I showered, stretched, and breathed fresh air that wasn't being artificially cooled and blown directly at me. Ate well, felt normal, kick-arse show this time. Early morning "roll" to Ft. Lauderdale was a bit stymied by a disagreeable GPS and an even more disagreeable DOT, but that didn't stop us from blowing the roof off the Broward Center that nite as only a band on the last nite of a tour can. (Followed by the Aftershow Party/jam session at the Murphy home.)
The life I love is making music with my friends, and I've done more than my share this summer. Autumn in NYC is just around the corner, and I'm ready to get home and see my Ladies, sit back a bit and breathe in. Many thanx to all of you that we've crossed paths with on the trail this season!
Life is grand
Be well
JM