I dont Blog much these days.

I guess if you read these things you all ready know this. Its not that there is nothing to say, I mean I talk to myself all the time. So why is it? Dunno.

I am still trucking along with the Ranchhands. 20 towns in 30 days. But that doesn't quit do this tour justice. We have visited every thing from LA to Sanfran to Maine to Brooklyn to North North Dakota. Yes I did say North twice, whats it to ya?

I think I will post a few pics to sum up the ride. And maybe, just maybe I will type in an entertaining story for you soon. Maybe.

Kicks on 66

I find myself more times then not on this tour in rowdy biker bars I’d have no business being in out side of performing. And Durango was just the case. However, the folks turned out to be very welcoming. This they proved by an endless flow of alcohol. It was the scenario of, thanks for the drink, now where can I hide it? And for the most part we hid it well. Well, for the most part...

The show itself was, how do I say, rough. I just wasn’t feeling it. And with the less then sober crowd (and low end) it just didn’t ever come together and I found myself searching for inspiration for next stop. Luckily our route took us down historic Route 66. And yes it was a lonesome road.

We were fortunate enough to pass through the painted desert and the petrified forest. Like an ill at ease church group, we stopped at nearly every scenic overlook, taking pictures and acting like school kids. And you thought we were professionals. Good talk son.

And then there was the Mexican foods. Boy that salsa was fresh, and they made it with actual ingredients! Navajo tacos, sopapillas, full bellies, and smiling faces. Yet not a hot pepper for miles. What’s up with that?

OK City

After many days at the spa, the van was ready to embark on the 5000+ mile journey. She was so excited that she refused to stop in Oklahoma City. In efforts to keep on truckin, she sprung a leak in the break line. But the plan was foiled! Now she must spend an extra day at the doctor! Thats right, let this be a warning to all vans. Dont mess with the Ranchhands! We will gladly miss a gig in beautiful Durango, CO for the opportunity to stay in a Super 8 motel(which is super)in Oklahoma. So take that...Sucker! And Durango, maybe we will see you on Sat.

Time off, Time on, New tour!

Well I had all of 5 days to move into my new house with Leslie in Chapel Hill. The place is sweet! Cant wait to get back for a bit longer. However there is more van time in my future:(

We spent the last week in Nashville at the Wildhorse Saloon. It was cool. The folks came out and Leslie was there all week! Also, I got to check out my cuz's band Sullivan and the rocked the house. Even hooked me up with a clean T!! Its fun running into fam on the road.

Now we are off to the west! Arizona, Colorado, California, Wyoming, Nebraska. All sorts o places! This will be a fun one. the band is rocking now. We know the songs and we can have some fun with them! Yippee!

See yuns out there.

Back in the U.S.S.A.?

Apologies for my lack of posting. I will try to fill the blanks as the summer moves forward.
However more important matters are now at hand.

We have begun the first leg of the US tour. It started in Nashville with a well attended showcase during CMA week. From there we did another all-night drive for a concert in Omaha, NE. Upon arriving at the club we were greeted with a transmittion failure in the van; hora, hora! The club was a great room with many people in attendance, however, the stage was obscured by a large wooden pylon and a guard rail. So for me it was a very impersonal experience, and to be honest I felt the music suffered. Post gig we piled all of our equipment into our hostess mini van and proceeded to the middle of a corn field were we are still residing.

But the show must go on. We rented a van for a festival gig in Comstock, NE. Talk about the middle of nowhere! Nothing for miles, and miles...and miles. But I must say, it was quit beautiful. Here we were scheduled to play with Big and Rich. Well those boys decided to show up 5 hours late, casually strolling in with 4 buses with trailers and 2 eighteen wheelers. So why do you need a trailer when you have eighteen wheelers? So you can bring along an Escalade and some Harleys, Duh. While Big was seeing the country side on his custom hog, the crew took over the stage and bumped all the other acts off of the bill. Thank you Big and Rich for looking after the little man!

So that brings back to Lincoln. This was a cool show. It was a very large ballroom, again in the middle of nothing. However this time it was packed with college age dancers executing the finer styles of western swing and line dancing. And let me tell ya these kids were good! Some of the finer dancing I have ever seen. It is a different world out here then I have known before. I pretty sure learning to dance on the weekend wasnt the cool thing to do in Greenville. I could be wrong.

Now back to the van. It is being fixed here in Omaha and we are laid over at the for mentioned hostess house until it is running again. I am getting a real look at life in the middle this week. But since we have a few days off I reckon I can catch up on sleep (which is an entirely different blog altogether, thanks for the wake up call Kemosabie.) and who knows maybe even get in a little exercise.

French, Italian, Swiss German, and Redneck

Finlay found a computer. We are back in Switzerland for a show tonight. Then Austria, Germany and back to Switzerland before flying back to the states on Mon. We had a great turn out for our shows in Annecy, France and Namur, Belgium. Both were sold out, the first being 150 people in a small club, and the other 350 in the town's art center. The later was a big show with lights, screaming fans and many autographs. I signed a man boob and a 7 year old girl. Great fun.

Trains, Layovers, and bad liqour

I am laied over in Milan currently. It is a great city, but I cant see anything but the train stop. We have had a few gigs fall through on us so there has been plenty of down time. It was filled in Italy eating pizza, pasta and drinking wine. I guess it could be worse. We have visited San Bonafachio and Venice. Now we are off to Switzerland.

The first gig in Grenoble was great. They treated us like rock stars, the way it should be. We played to a packed house of nearly 800 people. Ill have some pics for ya soon. In our dressing rooms we were each left a bottle of local Liquor. So far they have all been terrible.

It is hard to tell all that has happened, with the clock rapidly counting down my minuets at this cafe. I hope in the next few days, I will have more time to think about it all and post accordingly. Then when the weekend hits we will be slammed day after day, country after country, fan after adoring fan. Then its back home. Well to the states that is. No home for me for another month.

Then time is now nearly gone and my train is nearly boarding. However I am alive and I am doing just fine.

P:S: The spell check is in Italian so I apologize for the sloppy writing:)

Too Tired to Sleep...

Well after 30 hours of being awake traveling, eating, drinking and sightseeing, I found myself unable to get a good nights rest. Perhaps I shouldn’t have sampled all of those fine espressos. But non the less, I enjoyed a complimentary breakfast at the hotel which included, hard boiled eggs, proschuto, croissant, baguettes, and yes cafe. That’s my idea of continental breakfast. Wake up America, I think you can learn something here.

The Hotel is set right in the middle of Grenoble. It is a great city thriving with college life. The river runs through town, and the foothills of the Alps surround it. In fact the winter Olympics were held very close to here in 1992. Today we have our first show. We will be loading in around 3pm and if I am not mistaken, we begin playing around 8. We have had 400 presale tickets and are expecting many more at the door. It should be a warm welcome to France. I will probably spend most of the morning preparing for the gig.

So far the people have been great. Although I know very little of the language, I am trying and I can tell they appreciate it. And don’t worry; although not any folks indulge in fine deodorant here, I will be free of body odor for a while. It appears my mouthwash spilt in my luggage on the flight over. Now I will be minty fresh!

So I am off for now. I am not sure how accessible the Internet will be for the next few days but I will post again ASAP.

6 Days in Hinckley; 18 hours in a van

Now I sit awake at 4am in Nashville. We left MN yesterday at 9am. What fun it is to be on the road! It was a rough start, with 40 mph cross winds in Iowa we drifted across the lanes with ease. I spent this frightful morning curled up in my sleeping bag, head phones in, and asleep. I now fill that air travel may not be as scary as I once thought. And I know it’s a hell of a lot faster. And the best part is, I don’t known many captains who forget to pay for gas and back track 1.5 hours to settle up. Thanks for the story Mickey! But alas we are home safe, at least someone’s home.
As for the first week of gigs; Im not sure I am being paid enough. Seeing that we performed a total of 42 hours in 6 days, and traveled, practiced, and waited for the remaining 102. Im not sure it adds up to minimum wage. However, it is a labor of love and ya gotta pay your dues. Some of which find there way to the blackjack table, and others to a 25 cent slot machine. All in all I only lost about $6. So rent shouldn't be a problem.
I think the band is ready for Europe now. The tunes are getting tight, and with all the time spent together in the van, we are beginning to read each other well. And most importantly, we will not be playing such grueling hours over yonder. So the shows should be excellent, lets just hope there are crowds...
I will try and get some pictures up by thurs. And perhaps even a sound clip. Keep yo fingers crossed!
Till then I will be roaming the streets of Nashville in search of last min gear additions. I would like to add a new tail piece and nut to the Waterstone and maybe even do some laundry. But Im getting ahead of my self. One step at a time....baby steps.

The First Shows

Where do I Start? I guess its a good thing that we don't load in or out here. We set up once and that is it till Sun. Why you ask? Because we play 50 on 40 off from 7:30pm to 12:50am. That's a lot of music! Did I mention we have never performed together before yesterday? I think you get the picture.

Needless to say, the material is a bit rough. "Is this one in A?", "does it go do de do de do or was it de de d dua do?"; "Um guys. I think I forgot my capo backsta 1 2 3 4"

On a brighter note, the crowd is great. They know all the words and come back night after night. They cheer after solos, blow kisses and ask for autographs. And yes the Cougars are on the prowl! Arrg!

So tomorrow, it starts again. Listen, learn, forget, listen, learn. And at 4 o'clock....buffet!

Oh yea, Ya betha boouts its ganna be good un!

The First Days

Here I am in Hinckley, MN typing away in my very own, private, Chalet. Despite a forecast of mostly sunny, it is overcast and rainy outside. The temp is probably around 70. It is a quite town from what I have seen. And from what I can tell its claim to fame is a devastating fire that destroyed the entire area in1894. Now I'm now expert, nor have I visited the acclaimed Fire Museum, but it doesn't seem like this place ever recovered from that tragic summer. What a shame.

I have yet to head over to the Grand Casino, where we will be performing for the next six days, but in front of my so called Chalet, which resembles a large loaf of white bread with windows, is the great mount Hinckley! And atop the massive 15 foot mound is a spectacular viewing area of the Grand Casino parking lot and the for mentioned Casino. It is quit a sight. I think i will make the walk over there in a bit. Who knows, maybe Ill get lucky!

As for life as a Ranchhand; I spent the past week in Nashville frantically learning the 50+ tunes for the tour. Rehearsals went from 5pm to midnight and I gotta say, the band is hot. I think we nailed them within the second take. Not bad for a bunch of dudes who have never met before. But worry not, we are strangers no more! The 15 hour van ride will assure you of that! Thankfully we do not have to load back in the Green Machine until next week, when we return to music city.

Until then my days will be filled with last minute practicing and an assortment of new G, C, D, E and even A licks so I will be ready when my big break comes! Ill keep ya posted!