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September 2003
Greetings: I just got back from a month on the road with exactly one day off. If you are wondering what such a trip would be like, here it is in as few words as possible:Day 1: Awake at 4 a.m., fly out of L.A. at 7, sit on runway in Chicago for 4 hours, all flights to New York cancelled. After 3 hour wait in line, get last flight out to La Guardia. No food on plane, so after arriving in NYC at 2 am and checking in to Red Roof Inn in NJ (land of my birth), I go directly to Tick Tock Diner, where after I tell my harrowing tale to my waitress, she quips: “What? You lookin for sympathy? You’ll find that in a dictionary!” It’s great to be back home, I think. Day 2: Play MUSIKFEST in Bethlehem, PA. Beautiful day, great crowd, and a grand piano. Mom and dad are there on their east coast summer vacation. A perfect way to start a tour! Day 5: Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Live radio in-store show (T-Bones Records) broadcast (WUSM), followed by evening gig (Mugshots). My first time playing MS, and the people are great! Not only that, but I find out that Hattiesburg has two sushi joints... Day 6: Drive to Pensacola, FL for show at Pensacola Athletic Club. Sounds weird, but it’s a great gig, with a really nice crowd sitting on chairs on the grass behind the tennis courts. Immediately after selling last CD and picking up check, begin 10 hour drive to Lexington, KY where I have live radio show at 11am. Day 7: Barely make Lexington after two-hour stop for sleep in Nashville and loss of an hour due to time-zone change. Do live radio show, then later play Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour show in front of a packed house at the beautiful Kentucky Theatre. Day 8: Play world famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN. In the round with Scott Carter, Ellen Britton, and Dave Berg...they are awe-inspiring, as usual. Day 9: Tape "The Songwriter Sessions" at WPLN Nashville, in the round with Dave Berg and Dave MacKenzie. Dave wrote "I Don't Like Little Kids" which I've been playing for years and is on my new live CD. First time we meet. Later on play Mike Williams' Picking Party. The last one for me, Mike & Kathy are moving to NYC. Sad and happy at the same time – everybody in the round is inspiring. Day 10: Live on the radio on WNCW in Spindale, NC (near Asheville). This station has been a big supporter for years and the interview is a whole lot of fun. Day 11: Winston-Salem, NC – Fiddle & Bow concert series opening for Carla Ulbrich. Great show, great crowd. My first gig ever in Winston, but the guy that owns the joint is from NJ, and Jeff Mc Carthy, an old high school chum, shows up – I feel right at home! Day 12: Fiddler's Green Concerts in Atlanta, opening for Caroline Aikin – great show! I also sit in with Caroline for a couple of songs. Day 13: Split bill with Carla Ulbrich at UU Chapel in Clemson, SC. We have a great time as always, and the piano is wonderful! Post gig, Carla and I spend the rest of the night watching old bootleg Van Halen concert videos. Washington DC 1982: Awesome! US Festival 1984: Terrible! Diamond Dave is so drunk he can't remember the words to the songs. Dave loses gig shortly thereafter. Day 14: my one official day off. I set out to do as little as possible, and succeed beyond all expectations. Day 15: Back to Atlanta for Partly Funny With A Chance Of Fame at Eddie’s Attic. This time with Carla and Andy Offurt Irwin. Both are extremely funny, and we draw a surprisingly good crowd for a Tuesday. I should always be this lucky. Day 16: Drive from Hotlanta to Jacksonville, FL. On the way do interview on cell phone with newspaper writer in Carson City, NV for show later that month. Day 17: Bamboo Room, Lake Worth, FL. Awesome room, great crowd, and a nicely appointed apartment half a block from the venue. Russell at the Bamboo Room sure knows how to treat a road weary musician! Day 18: Glades Edge House Concert in Sunrise, FL (just outside Miami). Very small crowd (about 20), but wonderful to play to. I’ll still take this over a room full of indifferent drunks any day. Good food, too… Day 19: Last gig of this leg of the tour. After 19 days on the road with one day off, I'm ready to go home! I play Main Street Cafe in Homestead, FL - possibly best gig of entire tour - certainly a great way to end this part of the trip - the folks at Main St are like family! I stay at Hidden Harbor Motel 80 miles away in Marathon key, so I can visit the sea turtle hospital there. The sea turtles fill me with peace and awe, as they always do. Leaving the keys, I make my usual Marathon stops at Cracked Conch Cafe for conch fritters and at Shipwrecked By Design for cigars. Day 20: Drop off rental car in Atlanta and fly home to L.A. – get delayed four hours in Dallas/Fort Worth due to rain storms. I am not having much airline luck this month – but at least I'm heading home! Day 21: My one day at home before leaving for last leg of tour. Karen and I have dinner with our good friends Randi & Rod who happen to be in town just that night. Day 22: Drive to Carson City, NV (450 miles) for first of 3 shows there. Check into hotel at 9 p.m., have dinner at hotel across the street, gamble and win 15 bucks at the nickel slots (big spender), go to bed. Day 23: Morning at Java Joe's for Columbian Supreme with a shot of espresso, then over to Carson City Cigar Factory to stock up. Afternoon at Nevada State Railroad Museum. Spit bill with guitar phenom Michael Powers at Adele's in Carson. Great Victorian/old west decor and awe inspiring food. I will be eating there again! Oh yeah, and we played some music... Day 24: Open for Neville Brothers at Carson City Pavillion in front of 2,000 people. Lots of new crew and band since I played with them last, but got to talk to some of the guys – great time had by all. Day 25: Afternoon: ride the steam train at Railroad Museum. Such a treat to be around a fully functioning steam engine, this one built in the 1880s. Show that night at Nelson's Java, Spirits & Jazz. The gig was moved from the Upstage Center Theatre because the air conditioner was broken. Right about the time I show up at Nelson's, the air conditioner there dies, too... Day 26: Eight am: drive to airport in Reno and fly to Kerrville, TX to play the Kerrville Wine & Music Festival. Play the gig that night on very little sleep. It is a wonderful night – there's nothing quite like playing Kerrville. Day 27: Fly back to Reno (with stop on way to airport for some Texas barbeque and 4 hour layover in Houston) – retrieve car from long term parking in Reno – back to same hotel in Carson City. Day 28: Drive home, unpack, fall into bed. The End. Love, Bob
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