1/17/18 FASCINATION SECOND LEG - PART 1
1/17/18 FASCINATION SECOND LEG - PART 1
Back in the van! Im writing this first entry in the notes app of my phone... Sam is using my IPad to book bands for a last minute show we added on in New Orleans, so this will have to do. We played the first show last night in Philadelphia, showing up just in time to be one hour late (see what I did there?) The battery died in the van the morning of, basically eating up any extra time we had.
After a quick and healthy meal of McDonald's happy meal chicken sandwiches, we made it in time to catch a few tunes from the opening ba....
Well, I started that first part on Tuesday morning, and it's now Wednesday. I was initially going to change it, but then I decided to keep it in tact, because this is tour life in general. Little moments of time broken up by the randomness of America. I can't even recall what made me stop writing this some twelve hours ago - phone call? Text message? Who knows! It's difficult to maintain any type of schedule on the road. Two days in, and I've already given up on all my best efforts scribbled on neon post-it's gummied with cat hair stuck to wooden desks - eat healthy, drink enough water, meditate, read ten pages a day, try not to work all day in the van... just enjoy it ya dolt.
But there's always work to do. My phone is constantly beeping with Facebook messages emails, texts, phone calls and Instagram notices. I'm fearful of technology, even though it is the very thing that has enabled us to run a DIY band.
Anyways, back to the task at hand. We are two shows in, with Philly and Baltimore behind us. Luke and I walked around the waterfront of Baltimore before our show at Sidebar. There were so many people sleeping on the sidewalks around there... what an awful existence. I could not imagine the fear that most go through your mind every evening while you sleep on the cold concrete, and sift through noises in your head for constant threats (traffic, sirens, foot steps, human voices). There was steam coming through the sewer covers that made the whole scene look apocalyptic. I heard a voice in the distance reciting his personal mantra "Change my man, change? My man?" Change....
In Philadelphia, we stayed with an old friend from college, Abram Taber. (Plays in GREAT band, Sun Hat, as well as solo) He graciously put us up in his home, inviting three strangers in.) I'm always struck by the kindness that people display when you're traveling in this manner. It would he easy to live your whole life in fear, and never connect with anyone, but so many people open up their homes and trust us. It's truly amazing - one of my favorite parts of this life we have chosen is the ability to dip into people's lives, passing through a few times of year to pet the dog, say hello, grab a cup of coffee, and talk about the theory of the universe - or at the very least, what cool bands we are all listening to.
I was much too excited to sleep that night, so I crate dug through Abe's impressive vinyl collection and wrote down all the bands I never heard of before.
We're off to DC today - Electric Maid tonight. I will try my best to get another one of these up tomorrow, this time in tact, with one sweep of the digital pen.