Gonna lump a few of these together since they are lump-worthy. Albany, NY. What can I say. Wow. Albany. Nice theatre, lots of weird folks. Lots of weird heckling but only from one guy. During the show, this guy starts yelling out to Sean between songs covers of other songs, from, "Listen to what the man said" (a Paul McCartney and Wings song, no less, dumbass), "Goldtop Mountain Heart Queen Directory", & "Lenny Kravitz". What an ass. We soon escorted him out, turns out he was quite drunk, big surprise, and when the state troopers are escorting him out of the building, he apologizes, says he had a little too much to drink, was having fun, and fessed up to smoking a little pot before the show. He was immediately placed in handcuffs and into ye olde State Limo. Have I said, "dumbass" yet? Glad to reiterate.
Northhampton, Mass. The Iron Horse is this little old ski lodge looking place that holds about 150 people and for some reason they insist on booking rock bands there. I don't get it, it's just too small and loud, but what are you gonna do, gotta make the best of it. One highlight of the town is a cafe called Haymarket which has great vegan/veggie delights and great coffee. We did also have fun at the open mic night across the street from the club in some little bar.
OH Wait, funny story. So this guy that is on tour with us (I promised I would not mention any names here to "protect the innocent" had a funny run in. So there is a theatre across the street from the club we're playing and they are having a show the same night as us. So after our gig is over, we load out, pack the trailer and we all head over to this little bar for a nightcap before we drive to Boston. So our bus driver moves the bus back to the hotel and the bus from the band that is playing at the theatre is moved into the exact same spot where OUR bus was parked. The ole switcheroo, as it goes. Here's the real kicker, this guy with our group, doesn't realize it's a different bus, and the entry code to unlock the door is identical to our bus. Weird? Weird!
So he heads to the back of the bus, there are a bunch of dudes hanging in the back lounge he doesn't recognize, but he says "Hey" they say "Hey" and they sit around and talk for about 45 minutes. He says he wants to open the window and they won't let him and it gets a little ugly, next thing he knows he is getting carried off of what he thinks is HIS bus. Furious and cursing like a sailor all the way, he gets outside the bus, looks at the side of the bus and says, "wait a minute, this bus is blue, ours is red, whoops! Who's bus was I on?"
Funny? Funny!
Boston was just plain uneventful. Great crowd, cold rainy night. Sean was really affected by the fans in a good way. They were singing EVERY word, LOUD, to every song. It kind of freaked him out but he and the band completely enjoyed it. It was awesome to see him react to them and vice versa. Wonderful show, but I'm ready for a day off. Oh, and the mango at the Thai Place down the street, Brown Sugar, was not ripe at all. Good sticky rice, though.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Stuck out here in this beach town of New Jersey
Ah yes, the famous Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Why is this little beachside rock club so famous? Some of Rock's greatest have cut their teeth there. Patty Smith, Joan Jett, The Replacements, Ian Hunter, Glen Burtnik, and probably the most famous, Bruce Springsteen. Like he'll ever go anywhere.
It was a balmy 43 degrees and party sunny this day, and even colder in the club. What gives? These fingers are very delicate and have many knobs to twiddle and lord knows I can't do it with frozen little fingers.
It was one of those weird crowds who thrive on rock history and nostalgia, perfect for the son of a Beatle. For the most part, they were into it and there weren't too many request for "other" artists material. As a whole, the town is just sort of weird. It's a beach resort that used to be a big deal from about 1890 and into the early 1900's. Read more about it here.
They went through a bunch of degradation, erosion, crime, financial collapse and are now in a period of regrowth. Not the most inspiring town or hot spot for a beach vacation, but just up the shore there are more desirable locations, but there is a certain dark charm and feeling of being part of it's history that lies here. Farewell from Asbury Park.
It was a balmy 43 degrees and party sunny this day, and even colder in the club. What gives? These fingers are very delicate and have many knobs to twiddle and lord knows I can't do it with frozen little fingers.
It was one of those weird crowds who thrive on rock history and nostalgia, perfect for the son of a Beatle. For the most part, they were into it and there weren't too many request for "other" artists material. As a whole, the town is just sort of weird. It's a beach resort that used to be a big deal from about 1890 and into the early 1900's. Read more about it here.
They went through a bunch of degradation, erosion, crime, financial collapse and are now in a period of regrowth. Not the most inspiring town or hot spot for a beach vacation, but just up the shore there are more desirable locations, but there is a certain dark charm and feeling of being part of it's history that lies here. Farewell from Asbury Park.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Mountain Mama
OK, there were a few mama's in the mountains of Charlottesville. I'm sure they ARE there, I didn't see a whole lot of them, but I can tell you, it was damn cold. It's April, what is going on with this whole Global Warming craze? It's eluding this tour.
And another thing about stairs. If you're going to start a rock club with live bands, why on earth would you put the stage on the second floor? Band gear doesn't just "magically" appear on stage, it needs to get "loaded" UP the stairs, OUT of its cases and ONTO the stage. Then back DOWN the stairs and into the trailer. My coccyx still hurts.
I did have a nice piece of tuna steak, though. Thanks C-Ville.
And another thing about stairs. If you're going to start a rock club with live bands, why on earth would you put the stage on the second floor? Band gear doesn't just "magically" appear on stage, it needs to get "loaded" UP the stairs, OUT of its cases and ONTO the stage. Then back DOWN the stairs and into the trailer. My coccyx still hurts.
I did have a nice piece of tuna steak, though. Thanks C-Ville.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
North Kackalacki (& compton)
Asheville, NC is one gorgeous mountain town. From the smelly little candle shops, to the quaint little restaurants, to the indie coffee shops. Oh, and of course the fresh, crisp mountain air. And, The Orange Peel, and great, liquorless, music venue.
The Biltmore Estate is one of the most historical landmarks of Asheville. Some great movies have been filmed at the Biltmore or around Asheville such as Mr. Destiny, Bull Durham, Dirty Dancing, and Being There. If this city can attract such luminaries as Michael Caine, Peter Sellers and The Beloosh, Jim Belushi, it has to be special.
Other such notables who once called Asheville home, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Moog (inventor of the Moog synthesizer), and Shirley Hemphill (yes, THAT Shirley from "What's Happening).
Beyond that, the gig was a good one. The Orange Peel has a great P.A. and comfy feel to it. The band played well although Sean was still struggling a bit with his voice but as always, he's a ringer and the charm and talent prevailed.
I was looking forward to Chapel Hill, a town I once called home. I lived here for about 4 years in the 90's when I worked with those pop-rockers Dillon Fence. Dillon Fence's drummer, Scott came out and met me, my brother and sister-in-law for dinner and took us to a great little Japanese nook that Scott has a knack for finding. He pretty much knew the entire staff by name, but as expected, it was wonderful.
My friend, super drummer and super funny guy, Jon Wurster came out. Jon and I had a beer after the gig and caught up on the past several months from when I worked with him in the Robert Pollard Band. He is now playing with a group called The Mountain Goats.
My other notable and good friend Jay Brown, from the Tift Merritt band and Stillhouse came out with his new-rawkin' girlfriend Tracy of Wembley Stadium. It was great to see them, unfortunately we didn't get to hang out too long, I had that "work" thing to do and they had a gig early the next day so had to skee-daddle after the show.
It was a really good show. Great crowd, Sean was extra chatty tonight. And the best part, it was snowing. Yes, snowing, in April, in Chapel Hill. What the F&*$??? Maybe it will be sooo much warmer in Charlottesville. Yeah, right!!!
The Biltmore Estate is one of the most historical landmarks of Asheville. Some great movies have been filmed at the Biltmore or around Asheville such as Mr. Destiny, Bull Durham, Dirty Dancing, and Being There. If this city can attract such luminaries as Michael Caine, Peter Sellers and The Beloosh, Jim Belushi, it has to be special.
Other such notables who once called Asheville home, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Moog (inventor of the Moog synthesizer), and Shirley Hemphill (yes, THAT Shirley from "What's Happening).
Beyond that, the gig was a good one. The Orange Peel has a great P.A. and comfy feel to it. The band played well although Sean was still struggling a bit with his voice but as always, he's a ringer and the charm and talent prevailed.
I was looking forward to Chapel Hill, a town I once called home. I lived here for about 4 years in the 90's when I worked with those pop-rockers Dillon Fence. Dillon Fence's drummer, Scott came out and met me, my brother and sister-in-law for dinner and took us to a great little Japanese nook that Scott has a knack for finding. He pretty much knew the entire staff by name, but as expected, it was wonderful.
My friend, super drummer and super funny guy, Jon Wurster came out. Jon and I had a beer after the gig and caught up on the past several months from when I worked with him in the Robert Pollard Band. He is now playing with a group called The Mountain Goats.
My other notable and good friend Jay Brown, from the Tift Merritt band and Stillhouse came out with his new-rawkin' girlfriend Tracy of Wembley Stadium. It was great to see them, unfortunately we didn't get to hang out too long, I had that "work" thing to do and they had a gig early the next day so had to skee-daddle after the show.
It was a really good show. Great crowd, Sean was extra chatty tonight. And the best part, it was snowing. Yes, snowing, in April, in Chapel Hill. What the F&*$??? Maybe it will be sooo much warmer in Charlottesville. Yeah, right!!!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Georgia by bus!
So the halfway point from Austin, TX to Athens, GA is Jackson, MS. You know what's open at 9pm on a Sunday night in Jackson? Not much. Everything closes down around 6pm, just after church lets out and everyone has already eaten supper by 3pm. But the one thing that IS open on a Sunday night in Jackson, MS? The Outback Steakhouse. That's right. Meaty goodness. How bizarre is it for a tour bus to pull up in the parking lot and several musicians, crew personnel and one Sean Lennon enter the establishment? VERY bizarre. But the irony was Sean raving about how great his steak was. In fact if I may paraphrase, him saying, "this is one of the best steaks I've EVER had." He's all about the drama.
When we were ordering our drinks, our young, Christian server, Merry (yes, that's how it was spelled) was asked by Kamila how the Southern Pecan Ale was and dear Merry replies, "I don't know, I've never had it." Kamila responds, "Sure (wink wink) you've never tried the beer." Innocent Merry informs her, "No, I've never had beer, I'm only 19." Ok, no further questions about the beer.
So the Atlanta show was quite good, sold out crowd, crappy load in up one flight of stairs, but we had the great DeWitt Burton from REM's crew helping us out and I went to dinner with my old friend, the minotaur, the professor, Dr. Chris Goode and his lovely wife Donna. Some good sushi, a mid-evening iced coffee and show time. I don't remember much of the show, so it must have been a good one.
Athens, Ga. was quite nice but way too sterile. The Melting Point was the venue. The venue and hotel were in the same complex so for convenience sake it was marvelous. Athens is all of about 4 blocks by 4 blocks so easy to get around. Some of THE BEST coffee I've had in a long time, espresso royale. Order some today, you won't be disappointed, (I hear by endorse this coffee.) As well as the staple vegan restaurant of Athens, The Grit. Meat loves won't know the difference.
I sure do like visiting Athens but I wouldn't want to live there. Thanks for the good nights sleep and veggie burger, but heading north.
When we were ordering our drinks, our young, Christian server, Merry (yes, that's how it was spelled) was asked by Kamila how the Southern Pecan Ale was and dear Merry replies, "I don't know, I've never had it." Kamila responds, "Sure (wink wink) you've never tried the beer." Innocent Merry informs her, "No, I've never had beer, I'm only 19." Ok, no further questions about the beer.
So the Atlanta show was quite good, sold out crowd, crappy load in up one flight of stairs, but we had the great DeWitt Burton from REM's crew helping us out and I went to dinner with my old friend, the minotaur, the professor, Dr. Chris Goode and his lovely wife Donna. Some good sushi, a mid-evening iced coffee and show time. I don't remember much of the show, so it must have been a good one.
Athens, Ga. was quite nice but way too sterile. The Melting Point was the venue. The venue and hotel were in the same complex so for convenience sake it was marvelous. Athens is all of about 4 blocks by 4 blocks so easy to get around. Some of THE BEST coffee I've had in a long time, espresso royale. Order some today, you won't be disappointed, (I hear by endorse this coffee.) As well as the staple vegan restaurant of Athens, The Grit. Meat loves won't know the difference.
I sure do like visiting Athens but I wouldn't want to live there. Thanks for the good nights sleep and veggie burger, but heading north.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Austin-tatious, Me thinks Not
Damn, I love Austin. No two ways about it. Be it the Driskill Hotel, Magnolia Cafe, the original Whole Foods Market, and of course the righteous Stubb's BBQ, Austin has got IT going on.
We woke up on the bus, right off of Cesar Chavez & Brazos which means I was only a few blocks away from huevos mas macho which also means I was going to the Avenue Cafe (Las Manitas). A staple in Austin. What a great way to start the morning.
The venue, The Parish was right on 6th street, about 2 blocks from the Driskell Hotel. Everyone at the club was so nice and professional. What a great day. The band put on a super show even though Sean has been fighting some throat nastiness, but he rose to the occasion. The sold out crowed was most pleased.
Before hand I met up with my friend Stephanie for some rockin' grub at Stubb's. Her and her equally, literally rockin' husband, Brad Rice, both used to live in D.C. and we would hang out around town, but they gave up the stuffy, liberal-yuppified city for Austin. A wise choice, indeed.
I wish we had more time to hang in Austin but after all we ARE workin' out here, and we gots a LONG drive to Atlanta ahead of us.
We woke up on the bus, right off of Cesar Chavez & Brazos which means I was only a few blocks away from huevos mas macho which also means I was going to the Avenue Cafe (Las Manitas). A staple in Austin. What a great way to start the morning.
The venue, The Parish was right on 6th street, about 2 blocks from the Driskell Hotel. Everyone at the club was so nice and professional. What a great day. The band put on a super show even though Sean has been fighting some throat nastiness, but he rose to the occasion. The sold out crowed was most pleased.
Before hand I met up with my friend Stephanie for some rockin' grub at Stubb's. Her and her equally, literally rockin' husband, Brad Rice, both used to live in D.C. and we would hang out around town, but they gave up the stuffy, liberal-yuppified city for Austin. A wise choice, indeed.
I wish we had more time to hang in Austin but after all we ARE workin' out here, and we gots a LONG drive to Atlanta ahead of us.
The Parish, Big Red Balls and all....
Monday, April 2, 2007
Let it Begin in Dallas
You'll notice (that's all of youze reading this) that I will now be jumping around from catching up on my EuroBlog and my new U.S. tour blog. That being said.....
What is it with tornadoes and torrential rainstorms in Texas? I don't really need an answer, it's just rhetoric. I was lucky enough to make it out on time from National Airport in Washington when a flight on a competing airline, leaving a half hour later than me was canceled due to nasty weather conditions in Dallas, TX. I had no problems getting in. The rest of the band didn't have such luck getting out of New York, but we all made it, safe and sound.
I don't ask much from a hotel, clean sheets, clean or no smell, CLEAN bathroom, cable TV is nice, quietness, and possibly free Wi-Fi. An abundance of easily accessible electrical outlets is a nice perk too. But for the most part, just be functional. The sales manager at the front desk was so happy to greet me and rave about how the hotel (Hotel Indigo) was brand new and a gem in the downtown area. The bright colors of a purpley- blue & egg yolk yellow were either making me nauseous or want to go to the promenade deck for shuffleboard and a rum colada. The room was nice, even nice enough to get room service since it was pouring rain and I really didn't feel like braving that. Back to the functionality gripe, have the trash can in the bathroom in the same place as the sink (the shower & toilet were in a separate room from the sink), have towel hooks or rings for the hand towels, have the bath towels actually IN the same room as the shower. Maybe I'm nitpicking, maybe I'm just bored, but I'm just trying to be constructive here, no hard feelings. All in all, a nice place.
I did take a quick walk in the morning down to Murray Street coffee over in Deep Elum, the hipster part of Dallas where the now, as of our show is closing it's doors. They told us the landlords were jacking the rent up so they are being forced to leave. Rumor has it a House of Blues is opening in town. Sounds shady to me. Had a great Tex-Mex dinner at Sol's Taco House, and not so great time mixing the show from behind the bar, being jostled by the bar backs and bartenders girlfriends (who took it upon themselves to do lights unknowingly. Don't worry mama, pressing your backpack, pursey thingy into the lightboard turning on all of the yellow lights on stage is an extremely flattering effect. Nice touch).
It was a sold out show, everyone was in a good mood, not even the lake being formed from the leaky roof in our dressing room could ruin it for us, but it was high time to high tail it the gem of Texas, Austin.
What is it with tornadoes and torrential rainstorms in Texas? I don't really need an answer, it's just rhetoric. I was lucky enough to make it out on time from National Airport in Washington when a flight on a competing airline, leaving a half hour later than me was canceled due to nasty weather conditions in Dallas, TX. I had no problems getting in. The rest of the band didn't have such luck getting out of New York, but we all made it, safe and sound.
I don't ask much from a hotel, clean sheets, clean or no smell, CLEAN bathroom, cable TV is nice, quietness, and possibly free Wi-Fi. An abundance of easily accessible electrical outlets is a nice perk too. But for the most part, just be functional. The sales manager at the front desk was so happy to greet me and rave about how the hotel (Hotel Indigo) was brand new and a gem in the downtown area. The bright colors of a purpley- blue & egg yolk yellow were either making me nauseous or want to go to the promenade deck for shuffleboard and a rum colada. The room was nice, even nice enough to get room service since it was pouring rain and I really didn't feel like braving that. Back to the functionality gripe, have the trash can in the bathroom in the same place as the sink (the shower & toilet were in a separate room from the sink), have towel hooks or rings for the hand towels, have the bath towels actually IN the same room as the shower. Maybe I'm nitpicking, maybe I'm just bored, but I'm just trying to be constructive here, no hard feelings. All in all, a nice place.
I did take a quick walk in the morning down to Murray Street coffee over in Deep Elum, the hipster part of Dallas where the now, as of our show is closing it's doors. They told us the landlords were jacking the rent up so they are being forced to leave. Rumor has it a House of Blues is opening in town. Sounds shady to me. Had a great Tex-Mex dinner at Sol's Taco House, and not so great time mixing the show from behind the bar, being jostled by the bar backs and bartenders girlfriends (who took it upon themselves to do lights unknowingly. Don't worry mama, pressing your backpack, pursey thingy into the lightboard turning on all of the yellow lights on stage is an extremely flattering effect. Nice touch).
It was a sold out show, everyone was in a good mood, not even the lake being formed from the leaky roof in our dressing room could ruin it for us, but it was high time to high tail it the gem of Texas, Austin.
R.I.P. Gypsy Tea Room
PS - Mike's Movie Tip: Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects" (in that classic B-movie, Texas Chainsaw, Russ Meyer, Roger Corman vain). Dig it, blood, guts and all!!!
PS - Mike's Movie Tip: Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects" (in that classic B-movie, Texas Chainsaw, Russ Meyer, Roger Corman vain). Dig it, blood, guts and all!!!
TouLyoNice
I have to throw these cities into one blog since I can't remember a helluva lot of details.
Toulouse, I got nothing. Not even any pics. We didn't even stay in the city and left right after the show. I hear it's quite nice though.
Speaking of "Nice", what a dump. Ok, that may be a bit harsh but the entire city is under construction. I think they are putting in a new metro system or something, but not the elegant sea resort I was expecting. The streets down by the the water were really nice, quaint, cobblestone streets. Plus there was a big carnivale parade going on so lots of festivity. After our show we went cruising down the back streets of Nice to find some seedy bar to have a few drinks at, mission accomplished. And on the way back we had probably the best kebab any of us had ever had. I wish I had a photo to share of the kebab but you'll just have to settle or these:
Lyon, was short and sweet. The venue, Ninkasi, was a cool little rock and roll bar with a side restaurant attached that we hung out at afterwards. We were tipped off where to go drink and took several cabs down to this bar which was actually a house boat. It wasn't adrift but that would have been extra cool. Lots of cool folks there that had a great time at the show and wanted to do it up all night, but we had to hit the road. And hit the road we did. Next stop, gay ole Paris.....
Toulouse, I got nothing. Not even any pics. We didn't even stay in the city and left right after the show. I hear it's quite nice though.
Speaking of "Nice", what a dump. Ok, that may be a bit harsh but the entire city is under construction. I think they are putting in a new metro system or something, but not the elegant sea resort I was expecting. The streets down by the the water were really nice, quaint, cobblestone streets. Plus there was a big carnivale parade going on so lots of festivity. After our show we went cruising down the back streets of Nice to find some seedy bar to have a few drinks at, mission accomplished. And on the way back we had probably the best kebab any of us had ever had. I wish I had a photo to share of the kebab but you'll just have to settle or these:
Scene from Nice Carnivale
Lyon, was short and sweet. The venue, Ninkasi, was a cool little rock and roll bar with a side restaurant attached that we hung out at afterwards. We were tipped off where to go drink and took several cabs down to this bar which was actually a house boat. It wasn't adrift but that would have been extra cool. Lots of cool folks there that had a great time at the show and wanted to do it up all night, but we had to hit the road. And hit the road we did. Next stop, gay ole Paris.....
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