Well life has thrown me a few curveballs in my time but this past week was crazy!
So I got into St. Louis on Wed. met the crew and some of the band. Had a great time in Columbia Thurs. and the Blue Note show Fri. went really well. Having really never heard the music I was quite happy w/ the show.
So after the show we discover the hitch on the bus is bent!. A tow truck guy shows up and heats it up to bend it back. We get the trailer back on and loaded and off we go. Well I get up to a stopped bus and ask Kevin how far we are and am told the hitch is cracked and we have to replace it. So a few hours of hectic shit and finally we are back on the road and made the show in time in Cinci. Had a decent show @ Bogart\'s while the band was really on. Kids love this band!!
So Sunday rolls around and we play Lansing Mi. All hell breaks loose. The PA was shot out and I was only able to use 4 of my lights and lost 2 during the show due to "dirty power", Brandon handling merch hyperextended his knee and Ryan(lead guitar) lost his wedding ring! Man what a day/night!
So we drive to Baltimore for a day off on Mon. Chilled out and got some real rest. Mon. night I go to fill out paperwork in Tim\'s (tour manager) room and he tells me I am being replaced!
Needless to say I was floored. He told me the guys loved me and my work (I guess they had a nickname of "Kurt" for me because of my flannels.) but the guy coming in knows the music better and the band demanded that management get him in as this is their last tour before going in to make an album and not the time to be carrying a new guy that will take some time to get the show/music down.
I told him I totally understood and as long as it was not
my work but that the new guy\'s work would be better for the band I was cool with it.
So the best I can gather is I was basically a gamble on management\'s part to make some money because Tim told me they were giving up their commission on this tour now as the other guy is gonna cost about double what they were paying me.
So I got home last night from a very surreal week indeed. I did not get a chance to take any pics of my show but over on the SOTY fan sites some kids took some shots of the 3 shows I did. Once the pics get put up I will post some here.
I asked if Tim would list me for SD and he laughed saying "You have a laminate. Show up @ a show and you can just walk in." Besides you gotta see if this guy is any good right?
So that made me feel alot better about it all for sure.
So I had a week of work instead of 5 with a way more metal band than emo and made a really good friend in Woody the FOH sound engineer. Overall an experience well worth having and I guess The Universe really wants me to see The Breakfast @ home!!!!!!!!
The Bus.
Inside the bus:
The tour Laminate:
