Chapter 2--All Roads Lead to Turlock
The 2010 March into Spring Haiku BBQ Tour (a novella)
Chapter 2--All Roads Lead to Turlock ( March 12th )
We arise not particularly refreshed (on account of insomnias one through four--see previous blog). Kevin whips up a massive breakfast of English muffins, bacon, eggs, and we slurp up cup after cup of black tea. OH YEAH. We talk politics, we all have our laptops out, Kevin & Danielle's kitten, Daisy, creeps into my duffel bag--just a normal day in True Margrit-World.
Presently it's afternoon. HOW long is the drive to tonight's engagement in Nevada City, CA? Not very far- but perhaps we should motivate? The shower cue starts. I'm last and I'm slow too. Now we are pushing it time-wise- oops. We pile into the truck and blast off. We head towards the mountains. There is snow on the peaks.
We realize suddenly that we don't technically have an address for the TV station where we are to appear live in an episode of "Mountain Beat" in... uh oh, one hour and a half! Out comes the modem dongle and we find the info on the web. Phew. We arrive at NCTV
one hour before showtime. The crew hustles us into the studio and we all scurry about prepping. There is a slight disconnect in communique about what we as a rock band need equipment-wise to hear ourselves (that would be monitors-which the station does not have, as they usually have acoustic acts) so out we go to the truck for more gear--and then there's more prepping and then we hear the words:
"Thirty seconds...five, four, three, two..."
LIVE television! WHOA!! That's like, NOW! The host- the very personable, April Miranda--interviews us and then cuts us loose to play our songs.
I feel pretty shaky at first and somehow manage to tangle my hands into a knot during the bridge of "The Juggler's Progress". But the rest of the show-interview, playing tunes, is mighty fun. Andrew & I begin one of the ongoing themes of the tour-- a hilarious battle over who gets the last word cueing the end of songs.
We are winding up our last tune and the credits roll. Earlier, April had requested that we keep the music going through the credits. But the song is over. I jump on the keyboard an extra time-or three. Gary and Andrew are making glorious racket unto the hills. This goes on for as long as is humane. I creep behind Andrew's kit and start pushing him. Haha! Take that! I almost knock him off his throne. He lunges, tackles me, and we are down. His glasses fall off. The damn credits are STILL ROLLING and Gary is still thumping away majestically on his bass. HELL's BELLS... the credits are still rolling. Andrew asks, "are we out?" I step back up to the mic & say, "hi". And then, finally, the credits end. Phew. We are so badass. Or maybe silly. Hard to say. Both.
We visit with April and the crew for a bit, then turn our vehicle south. The plan is to cut into some of the miles between Nevada City and Las Vegas- as Vegas is where our next engagement is.
We make it to Turlock. Now, if you've read the post TURLOCK & LOAD
from the 2009 Oct/Nov Tour blog, you know that we played at GRIZZLY ROCK CAFE
in Turlock, AND that the proprietor Frank is a bit of a folk hero to us on account of his mad-skills in the kitchen (especially with smoked meats-and his buffalo chicken sandwich brought Andrew to tears with its perfection). Naturally, we stop there to eat. Gary & I both repeat our previous choices. I have the smoked tri-tip sandwich-simple, delicious. Gary has the peppery Grizzly Burger. Andrew is seduced by the Prime Rib Sandwich-and it turns out to be a most formidable opponent which almost vanquishes our drummer. Then we are too full to drive any more so we make our way to Turlock's Motel 6 (after a few false starts with other less worthy- read, cheap-- motels).
Andrew is consigned to his own room to merrily snore in privacy. Gary, who is beyond exhausted by now since he was kept awake much of the previous night by Andrew's snoring, now drifts off to slumberland and treats me to some impressive snoring of his very own. Damn it. Will there be a night we ALL get rest?
Grizzly Rock Cafe
We all eat some beef
Getting ready for Texas
Where the cows are big
Insomnia #5
Gary also snores
It's louder than the freeway
I throw some pillows
Chapter 2--All Roads Lead to Turlock ( March 12th )
We arise not particularly refreshed (on account of insomnias one through four--see previous blog). Kevin whips up a massive breakfast of English muffins, bacon, eggs, and we slurp up cup after cup of black tea. OH YEAH. We talk politics, we all have our laptops out, Kevin & Danielle's kitten, Daisy, creeps into my duffel bag--just a normal day in True Margrit-World.
Presently it's afternoon. HOW long is the drive to tonight's engagement in Nevada City, CA? Not very far- but perhaps we should motivate? The shower cue starts. I'm last and I'm slow too. Now we are pushing it time-wise- oops. We pile into the truck and blast off. We head towards the mountains. There is snow on the peaks.
We realize suddenly that we don't technically have an address for the TV station where we are to appear live in an episode of "Mountain Beat" in... uh oh, one hour and a half! Out comes the modem dongle and we find the info on the web. Phew. We arrive at NCTV
one hour before showtime. The crew hustles us into the studio and we all scurry about prepping. There is a slight disconnect in communique about what we as a rock band need equipment-wise to hear ourselves (that would be monitors-which the station does not have, as they usually have acoustic acts) so out we go to the truck for more gear--and then there's more prepping and then we hear the words:
"Thirty seconds...five, four, three, two..."
LIVE television! WHOA!! That's like, NOW! The host- the very personable, April Miranda--interviews us and then cuts us loose to play our songs.
I feel pretty shaky at first and somehow manage to tangle my hands into a knot during the bridge of "The Juggler's Progress". But the rest of the show-interview, playing tunes, is mighty fun. Andrew & I begin one of the ongoing themes of the tour-- a hilarious battle over who gets the last word cueing the end of songs.
We are winding up our last tune and the credits roll. Earlier, April had requested that we keep the music going through the credits. But the song is over. I jump on the keyboard an extra time-or three. Gary and Andrew are making glorious racket unto the hills. This goes on for as long as is humane. I creep behind Andrew's kit and start pushing him. Haha! Take that! I almost knock him off his throne. He lunges, tackles me, and we are down. His glasses fall off. The damn credits are STILL ROLLING and Gary is still thumping away majestically on his bass. HELL's BELLS... the credits are still rolling. Andrew asks, "are we out?" I step back up to the mic & say, "hi". And then, finally, the credits end. Phew. We are so badass. Or maybe silly. Hard to say. Both.
We visit with April and the crew for a bit, then turn our vehicle south. The plan is to cut into some of the miles between Nevada City and Las Vegas- as Vegas is where our next engagement is.
We make it to Turlock. Now, if you've read the post TURLOCK & LOAD
from the 2009 Oct/Nov Tour blog, you know that we played at GRIZZLY ROCK CAFE
in Turlock, AND that the proprietor Frank is a bit of a folk hero to us on account of his mad-skills in the kitchen (especially with smoked meats-and his buffalo chicken sandwich brought Andrew to tears with its perfection). Naturally, we stop there to eat. Gary & I both repeat our previous choices. I have the smoked tri-tip sandwich-simple, delicious. Gary has the peppery Grizzly Burger. Andrew is seduced by the Prime Rib Sandwich-and it turns out to be a most formidable opponent which almost vanquishes our drummer. Then we are too full to drive any more so we make our way to Turlock's Motel 6 (after a few false starts with other less worthy- read, cheap-- motels).
Andrew is consigned to his own room to merrily snore in privacy. Gary, who is beyond exhausted by now since he was kept awake much of the previous night by Andrew's snoring, now drifts off to slumberland and treats me to some impressive snoring of his very own. Damn it. Will there be a night we ALL get rest?
Grizzly Rock Cafe
We all eat some beef
Getting ready for Texas
Where the cows are big
Insomnia #5
Gary also snores
It's louder than the freeway
I throw some pillows
posted by Margrit | 6:17 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home