Flummoxed

For some performing comes naturally.  It is almost as if they were born with an inability to do anything else.  Others have to work hard to get to the same level as the naturals.  Those people have an innate talent for performance, but they have to learn to find it.  Both groups have to work tirelessly at their job.  Practice, practice, practice.

No amount of practice could prepare you for a show like the one we played last week. 

During practice you become very familiar with your equipment and your surroundings on stage.  It's everything off stage, otherwise known as "the crowd," that can throw you for a loop.  They are the biggest variable in a show.  Fact.

Nights one and two of this short little run of shows exhibited one of the strangest phenomena.  We played to stone cold faces.  At one point other band members saw an elderly woman bury her head in her hands and lap.  To get a good idea of the overall reaction from the crowd, see exhibit A below.

Feeling like total failures, we walked - strutted in like it was the greatest show in the history of the universe -  to the lobby with our heads held high.  We apparently did so with good reason.  The crowd really had enjoyed the show!  People were buying CD's and T-shirts, stopping to have enthusiastic conversations with the band, and walking away with a sincere look of joy on their faces.  For an idea of what we experienced after the show, see exhibit B below.

This was not the first time I have experienced this phenomenon, nor will it be the last time I am perplexed by it.  I have my theories on why this occurs.  One that sticks out in my mind is that sometimes people are just unsure of what to do at a show.  Sure they've seen live footage of a concert, but there is a disconnect when they experience a show for themselves.  As rookies they aren't confident to stand and cheer, sing along, or respond in general.  There aren't any seasoned show-goers to guide them.

Still, and unbeknownst to us, they are engaged.   Most even take the time to tell you there favorite part of the show.  Maybe it was a guitar part, a drum fill, or that moment when the lead singer jumped around like a crazy person.  Some will even go so far as to tell you how they have been practicing the same type of thing ("hair practice" for those in the biz).  

While pondering this I had an epiphany.  If you have ever been to a show in Nashville you have probably experienced the very same scene.  Me being a resident of Music City, I am often guilty of perpetuating said scene.  Is it possible that Nashville, in all of its glorious snobbery, has come full circle?  For a better idea of what I am talking about, see exhibit C below.

     Please note that Homer is incapable of recreating 

the face I was hoping to demonstrate.

It's Not All So Serious

It is a rare occasion in my life that things are so serious.  Serious moments don't make me uncomfortable.  They don't make me squirm.  I have nothing against them.

They can be boring.

Laughing is fun.  I like to laugh a lot.  So, I do.

I found plenty of time to have fun, but the serious seemed to take up all the room on the blog. Nobody has time, or the attention span, to read my days' sagas.  Keith Leedham doesn't even have time to remember his wallet on the way to Chick-fil-a.  That reminds me.  I love Chick-fil-a, and all readers (all 2 of you) should feel at liberty to send me gift cards as often as you see fit.  Just saying.

I've never been to Vegas.  I've never gambled.  I've never stepped foot into a casino.  I've never been handed a million dollars.  All of this used to be true.  I've now been to Vegas, gambled, and obviously stepped foot into a casino.  I'm still waiting on that million, though.

It was a glorious night.  It was almost as if I were born to win money.  Starting out with $40 in my pocket, I hit the roulette table.  The roulette table wasn't too hot, so I hit the black jack table with $20 in pocket.  Before sitting down I made sure to watch carefully.  I mean, I didn't want to look like an amateur.

All of my observance paid off...literally.  I sat down, got my chips, played like a champ, and left the table with $41 in my pocket.  Don't get your hopes up readers.  You're not off of the hook for Chick-fil-a just yet.

With my casino status rising, I took my first perk.  I walked up to the Pit Boss and asked, nay, demanded a deck of cards for my own collection.  That's right, I see what I want and go for it.  It sounded crazy at the time, but nothing was going to stand between me and my used casino cards!

At first Larry the pit boss was a little confused.  "You want what?  A deck of cards?"  Seeing it wouldn't be as easy as I thought, I pressed forward.  His confusion continued as well.  It turns out he was confused because I only wanted 1 deck of cards.  It also turns out they hand out used cards like candy.  Now, armed with my cards and my winnings, it was time to play my first slot!!

I won't get into the hairy details of my epic battle with the slots.  Let's just say I walked out of their in the black.  What will I buy first?

Walked in with $40, left with $40.02.  No. Big. Deal.

The Piggy Bank Is Full

Just in case you missed it, I've been uploading pictures to my gallery.  Just go here.

Turns out it's not a shack at all.

Tonight was a unique show in Bakersfield, CA.  Nobody had a good feeling about the show.  Outdoor shows can be a little strange sometimes, and it didn't help that we were playing at a place called Jesus Shack located across the street from Deja Vu.  What seemed like a recipe for disaster ended up being an incredible experience.  Jesus Shack, hence forth referred to as JS, has created an awesome presence in its community.  The guys there are in to a little bit of everything such as concert promotion/hosting, free back to school backpacks and haircuts for kids in the area, running a food bank, and now having a mobile medical truck run by volunteer nurses and doctors.  JS is no youth group coffee house.

Everything going on at this place was pretty cool, but the people that make up the JS family are even cooler.  I had the pleasure of meeting a man today who is more excited about giving and serving than anyone I have ever met.  We talked for a while about his love for delivering basic needs to people who cannot meet them on their own.  Then he told me the story that landed him in a wheel chair after telling me about his 20 years in prison (insert record scratch).  Prison?  Him?  Sure he had tattoos all over his body and face, but he is so caring.  I had to ask.

He was a founding member of one of the most prominent skinhead gangs on the west coast, and now he is an ordained minister trying to help gang members find a way out.  So, when a man like this tells me a bus fire will somehow lead to an incredible experience for each of us as men and women, I have to believe him.  Besides, we have already been seeing great things happen.

Quick recap:  I've been on the road 8 days: 1 day rehearsal, 5 show days, 1 travel day, and 1 day off.  During those 8 days the bus broke down twice, and burned to the ground once.

The tour came together perfectly.  Everything lined up just right.  The band was in town to record right when they needed to meet me.  Work was unbelievably supportive.  Less than a week in I thought the tour was over.  Why would that happen?  Why wouldn't I be mad?

I did have a day full of anger and frustration.  But, it wasn't long before I didn't have anything to be angry about.  Our God is a faithful God who loves us very much.  Within 24 hrs. the band had enough money to replace any belongings lost.  Insurance details began to be worked out, and Ryan and Jenny's baby now has more clothes than needed.  A complete stranger gave the band a custom guitar just because he wanted help.  Now it looks like we might have nicer transportation than when we started (well, it's a possibility).  However, that's not what I'm really talking about when I say God loves us and is faithful.

We have had to rely on Him for strength and courage just to make it from day to day.  Constantly figuring out our next move would be impossible without Him.  What started out as a well planned tour has become a sort of "tour on the fly."  Those are about the only words I can type to give you some sort of idea of the cool things we've experienced and/or heard about over the last 4 days.

On a much less serious note it was awesome to be a part of not only the 100th show at JS, but also to be a part of Sanctus Real's CD release show.  Their album dropped today, and I have been learning just how much of an accomplishment that is...even for a well established group like them.

So, good-bye to California.  We leave for LAX at 7am to fly to Montgomery, AL.

Well, Clark...

It might be a good to time to put on a pot of coffee and cancel all of your appointments for the day.  You're going to need the time to finish this one.  See, I started this blog with the intention of updating it every two days.  That has proved to be more than challenging over the past days.  Well, that's really an understatement.

An understatement!!

I am fully aware of what life can look like at the start of a trip.  We've all been there.  Family vacations start with disaster, sometimes with a lack of enthusiasm, and tours are no different.  It can take a show or two to get some kinks worked out while everyone is trying to establish some sort of routine.  This tour has taken this natural occurrence to a new level.

In a nutshell,

we made it to the first show with no troubles.  There were a few technical issues during sound check and the show itself, but the performance went well.  I felt great!  Everyone showed up on time to the bus at 6am the next morning.  Then we broke down at lunch time.  Luckily for us we got stranded at Cracker Barrel!  With no hope of getting our bus/RV fixed we rented an SUV and a truck (only options available), loaded what we could, and sped off to Phoenix.  We arrived 30 minutes before doors opened, quickly loaded in our gear, and sped off to Starbucks for wi-fi and Radio Shack for some last minute fixes.

Thinking we had made some pretty awesome lemonade from our lemons, we walked on stage with the idea that we would things were looking up.  We were wrong.  My in-ear monitor pack (how I hear on stage) went out during the first verse of the first song.  I could not hear the entire show, and had to play the show to music in my head.  I should remind you that this was the second show I have ever played with this band.  It was time for bed.  This day needed so badly to be over.

Feeling refreshed from our good night's sleep, we pulled into Las Vegas with plenty of time to spare.  We kept a relaxed pace during load-in and sound check, and everything worked normally.  Just after sound check we received a call letting us know that our bus would be waiting for us in the parking lot when the show was over.  Everything was beginning to come together! Then...

From this...

...to this.  Crazy day.

During dinner, just before the show, we received another phone call informing us that our bus was on fire.  The fire extinguishers were no match.  All that is left are ashes and a charred frame.  Some band members lost most of their entire wardrobe,  most merchandise was burned, guitars and drums were burned or damaged by the smoke, and we were heart broken.  I honestly thought I would be on a plane home within 12 hours.  I was wrong again.

I am still in disbelief when I think of all the support that has poured in.  Complete strangers handing us cash and/or checks, local families offering baby supplies for Ryan and Jenny's baby (guitars/keys player is married to the lead singer), and the show promoter upgraded us to individual suites at our hotel.  That's right children,
I had curtains that opened with the touch of a button!!

Now I'm sitting in Paso Robles, CA next to an open window while I type this.  It has been a long, strange week and this afternoon has been a welcome break.  It's a little hard to see in the pictures, but this town square looks like it could have been the set for Back to the Future (part 1 of course).

Thanks for hanging in there!!  Things seemed to have settled, and it's my hope that regular updates will be possible.  Now that you know the saga, soon I will fill the gaps with lessons learned.  Rather than posting pics with each post, I have created a photo album on Mobile Me.

Tour Pics

In closing, it's a tough moment to realize you have been living your life parallel to Clark W. Griswold.

Where it all began...

Sometimes things come our way when we least expect it.  Sometimes we least expect it because we just asked.  Take me for example.  I began wanting and praying for a tour.  One landed in my lap less than a month later!  Next thing I know I'm on a plane to New Mexico, being pulled aside by airport security after my kick pedal went through the X-ray machine, getting stuck at another airport on the runway because a decal fell off of my plane, and finally sitting in a coffee shop blogging.

Well, everybody always says, "Next thing I know."  Really?  Nothing happened between the two?  Nobody ever fills the gaps in their stories.  That always bothers me, so...

Right after getting called for this tour, I immediately called my favorite drum shop to see if they had some things I would be needing.  Being the nice guys they are they offered to put everything aside for me for my convenience.  They really are very nice, but maybe a little hard of hearing or REALLY bad at using a pen.  In all of my newbie glory and excitement I rushed to the drum shop.  With a little new-found confidence in my voice I informed the guy why I was in the store.

"Hi, you guys have some stuff on hold for me."

Eager to serve a faithful customer, he replied, "Oh yeah, I got some stuff right here...forrrrrrrrr...Mr. Scoop?"

Confused, but quickly catching on, I reminded him being a superstar has not made me better than him.

"Please man, my friends just call me Mr. Scott."

Here's the amazing thing about this incident.  After apologizing and correcting himself he seemed to have figured out that I'm the same exact Richard who shops often at the shop.  Well, I was wrong.  He reverted to calling me Mr. Scoop!?!  So, now I know where "next thing I know" came from.  Those four words form one of the greatest story telling tools...ever.

It's how people avoid telling you about looking slightly less than awesome.

Having learned my lesson, I created this blog where I will most likely forget what I learned and fill in all of my stories' gaps.  If anything, I can hope this will inspire more people to frequently shorten their tales of triumph through the use of that ingenious 4-word phrase.

* Note, I am fully aware I am not a superstar

** I am also fully aware that "forrrrrrr" may not be the best way to imply hesitation in someones voice. Well, this blog may end up helping you avoid looking silly in life.  I'm doing you a service, so let me have a quirk or two.