Alrighty the first week is in the bag and I’m feeling damn good about it. When I left off the last blog I said Denver was the first stop on the tour. Since the van was heading from Columbus, Ohio we got to make a stop at the Harrah’s Casino in St. Louis, Missouri which was a blast. Well we got into Denver early in the evening so I decided to grab a beer across the street from the hotel to unwind, enjoy downtown, and tell people about the show tomorrow night. It turned out Common was playing right down the street at the Fillmore and I got to meet a lot of cool people and of course a drunken girl that stole a telephone book in the middle of the street. So after a few laughs I went right to bed and I woke the next day to meet the crew and band.
After meeting the whole troupe the next day I instantly got a good feeling about the gig. For anyone who has a job would know it’s hard to find people you’ll hit it off with right away. It seemed to fall into place easy this week for everyone to get to know one another and adapt to new faces, personalities, gear, etc. Everyone on time; they don’t have a problem sharing advice, questions, or concerns. I am already getting feedback from the band on some of the songs and we’re now exploring ideas for some custom light gear for different pieces of the show (I’ll definitely visit some of the ideas we’ve been thinking about in another blog soon). Mark Mullins (Electric Trombone, Vocals, and Leader) is great about keeping everyone informed about things. He dropped off a list to everyone in the band and crew with details on a show we didn’t know about yet. That gesture alone showed me that he is on top of things and is a good leader by assisting the management and going out of his way to be sure everything runs smooth. We get itineraries with the entire hotel, travel, venue specifics so we always have a reference on hand in case I need to CALL A VENUE for information for specs I or they may need still that may change from time to time on the rider. This could be a lot of variables. This tour has definitely taught me to keep an open mind for any variables to assess a situation. For example (and I’m sure there will be more) we shared a stage with Ivan Neville’s “DumpsterPhunk” three times this tour which was awesome I may add. They are tremendous musicians and funny guys. So our first gig happened to be in Denver with them and when you’re sharing the same stage together a lot of things can change especially your stage plot because the headliners gear doesn’t come off, even the drums. So with extra stuff in a small room it becomes a bit of a cluster. So you gotta roll with what your guns are and make the show happen, which we did. So I had to cut down my rig a little and set up things differently. For it being the first show I felt it was a good warm up exercise for me and it actually gave me a new idea for another stage plot which rocked. The show was sold out and the room was full of energy, especially for Bonerama. There was this excitement in the air that I think had been a long time waiting for them. I believe this was the starting point for them to carry a touring production crew and to have these new elements fused into the show gave a cool new representation of the band and a new treat for the fans. It’s pretty much been like a locomotive ever since this show.
After the Denver show we headed to Telluride for a double day of shows. First show was at the concert ground with the Radiator’s which I got to run some day pars on an Avolites Sapphire before the Black Crowes came up to finish out the festival. The second show was another opening gig but this time for The Radiator’s at the Saville Opera House in downtown Telluride. Here’s yet another example of variables. When I arrived for load in that day I was told that I wasn’t going to be allowed to bring in my lighting due to the fact the headliner didn’t have any. This is where you must compromise at times to ensure your production. What ended up happening is that I had to agree to run some lights for the headliner gig. This is a tough area for me in this kind of situation because I want our bands production to be seen, yet I’m getting pushed into using the gear for the people who aren’t paying me. I guess it’s one of those situations you get put in and have to adapt to and negotiate in the most professional manner because some of these guys don’t have a problem telling you that you can’t work on the level you want. But hey that’s what growing up is all about. We aren’t at the head of all the bills yet, but the impression is being made and in the mean time you gotta treat your situation right and do what will work for everyone in the end. I’m gonna jet now and get some rest. I’m currently leaving California and heading to Tampa to do some more Bonerama shows, meet my other potential clients Porter-Batiste-Stoltz and run a show for them, and hang out with my big brother. I’ll continue the story with the California trips to San Diego and Monterey. Bear with me I’ll catch you up as I go! Thanks for reading ya’ll…
Song of the week: Bonerama “War Pigs” (Black Sabbath cover)
Movie of the week: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
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