The tour without me can be summed up into two words: miserably fun. There is only so much a band can do or say to make up for the fact that little or no people come to a show, so they joke around and play their best regardless of the audience. I made sure to check in with both bands multiple times each day. A couple nights that week I could not sleep because part of me felt like I had failed.
The Virginia shows were booked too close to the show date to effectively promote it.
In Chapel Hill, I found out less than a week before that the show was double-booked by a private party, so, pressed with time, the owner of the venue and I worked effortlessly to find a substitute gig, but we ended up just moving the show to the next night at an earlier slot.
In Louisville, Hurricane Ike ripped the city to shreds leaving most of the city with no electricity. For example, Myron Koch, from Paradigm, ended up staying at his parents that week, so Otis Grove was forced to stay in the MOST disgusting hotel they’ve ever been to.
In Nashville, rumor and fact merged into one leading to a gasoline shortage, so people were forced to choose between being able to drive to work or go to a show.
Poster made by Brian Healey (Paradigm)
In New Orleans, the local headliner flat out didn’t show up, so Carlon jokingly played a tribute set to what they thought the headliner might have sounded like (if that makes any sense).
Basically, every possible barrier came our way. Then, I got a call from our Austin partners that they couldn’t have the initial showcase venue because of noise violations, but within a day we got what they referred to as an “upgrade” venue closer to the main strip of bars, which, in retrospect it was.
The only thing I could do was laugh because I have a tendency to get caught up in the little things when the bigger picture is lighting up bright as can be right in front of me. I got the bands dates, they were able to play, they stayed in high spirits, and that they had a good time together (note: together being the key word). That is all that matters in my book. I was ready to fly down to New Orleans and try to make the best of the last few dates of the tour.
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