Tour Night 1: How TF Does This Keep Happening?

I wish I kept more journals during this time. I have to go off memory. No bother, it'll be interesting to reminisce. It was Thursday, July 24th. First night of the tour. This weekend the band was staying at my house.

Thursday July 24th

The morning of the first day of tour… and NO ONE but myself is in New Jersey. Jordan was flying up from Nashville that morning, Dan was flying up from Orlando later that afternoon, Pete was driving down from his house upstate into NYC for the show later that night - he was meeting us there. Freddy, our stand in drummer, was to drive to my place from his pad in Long Island midday. Oh yeah, Mason was on holiday with his fam. No show for Mason that night. We opened our tour with incessant travel and without our drummer! We definitely have problems.

So I go pick Jordan up at Philly airport around 9 or 10 am, as he flew in on an early flight from Nashville. Jordan was the first one here to kick this baby off. As we are driving home I notice Jordan’s lack of energy and sluggishness. Jordan was getting carsick on the way back to my place due partly to my animalistic driving. I asked him something to the effect of, “Dude don’t you take anything for that, like dramamine?”

To which his response was “What’s dramamine?”

I was stunned. I immediately pulled a three lane Jersey slide, across two lanes of slowpoke tailgaters, and into an empty parking lot. I had missed the entrance to the Target. I pulled around to the side service road which luckily got us into the Target parking lot. Good thing because one more left turn and Jordan probably would have yakked in my passenger seat.

So go inside Target where Jordan got some toiletries (which when I say the word makes me think of a tree full of toilets). He got his stuff, and I got the beloved dramamine. Literally twenty minutes after he takes it, we’re flying up the turnpike heading back to my place and he goes “This stuff is the best thing I’ve ever had in my life”. Jordan’s car comfort has been greatly improved thanks to that little pill.

So we got back to my house, Thursday afternoon. I think Jordan was the first one there so he got the spare bedroom upstairs.

Pete was staying upstate until the show in NYC later that night.

Freddy, our stand in drummer shows up at my place probably around 4pm. He drove over to Bridgewater from Long Island. What a madman.

Mason, once again on a beach somewhere closer to the equator.

Dan. Well… Dan’s story is a wild one.

Dan was attending Full Sail University in Orlando at this point. It turned out that he had class that Thursday and he couldn't be absent otherwise he’d fail the class. Yep… he would have failed that class with one more absentee day. So he could not miss. He took his class and was scheduled to hop on a 6:30pm flight out of Orlando, land at LaGuardia at 9:12pm, and taxi over to the Delancey for our set which was scheduled to start around 10pm or so. Risky? Abso-fkn-lutely. While the airlines tend to be late sometimes, so does everyone in the entertainment industry. So we figured it’s worth the risk.

Jordan, Freddy, and myself show up to the Delancey around 8pm to park and unload. Petey had already shown up and once we arrived, we all hauled our equipment in. Freddy drove his own car since it was easier to go home after that show. When he arrived there was actually a spot RIGHT OUT FRONT of the venue. It was a tight squeeze in his Subaru hatchback. He actually got out of the car, handed me the keys, and let me parallel his car, which took like three tries. Finally got it.

Not sure what time it was but I think Dan’s flight took off around 7 or 7:30.

So by the time our set was coming up at like 11 or so, we had a frontman, two guitarists, and a stand in drummer. FIRST NIGHT OF TOUR EVER.

The show had to go on so it went on. We played a pretty reckless set bassless and official-drummerless. It was rad though, we dug it, people dug it (I think). At least they were nice....

Anyway, the set ends and I say our thank yous. As soon as I step off stage, I look up, and there’s Dan putting down his backpack and his bass guitar, and just hugging people. I hopped on stage and introduced Dan; “hey everyone, our bassist is here”, everyone clapped, and he kept hugging people.

The night at The Delancey was probably the weirdest night on tour. Night 1, New York City baby!

I honestly don't remember but I think Petey went back up north, Jordan and Dan came home with me, and Freddy went back to Long Island. Philly tomorrow...