Saskatoon

First of all, I stayed up too late last night. I couldn't help it. After the show, Ryan, Brendon and I settled in at the hotel lounge to sing some karaoke. We were pretty tongue in cheek about it until it actually started happening, then we got into it. We each sang solo numbers and sang a few together. After visiting with some of Bill's friends, Russ and Susan joined us and Susan sang a couple too. There were some talented patrons (and some less talented), and the whole thing made for a truly fun evening.

The bus, however, was pulling out only five hours later to head to Saskatoon. I was the last one on (though still only 10 minutes late). The bus ride was also ridiculously fun- we played cards, stopped for breakfast, visited some tourist sites, and I managed to nap for a couple of hours. Our bus hosts Blaine and his wife (who I should have asked for the spelling of her name- it sounded like Rain-deen. Oops.) were fun and very gracious. In a perfect world we would always travel by bus with them and their dog, Love (who took a special shine to Bob).

Again our accomodations are pretty swank, we're at the Sheridan downtown in Saskatoon. The casino (Dakota Dunes) was also pretty great, with delicious food and an extremely organized and capable sound crew. The show was as much fun as any we've played all year, and (as it's likely our last show of 2008) was a great way to close the season.

Now it's closing in on midnight and I've got a 4:15 lobby call to be taken to the airport. I guess I can sleep when I get home. I don't think the Colts play until Monday night.

Calgary, pt. 2

TV was a blast this morning. We did two songs live in the studio: Hair and Deliver Me. The latter is a song of Bill's, so it was a natural to perform in Calgary. There was a brief interview with Bob, Paul and Susan, and they were every bit as "on" at 8am as they are at an evening show (maybe even more).

I finally broke down and got some Canadian money, then put my $20 bill into a vending machine and got $18 worth of $2 coins back. I love the big two-tone coins and I'm happy to have a pocketful of them. Of course, we're in a casino, so I may not make it out of here with them.

Soundcheck is done, the photo shoot is in an hour. My shirts are ironed and I'm just relaxing until I have to be somewhere. Perhaps I'll see what's on my big LCD screen...

Calgary, Alberta

Yes, it's really 5am (of course, that's 7am where I come from). I'm in Calgary with the Cowsills and we've got a local TV appearance scheduled for this morning. I'm all clean and shaved and ready to go, so I'm enjoying some quiet time with my coffee.

Today's kind of a busy day. We've got the TV thing this morning, then an afternoon photo shoot, soundcheck, and the show tonight. Tomorrow we head to a show in Saskatoon. I just found out last night that Wayne rented a bus to take us there. It's nearly as old as I am, but it sleeps 12 and should be much more comfortable than a cab.

The Deerfoot Inn is one of the nicer hotels we've stayed in. I've got a big flat screen HD television on the wall, Starbucks coffee in my room, and I had a truly delicious steak last night. So far, I'm totally cool with Calgary.

Bill Cowsill lived and played music up here for many years. I'm interested to see what the crowds are like. No doubt there will be lots of people sharing their memories of Bill at the meet & greet tonight. I'm looking forward to another great show.

A Full Day

We began our day with breakfast at the Tudor house, served by Alvin. Alvin and June bake their own bread, and Alvin collects honey from bees right on the property. Needless to say it was delicious.

Russ had some business stuff to take care of, so Aaron and I headed to Smiley's Flea Market, "the South's Largest Garage Sale". It was indeed huge, and proved to be more than we could take in in an hour. We wandered around aimlessly for a while, then headed back to collect our bandmates and head to Charleston, SC.

We were making good time, somewhere on I-26, when the wobbling we'd been feeling from the van suddenly escalated into a full-fledged tire blowout. We were trying to get Susan to a radio interview, so Russ called ahead to say we'd be running late and we got to work changing the tire. It was hot on the side of the road, and it took us a few minutes to figure out the jack contraption, but a kind policeman stopped and offered to "try and make sure no one runs over you". After changing the tire we were all sweaty and filthy, so we stopped to wash our hands and fill up our spare.

We weren't sure what to expect at the radio interview, and were surprised when we pulled up to an old house in Charleston. Stephen, our host and interviewer, greeted us and invited the boys to a dip in the pool while he interviewed Susan. Shangri-La! He even had a snack spread for us, complete with water and beer. We discussed WeAreRadio.com, his excellent internet radio site, and many charitable organizations he works with. We lingered as long as we could, but eventually had to head out.

Before soundcheck, we stopped to visit friends Joe and Mary Beth. Joe and Russ are old friends, and Joe had a surprise for Russ. He had painstakingly restored every part of Russ' bike that was all but destroyed in Katrina, rebuilt it, and presented it to Russ along with some new bike shoes and clothes (as I write this, Russ and Joe have just returned from a morning ride). It was a pretty touching scene, and Russ was as happy as I've seen him.

Our soundcheck at Home Team BBQ went off without a hitch, and the show was rocking. The food was the real star though, the ribs were about the best I've had anywhere. We were treated well by the staff, and we had a great time playing, but I was exhausted by the end of the second set. We stayed with Joe and Mary Beth last night, and I slept like a drunken baby.

Charleston is a beautiful town, full of great people, and I look forward to returning soon.

Forgot IOTA

Oops, I forgot to mention IOTA, a great club in Arlington, VA where we played Thursday night. We'd been there on our last go-round, so we anticipated it being an oasis of rock-friendly people, and it didn't disappoint. We love the IOTA, and I didn't want to leave it out. Great club, good people, nice crowd. Love it. There, I've said it.

Fletcher, NC

We're at the Tudor House Bed & Breakfast in Fletcher, NC. Alvin and June, the delightful English couple that own and operate the place, have taken great care of us and we just finished a delicious breakfast.

Our show last night was at the Feed & Seed here in Fletcher, and it was every bit as charming as it sounds. The Feed and Seed is an old mercantile, now an historic landmark, filled with church pews and antiques and a small stage.

It's a live room, with lots of wood, and our audience included folks of all ages, so we played very quietly and left the Judas Priest-y bits out. I didn't think the show suffered for it, in fact I loved being able to hear everything so well. Pastor Phillip that runs the place was very kind and seemed genuinely excited to have us.

We drove through the Appalachian Mountains to get here, and though we were on a tight schedule I asked if we could stop at an Appalachian Trail crossing on the way to the gig. My nature-loving bandmates were only too happy to comply, and it didn't put us too far behind schedule.

Today we're off to Charleston, SC, but not before we stop at Smiley's Flea Market in Fletcher. There was talk of a visit to Sliding Rock, a giant natural water slide, but it's too far off the path, so we'll save it for next time.

Only 2 more shows before I fly home on Monday. It's been another great tour, but I'm looking forward to heading home to my family and bed.

Oodles of Bodle's

Tuesday night the SCB was in historic Chester, NY at Bodle's (pronounced Boodle's) Opera House. We had a fun show, but the highlight of the night was definitely our opening band, A Fragile Tomorrow. These guys are a family band (with the exception of the bass player, sound familiar?) that writes and plays their own excellent pop tunes.

It was cool to see them play (and they let us use a bunch of their gear) but it was cooler to hang out with them after the show (except for the drummer, who had to run off to attend to his many female fans or friends). They're young guys, but quite intelligent and funny. Their family is extremely supportive, Dad even roadies for them. They should have a great future ahead.

Wednesday we had a bit of free time, so we hung around Chester for a while. We checked out a gift shop, ate at a great little diner, and got ice cream before splitting town.

Next stop was Philly, where it was great to see our friend Stu who had driven in from DC. After the show we drove a couple of hours to Potomac to stay, where we are now eagerly anticipating our show in Arlington, VA tonight.

Tommy

Tom was my best friend in grade school, back in Crown Point, Indiana. The summer after 5th grade, my family moved to Indianapolis, 2 hours away(!). Tom and I saw each other once about 2 years later, then never again for 24 years.


Possibly my first experience onstage was in grade school, when Tom convinced school authorities to let us get up at lunch time and perform doo-wop songs for our classmates. It was a typical school gymnasium/cafeteria with an inset stage, and we'd eat our lunches as fast as we could (he'd brown-bag, I'd buy) and hop up to do a few numbers by Dion and the Belmonts or Frankie Avalon.


Recently, Tom and I made contact via the internet, and I learned that he lives in Manhattan, just a couple of blocks from BB King's, and that he's a Cowsills fan. Obviously we made arrangements to meet in NYC and for Tom to come to the show. We emailed a few times and set it up.


Tom made it to the club a couple of hours before showtime and we were able to spend some time catching up and reminiscing before he headed out to pick up his girlfriend Kathryn. They came back and enjoyed the show, then we spent some time hanging around backstage and playing some more catch-up.


I have very limited memories of grade school, but Tom reminded me of some stories and filled in some gaps in my memory. It's funny, he's pretty much an adult extrapolation of the kid I remember- intelligent, funny, well-read and well-listened. It was great to meet again and catch up after so many years. We promised to keep in touch, which should be easier now that we're adults and have 20th century communication technology at our disposal.
Tom, it was great to see you, and I wish you and Kathryn all the best.

BB's House

I'm in Brooklyn with the Susan Cowsill folks, staying with friends. The Cowsills gang (Bob, Paul and Ryan) are on their way home and now begins the SCB (Susan Cowsill Band) leg of the tour.

Sunday we drove from Boston to Long Island for our SCB house concert. We were engaged in a brief power struggle with our GPS unit and encountered a pretty serious storm, so our drive took many hours. When we arrived on Long Island, our triumphant outdoor show was clearly a wash, so we set up quickly for an indoor acoustic show. We played a bunch of Susan's song, a little Tad and Aaron set, then some local guys played some classic rock with the crowd singing along. Overall, the acoustic show turned out to be a nice thing, loose and fun all the way around.

Monday we got up EARLY (for a bunch of musicians) and drove to the city. Susan had a couple of radio shows to do with Bob & Paul, so we needed to be there in the morning. Russ, Aaron and I spent the day sound-checking and wandering around Times Square, and I finally had some pizza that lived up to the NYC hype. John's pizzeria ("no slices") was delicious, and we stuffed ourselves.

The show at BB King's was a blast, and the crew there was outstanding in every way. The sound was excellent, the staff took great care of us, the crowd was fantastic, and the Cowsills put on a great show. I can't wait to head back to BB King's again.

More later...

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

I finally got a good night's sleep in a glorious big bed. We had a great day in Boston, starting with lunch at the Cheers bar with Barry from Oldies 103. Sarah and I planned ..ping at Cheers on our last Boston visit, but we missed it, so it was good to finally see the place- and the food was surprisingly good for such a tourist spot.

We headed to the Hatch Shell for soundcheck and hung around most of the day. The Hatch Shell sits right on the Charles River in a beautiful park and the weather was perfect for an outdoor show. There was a big crowd, everyone seemed to have a good time, and our set flew by in no time.

We stayed around and watched the Rascals, who put on a fantastic show, and I had a chance to meet Peter Tork from the Monkees, who stopped by after the Sox game.

The Red Sox lost to the Yankees today, but we didn't let it keep us from wearing our Sox colors, and it didn't seem to dampen the crowd's spirits. A great day all around, and now I'm back in the big beautiful bed.

Bob and Paul are singing the National Anthem at Fenway Park tomorrow, while the Susan Cowsill Band crew heads to Long Island for a house concert. We'll meet back up in Manhattan on Monday. Good night.

Electric Pineapple

We're staying at the Pineapple Inn in Newport. Aside from the free HBO, the best thing I can say about this No Country For Old Men-style motor lodge is that it's about 100 yards from the very spot where Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival.

After finding my room and dropping off my bags, I decided I was up for the Cowsill family tour. First we headed to Flo's, a funky little seafood joint I'd visited two years ago on a Susan Cowsill tour. The weather was beautiful that day, and we played on the beach and gorged ourselves on clams and oysters. Not so this time, as it rained relentlessly from the moment I arrived. Still the food was as delicious as ever.

Paul led the tour, driving the van and showing us homes where the Cowsills lived, venues they played, locations of photo and video shoots, and various historic sites around town. I'd seen much of it on my last visit, but even on a rainy day Newport's charm shone through and I stayed awake for the duration of the tour.

We had a 4pm soundcheck, but the soundman was over an hour late, so I pulled three chairs together and caught a quick nap. When he finally showed, we whipped out our fastest soundcheck ever and headed back to the Pineapple for an honest-to-goodness nap. I was not the only one who needed one, as everyone's flights had been delayed and some got in in the wee hours of the morning.

The show itself, not surprisingly, was like Old Home Week in Newport, packed full of old Cowsills fans and friends. Our opening band, the Bloody Knuckles, delivered an energetic set, surprisingly tight considering the oldest band member was 16. We managed to work through some rough spots, inherent when you play together infrequently and don't rehearse. The crowd was great, dancing and singing along, and I managed to stay upright for the entire set.

There was a lot of visiting after the show, but eventually we made it back to the Pineapple and I was able to get some real sleep. Today we head to Boston, and there's no show tonight, so hopefully I can catch up on more rest later. Unless there's a Cowsill family tour of Boston.

Inauspicious beginning

I was aware that other flights had been delayed, but I admit I was fairly naive about my own chances of getting to my destination on time. I was flying from Indy to Providence (through D.C.) for the first of several Cowsills/Susan Cowsill Band shows, and weather along the east coast had caused several flights to be delayed or cancelled- but not mine, right?

Wrong. My flight from Indy to D.C. was delayed. About an hour past departure time, four of us going to Providence were quickly gathered and rushed onto a plane heading to Charlotte, NC- the idea being we'd get a connection to Providence there. Only the flight from Charlotte to Providence was cancelled. Fine, I thought, I'll catch the first flight in the morning- but all flights to anywhere near Providence were already sold out (oversold) for the next day. As were all hotel rooms near the airport, and every rental car in Charlotte. And Amtrak.

I kept trying to brainstorm ways to get my body to the show the following evening, eventually napping for a couple of hours on a bench outside the airport. Finally I got the call that the Cowsills' travel agent had managed to book me a 6am flight to Providence, with a connection in Philly, at considerable cost to the Cowsills organization.

Around 5am I checked in for my flight and found my gate. Delays from here were too numerous to mention. I was selected as the guy to search at the security checkpoint, we were delayed twice while maintenance crews repaired various parts of the plane or jetway, we had to taxi to a different gate- it seemed neverending. Eventually, I did make it to Providence a little past 11am, just 28 hours past my original flight time. I was exhausted and a little hungry, but glad to have made it and looking forward to rocking Newport.

Austin, TX, or "donde esta Waldo?"

I got into Austin Monday afternoon and immediately began filling my face with a sampling of the fine Tex-Mex cuisine. Aaron took me to Angie's, a nice place with pretty good barbacoa, and then we went for coffee. We headed back to Aaron's where we caught up for a while, napped (no spoons, I was on the couch), and by that time our hippie bandmates had arrived and it was time for Tex-Mex all over again. We hung out and laughed with Susan, Russ, and Georgeanne (their publicist) and I tried to have a Sprite but it wasn't happening.


Yesterday we picked up our wristbands and headed to the famous Magnolia Cafe for another delicious Austin meal. Aaron knows everyone there and we got the royal treatment. We headed to our friend Cameron's house for an afternoon rehearsal (our typical half-assed version), and about the time we were wrapping up, Cam showed up with our friend Otis Gibbs- also in town for SXSW.


Everyone headed to the Saxon Pub where we played our first of many shows this week. We were a little rusty (no pun intended), but got into the groove pretty quickly and played about a 90 minute set. Our friend Chris Knotts joined us for Nanny's Song, the crowd seemed to dig it, everyone was happy.


Afterwards it was back to Cam's for a little hang time. Susan ran to Taco Cabana and brought back five thousand tacos. Maybe I was just super-hungry, but it was the best meal I've had here yet. At some point in the evening I realized I was surrounded by Indianapolis expatriates. Aaron and Cameron both moved from Indy to Austin, and Otis is living in Nashville. At one point (NOT instigated by me) the conversation turned to what a wonderful city Indy is, praising its architecture, naming good restaurants, recalling good times, and even our New Orleans friends were singing its praises.


Then Rusty dressed up like Where's Waldo (see photo) and it was time to go to bed...






For more Susan Cowsill-related Austin fun, check out Georgeanne's blog (she even has nice photos):
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=66905077