Thursday, November 20, 2008

"On tour, bottom of the Nineth"

Well I'm in Miami and I'm having a great time. The concerts are well received and a lot of fun. I'm playing with John Snider, a dear friend and drummer who used to live in Los Angeles and toured with Eddie Money for many years, we've done many albums together, three of them with Eddie Money.

While I'm here John has a busy student schedule as well. So, just because we can, I've been going to his drum classes in the day, "Some of which are at the young students houses!" I break out the NS/Stick and John brings a conga drum. I dive into a Groove in their living room, John guides the drum student (some of them 10 years old) as to what to play on drums... them mom and dad come out to see what all the ruckus is, and find their son rockin' out with two guys that sound like a full rock band!! They are sooo proud of their little child "rockin" loud and proud, and the kid is just beaming with pride.

Very fun and deluxe as some of these students homes are right on the canal and have beautiful homes with deluxe views over the water. I get to relax, jam a little with a great view, John gets to sit back relax and teach while the student gets overwhelmed with, "Oh my goodness, what do I do now - that wacky man is playing bass and guitar parts at the same time and is now telling me to take a solo!!!! ahhhhhhhhhh" (Priceless look on their faces... only out done by the joyous yelps of their mom and dad, brothers and sisters who see their child in a whole new light... "Look at that, the boy can play!!!"

Not only is John a fantastic drummer and percussionist but equal in task to teaching.

We have one more concert tomorrow afternoon, then I fly home that evening. Ya know, I love flying. I get tired after a few days of playing and constantly getting from one place to another and so I look at flying as having 'my own in flight 'napping' chair!" It's kinda like nap time in Kindergarten where you had your own blanket and laid on the floor with the other kids. Well this is the 'adult' version where you get your own reclining chair.

And so you take off, have a hour or two nap, wake up, ring the bell to get your juice, maybe a cookie, chips or crackers... then nod off for a few more hours, wake up... watch a little in flight TV.... C'mon... what's not to like!" If you do that at home on the couch the wife calls ya 'lazy'... do it on a plane... and suddenly now 'your workin' nobody says nothin'... "Whats not to like!"

Got a call for the end of December to go to Lake Tahoe for a gig with Frankie Avalon. I haven't been to Tahoe in like 15 years. That would be a great time of year to go. I'll post the event when I get more details next week.

I'll be booking more and more solo shows as I've been working on new material and singing a lot. Rocket Scientists have a tour coming up in March... so everyone seems to be starting up again slowly, but everyone's 'slowly' is adding up to me getting busy touring. I have a 'lot' of recording to do over the next two months so... perhaps I'll try something new to me.. "planning" .
As I'll need to use my time more efficiently.

"Lana Lane" (Think Tank Media release) released a 'best of' CD. This is only available in Japan. Different bands and artists get popular in certain areas and "Lana's " is in Japan. I was sent a copy and it looks beautiful (like all Think Tank releases, they have the High Pro- no expense spared look to them). This is no exception. Of course I played on a lot of the tunes but also got one that I co-wrote on the album "Hands To Heal". Writing as you know, is the way to make money in music so, it was nice to find out I have cut on the CD.

I went to two little leauge baseball games while I was here. John's young son was playing (5 yrs old). It was fun to see them play, he swung hard... however - he never got close to hitting the ball - but with hotdogs and hamburgs stuffed in our mouths we cheered him on ....Last game of the season so we say, "You'll hit it outta the park next year".

A GREAT trip, I'm tired and am starting to look forward to my "napping chair".

We'll talk soon!
Don