So with the auditions over, I figured now is the time to join the bandwagon and do my tour wrap-up before my mind is too clouded by the preparations for the 2nd one. I took a good amount of pictures that I hope to retrieve off a dead laptop but Im not too optimistic.
San Francisco: I will never forget the feeling of walking in that beautiful concert hall knowing that something I was involved with sold-out a venue (in advance) with such history. The show was rough around the edges but it happened. People seemed allright with it. We learned we wouldnt have bloom playing as an intermission between costume changes. The first time I saw Snow do a jager shot. The first time I met Mike, Stormy, Tegan, Violet and Brandy.
San Jose: really cool little rock joint. The girls were excited that they got every bit of the rider. A knock on my door at the hotel that night 2 girls in towels we need someone to take pictures of us. Me trying to be a responsible tour manager the bloom guys are next door. Me regretting it still.
Los Angeles: Very hectic in the early part of the evening everyone was very nervous as the LA show was important. We didnt know if wed be going home the next day or not but the girls pulled it off. The good news came that the show would go on. The first time the girls would wash the chocolate off in a kitchen sink. Davey from AFI backstage.
San Diego: Drama the sound guy and bloom. The sound guys girlfriend and Stormy. The sound guy actually doing good sound for bloom. The sound guy having problems with the CD during the girls show. Stormy telling me right before walking on stage this is going to be raunchy as shit. Stormy spitting beer on the crowd. Stormy filling the audiences mouths with whipped cream, sucking it out and spitting it back on the crowd. Airplanes taking off over our hotel all night long. Burning my plane ticket home to stay on the duration of the tour.
Phoenix: college bar with a police line down the middle separating the 21+ and under 21 crowds. The first time I see Tegan eating McDonalds. Drive after the show to Tucson.
Tucson: 3 days in the same place. Great hotel Hotel Congress. Club Congress on the ground floor. Tegan picks up the love of her life. Ryan, Mike and I hanging out at the promoters house after show. Cool guy, cool people. Given a vintage Mr. T poster as a gift. The next day brought tears to some. Personel change. Goodbye to the Sid Vicous of Suicide Girls. The Dirty Ass packing her bags in Philly.
El Paso: I had the bright idea that we needed to eat some authentic mexican food close to Mexico. Me never living it down. I got shit for it even last night at the Standard. Ryan and I checking El Paso off as the first place we wont revisit with SG.
Denton: The first scare with decency laws. Too many police officers or enough to scare anyways. Phone calls to Christian and SG headquarters. The decision made to go on with the show. Rain pouring down. The first of many emo opening acts. What are they so fuckin emotional about anyways? They get to open for Suicide Girls! Meeting Shera. Noone arrested.
Austin: Selling out the big room at Emos. Bloom rocking the shit out of the crowd. The first in a long line of Holiday Inns. I kinda like Holiday Inns. I would later be impressed with their consistency. Although it takes too damn long to check in 5 rooms at Holiday Inns. Screw those individual reservations and billing! How about a fucking calculator so I can pay one total?
New Orleans: The Bienville House. Walking block after block searching for a jazz session for Brendan to sit in on. Finding out where to go. Riding in a cab to some off the path jazz joint. Brendan sitting in. Gabe sitting in. Me feeling glad I had a real New Orleans experience with friends instead of hanging out in some cheeseball French Quarter bar with hurricane drinks. The next night: House of Blues! Great meal before the show. Hoping we might make the sellout wall. Coming damn close. After the show, hanging at a bar across the street from the hotel. Tegan on the bull. Chris Miller on the bull. Me and Shera on the bull. Tegan on the bull. Tegan on the bull again. And again. And again and again Chris almost missing his flight. Ryan mad at me the next day. The most miserable hangover of my life.
Tallahassee: listening to the girls do a radio interview. Chinese food at the Beta Bar. The show ending and then re-starting with some new Suicide Girls! Wait a second those arent Suicide Girls. And these girls are really naked. Lights on. Show over.
Orlando: home for a couple days realizing I didnt really miss home the girls complaining about their roach motel. Feeling guilty about it. Ryan suggesting we put them up at the Westin. Doing it and feeling good about it. Problems with eyes and contacts. Not enjoying Orlando show because of it. Going home immediately following performance. Finding out the next day Shera decided to unleash her dirty ass in my office. Me being less than pleased about it.
Miami: strange fuckin club
Jacksonville: the band I manage: Whole Wheat Bread opens the audience wanting an encore!
Atlanta: Echo Lounge. Vegetarian meatball sub. Julius Airwave in a weird after-show slot. Mike, John and a Canadian drinking Stoli pretty late
Athens: the legendary 40 Watt. Rump Posse athletic rock. Ryan letting loose, just a little bit but enough to know hes human and not a government employee. Kicking Rump Posse out of the green room but still thinking about their rendition of the Top Gun theme even now.
West Columbia: an extremely helpful sound guy with a mullet-weave? Buffalo chicken sandwiches. Gabe eating a bunch of them earning his name: Scraps. Later that night: Mike throwing water at me and someone else. Still wondering what provoked that?
Wilmington: doing laundry downstairs, trying to tell some drunk girl who weasled her way backstage that the girls would not be joining her in the limo to go to some party where all the people from Dawsons Creek were at. Ryan doing a much better job putting an end to this than me.
Washington DC: amazing hotel thanks Sarah. Sightseeing with Mike Marshall. Selling out the Black Cat.
Baltimore: feeling at home at the Otto Bar, even with the asshole security guy on staff. Slayer blasting before the show. Getting Otto Bar shirts. Later losing mine.
Philadelphia: Selling out the Trocadero (1200 people). Realizing that Shera isnt the loudest person in the world realizing that everyone in Philadelphia is like that. Sushi next door. Devin doing a great job with the microphone. Photos for Pollstar.
New York City: rain, meetings and 2 shows at the Knitting Factory. The infamous soccer match in the hotel room next to mine. The return of Stormy. Somehow eating at the same shitty deli for every meal while in NY. Still pissed I didnt get Katzs.
Providence: Drunk douchebag and other drunk douchebags. Ryan and I checking Providence off as the 2nd place we wont go back.
Boston: Selling out the downstairs room at the Middle East. 2 people getting thrown out for fucking during the girls set. The great clam chowder eating challenge begins. Devin: 2. Me: 1.
Northhampton: finally homesick.
Buffalo: Freezing! Buffalo Bill. God I hope I can retrieve those pictures from that dead laptop. Keep your fingers crossed! Tegan bitching about going to Niagra Falls saying its a waste of time. Me hating Canadians when theyre right.
Cleveland: a homecooked meal in the basement of the venue. The venue strangely reminiscient of the Buddy Holly movie.
Detroit: holding the spotlight on the asshole heckling bloom. Having security throw the dickhead out after making him watch the remainder of the set. Cool, historic place bowling alley in the venue complex. The idea of moving to California firmly takes root in my head.
Columbus: Bloom playing a great set. Shera and Violets infamous makeout with the fans. Security problems. Almost a fight or two. Drama. Jager. More jager.
Newport: a couple days in the same place Johnny Cash box set. Trying to convince a Canadian that Johnny Cash is cool. Snow backing me up but you cant reason with an unreasonable Canadian. Scare with the Christian Coalition for Conservative Values is a wash. Boring.
Champaign: Scraps joins the Beefeaters Club.
Chicago: The Metro. Decency problem regarding some panties that kind of crawled up Snows ass. Dealing with the drama afterwords. Great hotel.
Milwaukee: The snowy neighborhood where the venue was located seemed like it was a scene from Beautiful Girls. Eating a meal at a neighborhood joint and having a real tour experience. The venue was tiny. Some of the girls dancing on the bar after the show. The pool scene at the hotel is sure to make the DVD so buy it when it comes out.
Minneapolis: First Avenue. Selling out the club from Purple Rain. How cool is that? Bloom sounded amazing.
Iowa City: what the fuck?
Denver: fire marshall idiot asshole with eyeliner not minding his own business Devin and Gabe doing the louge down the stairs.
Seattle: Flour bomb. Trying to go to Space Needle. Never making it because of some guys suicide attempt. They eventually got him down. The girls countering the flour bomb with no less than 100 live crickets, gay porn, cheez wiz and sardines. The most creative act of the entire tour.
Portland: Hometown for some of the girls. The symbolic swan song even though we had a couple shows to go. Mt. Hood. Indian food. Road dementia. Our psychological counter-strike didnt really work.
Eugene: Strange all ages community center. Drinks at the Indigo afterwords with Thursday and Abra. The final meal buyout.
Vegas: House of Blues. Mandalay Bay. Not knowing how to say goodbye. Deciding not to.
San Francisco: I will never forget the feeling of walking in that beautiful concert hall knowing that something I was involved with sold-out a venue (in advance) with such history. The show was rough around the edges but it happened. People seemed allright with it. We learned we wouldnt have bloom playing as an intermission between costume changes. The first time I saw Snow do a jager shot. The first time I met Mike, Stormy, Tegan, Violet and Brandy.
San Jose: really cool little rock joint. The girls were excited that they got every bit of the rider. A knock on my door at the hotel that night 2 girls in towels we need someone to take pictures of us. Me trying to be a responsible tour manager the bloom guys are next door. Me regretting it still.
Los Angeles: Very hectic in the early part of the evening everyone was very nervous as the LA show was important. We didnt know if wed be going home the next day or not but the girls pulled it off. The good news came that the show would go on. The first time the girls would wash the chocolate off in a kitchen sink. Davey from AFI backstage.
San Diego: Drama the sound guy and bloom. The sound guys girlfriend and Stormy. The sound guy actually doing good sound for bloom. The sound guy having problems with the CD during the girls show. Stormy telling me right before walking on stage this is going to be raunchy as shit. Stormy spitting beer on the crowd. Stormy filling the audiences mouths with whipped cream, sucking it out and spitting it back on the crowd. Airplanes taking off over our hotel all night long. Burning my plane ticket home to stay on the duration of the tour.
Phoenix: college bar with a police line down the middle separating the 21+ and under 21 crowds. The first time I see Tegan eating McDonalds. Drive after the show to Tucson.
Tucson: 3 days in the same place. Great hotel Hotel Congress. Club Congress on the ground floor. Tegan picks up the love of her life. Ryan, Mike and I hanging out at the promoters house after show. Cool guy, cool people. Given a vintage Mr. T poster as a gift. The next day brought tears to some. Personel change. Goodbye to the Sid Vicous of Suicide Girls. The Dirty Ass packing her bags in Philly.
El Paso: I had the bright idea that we needed to eat some authentic mexican food close to Mexico. Me never living it down. I got shit for it even last night at the Standard. Ryan and I checking El Paso off as the first place we wont revisit with SG.
Denton: The first scare with decency laws. Too many police officers or enough to scare anyways. Phone calls to Christian and SG headquarters. The decision made to go on with the show. Rain pouring down. The first of many emo opening acts. What are they so fuckin emotional about anyways? They get to open for Suicide Girls! Meeting Shera. Noone arrested.
Austin: Selling out the big room at Emos. Bloom rocking the shit out of the crowd. The first in a long line of Holiday Inns. I kinda like Holiday Inns. I would later be impressed with their consistency. Although it takes too damn long to check in 5 rooms at Holiday Inns. Screw those individual reservations and billing! How about a fucking calculator so I can pay one total?
New Orleans: The Bienville House. Walking block after block searching for a jazz session for Brendan to sit in on. Finding out where to go. Riding in a cab to some off the path jazz joint. Brendan sitting in. Gabe sitting in. Me feeling glad I had a real New Orleans experience with friends instead of hanging out in some cheeseball French Quarter bar with hurricane drinks. The next night: House of Blues! Great meal before the show. Hoping we might make the sellout wall. Coming damn close. After the show, hanging at a bar across the street from the hotel. Tegan on the bull. Chris Miller on the bull. Me and Shera on the bull. Tegan on the bull. Tegan on the bull again. And again. And again and again Chris almost missing his flight. Ryan mad at me the next day. The most miserable hangover of my life.
Tallahassee: listening to the girls do a radio interview. Chinese food at the Beta Bar. The show ending and then re-starting with some new Suicide Girls! Wait a second those arent Suicide Girls. And these girls are really naked. Lights on. Show over.
Orlando: home for a couple days realizing I didnt really miss home the girls complaining about their roach motel. Feeling guilty about it. Ryan suggesting we put them up at the Westin. Doing it and feeling good about it. Problems with eyes and contacts. Not enjoying Orlando show because of it. Going home immediately following performance. Finding out the next day Shera decided to unleash her dirty ass in my office. Me being less than pleased about it.
Miami: strange fuckin club
Jacksonville: the band I manage: Whole Wheat Bread opens the audience wanting an encore!
Atlanta: Echo Lounge. Vegetarian meatball sub. Julius Airwave in a weird after-show slot. Mike, John and a Canadian drinking Stoli pretty late
Athens: the legendary 40 Watt. Rump Posse athletic rock. Ryan letting loose, just a little bit but enough to know hes human and not a government employee. Kicking Rump Posse out of the green room but still thinking about their rendition of the Top Gun theme even now.
West Columbia: an extremely helpful sound guy with a mullet-weave? Buffalo chicken sandwiches. Gabe eating a bunch of them earning his name: Scraps. Later that night: Mike throwing water at me and someone else. Still wondering what provoked that?
Wilmington: doing laundry downstairs, trying to tell some drunk girl who weasled her way backstage that the girls would not be joining her in the limo to go to some party where all the people from Dawsons Creek were at. Ryan doing a much better job putting an end to this than me.
Washington DC: amazing hotel thanks Sarah. Sightseeing with Mike Marshall. Selling out the Black Cat.
Baltimore: feeling at home at the Otto Bar, even with the asshole security guy on staff. Slayer blasting before the show. Getting Otto Bar shirts. Later losing mine.
Philadelphia: Selling out the Trocadero (1200 people). Realizing that Shera isnt the loudest person in the world realizing that everyone in Philadelphia is like that. Sushi next door. Devin doing a great job with the microphone. Photos for Pollstar.
New York City: rain, meetings and 2 shows at the Knitting Factory. The infamous soccer match in the hotel room next to mine. The return of Stormy. Somehow eating at the same shitty deli for every meal while in NY. Still pissed I didnt get Katzs.
Providence: Drunk douchebag and other drunk douchebags. Ryan and I checking Providence off as the 2nd place we wont go back.
Boston: Selling out the downstairs room at the Middle East. 2 people getting thrown out for fucking during the girls set. The great clam chowder eating challenge begins. Devin: 2. Me: 1.
Northhampton: finally homesick.
Buffalo: Freezing! Buffalo Bill. God I hope I can retrieve those pictures from that dead laptop. Keep your fingers crossed! Tegan bitching about going to Niagra Falls saying its a waste of time. Me hating Canadians when theyre right.
Cleveland: a homecooked meal in the basement of the venue. The venue strangely reminiscient of the Buddy Holly movie.
Detroit: holding the spotlight on the asshole heckling bloom. Having security throw the dickhead out after making him watch the remainder of the set. Cool, historic place bowling alley in the venue complex. The idea of moving to California firmly takes root in my head.
Columbus: Bloom playing a great set. Shera and Violets infamous makeout with the fans. Security problems. Almost a fight or two. Drama. Jager. More jager.
Newport: a couple days in the same place Johnny Cash box set. Trying to convince a Canadian that Johnny Cash is cool. Snow backing me up but you cant reason with an unreasonable Canadian. Scare with the Christian Coalition for Conservative Values is a wash. Boring.
Champaign: Scraps joins the Beefeaters Club.
Chicago: The Metro. Decency problem regarding some panties that kind of crawled up Snows ass. Dealing with the drama afterwords. Great hotel.
Milwaukee: The snowy neighborhood where the venue was located seemed like it was a scene from Beautiful Girls. Eating a meal at a neighborhood joint and having a real tour experience. The venue was tiny. Some of the girls dancing on the bar after the show. The pool scene at the hotel is sure to make the DVD so buy it when it comes out.
Minneapolis: First Avenue. Selling out the club from Purple Rain. How cool is that? Bloom sounded amazing.
Iowa City: what the fuck?
Denver: fire marshall idiot asshole with eyeliner not minding his own business Devin and Gabe doing the louge down the stairs.
Seattle: Flour bomb. Trying to go to Space Needle. Never making it because of some guys suicide attempt. They eventually got him down. The girls countering the flour bomb with no less than 100 live crickets, gay porn, cheez wiz and sardines. The most creative act of the entire tour.
Portland: Hometown for some of the girls. The symbolic swan song even though we had a couple shows to go. Mt. Hood. Indian food. Road dementia. Our psychological counter-strike didnt really work.
Eugene: Strange all ages community center. Drinks at the Indigo afterwords with Thursday and Abra. The final meal buyout.
Vegas: House of Blues. Mandalay Bay. Not knowing how to say goodbye. Deciding not to.
VIEW 8 of 8 COMMENTS
i want to do it all again with all the same people. over and over. with a 2 week break in between. agh for fuck sakes.