Thursday July 21 2022

 

Waking up bright and early at 7:15 a.m.

 

Linking up at the warehouse with the whole ELO crew. Piling into the vans and packing the trailer.

 

Sharing fruit.

 

In the back napping as much as I can until noon.

 

Breakfast Bar. Tea.

 

We all planned a halftime stop at Phil’s house in the back woods of Jersey. He’s got a real nice homestead with a pool, studio in the basement, and energetic dogs running around. Sharing pizza, snacks, and drinks. It’s a good opportunity for camaraderie in the band. I find an out of tune 12 string guitar missing a string and figure out how to play some blues on it – teaching Dante to play Smoke on the Water.

 

 

Making our way further up north via the New Jersey Turnpike. Mike takes the wheel with Rebecca in shotgun. I attempt to nap through the chatter but stay connected with the tough witted humor of Mike and Rebecca’s Siri impersonations.

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We keep coming up with new terminology like “squirreling” and “zipping”. Joking about writing a book called Etiquette and Rhetoric: The Art of Band Driving written by McDriver and Raspberry Lady.

 

 

Finally arriving at the Double Tree hotel in Rockland, New Hampshire. The sign lights weren’t on making it hard to see. And of course the place is under renovation – we always seem to stay at hotels under construction. After getting settled in, I actually make myself use the fitness room just to get the blood flowing in my legs. Carlos appears and starts pumping iron.

 

Sleep at a decent hour.