Thursday May 18 2023

Waking up at 8:30 a.m. in the Red Lion hotel. Another place with no elevators haha. But we deal with it.

 

Bob and Turbo Phil drive us into Bakersfield, California. It’s super, super hot inside the bus and we can’t seem to get the temperature under control. We all suffer until a Pilot truck stop saves us. I buy a huge box of strawberries from a Mexican guy selling out of his truck. This makes my day.

 

Later on, at the venue. We set up the stage. Only two stage hands today but we manage. This place has his charm and we love the neon lit marquee. But little did we know the bad things to come.

 

Grabbing some cold brew coffee up the block from Dagny’s.

 

 

Sound check goes almost smoothly until Phil, the sound guy, makes a comment about how difficult of a time he’s having equalizing Leon’s new snare drum. Leon isn’t having it whatsoever and of course can’t let it go. The two of them share some words and go alpha male at each other. Kevin intervenes and doesn’t approve the way Phil creates these little fits in the band. Then, they have at it outside. It’s crazy listening to them go back and forth. A few of us just observe. Everything Phil is saying to Kevin is not wrong. But there’s no reason to get heated in the way that he did. The two of them haven’t ever gotten along.

...

This whole thing ends with Phil collecting money from Nigel, hopping on an Uber, and taking a plane home. So now, Edwin has to take his place last minute. Everyone is feeling somewhat relief but also shock. A second sound check is in order so Edwin can mix for himself.

 

I grab some dinner up the street.

 

We all gather outside the neon lit marquee at the Fox Theatre. We did this last year and it’s tradition to get a group photo.

 

 

Show time! First set goes okay. But then second set Kevin starts to get frustrated with his ear mix and incessantly fiddles with his microphone stand. He’s not singing confidently and half the time just cutting out completely. My voice is out for the count so I can’t exactly help back him up or anything.

 

 

Then, packing up and loading out. I take the lead on getting things in order and loading the trailer correctly. Tensions are still high but we crack a few jokes on the way out and get out of there.

 

Nigel got us to stop by a Denny’s. While people are getting off Bob suddenly starts driving the bus while the back door is open. Luckily, only a milk crate gets crushed and no one gets hurt. But it’s such a stressful moment cause I can’t yell and he had no idea.

...

Then, in the process of Rebecca and I trying to clean up a leak from the A/C unit she hits her head on the back door – this really upsets her and makes her nauseous. Meanwhile, a group of our people are inside ordering.

 

We really need to stay clear of Bakersfield. Every time we play here bad things happen.