8/16/18

Victoria BC was a hell of a lot of fun. We were last of three at this pretty strange club called the V Lounge that was over a strip club and part of the same building that holds a restaurant, liquor store and our hotel for the night. 

The inside looked like it was either out of an off strip Vegas casino or an ‘80s porno set. Huge stage with fake plants and TVs behind it. So bizarre and pretty damn cool!

Out set kinda killed, most everybody there was there to see us and we gave them everything. They ate up the Canadian medley and all of our standard shit and they wanted more. 

After the show I sat in the room drinking my liquor store purchased beer until I couldn’t any more. 

Seattle tomorrow. 

8/15/18

After the show in Boise we drove all night to Vancouver. This was the longest drive of the trip so we had to hit it.  

The border took a little while to get through. Had to hang in a building while the freak was searched. They went through some of the bags and Cody’s jacket (big laugh from all of us when we saw that leave the van!) My cord bag was all over the place when I opened it for the show.  Everything was in there but they don’t pack like I do. No big deal, it only took them a few minutes to realize we are just a band out on tour.  

We played in the gaslight district at a place called Pub 340. I was told its been open since the 1890’s!!  What a cool joint. Nice and dark and it felt like we were under the building in the bowels of Vancouver. 

And what a nice crowd!! We really needed it after the last couple of shows. It gets hard playing for just the other bands. It doesn’t matter how cool they are, it’s a little demoralizing.  

We did the “Oh Canada” tribute and they loved it.  I was worried it wouldn’t work but they ate it up!!  At the end when we launched in to the Rush we’d been hinting at the whole medley, a guy in front of me started nodding like crazy and started screaming “fuck yeah!!!” They love all of that up here.  

Victoria BC tomorrow!

8/14/18

We were at the Shredder in Boise last night. Pretty cool place and easily the best openers we’ve had all tour.

Mantooth was first. Pretty sweet rock and roll with one of the most animated singers I’ve seen in a while. Totally on his game and the band was right on top of him.  

Jimmy Vegas and the Phobes were next. Basically straight forward country rock with a sweet little edge.  Fuck yeah.  

I don’t know much about the Boise music scene but if theses guys are any indication of what it’s like there they got a lot of talent in that town.  

Our set was ok. Everything was a little slow maybe because we go too much rest on our day off. Maybe because three of us got hammered the night before.  Doesn’t really matter, there were six people who weren’t in the other bands they saw us play. 600% increase over SLC!!

Vancouver tonight!

8/12/18

Well... we played Salt Lake City. It was a pretty big venue called the Metro. Really nice place with a huge stage, a real PA and a green room. 

And a crowd that consisted of one paying customer, a few folks from the other bands and the three person staff.  

We played pretty good considering. It’s kinda hard to get excited when there are a dozen people in a room that holds 800.  

That’s how it goes sometimes. Boise is next. 

8/11/18

We made it all the way to Denver and to Cody’s sisters house around 9am. She fed us, then I took a long shower and slept. Started feeling human again. 

Eventually we all woke up and headed down to check out the Streets of London Pub. Across the road is the Denver location of Voodoo Doughnuts and they had a couple boxes of love waiting for us!! And, and there was a dispensary next door... Double yes!!

The crowd was a little light but spirited. It took us a bit to get up and moving but we were hitting it pretty hard by the end. 

After we went back to the family home. Got to clean up again and get another pile of good sleep. 

SLC tomorrow.  

8/10/18

There we were, in the freak driving to New Mexico. I was sleeping just fine for a while... Until I woke up covered in sweat, feeling cold and hot at the same time. Not good. I knew what was coming andI knew why and that it was gonna happen soon.  Like get the van off the road and open that goddamn door!!!! Now!

I got everything out and I missed the van entirely. After a few minutes we were able to hit a gas station so I could really clean up. And give the guys a minute...

You never know when something is going to be cooked in bacon grease. Life of a vegetarian in the road. I’m pretty sure the “special German pancake” was. And now it’s on the side of I-30.  

We made it to Santa Fe and holed up with a friend of Toms for a bit. Then we went on to The Mine Shaft for the show. It’s in a little town called Madrid. A place with no cell reception. Weird, but cool little town. 

Bunch of folks stayed for the whole set and we tore it up pretty good for them. Hell of a lot of fun. After we loaded and drove to Denver. No throwin up, just a lot of sleeping in the van. 

8/9/18

First night of the actual tour we were at Lola’s in Ft Worth. I’m really glad we made the gig, it wasn’t looking like we were gonna at a few points. I was supposed to be the last pickup on the way out of town but the freak’s alternator bit it when they were just north of SA. It added fiveish hours to the SA fellas day while Cody, Lance and I sat around bullshitting. 

We pulled up to Lola’s when Blood of the Sun was on (missed Mos Generation entirely...). Two full stacks, keys, bass drums and a singer. They were an onslaught of sound and on fire! Really powerful shit. 

We did pretty well. Didn’t drive everyone off that fast. Pretty full for the first half. It thinned out after that but the folks who stayed were the hard rocks. 

In typical touring Hickoid fashion we packed it up, hit a pancake place and got on the road to miss the heat on the drive to the next show in New Mexico.  You sleep in a van, boy!