Paid Dues New York

The first day was beautiful, warm and a horrible gig from my end. MY performance was lacking, or so I felt, and there isn't much I want to comment on.

Day 2, however was excellent. The weather sucked, but the crowd, artists, and crew didn't care. This show went flawlessly and I feel much better about it.

New York fascinates me. The local crew was friendly and helpful and the event staff had great attitudes, all things considered. There are just some oddities that I don't enjoy.

For example... It's illegal to run the bus generators, but perfectly legal to rent a large, high output generator to power the buses and several more for the stages, portable security lighting, vendor power and whatever else one can imagine.

Also, everyone that works there, that isn't touring, is a union member. I can pack my own cases, but I can't load them onto the bus, that's a teamster job. I tried carrying my own case only to be chased down by a teamster and told that I had to put it back on the stage and a teamster had to carry it back to the bus. I believe the words out of my mouth were "but this is my suitcase", a little white lie, because the words in my mind were "hey pal, FUCK YOU".

E-Rock has learned self control.

Let me show you around Randall's Island

my desk

the main stage

the second stage

the 2nd stage crowd

the Main Stage crowd

self portrait

...and now for a sociological study of the differences between roadies and musicians.


roadies will use anything at their disposal to hide from the elements.

They will protect the gear and keep the show going.

Musicians seem to have more free time and a carefree attitude, thus the trashbag shirt the smile and the happy rain dance.

Let's meet some more rappers

Aesop

Felt

MURS

Grouch and Eligh

Lucky I Am

Hangar 18

...and that was New York. Next stop - Minneapolis, MN. Headlining for once and not on a festival... smooth sailing.........

Travel Day Ponderings

I took some time to wander the neighborhood around the hotel after the show last night. Grant Park, Lake Michigan, Soldier Field… all beautiful things to see, but the bums are what my memory reverts to.

Picture this.

You’re walking around this well groomed tourist area when you happen across a disheveled old bum wearing a filthy t-shirt, torn sweat pants and mismatched shoes. Upon closer inspection you notice his hand down the front of his sweats in the familiar pumping motion that cannot be mistaken for anything else. Then you hear his song. “I’m gonna whack it and I don’t care who sees.” “I’m gonna scratch these balls ‘till I’m done.” bellowed like a drunken frat boy.

Or this…

A kinder, gentler, cleaner urban outdoorsman sitting outside of the door to the hotel with a cardboard and marker sign describing his obvious situation and asking God to bless me in exchange for spare change or cigarettes.

Both are accurate and true descriptions of people I observed while wandering the streets of Chicago.

What puts these guys in this situation? I’m sure that both of my examples had dreams and aspirations before whatever calamity struck them and rendered them into broken spirited humans, but what is the breaking point? When is pain and suffering so great that a person can finally cave in and accept their current situation as their lot in life and give up?

I usually don’t have much of a heart when I see those types of things, but I caught myself complaining that our buses don’t have internet access and I had a moment of clarity. Some people don’t have private spot in which to pleasure themselves. Some people have to beg for change to feed themselves and I’m bitching that my tour bus, while comfy with satellite TV and DVD players in every bunk, running water, flushing toilets, and electricity, doesn’t have internet access. I’m a dick. That is not to say I’m going to campaign for the homeless, give out any more freebies, or provide a private whack off shelter for the urban outdoorsmen to use, but I am a little more grateful that I have evidently made the right choices in life. I get to do what I love, eat what I want, and whack off in private. Perhaps that’s the definition of success.

But I still don’t have any fucking internet access on this bus.

***The travel day itinerary***

Bus call 7:00 a.m.

Roll out 8:00 a.m.

Arrive in Pittsburgh sometime this afternoon for a day stop.
Bus call 2:00 a.m.

Finish the ride to New York sometime tomorrow afternoon

Paid Dues Tour Blog Day 2

Chicago, IL.

Load in 10:00 a.m.
Doors 12:00 p.m.
Show 1:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Leave Venue - 10:30 p.m.








What a day! The Abbey, a small 600 capacity venue in Chicago was the perfect setting for a warm up gig. The artists and crew had an opportunity to get used to the pace of the show and work out any kinks they might have had. (remember the lessons learned in grade school, it is EXTREMELY important to work and play well with others) To top it off, the gig was sold out which makes for a better show. Good times!

There were some issues...

The rider calls for 8 wireless mics. We had a grand total of ZERO. Doing what I do involves a lot of thinking on the fly, doing what needs to be done and solving problems. The solution to the lack of wireless is simple. Wired mics. The problem with wired mics on a small stage is tangling and tracking. It's a pain in the ass to keep track of the stage traffic from the FOH mix position anyway, but add a rat nest of twisted cable and the task becomes impossible.

On the good side of things.

Gary Rogers, the local / venue engineer, was a tremendous help and easy to work with. Yep, his name is Rogers. He must come from good stock. I hope all of our local guys are like him and hope to work with him again.

Here are a couple of shots of Sage Francis, one of he rappers traveling and performing with us.








A less fortunate note, my new muso friend DJ KillaJewel has decided to not finish the tour with us. She will be at Scribble Jam in Cincinnati later in August.



Ok ok ok... I know I'm a shitty photographer (I also have a shitty camera), but there's hope. There are 36 people on the tour and most of them have cameras. Hopefully I'll be able to grab some better shots from them. That's enough for today. It's nappy time. Tomorrow morning is the beginning of the long bus ride to New York.

Paid Dues Tour Blog Day 1

Greetings from Chicago,IL... home to my beloved Cubs and the first stop on the tour. The first gig isn't until tomorrow but we arrived a day early for the standard handshaking, meeting and greeting that is necessary when meeting your living/working companions for the next month. So far everyone is great. Artists, crew, management... everyone seems friendly, and professional. If the tour ends on as good of a note as it began this will be a great run.

...and now for some commentary...

Hopefully most of you have been reading my blog for a while and read my rant regarding airport security last year. If not I'll catch you up in brief. Airport security and I don't get along. Evidently my pale white skin, roadie like attire, and lack of anything resembling a terrorist triggers random searches. I'm just the white guy the government needs to single out to satisfy the quota that prevents the appearance of racial profiling.

Now then...

Today, I breezed through security without issue. My cellphone, bluetooth, two digital cameras, laptop, and carry on bag all were scanned without scrutiny. My body went through the detector without beeping. I didn't have to go through the air puffer machine. I wasn't touched by an agent. Maybe my luck is changing. Let's hope, I have a flight home to contend with.

Pictures should be coming soon.

Oh shit... E-Rock is at it again...

Work, work, work.  The negotiating process is over; the contracts have been signed.  I am going out with the Paid Dues Tour from July 24th - August 13th.  You would think that an important, responsible young man like myself would have my shit together, but I can't even find my Driver's License.

The one piece of equipment, my Driver's License, that is totally taken for granted and never considered or thought about is now foremost on my mind.  I can't get my "e-tickets" for my flights without it.  I'll probably run into hassle every time I go somewhere to buy smoky treats.  I have to go to the BMV today.

I hate the BMV.  The lines... the screaming bastard kids... the idiots behind the counter... this is not how I wanted to spend a lazy Saturday.  I wanted to cut my grass, maybe work on the baby room for a bit, perhaps enjoy some quality time with my PS2... ...not now.  I am now on a quest.  Before I get my new license, I have to find my Birth Certificate.

Last night I looked at the Ohio BMV website to find the rules and regulations for replacing a lost license.  One must present 2 forms of identification the first of which can be a Driver's License.  Ohio BMV FAQ page aah the irony of a bureaucracy at it's finest.  Good work boys!

Anyway, I am leaving for 3 weeks; expect many photos, blog entries, and stories from my travels.

Here are Dates and Cities where I'll be.

7/26/07 - Chicago, IL - Congress Theater
7/28/07 - New York, NY - Randall's Island Park
7/29/07 - New York, NY - Randall's Island Park
7/31/07 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
8/01/07 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
8/04/07 - Eugene, OR - Secret Vineyard
8/05/07 - San Francisco, CA - The Concourse @ SF Design Center
8/07/07 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater
8/09/07 - Santa Fe, NM - Paolo Soleri Outdoor Amphitheater
8/10/07 - Mesa, AZ- Mesa Amphitheater
8/11/07 - San Bernardino, CA - Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen
8/12/07 - Chula Vista, CA - Chula Vista Amphitheater

Here's the lineup.




        


'       


        

... Joining us on several dates is the Rock the Bells Tour


Rage Against The Machine
Wu-Tang Clan
Cyprus Hill
The Roots
Nas
Erykah Badu
Rakim
Mos Def
Pharoahe Monch
EPMD
UGK
David Banner
MF DOOM
M.O.P.
Heiroglyphics
Immortal Technique
Boot Camp Clik
Blackalicious
The Coup
Jedi Mind Tricks
Public Enemy

If you're anywhere near where I will be, get in touch with me.  I'll facilitate a visit and make sure you're entertained

Eulogy For a Friend

Today was a sad day. I knew this day was coming for a long time, but that didn't help as much as I had wanted it to. This is Hector.

Today was the last day of his wonderful life. A few months ago he started limping on his right front leg. We took him to the vet and the doc told us that he had a form of bone cancer that spreads extremely fast and will eventually attack his lungs. The word "terminal" is unassuming to read, but to hear about a dear friend or adored pet is devastating. The vet presented us with all of the options: surgery that will increase pain but prolong life, euthanasia, or pain management allowing a natural progression and eventual demise. We chose to act as Hector's own personal Hospice.

For the last 2 months Hector didn't move. He occasionally would roll around. He could sit up to eat or drink, but that was the extent of his movement. He couldn't get up to go outside to relieve himself, so he just would go where he was so we changed bedding twice a day and washed the nastiness off of him every day. We rolled him over and massaged him to prevent sores, hand fed him (which was more treats than food), gave him pain medication, and comforted him when he was frightened in the middle of the night.

The last three days he took a horrible turn. He was in horrible pain regardless of the medication, he refused to eat or drink, his eyes had a look of sorrow and fear that I have never seen in a human or animal, and his whimpered moans were getting more and more desperate. A decision had to be made.

*** editorial ***

The decision to euthanize a pet is something that I have never taken lightly. It is basically a decision to take this creature with a distinct personality and loving soul who loves and trusts you with its well being and care, and carry them off and have them killed. It isn't an easy decision. I have done this before and actually held my cat, Mystie, while the shot was delivered.

Feeling the life drain out of someone is a humbling and horrible experience, if you can avoid it, do. However if you can make the decision to end the life of a pet then you should have to stay with them while it happens.

*** End Editorial ***

Anyway, the decision was made and Mrs. E-Rock called the vet to make an appointment. The appointment was made for 5:20 this evening. I was the last to leave the house this morning, so I spent 20 minutes with Hector comforting him. He wouldn't eat. I offered him lunch meat, peanut butter and ice cream (dogs love these items, but it's terrible for their health, don't feed this crap to your dogs) just to see if he would eat. He wouldn't. That helped reassure me that the right decision had been made, so I gently stroked his fur, told him that I loved him and left for a few hours of work.

I left my shop somewhere around 2:30 p.m. so I could have an hour or so to hang with Hector before I took him to the vet to take the $60.00 nap. When I arrived home near 2:45 p.m., I went back to the bedroom where Hector had set up camp to find he had passed while we were away.

This is where fact fades away to speculation and spirituality.

Did Hector wait until he was alone to die? Did he wait until he knew and felt we were ready to accept it? Does he think we did an acceptable job of hospice care? Did he knw we did all we could do? Did my other dog, Isaac, (see my top friends list) help ease his fear and uncertainty while this was happening?

I don't know. I'll never know.

Hector is greatly loved and missed. He wasn't with us very long, but he taught me lessons about caring for something that is completely helpless that will carry on to my child which will need that help in a few short months.

Bye, Hector. You are missed.

Someone Please Bring Me the Head of Michael Moore

GODDAMNIT I've had it up to here *hand horizontal above my head* with all of this anti-capitalist rhetoric and hype about the health care system in the United States.

Just today I received a myspace bulletin from an friend in New York. She was telling everyone her sob story. She works on Wall Street. She answers the phone, takes memos, makes appointments and does other various administrative things for millionaires. She's worked there a whopping 6 months and isn't a salaried employee therefore she does not qualify for the company "BENEFITS" package. To make matters worse, she is well above the poverty level so she does not qualify for the government freebie insurance package. So she does what any good anti-capitalist, entitlement minded American would do... she posts her story along with a bootlegged FULL LENGTH copy of SiCKO to all of her myspace friends.

That's it. That's the ticket. Make the wrong financial decisions in your life and gather enough support from your peers to convince the already too large and intrusive government to come further into our private lives and provide us whatever the government's idea of adequate health care is. Riiiiiight.....

The contingent of typical American douchebags fail to understand the concepts of freedom, capitalism and personal responsibility. Where does it stop? What comes after health care? Government mandated and controlled child care? Elder Care? Government involvement in our selection of undergarments? Government regulated toenail clipping?

You. Every goddamn American out there. Take some fucking responsibility in your life. Don't have a job? get one. Can't afford your things? Get a second job. Can't get a second job? Get rid of your excess baggage and live at or below your means. Don't rely on your employer for health insurance. If it is OFFERED it is a BENEFIT and definitely not required of your employer to provide you with it. Seek private insurance. It isn't expensive, but it might require you to reduce your Directtv package to the basic and perhaps get less cell phone minutes and spend less money on the lottery to facilitate your new payment which is actually an investment in your health and future.

July 4

Most Americans have the day off today. Isn't it nice that the government set a day aside in the middle of summer for the American people to go to a ball game, drink heavily, have a cookout, play with the kids and top the day off with a pyrotechnic display in the municipal park? That's what today is, isn't it?

What's that you say? It's "Independence Day"? What the hell is that? What do Americans know about "Independence"? This year, 2007, the U.S. Government will spend over a Trillion dollars on Social Insurance and Human Services Programs. (for those of you that are a little slow in the math department a TRILLION is a THOUSAND BILLION or 1,000,000,000,000 ) That sounds like DEpendence to me.

Americans are so busy sucking on the governmental teat that they have forgotten about the responsibility of freedom. You can't demand that the government provide for your every need on the one hand and pat yourself on the back for being a freedom-loving American with the other.

Before you go out waving your little flag take a minute to go over this quiz.

How should I plan for my retirement?

1. I'm perfectly willing to save some money toward my retirement years out of each and every paycheck and I want my employer and the government to butt out. If I fail to finance my retirement years adequately I'll have nobody to blame but myself.

2. I want my employer to provide me with a pension plan.

3. I want the government to take something out of every one of my paychecks and then pay it back to me in monthly payments after I reach retirement age.

How should I react to someone burning or otherwise desecrating the American Flag?

1. I believe the Bill of Rights was written by men to tell government what it can and cannot do. Even though I strongly disapprove of anyone desecrating our Flag, I realize the First Amendment was written to protect unpopular expressions, not ones that everyone is going to agree with.

2. I believe that our Flag is the symbol of our country, and anyone who desecrates it ought to be punished harshly. To that end I approve of a new Constitutional amendment, the first one since prohibition that would tell us what we can and cannot do, instead of the government.

How should I search for and receive Medical Care?

1. I should be responsible for providing my own health care and health insurance in a competitive medical marketplace unhindered by government mandates and regulations.

2. My employer should provide me with a health insurance plan covering me and my immediate family.

3. The government should provide taxpayer funded health care for everyone.

How should I search for and receive Health Insurance?

1. I wish to be free to negotiate with health insurance companies in order to find the best price for my policy by including matters I wish to insure against, and excluding health matters, like drug and alcohol abuse, which are of no concern to me.

2. The government should tell health insurance companies what they must and what they cannot cover in their policies.

What happens if I have no Health Insurance?

1. If I have no health insurance and the taxpayers are compelled to pay for any of my health care the taxpayers should be reimbursed through the seizure and sale of all of my assets. I have no claim on the property of others for the purpose of paying for my medical needs.

2. If I have no health insurance the government should provide me emergency health care paid for by the taxpayers.

How should the terms of Wages and Employment be negotiated?

1. I realize that in the free enterprise marketplace I have something to sell just as to all other individuals and businesses do. My product is my physical and intellectual labor. I should be left absolutely free to negotiate a price for my physical and intellectual labor with any prospective employer free of government interference. The only role for the government in my relationship with my employer would be to provide a means to enforce contracts between us.

2. I want the government to set a minimum wage below which I would not be free to work. I also want the government to set my working hours, how I am to be paid for overtime, family leave options and my vacation periods.

Recognizing that the most important task one has as a human being will be to nurture and raise a child. With that in mind:

1. I want the government to back out of the picture and allow me to accept the responsibility for the education of my child free of government interference and mandates.

2. I want the government to seize my money through taxes and to use those taxes to set up a system of government schools to which I shall be compelled to send my child. I will be free, if I wish, to send my child to a private school, but the government will not let me have any of my money back to pay for it.

You're going to have a child. You understand that having a child will be physically, emotionally and financially challenging.

1. You know that you had the child, not the taxpayers and not your employer, and you are willing to bear the responsibility for raising that child without the government imposing any cost, burden or duty on anyone else on your behalf.

2. You want the government to used money seized from taxpayers to pay for child care for your child.

3. You want the government to force your employer to give you 12 weeks off from the job in order to care for your new child, and you want your job to be waiting for you when you return.

My religious feelings include strongly felt opinions on what other people should and should not do in their private lives. Therefore…

1. While I may be disgusted by what some people do to and with each other in the privacy of their own homes, but I do not wish for the government to prevent those perverts from doing whatever perverted things they like to do to each other.

2. I want the government to regulate the sexual conduct between consenting adults so that said conduct will be in keeping with my personal sense of what is right and what is wrong.

Even though I drink alcohol and smoke nicotine:

1. I do not believe that the government should be involved in what people do, and that includes what people smoke, in privacy of their own homes. I just don't want to have to pay for it when they screw themselves up good.

2. I want the government to make sure that nobody uses any substance that I find personally offensive. Marijuana, for instance.

How should unsafe or otherwise ill-advised decisions such as riding a motorcycle without a helmet be addressed?

1. You're willing to take full responsibility for your decision, including the possibility that you might die if you crack your head open and you don't have enough money to pay for the medical care you'll need and there's no private charity willing to step up and cover your costs because they consider your injuries to be essentially self-inflicted.

2. You want to be free to ride without a helmet, but if you do happen to sustain a horrible injury you want the government to force the taxpayers to be responsible for your health care.

If you answered anything other than 1 to any of these questions, stay home today. You obviously don't get it.