A bit of roadie insight. Minneapolis to Oregon (43 hours on a bus)

With all of the benefits and enjoyments of touring, there are some things that are missed.

I miss the company of my Mrs. That is to be expected and cannot be avoided; the solution to the problem lies in the proper balance of work, play and alcohol consumption. I haven’t found the perfect ratio or combination yet, but things are looking up.

There are simpler things that are a rare pleasure on the road, like being naked. Bathing becomes an inconvenience when one is faced with a roommate or a shared day-room. Bathing at home has the luxury of disrobing wherever and whenever in the house, leaving the door open, standing naked and air-drying, and not having to worry about anyone passing judgment on your less-than-perfect body. Bathing while touring, on the other hand, requires a complete readjustment of one’s bathing ritual. Fresh clothes must be taken into the small hotel bathroom with you. This creates a problem if the room becomes too hot and steamy. Hot and steamy rooms lead to damp clothes and an eventual feeling of discomfort in the new garb. Air drying is nearly impossible due to the humid conditions and the towels ALWAYS suck. Lengthy showers are impossible in a shared room.

I have devised a solution to the problem. Befriend the driver. Drivers always have their own room and are willing to share their shower with a friendly and courteous roadie. Shower while they are washing the bus, fueling the bus, cleaning the bus, washing their laundry, shopping, or eating. This gives a good 45 minutes to an hour of quality naked time. The rules are simple. Don’t stink up the room. Don’t use all of the towels. Don’t leave hairs and funk in the tub. Conveniently, those are the rules in any house with a wife or a roommate. I can handle it.

Traveling…

Miles and miles and miles of nothing to see is the best way I can describe the drive from Minneapolis to Montana. I have respect for our farming community, but how does anyone live here? Where are the buildings? Where are the communities? Where are the people? I think the cows are in charge and the few humans that live here have been employed by the cows as servants. I have the feeling that an overnight run across Montana will yield the same observations.

Minneapolis…

The bridge, which I’m sure everyone knows about by now, was scary. The fans that were affected had to leave understandably, but the ones that stayed had were in for a rare ad-lib treat as the show got rearranged. Two days of great gigs, and the First Avenue crew rocks.

I suppose it's time to get back to whatever it is I was doing to occupy my time between gigs.