You Stay Classy, San Diego

This is my hotel: The Cowne Plaza, San Diego.

All of these pictures were taken by me from the balcony of my room (which was accessable and I enjoyed a meal and a beer on it) or outside the front door in the atrium. Breakfast was poolside and the service was exactly what one would expect from the Crowne Plaza. Excellent digs for the last stay of this tour.

And so we venture forth to the Coors Amphitheatre for the last gig. The Coors Amphitheatre is beautiful, huge and comfortable... if you're playing the main stage. The second stage area is a concrete adirondack that looks more like a dumpster storage area in area and space than it does a stage.

The first thing I noticed was the less than ample P.A. system that we were provided followed by the less than knowledgeable P.A. provider that provided it. No stage lighting (this is important later) or stage access made for interesting (to say the least) transitions between acts and succeeded in giving an aire of apathy to this show from all parties involved.

I could go on and on and on about this clusterfuck of a last show, but I'll just highlight the best part. As the Living Legends are performing the sun is setting. The only lights available to light the stage are the concourse lights that are akin to fancy parking lot lights that flanked me at FOH and created an ambient, yet dim, light on the stage. The Legends are already peeved about everything from the lack of attention to the riders to the tiny stage in the shitty location. NOW, Cyprus Hill is taking the mainstage and has every light in the venue that isn't flying from a truss on the mainstage shut off. This means the Living Legends are playing in the dark.

The good people of San Diego lit the Legends up as well as they could with the dim light of 1000 cell phones all opened and pointed toward the stage and the boys kept playing. Someone brought a camping lantern from a merch booth and the boys would trade it off as they were rapping. Eventually somebody got in touch with a facilities person and had the inadequate lights turned back on as the last song was played, but San Diego didn't care. They stayed and listened in the dark. Classy. Classic. Beautiful.

And then it was over. No more Paid Dues. This tour was appropriately named, MURS must be clairvoyant. I’m glad to have met and worked and played with everyone out there. From mixing monitors for every one of the 8 hour shows, to FOH in Chicago and San Diego, to doing time on “L” Block (another blog, soon to come, I promise), to hijacking hot tubs after hours in hotels; although the conditions of some of the gigs were less than spectacular, everyone survived, had fun, entertained the masses and I can’t wait until “Paid Dues 2”.