So the North America tour came to an end. As much as I didn’t want to go home, here I am, lying in bed at 10:30am on a Thursday. Have I mentioned I’m STILL dreaming about work?

It all went by so fast, but at the same time, it felt like I had been on the road for way longer than I actually was. The final day wasn’t bittersweet for me, it was just sad. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to have to sit around, with too much time on my hands, and call 50 different people to find work. And most of all, I didn’t want to say goodbye to the coolest bunch of guys I’ve ever come to know.

I think the easiest way to sum up this whole thing would be this…
On the bus ride home, we had crossed the border and were already near The Backline Company in Toronto. Robin, our FOH Sound guy, turned to me and said, “So, you excited to be back home” and I looked at him, and without skipping a beat said “Nope. I could keep going”

Here are some photos…

I am backstage at RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL in the beautiful New York City. It has been the earliest wake up call I’ve had so far. (Well, except for when I had to get Kevin on the train to San Diego, but that doesn’t count.) I’ve been working since 8am and safe to say, I’m starting to feel it.

We had a day off in the city yesterday. I absolutely love this place. You can do nothing, and still have a great time. As always I took a walk through Central Park, and had some delicious street meat. I ate at Grays Papaya for the first time, which if you’ve never eaten there, DO IT. IT’S SO DELICIOUS. I caught a movie last night called “Get Low.” It’s not a huge blockbuster hit, so you probably haven’t heard about it, but I’ve got to say, it was great. Go see it. I dare you.

And then, like always, I ate at Roxy’s in Time Square. Most delicious cheesecake you will ever eat. And don’t try and argue with me on this one.

So Radio City. Here we are. One of the most well known venues in the world. This show is going to be incredible. I can’t wait. I’ve overheard the local crew talking about how they’ve been here for 24+, and they’re still working all day. That’s so incredible to me. It takes complete dedication to stick it out like that. That’s exactly what I want to be like. Working my ass off, just to work. Yea you’re going to be exhausted afterward, but so what. After all, you are doing what you love right?

The tour is coming to an end, and I can’t even believe I’m going to have to say goodbye to this band. They have been the most amazing group of guys to work with. They’re all so good to me, that I don’t even know what I’m going to say to them. I mean, they’ve given me…everything. How do you say goodbye to someone like that?

To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure what to write. Each day is basically the same, just in a different city. On my days off instead of getting up in the morning and going out to see all that city has to offer, I sleep in, and then do as little as possible (while trying to still see the city). But I am still looking for that perfect cheeseburger

Have you ever spent 22 hours on a bus? I don’t recommend it. You either get way too much sleep, or you just go plain crazy. We just did the drive from Grand Prairie, TX, to Charlotte, NC. CRAZYYYYY I tell you. We did, however, leave Kris Allen in Phoenix and picked up Ben Kweller in Texas. Nice guy, he brought his family. But don’t fret K.A. Fans, they’ll be back in a week.

Like I said before, I honestly don’t know what else to tell you folks. Is there anything you wanna know? I ask you, my 5 readers, to comment below with any questions you might have.

Oh, and 2 DAYS TILL TAPPANGA DAY!!!

Mac’s Editorial Comments: She has way more than five readers, trust me. And Tappanga is a very good friend of ours who she will be seeing when she hits Atlanta this weekend. I will have an encounter of the Nat kind on August 7!

San Francisco, Great burger joint	The Dodge Theatre, AZ

Taylor Hicks kicked off his summer tour at the Highline Ballroom in NYC on Sunday night and I was privileged to be able to attend.

Taylor had been promoting this as his “bad ass tour.” Of course this got me to wondering, how bad ass can Taylor Hicks seriously be? I am a big fan of the man and have heard many, many words and terms used to describe him. Bad ass has never been one of them.

I don’t think he achieved bad ass status, but he was certainly bold, dynamic, confident and completely in control of his band and that room. His stage banter, virtually non-existent during his 2007 tour, was priceless. About 90% of the show was a high energy, with two more mellow moments – The Deal and Nineteen. In many of the other songs, he’d build on the intensity until he left you a sweaty panting mess. He and the band blew the roof off with I Live on a Battlefield the encore, a cover of LaRoux’s Bulletproof (yes, you read that right), and Seven Mile Breakdown. Sam Gunderson’s Seven Mile Breakdown guitar solo was a thing of beauty. And Taylor took us to church with his harp solo in that same song. When he hit his knees at the front of the stage, everyone in the room was completely under his spell.

Next stop, Jonathan’s in Ogunquit, ME, probably the polar opposite of the Highline. It’ll be interesting to see if he dials it back a notch or if they’ll be looking for the roof in the nearby Atlantic! I’ll let you know tomorrow.

A few videos from the Highline. Enjoy!

The “tagging” at the end of Hold on to Your Love was phenomenal.

Seven Mile Breakdown

I Live on a Battlefield

Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody

Cover of LaRoux’s Bulletproof

So it’s been a while since I’ve written anything, (I’ve been busy), let’s try and catch you up.

We’re finishing up our second week on tour and now that we’ve got all the kinks worked out, it seems to finally be going smoother. The band is opening up to me, and I to them, and that’s the way I like it.

I’ve gotten used to the 18 hour days, the 7 hour sleeps, followed by the 18 hour days. We’re in California now. It’s the longest run in one state that we’re doing. So far, I haven’t seen the attraction to this place. It’s cold. And coming from a Canadian that’s saying something! Seriously California, get it together, I am not impressed.

The other day we were playing at The Mountain Winery in…Sarasota? Yes that’s a question mark. Yes I’m not sure whether it was Sarasota. You come on tour for a few weeks, than you judge! Anyway, so there we are, 8am(ish) driving up to this winery. The road keeps getting steeper and more windy. Obviously no one clued in on the name, MOUNTAIN Winery, because I swear to God, we almost died that morning. Driving up this big ass mountain, in a tour bus, pulling a trailer, trying to make turns that are almost 90 degrees. Absolutely crazy. Deb, the tour manager, had her hand on the door the whole time, she said “I was waiting to jump off that bus if it started going over.” I kid you not. Anyways, long story short, we didn’t die and the show went well.

On a lighter note, Keith (guitar tech) bought this AWESOME hat for $10. He said, and I quote, “This is the kinda hat that makes me look like I’m shopping for Mexicans.” We named the hat the Cowbrero – half cowboy hat, half sombrero. Here it is . . .

So I’ve had the opportunity now to hang out with the band more. Especially Tyler and Kevin. I gotta say that this band is made up of some of the nicest, and funniest, guys you will ever meet. They’re absolutely great. I rode the train into San Diego from L.A. with Kevin this morning. The guy is just funny. He doesn’t say much, he just laughs. It’s hilarious. He’s like a kid, but in a good way.

Safe to say I’m having a great time, more stories coming soon! (I promise)

I think it’s time to tell you all about Jeff. Jeff is the band’s bus driver. Jeff is an AWESOME guy. Emphasis on the word awesome. He’s been driving the Bon Jovi tour bus for 13 years, and we both agree, that their last album, was just not good. (I’m a HUGE Jovi fan).

Jeff, to me, is known for quotes like “beat it! Get mad at it! Like it’s your boyfriend and he pissed you off!” (referring to me trying to crush a bag of ice) And (when I asked if Jim was off the bus yet) “No. that’s why I’m still here. I wanna clean my bus. And fix the back lounge. They broke my door!”

If you knew the guy, and you knew they way he talked, (he’s got a slight accent. New Jersey maybe), then you’d be laughing your ass off right now. Cuz he’s a funny guy!

We’re currently on a day off in Los Gatos, CA. It’s hot outside. I’m ready for the beach, but it’s too far away. There is a kiddy pool outside . . . .

Now let’s get one thing straight – touring ain’t all shits and giggles. I know a lot of people out there say “oh, touring would be so much fun! I could do that, traveling from city to city, sleeping on the bus. It’s not too hard” Well you’re wrong. As a matter of fact you’re dead wrong. It’s hard out here. And not just for a pimp. If you try and please everybody, it’s never going to happen. And there’s always going to be someone who thinks you’re not trying hard enough. Even if you’re doing your absolute best, you could be doing better.

Harsh words, I know. But it takes a lot of balls to be on the road. You’ve got to be tough skinned. And if you’re not tough skinned when you start, you sure as hell will be by the time you’re done. Just how it is out here. That’s the honest truth.

Now you’re all probably wondering where this is all coming from. And the truth is I got my ass handed to me the other night. Turns out I haven’t been doing as great as I thought, and it was brought to my attention – not so kindly I might add. It’s a learning experience for me. The first week finishing up, and moving into the second week, I think I’ve got all the kinks worked out. But yesterday certainly was a huge blow to my ego. Not that my ego is big mind you, but now I know I need to definitely bust my butt twice as hard.

Taylor Hicks 2010 Tour Dates For more information visit Taylor Hicks.

7/25/10 – NYC @ Highline Ballroom

7/27/10 – Ogunquit, ME @ Jonathan’s

7/29/10 – Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere Music Hall

7/30/10 – Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock Cafe

7/31/10 – Teaneck, NJ @ Mexicali Live

8/3/10 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage

8/6/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Fat Fish Blue

8/7/10 – Bay City, MI @ Veteran’s Memorial Park – Boys and Girls Club Benefit

8/9/10 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies Rock Club

8/10/10 – Springfield, IL @ Sangamon Auditorium

8/11/10 – Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota Jazz

8/12/10 – Madison, WI @ The Annex

8/16/10 – Lincoln, NE @ The Grove CANCELLED

8/18/10 – Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads

8/19/10 – Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater

8/21/10 – Laughlin, NV @ Aquarius Casino Resort

8/22/10 – San Deigo, CA @ Anthology

8/24/10 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Downtown Brewing Company

8/25/10 – San Francisco, CA @ The Rrazz Room

8/26/10 – Coarsegold, CA @ Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino

8/28/10 – Fort Walton, FL @ Northwest Florida Fairgrounds – Armed Forces Day

9/18/10 – Rutland, VT @ Paramount Theatre

9/26/10 – Norfolk, PA @ Infinity Hall

9/26/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kimmel Center

10/6-7/10 – Orlando, FL @ Disney – Eat to the Beat Concert Series

I think that everyone needs to attend a concert at Red Rocks in Morrison, CO. I don’t care when, or who it is, but this needs to be witnessed.

We stepped off the bus at the bottom of the hill, and there was a shuttle waiting to take us up to the venue. Everyone, at one point, attempts to walk up the hill. I tried, and only made it halfway before the shuttle came and saved me. I made it up later that night, but it wasn’t easy. Now before you all start thinking I’m totally out of shape and lazy (which is only partially true) this is no small hill. It’s really, really steep, and long. Just go try it, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

I think I worked non-stop from 8:30am to about 5 or 6pm that day. But the staff there made my life so easy. So to all the Red Rocks local crew (especially the catering peeps) I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being the best and easiest local crew I’ve worked with thus far.

I walked into the venue, found out there was a massage chair in my office (amazing). And when I stepped out onto the stage. WOW. Just wow.

Another thing I recommend doing when at Red Rocks, is to go to the very top, and look out onto the stage. Especially at night. You can see the rocks all lit up, and Denver in the background. It’s completely breathtaking.