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?

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)

Televised Tune: On the Tube This Weekend via Hidden Track

(All times ET)

Monday, May 24

• Regis and Kelly: Bret Michaels [Syndicated - check listings]
• Prince: Purple Rain [Palladia 3PM]
• Def Leppard: Behind the Music Remastered [VH1 5PM]
• U2: At the BBC [Palladia 5PM]
• Jimmy Kimmel: Damian Marley w/Nas [ABC 12:05AM]

Tuesday, May 25

• Simon Cowell: Biography [BIO 9AM]
• Stone Temple Pilots: Live From Chicago 2010 [Palladia 10PM]
• David Letterman: The Black Keys [CBS 11:35PM]
• Jimmy Kimmel: Peter Frampton [ABC 12:05AM]
• Carson Daly: OK Go [NBC 1:35AM]

Wednesday, May 26

• Elvis Costello: Club Date [VH1 Classic 3PM]
• Hole: On the Record [Fuse 4:30PM]
• Duran Duran: Live at Wembley [VH1 Classic 4:30PM]
• Jimmy Buffett/Zac Brown Band: Crossroads [Palladia 9PM]
• David Letterman: John Prine and Yim Yames [CBS 11:35]

Thursday, May 27

• Robert Plant: Soundstage [Palladia 9AM]
• Tupac Shakur: Tupac Vs [Fuse 6PM]
• Janis Joplin: Biography [BIO 9PM]
• Film: The Harder They Come [Palladia 9PM]
• Craig Ferguson: Band of  Horses [CBS 12:35AM]

Televised Tune: On the Tube This Weekend via Hidden Track

(All times ET)

Monday, January 11

• Tina Turner: Live in  Holland [Palladia Noon]
• Woodstock: Three Days of Peace and Music [Palladia 2PM]
• Film: That Thing You Do [VH1 Classic 4PM]
• Green Day: Storytellers [Palladia 10PM]
• Kiss: Extreme Close Up [VH1 Classic 1:30AM]

Tuesday, January 12

• John Lennon: Sweet Toronto [Noon VH1 Classic]
• Classic Albums: Cream, Disraeli Gears [VH1 Classic 4PM]
• Rush: Box Set [VH1 Classic 5PM]
• AC/DC: Live from Circus Krone [Palladia 8PM]
• Pink Floyd: The Wall [Palladia 11PM]

Wednesday, January 13

• O.A.R.: From Madison Square Garden [Palladia 9AM]
• Classic Albums: Nirvana, Nevermind [VH1 Classic Noon]
• ZZ Top: Live from Texas [VH1 Classic 5:30PM]
• Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are [Palladia 4PM]
• Spectacle w/Elvis Costello: Lyle Lovett [Sundance 10PM]

Thursday,  January 14

• Tavis Smiley: Rosanne Cash [PBS Check Local Listings]
• David Letterman: The Low Anthem [CBS 11:35PM]
• George Lopez: Snoop Dogg [TBS Midnight]
• Craig Ferguson: Vampire Weekend [CBS 12:35AM]
• Carson Daly: Pete Yorn [NBC 1:35AM]

Televised Tune: On the Tube This Week via Hidden Track

(All times ET)

Monday, January 4

• Michael Jackson: Devotion [Fuse 5PM]
• Gnarls Barkley: Live at Roskilde 2008 [Palladia 5PM]
• Classic Albums: Queen, A Night at the Opera [VH1 Classic 7PM]
• Duran Duran: Behind the Music [Palladia 8PM]
• Paul McCartney: Live in St. Petersburg [VH1 Classic 10PM]

Tuesday, January 5

• Johnny Cash: Live at Montreaux 1994 [Ovation 1PM]
• Lou Reed: Live at Montreaux [Ovation 2PM]
• Film: La Bamba [Fuse 8PM]
• Gene Simmons: Biography [BIO 11PM]
• David Letterman: Vampire Weekend [CBS 11:35PM]

Wednesday, January 6

• Black Crowes: Unplugged [Palladia 9AM]
• Woodstock: Then and Now [VH1 Classic 1PM]
• John Lennon: The US vs. John Lennon [VH1 Classic 6PM]
• 50 Cent: On the Record [Fuse 9PM]
• Spectacle w/Elvis Costello: Mary-Louise Parker [Sundance 10PM]

Thursday, January 7

• Kiss: Kiss Symphony, Alive IV [VH1 Classic 11AM]
• Pink Floyd: Which Ones Pink? [VH1 Classic 6:30PM]
• Iron Maiden: Flight 666 [Palladia 9PM]
• Diana Krall: Live in Paris [Ovation 10PM]
• Queen: Live at Wembley [VH1 Classic 10PM]

The San Francisco Symphony and PBS (among others) have created a fun, educational website called Keeping Score. You can learn about music through interactive, multimedia presentations of Beethoven’s Eroica symphony, Stravinsky’s riot-inspiring Rite of Spring, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, and the musical biography of American composer Aaron Copland. As a student of music, I can assure you that my classes would have been much more interesting and fun if these resources had been available!

Amadou & Miriam have been making music together since 1976. Their latest release, “Welcome to Mali”, dropped today. Their sound is a mix of Afro-folk melodies and rhythms and pop beats. Lyrics are a mix of English and French, but you don’t need to understand the words to enjoy the music! See amadou-mariam.com for more information (French only).

Oh No – Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird keeps showing up on my radar lately, which is interesting since my last recollection of him was at least 10 years ago, when I read a Rolling Stone article about how he lived in his car and never showered. I think that was him.

Anyway, he’s usually referred to as a “multi-instrumentalist” or “musical polymath”, which are fancy ways of saying he plays more than one instrument and also writes songs in more than one genre. Bird has a degree in violin and considers himself a professional whistler (he’s really quite good, but then I’m easily impressed as I cannot whistle). His wide and deep range of musical interest has led him, most recently, into the sound of “Oh No” posted at right. I think it’s like Belle & Sebastian: wordy pop songs with texturally interesting tracks. Texture is definitely the key as Bird layers acoustic and electronic instruments, loops and his voice and whistling in ways that are not common to current popular music — which, it seems, is only interested in overwhelming the listener. Instead of overwhelming, Bird’s compositions are engaging. I was pleased to hear him on our local independent radio station, The River.

This is true of his earlier work as well. Below, “Imitosis” from his 2007 release “Armchair Apocrypha”.

For more about Bird, here’s an interview at AVClub and their review of Noble Beast.