It’s currently 8:42am on July 7th. We’re parked outside Harrah’s in Council Bluff’s, IA waiting for our hotel rooms…might as well tell you all about Kansas City.
We flew into KC on Monday the 5th so we could all get settled in. Standing outside the airport, our bus rolled in and my face lit up. I felt like freakin’ ROYALTY!
We hopped on the bus, grabbed our bunks, and headed off to the hotel.
Hotel Phillips — Great hotel to stay in. Courteous staff, nice rooms, great breakfast, but I think it’s haunted. Even though nothing of the paranormal happened, I still think its haunted — We all went to Jack’s Stacks for dinner, had some delicious BBQ, and headed off to bed.
I woke up at 7:30am (not impressed) got myself ready and hopped on the bus. As tired as I was, I just kept saying to myself “Ok Nat. First day, let’s do this”
Starlight Theater, wow, very cool. Set up the production office, set up the dressing rooms, and send the runner on his way. Put up signs, check the bus stock, send the runner on his way. Work on a few things, watch a piece of the show –
BNL put on a great show. They had just watched the RUSH documentary on the bus prior to performing, and spent about 5 minutes on stage playing “80’s jukebox”. Hilarious. They also played The Big Bang Theory, (secretly my favorite BNL song), and it was AWESOME.
– eat, ice the bus, where the hell is the runner??
order food, stock the bus, stock the other bus, send the runner to pick up the food. Pack up the production office, pack up the dressing rooms, shower, hop on the bus, wait for the runner, EAT, and crash.
It doesn’t sound like alot, but it was a steady work flow day. The adrenalin kept me running all day, and it wasn’t until I was walking to the bus that I realized I was exhausted.
I climbed into bed, and woke up in Iowa.
By the way, what the hell is there to do on a day off in IOWA?!
Touring with a band. It’s a dream that many kids have, but are never able fulfill. But Natalie Goik’s dream is coming true this week as she sets off across the US on her first big production tour with Barenaked Ladies. Nat will be reporting in to me as often as she can about life on the road and all of her “firsts.” I’m looking forward to going on tour with her and I hope you come back often to see what she’s been up to.
I asked Nat to give me a little info about herself and how she got this gig.
“I’ve been a techie for the past 6 or 7 years now. It all started back in high school when I found out that you could join the sound and lighting crew, and every time there was an event or an assembly, you were allowed get out of class early to go set up. Ever since then I’ve been working gigs around Ontario.
I’ve worked 4am load ins and 40 hour weekends (not including Friday), I’ve driven to cities hours away, only to work 4 hour calls, I’ve worked 13 hours and then had to drive home 2, 3 hours, and I’ve done more than my share of volunteering. Hell, I’ve even toured with a Magician. But I can’t say I’ve regretted anything so far. I’ve made friends, contacts, and injured myself many many times.
For years now I’ve been trying so hard to get on a big production tour. I’ve had interviews and sent out resumes, and never gotten any response – until a few months back. I remember it very clearly. I was in my house, walking down the stairs when my phone made it’s “you’ve got mail” ding. I stopped, picked up my phone, and opened my mail box.
from: Deb H.
subject: Tour
Now, Deb has been my guardian angel for this past year. She always puts my name in and always calls me up when she needs an extra crewman. So, I open this email, and read:
Hey Nat,
Are you free from July 5th-Aug 15th to come out on tour with the Barenaked Ladies?
Let me know
Deb
I froze. Mouth dropped. Totally speechless. This was it, the big break I’ve been waiting for. Holy-shit. I’m going on tour.”
First Stop: Starlight Theater, Kansas City, MO
This week’s releases include new records by one of American Idol’s biggest stars, and two iconic singer/songwriters.
Which raises the question — hit records these days go to the same trendy songwriters, over and over, and ignore the living geniuses. Neil Diamond got his start writing for the Monkees, certainly he doesn’t need the money, but he must have songs in the vault that would work for young pop and country stars, and join his catalog of enduring classics. Elvis Costello is a brilliant melody maker, who can be starkly beautiful or just as angry as ever, still the boundary breaking post-punk genius.
When a young singer like Clay Aiken sings classics of the 70s or 80s, it’s dismissed as “just a cover”, and the new music is forgettable. Maybe the answer is to get the “old guys” who still have the stuff to write new classics for guys like Clay.
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Home Before Dark
Neil Diamond
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| There are a few musicians with iconic voices, they cannot be mistaken for anyone else, they cannot be imitated, they transcend genre and generation, the voices convey character and conviction. Think Sinatra, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson. The gravelly baritone of Neil Diamond is surely on that list.
“Home Before Dark” is the second Diamond/Rubin collaboration. Three years ago, Neil released “12 Songs” produced by the legendary Rick Rubin, who did the masterpiece recordings of Johnny Cash in his late years. Some fans of Neil’s adult contemporary classics were taken aback by the sparse unornamented arrangements. To my mind, when you have quality songs and Neil’s enduring voice, 1001 strings or synthesizers don’t add a thing. Neil’s voice shows its age, but has lost none of its richness. If you thought that somewhere in the 80s, Neil wandered too far down the path of saccharine lyrics and “easy listening”, these back to basic arrangements are welcome. Check out “Pretty Amazing Grace” and “Power of Two” and the bluesy ambling “Slow It Down”. I could skip the duet with Natalie Maines, her voice is too flat to harmonize with Neil. (Margaux) |
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Momofuku
Elvis Costello and the Imposters
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Don’t worry, the title isn’t obscene. According to Elvis, “Well, obviously the title is a tribute to Momofuku Ando, the inventor of the Cup Noodle. Like so many things in this world of wonders, all we had to do to make this record was add water.” The album was recorded in about a week.
“I’d been telling people that I was done with recording and believed it myself. This record date reminded me that it wasn’t making music in the studio that made me miserable but the nonsense that predictably follows in what we laughingly call the “music business”. So I decided to change it and my mind. That’s what I do.”
The result is unpolished, unadulterated rock n roll as only Elvis can do. (Margaux) |
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On My Way Here
Clay Aiken
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| Fresh from his successful run on Broadway in “Spamalot”, the Season two runner-up Clay Aiken releases an album that is “finally” the one he has always wanted to make. So what is it? Middle-of-the-road pop that rocks just a little. The title track, written by One Republic (who did the recent hit “Apologize”) frontman Ryan Tedder called, “On My Way Here”, has enough of the contemporary sheen to make it on adult contemporary radio, but could get old after about five listens. “Something About Her” is a pleasant piano ballad, suitable for a romantic dinner. Attempts to be edgy like the rocker “Fallen” with its vocal distortions are less successful (Margaux) |
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Snack Time
Barenaked Ladies
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| The new Barenaked Ladies’ kids’ album, Snack Time, was released today. The video for “7,8,9″ is awesome:
Barenaked Ladies – \”7 8 9\”
It’s like old-school, Schoolhouse Rock kind of animation. The song is hilarious. I am actually contemplating buying the album even though I don’t have any kids. (Mari) |
