Last week tried to kill me but I survived

4-07
1st night of the Detroit Bar residency. Being in a big rush before a show is really a bad move so we packed up nice and early and went to the pool to swim around for a bit and lay in the sun. That turned out to be a really good move and everyone felt properly chilled out on the way to the club. After soundcheck we watched Kansas win the final four game in overtime and Greg from ECC won some $kratch on that. We hung around played pool met and chatted with friends as the night progressed. Eastern Conference Champions played a gorgeous set as a duo and we celebrated Josh's birthday.(I LOVE YOU MAN!) By the time we went on all our friends and some family were in attendance which made for a enjoyable set. D.Spirit was back in town so naturally it was good to see our bros and Brandon decided to spend the week with us in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. bat planned on coming but to no ones suprise slept in to late.
4.08
Brandon and I fell asleep watching Lord Of War after the show and woke up semi early to get ready for Vegas. We hit some tea, a few cigarettes, packed up a couple suits and the band picked us up around noon. The drive out was lots of laughs and virtually painless. We saved our stop at Mad Greek for the way home and got to the hotel with time to spare. As a band if you can ever stay where you play than you are stoked on life because it saves you the trouble of all kinds of nonsense. The club was inside the hotel we were staying so after loading in we simply took the elevator to our rooms cleaned up and relaxed before heading to the hotel bar and meeting up with some friends who met us in Vegas. We did an interview took some photos and watched our old buddies Satisfaction open the show and they sounded good as ever. We got on stage around midnight and after the show we ran all over the casino playing roulette and black jack and eventually everyone ended up downtown. We had a good group of close friends and family sitting around a fire enjoying each others company and the insane city that Las Vegas is. Time doesnt seem to exist out there and after what seemed like only a couple hours I looked down at my phone to see it was actually 6am and probably time to get some sleep. Brandon and I stumbled back to our room slammed a vitiman water and passed out in these really comfortable beds.
4.09
To our suprise everyone woke up feeling refreshed and we decided to cruise down to the bar for a mimosa and then to the pool for lunch and some cold drinks. It was a beautiful day and and the town seemed nearly deserted. We enjoyed the afternoon and made a few phone calls to arrange to stay for another night which made everyone happy. A few pina coldas later and a stint in the hot tub and everyone felt amazing and rejuvenated for a second night in town. Through some friends we managed to get a reservation at Michael Mina's resteraunt in Mandalay Bay. Most of us got ready and headed down there and before to long we were enjoying fine wine and some of the best food we'd ever eaten in our lives. Luckily some of us had done well at the tabels earlier that day or we would have been eating at the buffet once again. Completly full we headed back to our hotel to meet the rest of the guys and make one last night of it before heading back home the next afternoon. The people at the club we played invited us back with the promise of free drinks and that was all it took for us to say yes. Very kindly they gave us our own section and a few bottles to share amongst friends. A couple drinks into the evening we noticed an unfamilar after taste from our drinks and asked the waitress if we were drinking some rare vodka we'd never heard of. To our suprise we quickly learned that the ice was soaking in Absinthe and that's what was giving the drinks an almost licorce after taste. Before to long the club was closing up and we headed out into the casino to try our luck at the tabels. A friend of ours that came with us couldnt lose at Roulette and with what little money I had it seemed good luck was upon me and it made for an even better trip. Basically we spent the rest of the our night having as much fun as possible and amazingly doing it for free.
4.10
Packed up, late check out, and we were out of town. Stopped at the Mad Greek for a milk shake and I even drove part of the way home. The drive seemed to take forever and seeing the van pull up to my house was the best thing I'd seen all day. Brandon and I cooked a pizza chilled out on the couch and passed out watching that film "25th Hour".
4.11
Leaving for LA from Orange County at 3:30pm. on any week day is basically walking straight into the lions den doing it on a friday is the 7th circle of hell. Sure there is the toll road but that is just a momentary break from the un-relelnting traffic of the 405 N. I tried to sleep in the back of the van but that was useless with the sun shining so bright in through the windows. Our load in at the club was 6pm and somehow we made it in time. The club we were playing had a huge flight of stairs and no elevator. I wondered in the back of my mind if this was the price to pay for having so much fun in the desert. The weather cooled off the gave us some cold pints and everything was cool as we waited to go on stage. Sometimes it is really nice to go on early to avoid waiting around the whole night. Alex and Riley went over to the bar at the staples center to watch the Lakers destroy the Hornets and the rest of us walked back and forth from our dressing room to the outside patio for a couple hours killing time eating drinking and smoking some cigarettes. 9pm. showtime. A few hundred people gathered to watch the band as we played through a set comprising of the new and the old tunes. When you open for someone "bigger" than you, more often than not they have a crew of at least 3 guys and somehow one of them is always British and in there 40's. These guys usually want to get you on and off stage as quick as possible and this night was no exception. No time for a soundcheck just a quick line and bang off ya go. I had no idea how the show was going as we jammed through about 9 tunes. The lights were to bright to see anybody but those in the front row and the sound on stage was all drums. After the set we laughed about the sound on stage and didn't really know for sure if the show was any good. To our pleasant suprise we had never had so many people tell us how incredible the sound was out front in the auidence. So I guess we did alight and after the show we headed to 7th and Grand downtown to meet friends and family for a nightcap before heading home to relax for the weekend. It feels like summer again doesnt it ?