First 5 shows

If you've read the last post or keep up with me on Facebook, you know I'm currentlty on tour with One-Eyed Doll again. This time Mushroomhead is headlining.  The other awesome bands touring with us are Unsaid Fate and Ionia. Paulo's back as our driver, but we're losing him in CA :( Mike is back roadie-ing-ie-ing-ie-ing, sorry, got caught in a loop there. We also have an awesome new friend this tour, Vaughn! They just met him 3 days before tour and liked him so much they kidnapped him to take on tour. Crazy things about Vaughn; He used to live in Grand Rapids, MI and moved from there to TX around the same time I moved to CA. He also works at Starbucks. We have swapped many coffee-isms and work horror stories.

The first show was at the same venue we played at with Polkadot Cadaver. When they played before, the room and stage were sectioned off. This time it was all open. The room was huge but packed. I didn't see much because I got in late and because merch was to the side of the stage where I couldn't see. I did sneak away a few time to see Mushroomhead because I've only seen their show once before when they toured with OED. They have a great live performance. I love the water/light drums. During the last song a little boy, probably no older than 8 came out and played them. I REALLY wish I had gotten some video of it. I'm hoping when we're back out that way he gets to play again. At one point in the night I guy came over to the table staring at me intently. He said I looked just like his girlfriend. We have the same hair and same shaped face. He did a double take when he saw me because she was supposed to be in Canada. We had a bunch of VIPs that night, including our awesome friends Ally and Gwen. We also have a special new VIP exclusive treat! But you'll have to be a VIP to see/hear it :) Over all, once I finally got there and settled in, it was a good night.

The next show was in Merrium, KS. We were at this venue on the Otep tour. A girl came to the table early in the night to look around and show off her Committed shirt from last time. Later on she came to me in a zipped up hoodie and a story about how a drunk guy outside ripped her shirt/bra and luckily she had the hoodie or else she'd be topless. She was asking if I could give her a deal on a new shirt. Feeling bad about her situation, I did. Only to remember her from last time half way through. She came to me saying she models band shirts and was asking for a shirt in exchange for pictures of her in it later on. I told her she had to talk to Jr about it, and by the end of the night she had a free shirt. She also got "hurt" both this show and last. She had to be carried out and taken care of, but then later in the night she's suddenly completely fine walking around like nothing ever happened.

This show, my merch was set up next to the local opener, who were nice when we got there and made sure I had enough space. However, by the end of the night the area in front of them was filled with their obnoxious drunk friends. They kept setting their drinks on the other merch table and drunkenly stumbling unto it. I had to constantly watch to make sure they were't spilling anything on my stuff. There were so many people there just to get drunk. I saw a few peopleget escortted out because they were overly intoxicatec. I even saw a girl get escortted out because she decided to get topless during Mushroomhead. I went to the bathroom at one point and there was a girl helping her overly drunk friend use the bathroom. Coming out of the stall she fell, fell into the swinging door of another stall hitting her head, then the door swung back and hit her in the head again. She just sat there on the bathroom floor laughing about it.

There was also a guy that came over to my table and started looking through a book we sell of photos and the Dirty album lyrics. He started getting all weird and talking about how he was having flashbacks. He told me about how he did acid for 20 years but swore he wasn't on it then. Either way, it messed him up. Don't do drugs kids. Somehow we got to talking about California, and it turns out he used to live in the city I live in. I mentioned a few of the highways in the area and he flipped out. He was amazed I knew the places he was talking about and said that's how he knew I was genuine. He thanked me and awkwardly called me a "beautiful little girl" before finally leaving.

The show itself was a bit rough. Kim kept getting shocked because of bad grounding with the mic/guitar cables. It got so bad she had to cut the set short and even ended the last song halfway through. Coincidently, the venue was called "Aftershock."

We had one VIP, Jack, who was our VIP here before and in Iowa at the Polkadot show. Since him and his dad were the only ones, they did the VIP party during Mushroomhead so I didn't get to be there :( But it's all good :)

Awesome place we ate at after the show

The third show was in Salina, KS aka "Celine Dion", KS. We got there early enough that we reorganized a lot of the merch and sorted it into some new, non-broken tubs. The show itself was a good show despite a smaller crowd. Kim had a heckler in the back but the rest of the crowd shut him up pretty quickly. We had some awesome VIPs but the real party started after they left and we sat around making puns. This whole trip has been full of puns, but that night we just sat around having a pun off. We'd start with one topic and be on that for a while, then transition to another, and so on. It was a fun night, until we tried to leave and our windshield kept icing over. Stupid cold weather... :(

Waking up in Denver

The next day we were in Denver, CO. It was even colder. I think it was 6 degrees when we got there. We got there early, so Mike, Vaughn and I wandered around. We were looking for a place to grab some coffee and food when we ran into a girl named Ashley asking for 25¢ for coffee. She had some time to kill before going into work and no money until she got paid. She only asks for 25¢ because she feels like asking for a dollar is to much, but if she can get 4 people to give her a quarter, she has a dollar. She seemed nice so we invited her to breakfast with us and Vaughn bought her a coffee and bagel. We told her about OED and the concert that night. It turns out she's always wanted to learn the drums. We put her on the guestlist for the show that night in case she could make it after work, but we never saw her. Hopefully we encouraged her to start playing though.

The show that night was good. There was a big crowd and they seemed really into it. We had 3 awesome VIPs, Brandon (who makes tea and is an Emily Autumn fan) and Andrew from the last time we were in Denver as well as a newbie Sean. After the VIP party we stoppoed at a little local diner for food. We ended up befriending the 2 guys in the booth behind us. At the VIP party that night Kim called us Celine Dion and the Michael Boltons. Someone told them that was our band name and one of them was like "I've heard of you guys! No, seriously! I'm not just saying that!" It was funny. The other guy did something with acupuncture and Eastern medicine. Kim had a good time talking to him. We invited them to hang out on our bus for a little bit which they thought was super cool. The one left his acupuncture kit on our bus though, so now we have to mail it back to him.

The next show was in Colorado Springs, CO. We stopped at a really good Indian buffet on the way. I'd mention it, except they poisoned Mike. Seriously. He made us all a mango lassi, except Mike. He was really weird about Mike not getting one. Later he told Mike he'd make him a cherry lassi. Mike ended up SO sick that night. He threw up a few times and spent the night after load in sleeping.

There were a LOT of drunk people at this show, plus many that were probably on a few other things. I was tucked way back in a corner, but luckily Sean and Brandon from the night before were there again, and they were my bodyguards. Unfortunately, Brandon parked on a street that used to, key word USED to, have no parking signs. His car was towed anyway and he spent a lot of the VIP party trying to figure out getting it back :( We gave him a ride home and hopefully it all worked out for him. If you're reading this, let me know!

And now doors are opening so I'll have to catch you up some other time :)

Beginning of tour

Tour got off to a bit of a rough start. Got up at 5 am, got ready, and headed to the airport. Went to check in at 6:45, learned they stopped checking bags for my flight at 6:40. I called someone over and they told me there was nothing they could do. Had to pay $75 to switch to a flight leaving at noon.

Got through security with no problems, dispite the fact that I have bright red hair and probably looked like I was going to cry the whole time. One of the guys working asked me about the shirt I was wearing. It was a shirt of a band that some guys I went to high school with are in. He told me about how they have a lot of famous people come though. Apparently Carlos Santana came through not that long ago.

Got to my gate, and tried to find something to do for 4 1/2 hours until boarding. Wandered around to see if I could get some coffee or breakfast, since I hadn't planned on the extra hours. Every place had super long lines and a regular cup of coffee was almost $3. I decided to head back to the gate and wait. Luckily the airport had wi-fi as long as you watch an ad every half hour so I could catch up on a few things and waste sometime. It's really hard though when you're tired, just sitting around, but can't sleep/nap.

Around 9:30 I tried for food/coffee again. Ther were more places open and the lines were a lot shorter. I still ended up paying $6 for a coffee (with grounds in the bottom) and muffin. I guess that's not too far off from what you'd pay at a place like Starbucks.

Less then 10 minutes before we were supposed to board they announced a gate change. Whenwe were supposed to be boasrding they announced that boarding was delayed 15 minutes. 20 minutes later I gave up and ran to the bathroom. When I got back I saw that boarding was changed to 12 and take off to 12:30. Boarding FINALLY started at 12:10. While waiting I did see an awesome lady wearing purple shoes, purple pants, a purple sweater, carrying a purple bag.

They finally called my boarding group and I got in line to board. They scanned my ticket and it beeped. I thought maybe, once again, I had been selected for a random search. Nope, they just took my printed ticket and gave me a more official looking one. I was also for some reason moved from seat 14A to 11A.

I really wish I had thought to get my camera out because the view while taking off was awesome. First we flew out over the ocean. At one point yuou couldn't see anything but water. Then we turn and headed back east. I could see the Hollywood sign, Griffith Park, the Americana, roughly where I lived. It was cool seeing the landscape turn from all city, to suddenly mountians and no buildings.

Finally, several hours later I arrived in St. Louis. When I turned my phone on I had a text from Jr. They were stuck at the venue and couldn't come get me :( I ended up having to take a taxi. After all of that I finally made it! I'll have to write about the first few shows some other time because doors are about to open!