CRS BEGINS AND ENDS, THE BEACH AWAITS

CRS started with a bang. We got the call on Thursday night that CBS Early show would be broadcasting live from Nashville and wanted us to play. It was their "ACM Nominations Revealed" show. After talking production all day Friday, Chris Newsom and I showed up to The Wildhorse on Monday for a walkthrough of our battleground for Tuesday. They're also shooting another TV show there in addition to it being the site for CBS Early Show. We loaded in at 7 pm that night...well, we were scheduled to but TV is always late so it was more like 9 pm. That lasted until bedtime at 1 am and I had to wake Miranda at 3:30 am for glam. It ws worth it, ML was nominated for three ACM awards...a great honor for all of us. We had a successful show and wrapped at 8 am. Our day continued with promo and more TV. We taped the Crook and Chase Show which is back on the air after ten years off. Don't worry, they haven't changed a bit. Charlie CHase is still wearing the same turtleneck and the average age of the crowd was 77. It was somewhat comical. Wednesday was more promo and Thursday we performed on the Sony Boat. For any of you who don't know what this is, Sony rents out a huge riverboat and fills it with about 800 of our closest friends in radio programming. Then they bring in ten to twelve major touring acts to share a ratty drum kit and mediocre backline to perform with minimal set change in between. Makes for a fun time, at least they have an open bar.

So we wrapped CRS in Nashville and snuck out just before the snow creeped into town. We pulled out at 5 pm on Friday and it took us 5 1/2 hours to make it to Memphis. Then Nashville got saddled with 6 inches of snow. I'm a little depressed I didn't get to see it, my wife tells me she built a snowman.

We drove all that way to Austin for the rodeo and when we got there ML had no voice. I called an ENT doctor we know in San Antonio who gave her a magic shot but aparently it wasn't magical enough. By early afternoon she still had no voice. We were forced to cancel but luckily my buddy (and former employer) Jack Ingram was able to step in. He did a pretty dang good job given the five hour notice. So after all that work of loading in, soundchecking, doing will call lists, stuffing envelopes and changing my shirt we never even played a note. Not one. Silence. The alternative to alternative.

SO, that brings us to 7:48 am, which really feels like 6:48 am because of the time change last night, and is going to feel like 5:48 am once we fly into Eastern Time. We're sitting at DFW ready to board a big ol' jet airliner bound for Grand Cayman (via Miami). Unfortunately, we have to fly down for three days for a private party on the beach. They're having Seal the following night. I don't mean they're dining on it, I mean Seal will be performing. You know, the "And we're never gonna survive, UNNNNNNNNless, we get a little Crazy." The guy who's nailing Heidi Klum. So, some insurance company is bringing us in for 250 of their closest friends for a down home Grand Cayman beach party. We are traveling on work visas where apparently I will be a Tour Coordinator instead of a "manager" and my sound guys will be "Technicians" as opposed to "engineers". Weird shit...for some reason work visas are cheaper if you don't use important titles like engineer or manager.

11 AM

So we just landed in Miami on the first leg of our flight to Grand Cayman. Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz are boarding a plane across the gate from us for some other tropical destination. Our guitar player, Alex, is star struck. He wants to do a walk by to check her out. Oldest trick in the book, you see them coming a mile away. By the way, Miami airport is a total shithole with very little attractive dining options. Our choice in terminal E is either Pizza Hut or some deli that serves their sandwiches on 18 inch skinny bread (Cuban style). Their menu that hangs over the counter is that old yellowed Coca Cola menu you used to see at snack bars in the mid-80's. Makes you hunger, doesn't it?

Our flight is delayed 30 mins, I'm really ready to be there.

3 PM

WE"RE HERE! Just arrived at The Westin Casuarina, our place of residence for the next two nights. Our rooms aren't ready so I'm hanging in the lobby/bar drinking a mojito and waiting for Pedro to give me a room key. This is the place where they filmed part of The Firm. The scene where his wife is eating dinner with Gene Hackman happened about 30 feet from where I pen this creative diatribe of events. Very beautiful, I'm definitely going to make my way into the surf and sand shortly. i just text messaged our booking agent and told him to please book many more private gigs and especially when they're in the Carribean. I could surely get used to this. 

Grand Cayman adventures to be continued...Pictures to follow as well.