Monday, October 5, 2009…..On the Road

Time To Fly…..

Now I feel like I’m really on the road as I am headed to old Panic destinations for the first time….Merriweather and Portsmouth.  Charlotte felt like a normal weekend…as in many respects it was given I have done that trip so many times before, but now it’s new territory for sure.  This is strange because I’ve been up and down these same roads so many times before.  We got away from the hotel this morning about 11 which was our deadline.  With a little rain and lots of clouds to start off with, we are now in some sunshine as we get closer to Virginia.  We should pull into Columbia sometime in the 6:00 range, with an appetite for a good meal.   

After posting yesterday’s installment, I was looking forward to relaxing with some friends and creating an easy backdrop for the show….which arrived quickly and early at 6:00.  Chris was headed home with the kids and all was good….for about 30 minutes.  I called to check in and then the reality of family separation hit real quick….they were stuck in traffic, and so the short 3 hour ride became a nasty 4 ½ hour ordeal…..and, late on a Sunday with things to do when they got home.  In an avalanche of bad luck, Chris finally sits down to the computer to get her work done for the following week and is met with that lovely blue screen that basically says you just lost your hard drive.  Although we’ve got the long term situation under control, the short term issues are always tough to maneuver around.……but after some reality realization, we came to a couple of viable solutions for now.  Easy for me to say since I’m not there, but it’s an emotional burden on both sides for part of the family equation to be out of pocket.  So, in a sense…welcome to the real world of being on the road.  I will be home this Thursday on my way to Birmingham and will be able to get it all back, so hopefully all will end well. Yesterday became a rollercoaster of sorts, but certainly reflective of real life…..a hard drive…in every sense of the word.  So you guys know where my mind has been over the past day or so. 

It’s been said to never miss a Sunday show.  Last night’s was no exception.  After the opener the night before, this night seemed to be a little more settled and explorative.  It made for lots of moments to get lost in….like pretty much the entire set.  Hell, with Sunny on the didgeridoo and Papa Legba doing their duties right out of the gate, we all pretty much knew where we were headed…..and with Worry to follow, my worries were now over.  Pigeons ended a great intro to the set and we settled in very nicely with Angels on High…..and then seemed to kind of take off with Heroes and Ribs and Whiskey melting into Party at Your Mama’s House.  That found its way into a Tall Boy that had a lot to offer before finally landing into Blue Indian.  We sure had a party going on at this point….as I said before, there just seemed to be a coherent flow to this show.  That was evidenced immediately when the band headed on into You Got Yours…..and just killed it.  After a huge Papa’s Home sandwiched with the drums they headed into Porch Song.  At this point, Warren Haynes, so nicely introduced by my buddy Dave, made his way out on stage and the band started up with Henry Parsons.  I thought at this point that given Warren’s travel issues the day before, here we were ¾ of the way through the Charlotte WP/ABB weekend and this was the first song Warren had played.  Needless to say, his game was on.  The set ended with Mr. Soul and Warren hanging out for the duration. I remember looking up at the video screen at one point and seeing JB ready to hit the lyrics as the jam was sort of ending…but he just looked over at Warren, stepped back as if to say you go after it as long as you want….and Warren just kept on going.   As I expected, the ABB show was certainly inspired with their band mate rejoining them onstage.   

Finishing up the first real travel day on tour, we arrived at our hotel in Columbia, MD after about 450 miles and 7 hours.  We arrived tired and hungry as planned, so we found us a nice crab shack and the MNF game.  With Garrie and Colin Vereen along for the meal, it was great to have a couple of family crew members to give us that “still at home” feeling.  And now, I’m really tired.  The plan is to get to the venue early tomorrow, find our way around and get ready once again.  And good news to end the day with….. I’ve got some onsite home computer assistance going down tomorrow with Wes Delk…..WP’s soundman for a good part of the 1990’s.  Wes has given us a little more breathing room….and once again shows how far these family tentacles reach.  There are so many special people coming through when you need them most.  Makes my world go round…..just like these guys Hardy and Dan I’ve got along for my ride.  We’re ready to get back on it tomorrow….wait…it is tomorrow.  Ouch!!!!!