I've noticed that the blog entries have been few and far between in the last weeks. Betse has tried to keep you updated, but my entries are more fleeting. Why? I'm tired as hell! I'm thinking this is why...
24 hours on the life of The Wilders:
7:45am: Wake up. Realize that I'm in The Chief. Realize that I haven't had any water or food in the last 12 hours. Panic.
8:00am: Actually get out of bed. Try not to wake other Wilders. Know that it's impossible. Say, "screw it" and put away sleeping bag, fold up couch and, in doing so, find dirty socks from the day before while other Wilders pretend to sleep regardless of the commotion.
8:05am: Find clean underwear, T-shirt and towel in suitcase and put on shoes for run to the shower.
8:06am: Nod, but don't speak to Betse, who is also headed out for cleansing.
8:07am: Look back at Ike and Nate- who continue to pretend to sleep.
8:10am: Peel off dirty clothes and wash off in RV park shower. Pretend not to freak out about all the foot fungus that is probably on the floor.
8:20am: Dress, brush teeth, pee and walk back to the RV.
8:25am: Nod, but don't speak to Betse, who is also back at the RV from her shower.
8:39am: Heat up water for coffee. Banish stinky clothes from the day before to the closet.
8:45am: Force Nate and Ike from their pretense of sleep. Remind them of the departure time we agreed to the night before. Lay on a guilt trip. Watch as they begrudingly become verticle.
8:50am: Speak to Betse for the first time. Tell her that the coffee's ready. Pour a thermos full for myself. Sweet coffee. Wonderful coffee...
9:00am: Move chairs, CD product, T-shirt box, maps, backpack, cell phone, Rolling Stone "Top 500 albums of all time" issue, USA Today newspaper from the day before, bass amp, checkbook, Nerf Football, gallons of water, television set, dining room table and other miscellaneous gear from front area of RV back into "travelling location".
9:05am: Watch as Nate and Ike finally get their crap put away and go to shower.
9:15am: Throw away trash, pull electrical connection, check oil and tires on The Chief.
9:20am: Wish a "good morning" to Nate and Ike as they return from the shower.
9:30am: Play "rock, paper, scissors", to see who drives the first shift. I always lose.
9:31am : Leave for next gig. Frequent stops are necessary for gas and urination obligations. Ice, beer and water are purchased and stored in The Chief. Fast food is consumed on the way for minimal nourishment.
7:00pm (sometimes later, sometimes earlier): Arrive at gig.
7:05pm: Enter club and greet bartender, club owner, and sound man (in that order...)
7:20pm: Explain to sound man that we use a single microphone "all the time" and reassure him that "everything will be ok...we are professionals..."
7:25pm: Complete sound check after manipulating club's EQ units so that our mic doesn't roar with feedback while sound man looks on in bewilderment.
7:30pm: Leave club for dinner at local burger/sub/pizza/or unknown recommended restaurant within walking distance.
7:45pm: Order and wait for food, wish for more time to consume it. Eat it too fast anyway.
8:20pm: Head back to RV to change clothes, drink a beer, chill out.
9:00pm: Go back into club to hang out, drink another beer, chill out.
9:45pm: Tune instruments, get one more beer, wait for opening act to finish.
10:00pm: Start show, try to get into it regardless of personal feelings, remember to play tunes that were requested. Try to deal with multiple string breaks and rowdy audience members.
Midnight: Finish set with encore. Talk to rowdy audience members. Try to convince them to buy CD's. Ask them to buy additional beers for themselves in hopes of getting one more "drunken impulse buy".
12:45am: Pack up instruments, CD's, T-shirts, and other miscellaneous gear and load out to The Chief.
1:00am: Change back into sweaty clothes from before show. Hang up sweaty show clothes. Drink water and eat corn chips.
1:15am: Go back into club for "idiot check". Determine that all gear and personnel are accounted for and say goodbyes to sound man, club owner, bartender (in that order...).
1: 20am: Look at map and determine possible overnight RV park possibilities.
1:30am: Leave for RV park destination. Listen to music, talk about the day, talk about the gig, talk about people at the gig, fall asleep in an uncomfortable position in one of the chairs. Wake up and go in the back to crash on the floor.
2:30am: Arrive at RV park. Pay at the "late arrivals" station. Find spot. Plug in. Move chairs, CD product, T-shirt box, maps, backpack, cell phone, Rolling Stone "Top 500 albums of all time" issue, USA Today newspaper from day before, bass amp, checkbook, Nerf Football, gallons of water, television set, dining room table and other miscellaneous gear from "travelling location" to front area of RV. Open fold out couch, overhead bed and get out blow-up bed in preparation for minimal night's sleep.
3:00am: Go to shower, brush teeth, pee and walk back to RV.
3:10am: Say goodnight, try to go to sleep as soon as possible. Know that that the sleep I'm gonna get will never be enough.
7:45am: Wake up. Realize that I'm in The Chief. Realize that I haven't had any water or food in the last 12 hours. Panic.
Hello there! I echo earlier comments regarding the happiness and excitement one experiences when seeing a Wilders show. And, yes, that joy does live on after the show. This past Friday, ya'll played here in St. Louis again. My mood had been sour all week--no details necessary there. And the show lifted me up. I thank all four of you for providing that injection of energy each and every time I see ya'll play. You make me smile, and tap my foot in beWILDERment. (Sorry, stole that part from Betse!) Carl and I have so much fun during your shows. Too bad we didn't live in KC to enjoy the early years on a regular basis!
ReplyDeleteTake care of yourself, Wilders. Keep your head up, and the energy strong, and the body nourished and hydrated. Soon, you will be living comfortably...I'm certain of it. Bus envy will be behind you....it's only a matter of time.
Maybe I've already told you this, but just remember, someday you will look back on all this and ... shudder.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds of a line my old great grandmother told me when I was young. She didn't drink. She said one day
ReplyDelete" No Horse is so scraggily that you can't hitch a horse to it." I think that could mean several things, but one of them is no matter how crazy, stupid or hard your dreams are, they can, with hard work, dedication,determination, etc,etc, come true. At first I thought she was refering to me being so ugly that no woman would marry me. She was kinda right, we were both drunk. We all could lighten the load on the Wilders by driving for them, I already checked into it and my boss and my wife think I'm crazy, stupid and don't want to work hard.
All right, as long as we're doing this stuff.
ReplyDelete"That which does not kill you can still put you in the hospital for quite a while."
"You can lead a horse to water, but it's a dang lot of trouble."
And semi-seriously, "Happiness is remembered a lot more than it's experienced."
Don't know who said any of that. It's hard enough to remember what they said.
Tickmiester, your quotes are the best. Here's another from Great Gandma:
ReplyDeleteThrough the night of doubt and sorrow
Onward goes the pilgram band
singing songs of expectation
Marching to the Promised Land
I think that may be a pertinent quote, probalby from an old hymn. I prefer the funnier ones, but I'm drawing a blank, but it has to do with the evilness of idleness, so I think I will return to work.