Saturday, November 27, 2010

almost home

     This leg of the "Glow" tour is slowly coming to an end. We are in Pittsburg today. It's hard to keep track sometimes. The popular bus term is "ground hog day." Every day we are in a different city playing a different venue befreinding people as we move along. I really enjoy my job don't get me wrong. but most fans are out for a party night assuming we all are ready to throw down. While every show is different, It's hard to do it up every night. I guess that's why Keith Richards undergoes blood transfushions. Luckily we are saved by early bus calls with 12 - 15 hour drives.  It does not give us time to meander too far from our rolling cottage. It is entertaining to watch as we call them randoms roam around the bus as the venue closes. We turn out all the lights as the spectacle unfolds. You have to love one way glass!
     The last two weeks seem to go by quickly. John Oates from "Hall & Oates" was out with us for a week. John is a very nice guy as well as a seasoned musician. We played shows in Chicago, Pontiac, Cleveland and Nashville.  John has a new album coming out next spring so we played some of his new songs as well as a cool version of "I can't go for that." He has not been on a tour bus in 20 years. I don't think he knew what was he was about to experience. He was a great sport to endure smell socks and scary bathroom.  After a week with no hotels and only a few showers, his camping trip was over and off he was to his Aspen paradise. It was great hearing his stories and past experiences. Oh what it was to be a star in eighties.    
     We went to a few new spots on this tour. I made it a point to get out and check out what some of these cities had to offer. We took a posse to the Arch in St. Louis. It was quite an experience. I would not recommend this adventure for anyone who experiences claustrophobia. You travel to the top in these small pods with 5 people. The inside is the size of a Yugo. It's a beautiful view from the top. The view spans for miles. It's worth the 10 bucks. When we returned to our hotel,  we were cruising by a wedding reception taking place in the ballroom. We stopped to hear the band when the bartender approached us and told us it was the Temptations. So random. One of the member's daughter was getting hitched. Now that is a wedding band! 
   It was nice to see a good number of friends as we passed through the Midwest. Definitely one of the advantages of traveling the same routes once every year or so. I have met a lot of nice people over the past 5 years and established some lifelong friendships.  Plus they all have washers and clean bathrooms. It's always nice to get away from the rolling germ factory. 
     We are off to the big city now. Woo hoo! Three days off in NYC. My beautiful wife is flying out for some much needed R&R. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and until next time. 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

our Sweet ride

Day 9

     Its day nine, We just pulled to Salt Lake City. It's 30 degrees with light snow following. A great change from LA one week ago with 113 degree readings. We have been burning the roads up over the past week or so. From San Diego to Vancouver passing through LA, Santa Barbera, San Fransisco, Portland, Reno and Seattle. Bus life is going fine just crowded.At one point we had 10 people plus Donavon's two grommets living on this rolling road show. It was very tight. Matt our bass player who is a very large man who can easily pass for a Northwest trapper would fold himself up into his "sanctuary" An 8 foot long 2 foot wide bunk and read for hours to escape the madness. We are nine people deep now. Poor Xemena our opener is stuck on this contraption with all these guys whom she had just meet. She is a trooper. The bus seems a touch cleaner that the last tour. Usually there are clothes, rotten fruit, guitars, banjos, uke Donavon's dirty socks everywhere. Now there are only Donavon's dirty socks everywhere. 
     The shows have been great. Xemana is a star! She sounds amazing. The band has put together a great new show incorporating several new songs and new versions of some older ones. It's always nice to have a fresh approach to old material. The fans have been very responsive to the new songs. "Glow" continues to climb the charts and is being added at new stations every day. The only way to win the game these days are to pound the pavement. But that is our job. Bring the music to the people. The days of being a recording giant are over thanks to the Internet. 
     We are canceling two shows next due to the untimely passing of surfing star Andy Irons. Donavon and Andy were very close friends, neighbors as well as brand mates. Andy will be greatly missed. I had the privilege of hanging with Andy at Teahapoo a couple of years ago. Cat and I also rented his house for our honeymoon. He was a nice fella and an amazing surfer.  There will be a giant paddle out for Andy on Kauai next week. Donavon is flying home for the ceremony. My thoughts and prayers go out to Lindi and Andy's family. 
   That's all I have for now thanks for tuning in....


Sunday, November 7, 2010

Fall tour schedule

DONAVON'S  SHOWS

NOVEMBER 07, 2010
The Venue - VANCOUVER, BC
7:00pm

NOVEMBER 08, 2010
Crocodile Cafe - SEATTLE, WA
8:00pm

NOVEMBER 10, 2010
The Depot - SALT LAKE CITY, UT
7:00pm

NOVEMBER 11, 2010
Fox Theatre - BOULDER, CO
8:30pm

NOVEMBER 12, 2010
Bottleneck - LAWRENCE, KS
8:00pm

NOVEMBER 13, 2010
Blueberry Hill - ST. LOUIS, MO
8:00pm

NOVEMBER 14, 2010
The Vogue Theatre - INDIANAPOLIS, IN
7:00pm

NOVEMBER 15, 2010
Majestic Theatre - MADISON, WI
7:30pm

NOVEMBER 16, 2010
Varsity Theater - MINNEAPOLIS, MN
7:00pm

NOVEMBER 18, 2010
Double Door w/ special guest John Oates - CHICAGO, IL
8:00pm

NOVEMBER 19, 2010
Crofoot Ballroom w/ special guest John Oates - PONTIAC, MI
8:00pm

NOVEMBER 20, 2010
Beachland Ballroom w/ special guest John Oates - CLEVELAND, OH
7:30pm

NOVEMBER 21, 2010
3rd and Lindsley w/ special guest John Oates - NASHVILLE, TN
6:00pm

NOVEMBER 22, 2010
Bijou Theatre - KNOXVILLE, TN
7:00pm

NOVEMBER 23, 2010
The Orange Peel - ASHEVILLE, NC
7:00pm

NOVEMBER 24, 2010
Variety Playhouse - ATLANTA, GA
7:30pm

NOVEMBER 25, 2010
9:30 Club - WASHINGTON, D.C.
7:00pm

NOVEMBER 26, 2010
World Cafe Live - PHILADELPHIA, PA
7:00pm

NOVEMBER 27, 2010
Mr. Small's Theatre - PITTSBURGH, PA
8:00pm

DECEMBER 01, 2010
Webster Hall - NEW YORK, NY
8:00pm

DECEMBER 03, 2010
Paradise Rock Club - BOSTON, MA
8:00pm

DECEMBER 04, 2010
Higher Ground - BURLINGTON, VT
7:30pm


Mustache Manifestos are back

Donavon has teamed up with Contour hd camsto provide cameras for this tours daily updates. They are amazing video cams. Here's a link to the first manifesto. Much props to our video/web/drummer for putting this videos together


http://contour.com/stories/mustache-manifesto-glow-week-1

Saturday, November 6, 2010

tour transportation

Life on the bus

      Our days of "slumming it" at the Ritz are over. No more $6 coffees and $18 burgers. With that said, consequently  means no more showers or cozy beds. It's a blessing and a curse. We had a great show in Laguna Beach at the 10th annual Cosmic Creek Surf Event. The folks at Billabong always treat us all so well. This year's event was a costume contest with some great prizes for the best costumes or lack of costume. Some things should be covered up. A loin cloth is not a costume! Cordoba was kind enough to send some guitars and ukes for prizes as well as Doc from Surf Prescriptions gave away a great board.
       We spent our Halloween on our newly wrapped rolling home in which 9 of us will be calling home until December 5th. Our first show of the actual "Glow" tour was in Solana Beach at the Belly Up.  The venue is right across from the ocean which allowed for some much needed surf time. The Belly Up is always a fun show. So many people who support Donny and the band live in that area so it becomes a large backstage party. Thanks to our friend Bonner, who brought us 2 cases of Gentleman Jack and Herradura Tequila, our bus if fully stocked and our livers will be leather by December. All of our sponsors were around for the show. Billabong, Coors Light, Sanuk, Verizon and Cordoba. They are all so nice to us. 
     If any of you get a chance check out Ximena Saranana. She is our opener for the tour. What an amazing voice! Ximena has a new song out with Jason Mraz which is spiking the charts in Mexico. She is the real deal. I hope she's up for a bus load of stinky men. Well that's all folks! Life on the road continues. Speaking of I think the bus just broke down... 

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Here we go again,,,

     The last week and a half has been a busy one for all of in Frankenreiter camp. We started off last week with a Fuel TV performance for a show called the Daily Habit. I have mixed feelings about tv. It is always a little nerve racking. Despite the performance itself, there is a lot of security, paperwork and hectic scheduling. It takes hours to prepare everything for the 3 minutes of fury for the actual show. It's always fun to be on those movie lots and pass by sets being constructed and deconstructed. We saw the set of "Chicago" being built.  Tuesday we performed on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. That was a blast! Everyone including my wife and Jimmy Kimmel were wearing stick on mustaches. It cracks me up to see all those silly staches out there in audience.
    We were spoiled for the rest of the week with swanky hotels in Hollywood. Donavon was kind enough to put Catherine and myself in the Graffton on Sunset Boulevard. Our room came complete with blood stained sheets. Strange! The latter part of the week we spent at the "W" Hotel on Hollywood and Vine. In leu of the $300/bottle table service for Jack Daniels, We opted for the Irish Pub across the street. $3/beer that's what I'm talking about!
     I have mixed feelings about Hollyweird. Everyone looks like a movie star except the stars themselves. Cat and I did spot Chef Gordon Ramsey and LL Cool J while we were out. By Friday we were glad to head down to Orange County. Next stop, The Ritz Charlton for three days. Fun, sun and surfing in beautiful Southern California and home of The Cosmic Creek Surf contest. Woo hoo!