Saturday, October 15, 2011

Sweat Sweat and More Sweat

As we continued our steamy Summer tour down the East Coast, I gradually became hotter and hotter. Our next stop was Wellfleet Mass at the Beachcomber. Thanks to our good friends at Pipeline Surfshop, we were able to get off the bus and grab some waves down at a local break called Coast Guards.   The poor folks at the shop must hate it when we show up with a handful of people wanting to take out their best sticks. We always play two nights at the Beachcomber. I love this place because it is at the end of the road. There is nothing around for miles, spotty cell service and no shower. We parked the bus behind the venue and camp for a couple of days. The Comber has some of the best seafood the Cape has to offer. MMMmm... I love the lobster.  The fans are off the chart. People pile in this little place after dinner is finished and the Comber is transformed from Seafood shack to concert venue. The staff takes a break and gears up for the thirsty fans. The stage doubles as a dinner table area during the day. It feels like I am at home playing a local gig. 
     Both shows were great and the second day, we scored some great surf right before dark. It was a solid 6 foot swell jamming on the sand bars right out front of the Comber. I ran down the hill towards the beach board in hand with no leash and very little wax thinking it was waist high. Boy was I wrong. I swear I thought Donavon was going to break my longboard in half as he was sliding into these ridiculous barrels. I became very humbled as I paddled out. 
     At 3 am, we loaded up and headed to Fairfield for the next show. The Fairfield show was sold out and super fun. The Venue was a small theater nestled in the heart of the city. The patrons were sitting at tables around the horse shoe-shaped stage which made for an intimate show. It was a nice change from the sardine packed Beachcomber plus there was a shower unlike the past few days. It was nice to be back in civilization and Starbucks. 
     The next drive was a long one. We drove all the way out to Montauk, NY to play a free show at the Surf Lodge. Once again the venue is right on the water and the weather was great. This was my third time at the Lodge. We quickly got off the bus and headed down to the ditch to get some surf. The beaches in this area are all covered with stones which makes it very difficult to walk your board out. My poor toe got hung in between some rocks and pulled it out of socket. The locals were kind enough to lend us some foamies from their surf school quiver. I ran into surf legend Tom Curren while we were out in the water. The locals out at the ditch are very friendly and will let you get your share of waves. It seems to be a small knit surf community up there. Although I do hear the local sea life is not so friendly. There seem to be a good deal of shark sightings in the area due to a trash dump located off the coast. 
     The show at the lodge was over crowded and full of very wealthy vacationers from all over. The lodge is set up like a small open air bar and eatery with a 25 room hotel attached to it. It lies somewhere in between hostel and Boutique. I have never seen some many luxury cars in one place. The venue holds around 500 people but that night I heard there were around 1500 peeps on the property. The fire Marshall was not happy. After our 90 minute set the lodge turns into a disco inferno with bass pumping jams blasting out the crowd while they sip on their $15 cocktails. 

     After recovering from a late night, I headed down to the beach with the Billabong crew and surfed off the last night's binge. Nothing like cold ass water to wake up your hangover. Donny was already at the beach with a photographer shoot some amazing photos on a tin plate camera. 

Friday, September 30, 2011

Nantucket and beyond

     Our next stop took us the Island of Nantucket. This is our 3rd time at the old Chicken Box. The venue used to be an eating and watering hole for seasonal workers on the island. Unfortunately, there is no more chicken at the box only beer, booze and music. The Box holds about 400 people and has no a/c. It is legendary among the islanders for good times and good music. The venue has a band house/hostel attached to it which has not been renovated since it was built who knows when. It is scary what may be growing underneath that joint. The band house has a few a bedrooms and a gross non-working kitchen and a mold ridden bathroom but there is laundry! So it is best to sleep in your dirty clothes then wash them in the morning. 
     The whole journey to get to the island is quite an experience. The only way to the island is by ferry or by plane. Since our private jet was in the shop, we opted to board the ferry. Unfortunately our tour bus can't fit on the ferry so we had to cross load our gear and personal items on the ferry. Not fun! The ferry ride is about an hour long and actually very pleasant. After cramming 9 of us plus gear and dirty laundry into the Chicken Box van we headed through the quaint little town that looks like it was out a Hemingway novel. Rustic houses sprinkled in with cool little eating spots and watering holes line the narrow cobblestone streets.  Tourist as well as locals travel the cobblestone roads on scooters and bikes from bar to bar. It is such a neat place with a lot of history and mystique. 
     The crew dumped off our stuff and headed straight to the beach for a surf. The waves were  waist high and the water was brisk but crystal clear. Once again, it is always a great feeling to cleanse the body after being shoved around from place to place in cars, buses and in this case ferries. The surf instructors at the surf camp were dumbfounded as we blitzed their camp and took all their rentals. Good times! 
     The second day the band jumped on a 23 foot center console fishing boat and went out to catch some dinner. We caught a lot of fish as well as 6-8 foot seas. It was so worth it! We ran up on a school of blues and could not pull them in fast enough. We all had some good fights with some very playful fish. Four hours later we took our sea legs back to the hostel for some R&R before the show. 
     Both shows were sold out plus people were sneaking in through the side doors. It was a fire marshall's nightmare! As long as I am on stage the tightness does not bother me but in the crowd it would be a totally different situation. The shows were great and I swear I lost 5 pounds of water weight from sweating. Those floks were amped and ready to party. There were so many loyal fans who have been to all the shows in years past. 
     After the second show, we were invited to go up to the Maria Mitchell Observatory to see Jupiter. Oh my, this was one of the greatest parts of the whole tour. There were two scopes set up in two observatories. One was from the 1800s and the other was brand new. I think I spotted ET and the rings around Uranus....

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Going Down East Coast Style

     Following our short stay in Montreux, we headed back to the states to finish the East Coast leg of our summer tour. Our first stop of 21 shows was Salisbury Mass. I love this place. Salisbury is a quaint little beach town nestled in the Cape area. There are some great surf spots as well as some great fishing. This was our second time playing the Blue Ocean Hall. This show was connected to an event hosted by Zapstix Surf Shop and featured many bands as well as several artists.  Todo Bien, G Love, Donavon, The Dead Air Project and Seth Pettersen all performed over the 3 day fest. 
     We were met with a warm welcome at the Airport by our buddy Patrick Hall. He had us stocked with party favors and put us up in a cool little condo right on the Beach. We jumped up the next morning and headed up the coast in search of some swell. We ended up finding a little point break and grab some SUP's and caught a few peelers with our buddy Skip. The water was freezing but it was a great way to wash off the travel and airplane goo. If you travel often you will know what I speak of. 
     Our show at the Blue Ocean was packed and the crowd was amped. The show was a good kick off for the tour. Surf artist Jay Alders had his work on display and our opener Seth Pettersen did a great job arousing the early goers. It was a good time by all. It was great to catch up with friends and have a little down time before jumping on the tour bus and heading south for 21 shows in a row. 
Donavon and Me on the huge set wave

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Switzerland and beyond

     It has been a long minute since I have reported in to all of you. After our 3 week stint through California and a brief trip to Portugal, We traveled home for a whole 6 days before we once again boarded that big jet airliner. This trip took us to Montreaux, Switzerland for the Montreaux Jazz Festival. I have to admit that I had a few butterflies buzzing around my belly when I heard the news that we were performing. This festival is one of the most prestigious music and art festivals in the world. We had the honor of playing in the newly built Miles Davis Auditorium. 
     This festival runs for 3 weeks and is spread out over several venues in the downtown district. There are over 100 acts performing each year. Although the fest is labeled as a "Jazz" festival, many genres are represented. I heard everything from funk and soul to Latin. It was a blast walking along Lake Geneva and hearing the sounds of music drifting through the Summer air. 
     The city was littered with beautiful sculptures everywhere. The art pieces were constructed of every material imaginable. There were also a slew of merchants with booths set up alongside the lake selling everything from funnel cakes to lava lamps. It was like a county fair Swiss style. And lucky for us, there were lots of beer gardens spread throughout the festival area. 
     The day of our performance, we strolled out to the lake for a quick dip. Donavon and I were the only takers. The water in the lake is as clear as glass and full of wildlife.  Across the lake was a beautiful view of France. It seemed so close that you could skip a rock atop the surface to the border. After our freshwater bath we loaded up the van and took off to the Hall for soundcheck. 
     The festival production team run a tight ship. Everything was in place and ready for the band to get going. Each band member had a few people around their rigs helping out with any problems with the gear or stage. Quite a far cry from playing the bar/restaraunt scene I am used to at home.  The backline instruments were prestine and in perfect working order. Each band member had a camera man assigned to their station. I had a beautiful white B3 brought over from France for the festival as well as some other great gear.  
     The show was good and the crowd was very responsive.We had a strong showing. The production was awesome from the craziest light show to the jumbotrons on both sides of the stage. The whole experience was a blast. After the show we headed back to the Hotel and sat on the balcony and absorbed the post show high as well as a few tasty beverages. The next morning we were whisped back to Geneva and on to the next leg down the East Coast of the states. 

Friday, July 15, 2011

Mmmm Burritos

      My most favorite thing about California is the Mexican food. Not only is the food cheap but so fresh and flavorful. For the whole Cali run I was on a 2 burrito/day diet. Meal-in-a-sack, what a great invention!  
     After rubbing elbows with rich and elite, We headed over to Santa Cruz then down the coast making stops thru Half Moon Bay, San Luis Obispo and Avila Beach. These shows were a string of promo gigs for Coors Light. One of Donavon and the band's corporate sponsors. All these took place in small venues catered to clients and associates of the brand. Most of these hits were full of drunken bar goers and loud networkers. We did leave these shows with some new fans. The rule of thumb for free shows goes as follows, If you don't pay you don't appreciate. Not always true, but these shows seem this way. Through the obnoxiously loud crowd, we managed to muscle though these shows. My mortgage does thank Miller Coors for the work. 
Diamond Donny on failed trumpet
     Our next proper show was at the Bircher Aquarium in San Diego. What a great place! The actual show took place over the man made outdoor reef behind the aquarium. I could look over the stage and see starfish and sea cucumbers everywhere. As I gazed over my right shoulder I had a beautiful view of some great surf peeling away from the La Jolla pier. The show was sold out and we even had a random high-heeled reef dancing girl. The security guard came to remove Miss Dancing Shoes from the rocky reef before she went down into sea cucumber hizzy but she was playing hard to get. That was very entertaining. Here are a few pictures from the gig.
under the sea or stage in this case






Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Going back to Cali

Hello all, Once again the DF summer tour has begun. After a very short trip to Brazil and short stay back at the hizzy in good old Jacksonville, we headed out to California for a three week tour down the coast finishing up with a 72 hour trip to Lisbon, Portugal to play a festival. 
     Our first stop took us to the town of Petaluma. I love this little town. Petaluma reflects the good aspects of small town living with the benefits of being in close proximity of a major city. The town is full of Hippie cowboys. Just grab your boots and hat throw on that tie dye and head down to the five and dime/coffee shop. We spent a couple of days at the Best Western Petaluma and enjoyed the not so fresh continental breakfast. At least it was the right price. The show was at The Mystic Theater in downtown Petaluma. The Mystic has a great vibe and a friendly staff. 
    The following day, we packed into the Sprinter and drove up to McCloud for a private party for members of the William Hearst legacy. The party was poolside at the Wyntoon Mansion which happens to be nestled deep down in the forest of McCloud. This place is off limits to the general public and can only be accessed by a two path road guarded by big black bears and mosquitos. This Castle was left by Willie to be used exclusively for direct descendants of his blood line. The main house is something out of a mid-evil story book. Each room is filled with furnishings, artwork and personal items of William and his children. The property has a fast flowing spring-fed river flowing around the house. There are giant trees securing any ariel paparazzi from stealing some photos. The party was fun and turned into an in the pool party for most of the guest. The best part was Pete's rendition of "Baby's got Back" which was topped off by Donny's perfect 10 one and half off the diving board in his manties. 

     The late night party finished up at smaller mansions down the road in the actual town of McCloud that was also owned by Hearst. We arrived at the house late so we could not see the layout of our accommodations but when I awoke at 5:30 am for lobby call and made to order breakfast, I could not believe my eyes. It was as if I clicked my heels and appeared in 16 century Europe. That is when I realized this is how the other half lives. Once again our schedule never allows for much down time and the rule of thumb is if the gig is at an amazing spot, there is no time to enjoy. I do feel blessed to have the opportunity to visit this beautiful place that otherwise would be completely out of reach. Now on to another place....

Saturday, June 11, 2011

One week in Brazil part 1

     We are racking up those frequent flyer miles. This is our second trip down to Brazil this year. I am not quite sure if I ever recovered from the last one. This time we were slated to play three shows over a week's span. It seems so simple in theory. Three 90 minute shows in three different cities in seven days. Well, once again my love / hate relationship with this beautiful country has reemerged. We flew into Sao Paulo on Wednesday morning and rushed into a van for a "short" drive down to a small beach town to relax for the day. The drive turned out to be more like 3 1/2 hours thru the heart of Sao Paulo. Let me tell you that the last thing I want to do is sit in a van for three plus hours after 14 hours of airports and airplanes. I will say the beach was gorgeous and uncrowded. Donavon, Tito and I managed to grab a few waves after stuffing ourselves with massive amounts of freshly fried seafood and washing it all down with too many Skol beers. The surf was small but the scenery was breathtaking. It is so nice to wash off the travel stinch with some warm ocean water. We were greeted by a few sea turtles hanging just outside the break. 


seafood extravaganza
      The Alma Surf peeps always go above and beyond for their acts they promote. They organized a small get together for us back at our surf lodge style hotel where we consumed way too much beer. The following morning after a 6 a.m. lobby call, we headed right back to where we were the day before. The whole day off beach experience was a great idea but it seemed we spent more time in traffic than actually relaxing which is par for the course with any Brazilian tour. 

     Donavon's music is on an upswing in Brazil. Our first show was sold out. Around 7,000 screaming fans were packed like sardines in a can into a small arena littered with action sports booths everywhere. The event put on by Alma Surf was a mix between music, art and board sports. The venue sported a full on mobile skatepark and art show on the top floor. The event coordinator told me the unofficial count was around 12,000 people through the door for the entire event. Needless to say the fans were anxious and excited. Photos courtesy of Alice Martins   
view from the stage


Brazilian Flava Flav kickin' out the Jams
     After the show, The whole posse went out for the late night all-you-can-stuff meat buffet. It was great! Lamb chops, beef and pork ribs, chicken hearts, sausage, beef fillets and oh yeah caipirinhas. It was awesome until I realized that I had a 6 a.m. lobby call once again. 













Tuesday, May 31, 2011

the land down under

     In late February, The Donavon gang headed to the Southern Hemisphere for a month long stint through Tasmania OZ and the Land of Kiwi. We were there for just shy of a month. Touring those territories are very easy and well planned. We started out in the South and made our way to the West coast for few shows in Perth and Margaret River.  It was the beginning of their Fall season so the weather was nice with mild temps and very little rain.
     The tour seemed to fly by as we seemed to spend more time in the air than actually on the ground. We had at least 20 flight over those 29 days. It's always such a pain in the butt to have to drag a 70lb keyboard, Trumpet, cable bag and luggage through these airports especially with all the baggage overages. Our poor tour manager Tito and the promoter rep had to sweet talk all the gate agents in an effort to lower our overages which in some case would run as much as 2000.00 per flight. I am so thankful that I don't have to deal with that mess. It's hard enough to live out of a suitcase, constantly be on the move and perform almost every night.I think the hardest part of touring is coping with airports and the lack of sleep. 
     This was my fifth trip to Australia and let me tell you it is so expensive. The U.S. dollar has been sliding against the Aussie dollar for the last year and prices of food and necessities have been on the rise. The average fast food meal runs upwards $10 U.S and a six pack of beer is around $22. Our per diems do not go very far. Restaurants actually charge for condiments. How about a $9 dollar Big Mac? At least there are lots of options for dining all throughout Oz. Meat pies a plenty!
     We traveled over to the East coast for the second half of the tour. All the shows were great and we were well received. I managed to get a surf in with Donavon, Will Conner and Taylor Steele at the point in Byron Bay. What a great wave! There was talk of a session with Kelly Slater but he was busy after winning the contest at Snapper Rocks. Byron is my favorite place in Australia. The vibe is super cool and the town is laden with great foods stops, shopping and street vendors. There's definitely a hippie vibe happening throughout that whole area. 
     We left Oz and headed down to New Zealand for the rest of the tour. Donavon was scheduled to do a show in Christ Church but in wake of the recent quake there, the show was cancelled. Bummer! New Zealand has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. The landscape is very lush with breath taking harbors and tropical rain forest. The Kiwi people are so genuine and they have such a warm welcoming spirit. Plus the beer is amazing and I do like a good beer. The locals are hungry for good music and it shows in there attitudes at the concerts. After two shows in the land of kiwi, we headed back to Jacksonville.  Fifty-two hours of delayed flights and airport layovers we finally made our way home. That was the longest travel experience in all of my years as a touring musician. The good news is we are heading back down to New Zealand for New Years. Bring on those frequent flyer miles and thank God for the Red Carpet Club!


       
     

Sunday, May 29, 2011

D.R. photos






Heading South.

     Well, it's been too long since my last post. A lot has happened over the past 3 months. We have been burning up the airways. After Brazil I had the priveladge of traveling to the Dominican Republic with pro surfers Asher Nolan and Cody Thompson and up and legendary film maker Luke Thorpe . My wife and I were invited by our friends from Zapstix Surf shop in Salisbury Mass to come down to their new surf camp in D.R. This was my first trip down to the Dominican. It is such a beautiful place chalked full of great waves and beautiful beaches. After a few days of surf and sun, Our friend/personal tour guide Pat Hall and I played a couple of super fun shows for the local peeps and tourists in Cabarete. First of all, I never realized how heavy the waves are down there. The area around Cabarete has some sketchy reefs and pounding beach breaks. Needless to say I sat out a couple of sessions in fear of having my butt pounded on the reef riddled with spiny sea urchins.
     The fellas at Zapstix surf camp treated us to an island style BBQ while Pat and I entertained the campers with an impromptu Jam session/rehearsal. The weather is grand year round and the waves seem to pump during hurricane season into well into Winter. The water is crystal clear and so warm year round. The beaches are beautiful and uncrowded. It's nice to take walks along the coast from cove to cove climbing over mounds of volcanic rocks.
     As the sun sets in Cabarete, The parties begin and don't seem to stop until sun up. Outdoor bars and discos line the beach and people flow in and out from club to club. It becomes quite a scene after 10pm with street vendors and locals selling everything from ice cream to boot-legged dvds.
     Pat and I played two shows and we seemed well received. It's always fun to play music with friends and for people who appreciate live music. It is truly a universal language that knows no borders. A local musician was kind enough to let me use some of his gear which is very hard to come by in the Dominican. Especially with the prices of baggage fees by Spirit Air. They love to take advantage of weary travelers. You even have to pay for carry-ons!
     After a week of fun in the sun it was time to head back to good old Jax. We had a grand old party the last night before our 3a.m. flight back to Florida. I want to say thanks to Mike, Pat, James and John for making our trip possible and for the unbelievable hospitality that they all arranged for Cat and myself. so until next time...

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Brazil Pics








Viva Brasil

     Our next few shows in Brazil were amazing. We went down to the coast to the city of Atlanchida and managed to grab a few waves before our show. The shows in Brazil are so late in comparison to places like Japan where the downbeat starts around 7. I would always manage to sneak in a catnap before the session. Thank goodness the coffee is very potent.  Once my body becomes sleep deprived it is impossible to actually get proper rest. So I had to offset the jetlag compounded by early flights with heavy doses of caffeine. I swear these people never sleep.
      We had a few days off in Sao Paulo after 4 shows in a row. Our hosts from Alma Surf had plenty of activities planned for us. Matt became deathly ill from an unknown virus the he may have contracted from Chile. He was out of commission and under a Brazilian physician’s care for 3 days. The promoters had the great idea of having MTV sponsor a Rock and Jock soccer game between the band and a team of Brazilians. To our defense we did acquire a few Brazilians from Alma Surf to join us. We actually held our ground considering we looked like the Bad News Bears of Futbol. Donny attempted several Bicycle kicks that were nearly successful and our TM  managed to score a few goals. I on the other hand was completely useless. Nevertheless it was a fun day and we all got some much needed exercise. The downside was I paid for it for the next two days.
     Our tour guides took us all down to the largest farmer’s market in the heart of Sao Paulo. This market is where consumers and restaurant owners come to purchase fruits, veggies, meat and fish. I saw some very interesting pieces of animals displayed by the vendors. These people use every piece. Nothing is wasted.  You could buy every part and reassemble the animal if you chose. It is quite a different food culture from the states. There were rows and rows of vendors selling delicious cheeses, chocolates, acai bowls, wines, olive oils, spices. I was beginning to get dizzy from gazing upon all the goodies.
     We finished to the tour with two shows in Florinopolis in the South of Brazil with Ben Harper. The shows were on the beach making for a breathtaking backdrop. Each show was packed with 15,000 very elated Brazilians. Ben Harper and his band were great as always. After the final concert, the Donavon crew as well as Ben and his peeps went over to watch the Super Bowl at a beautiful house on the cliffs over looking the Concert area. I had the best time listening to Ben and Tom Curren try to explain the rules of American football to a bunch of soccer fans.
     After two weeks of no sleep and way too much food, we boarded our flights and went on our separate ways back home. This was my third trip to Brazil and by far the best. The Brazilian people are very hospitable and passionate about their country and their culture. With every trip I feel that I get a better taste of what this country has to offer. 

Viva Brasil


     Our next few shows in Brazil were amazing. We went down to the coast to the city of Atlanchida and managed to grab a few waves before our show. The shows in Brazil are so late in comparison to places like Japan where the downbeat starts around 7. I would always manage to sneak in a catnap after the session. Thank goodness the coffee is very potent.  Once my body becomes sleep deprived it is impossible to actually get proper rest. So I had to offset the jetlag compounded by early flights with heavy doses of caffeine. I swear these people never sleep.
      We had a few days off in Sao Paulo after 4 shows in a row. Our hosts from Alma Surf had plenty of activities planned for us. Matt became deathly ill from an unknown virus the he may have contracted from Chile. He was out of commission and under a Brazilian physician’s care for 3 days. The promoters had the great idea of having MTV sponsor a Rock and Jock soccer game between the band and a team of Brazilians. To our defense we did acquire a few Brazilians from Alma Surf to join us. We actually held our ground considering we looked like the Bad News Bears of Futbol. Donny attempted several Bicycle kicks that were nearly successful and our TM managed to score a few goals. I on the other hand was completely useless. Nevertheless it was a fun day and we all got some much needed exercise. The downside was I paid for it for the next two days.
     Our tour guides took us all down to the largest farmer’s market in the heart of Sao Paulo. This market is where consumers and restaurant owners come to purchase fruits, veggies, meat and fish. I saw some very interesting pieces of animals displayed by the vendors. These people use every piece. Nothing is wasted.  You could buy every part and reassemble the animal if you chose. It is quite a different food culture from the states. There were rows and rows of vendors selling delicious cheeses, chocolates, acai bowls, wines, olive oils, spices. I was beginning to get dizzy from gazing upon all the goodies.
     We finished to the tour with two shows in Florinopolis in the South of Brazil with Ben Harper. The shows were on the beach making for a breathtaking backdrop. Each show was packed with 15,000 very elated Brazilians. Ben Harper and his band were great as always. After the final concert, the Donavon crew as well as Ben and his peeps went over to watch the Super Bowl at a beautiful house on the cliffs over looking the Concert area. I had the best time listening to Ben and Tom Curren try to explain the rules of American football to a bunch of soccer fans.
     After two weeks of no sleep and way too much food, we boarded our flights and went on our separate ways back home. This was my third trip to Brazil and by far the best. The Brazilian people are very hospitable and passionate about their country and their culture. With every trip I feel that I get a better taste of what this country has to offer. 

Monday, March 14, 2011

South of the Border

After coming off freezing but yet successful tour, We headed down to Brazil for a couple of weeks of sun, surf and music. After our grueling commute from good old Jacksonville, We landed in Sao Paulo at 3 a.m. and went for an hour long car ride across the Sao Paulo metropolis to our hotel to meet the rest of the crew. On top of being exhuasted from our previous bout with the Great Blizzard, We had 45 minute nap before our 5:30 am lobby call to board yet another flight to our first show. I filled myself full of Caffeine and loaded the people mover. Donavon and Grundy as well as surfing icon Tom Curren met up with us at the lobby looking far more rested the Florida crew.
     I have to preface all of this with a little information about touring and traveling in Brazil. First of all, I love this place. Brazil has amazing food and coffee. Every hotel has a complimentary breakfast spread chaulked full of fresh fruits, Juices, cold cuts, cheese assortments, eggs, bacon and freshly baked pastries. It makes a great start for the day or end to your night as in this case. Brazil is also known for it's Chucharrista style restaurants  which fashion a crazy assortment of beef, veal, chicken, pork and everything in between cooked on giants skewers on an open flame.  The all have amazing salad  spreads as well as table side service for the BBQ. There goes the diet!
     Our first show was down at Brava Beach. By the time we got to our hotel  after another two hour plane ride followed by a hour long van ride we were so spun out with jetlag and sleep depervation. I managed to sneak in a short nap before soundcheck. Brava Beach is beautiful place with a great left hand point break right out front of the venue. We managed to sneak in a surf in between load in and soundcheck. I was great to get a surf in with Donny and Tom Curren at the same time. The waves were great and the locals were super cool as well as our promoters from Alma Surf. It's always fun to walk to soundcheck barefoot with your trunks on still wet from the surf.
     Our first show was packed full of hungry enthusiastic Brazilian fans. ABout 2500 of them were packed like sardines in an can. Brazilans are definately are night owls. Our show started around 3:30 a.m. and ended around sun up. Welcome to life south of the border. 
    

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Travel woes


     It has been another crazy month or so for the Donavon Camp. After a great tour of Japan, We headed home for a couple of weeks before heading down to South America. We had time to squeeze a few gigs in with my other project “3.” It’s nice to come home and play some music with my friends in a smaller more intimate setting. It gives me a chance to let loose so to speak. I love playing concerts and shows, but it’s fun to be in a looser environment and have the room to stretch out a little. I feel that I am very blessed to have the best of both worlds. The bar/restaurant scene can get very tiring and taxing on the body with late nights and loud music as well as the touring scene also puts a lot of strain on one’s internal clock with crazy flights and bus rides. I feel sometimes I live in my own random time zone where the only thing that keeps me straight is the sunrise and sunset unless we are in the land of no darkness like the Alaskan Summer.
     On January 26th, The Jax crew headed down to Brazil for two weeks of surf and music. Our first flight took us up to Washington DC where we were to catch a flight down to Sao Paulo. We boarded the first and last flight to DC out of Jacksonville Airport that day. As the plane approached the Dulles runway, I opened the window shade to have a look and much to my surprise there was no runway. It was completely covered in snow. It almost seemed we were landing on a white lake. A snowstorm came through the Northeast during our flight. It dumped 10 or so inches within an hour’s time. It was a surreal experience that I prefer to never go through again. We landed safely only to find out that the airport was closing and our flight had been rescheduled for the following day. We were blessed to have family close by to come rescue us from sleeping in the baggage claim area. Thank God we made it to our resting place before the highways closed. The Airport freeway looked like a scene out of “Mad Max.” There were cars abandoned in ditches and off ramps everywhere. Commuters left their cars out of gas and proceeded on foot.
     After 18 hours of waiting we finally boarded our nine hour flight down to Sao Paulo, Brazil. And thus the tour began. 

  

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Where am I again?


 It has been quite some time since my last update. Life has been so busy the past few months. It seems the holidays never even came. We had a long extensive tour of the states in the fall followed by a crazy snow filled trip to Mammoth, California in the middle of a blizzard. Then after two weeks of home life back out on the road. My poor wife is a blessed soul with amazing patience. I feel like I have only seen her in passing over the last few months. She deserves a medal of honor. My sweet esposa deserves some "normalcy." 

 After Christmas, The Jacksonville crew loaded up and went out to Orange County for a New Year's show with Tom Curren, Timmy Curran and Sugar Ray. The show was fun. Tom Curren has a strong voice and a very unique style. Timmy brought a full band and has taken an Arcade Fire approach for his new material. Sugar Ray is still Sugar Ray. Timeless...

 I was able to spend some time with friends and relax in Anaheim for a few days. Unfortunately it was dreary weather and the surf was flat. Pete and I went over to Brea to record a few tracks with Donavon's bassist Matt Grundy for his second release. Matt's music is amazing! He has a beautiful voice and great songs. Please check out his music. While recording, we had an interesting experience with singer Donnie Vie from the metal band Enuff z Nuff. Quite a character he was. I think there is a lingering documentary in the air. 

 On January 3rd, we started our Japanese tour. After 14 plus hours of travel, we made it to Tokyo and settled in at the Shibuya Excel for a few days. If you have never been to Japan put it on your bucket list. There are no words to explain what a unique place it is. The food is quite different from your local Japanese Steakhouse. The Ramen is too die for. There a noodle stops everywhere! Oh and about the sashimi, where do I begin? You must have an adventurous appetite to take on the sushi challenge. Among my list of raw randomness is horse, beef liver, chicken liver, beef steak, urchin, tuna, salmon, eels, crustaceans galore and so much other sea life that I could not even name or recognize. I will say the sashimi is so fresh that it actually was alive at the time of our arrival to the restaurants. Hence all the fish that were once swimming in the aquarium/holding tank were missing as we departed. I guess they were still swimming in our bellies. If you are not up for the sushi challenge, there are plenty of McDonald's and Starbuck around. But I hope you like you Big Mac with a fried egg on top. 

 On the musical side of things, our shows were wonderful. Japanese fans are very respectful and have a great love for the music. Our Japanese fans really yearn for the American sound and beach lifestyle that accompanies Donavon's music. The crew at Smash Productions treat us like kings and hold our hands every step of the way. Everything is perfect from transportation to production. Our backline instruments are always perfect. The stage is set when we arrive. Not to mention they have us sorted with a great spread of snacks and amenities.  I definitely feel like a rock star with all the posh treatment.

We had five shows in total in Japan. We travel to and fro by Bullet trains. It's quite an experience to see the beautiful countryside at 200 plus mile per hour. Smooth as glass! It feels like you are hovering above the ground and traveling on air. The train stations are quite hectic and confusing. If you can't speak of read the language you best get a guide or you may end up in China. 

 With the help of a few friends and the Japanese Billabong crew we were able to get in the frigid surf. I surfed North and South Chiba on two occasions. The beaches are beautiful and the water in emerald green but very cold during winter. Japanese surfers really live the lifestyle and got to extreme lengths to get out into the water. It's a very expensive hobby in Japan. Boards are upwards of $1500.oo Wetsuits are a must and will set you back about $600.00. Not to mention the expense of the toll roads from the cities to reach the beach. I was told our round trip from Tokyo to Chiba after fuel and tolls was close to $200.00. That's determination!

 After 10 days of Japan, we headed back to good old Florida for 12 days of relaxation before our next tour to Brazil. It was nice to be home with my beautiful wife and visit with family and friends. I had a chance to torture a few of my very patient students. Oh yeah and catch up on much needed housework. The one thing I forget when I am out touring the world is life at home still exists. Bills, Broken Heaters, Yard work  and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately I can't escape those things. 

 Well my fingers are bleeding from my babbling blogging. I have very poor typing skills. I call it the "hunt and peck" method. I guess I should have paid attention during those typing classes. Take care and Happy 2011!