Show Day -
Sunny/Warm
Greetings - a week has passed by and a lot has happened. We stayed up until 5AM last Sunday talking to Andy C.. Todd M., and LeeAnn - Andy's new girl friend. We got up later at 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I call home and hang out. I go to see Adam M. and Leslie and have a beer with Todd and Adam. Later I go downtown to see Johanna. Back to West Philly later - I have to do van work tomorrow.
Woke up the 29th and Joe and I go North. Get the van oil changed and the wheels aligned. We go to "Flamin' Harry's" - CLOSED! Make a call to Dave R. and go to "Sine's". Joe plays an SG he likes. We go to "George's Music" and I buy drum heads. Decide to get the SG at "Sine's" - $350 with case - good deal on a 68 SG with a Bigsby style whammy bar. Go to my parents for dinner (hung out with Mike Ace all day) - home to Philly.
Flamin' Harry was a local blues musician who had a music store in the town near my parents. Sine's was also a local store in the area I grew up in. I bought my drums and gear there.
On Tuesday the 30th Rodney and I go with Dave R. and Chris C. to NYC to do an interview with "Thirsty Ear" - a syndicated radio show. Talk for half an hour then home again. I get a call from Eden and I go to dinner with her, Chris, and Dana. Then to the "Pine Street Beverage Room". Run into [Tom] 'Bates' and his friend Matt the midget. We all get blasted.
It's a week of drinking and catching up with friends.
Rise Wednesday [October 1, 1986] - show in Pittsburgh tonight. Just Dan goes - Dave R. goes with 'Johnsons' to State College for their show. We arrive about 6. Sound guys are slow in setting up. We set up and check - eat at 8 (The big fat guy is around and very unfriendly). Eat at a great restaurant - a sandwich with french fries and slaw on the sandwich - great! Play two sets - OK sound. Monitors suck though. Little publicity - only about 100 people show up. Stay with Gary B. again. Saw Paul S. Get to Gary's about 3AM after eating at the "Original O" hotdog joint. To sleep. Out by 10AM the next morning.
This show has got to be at the Decade because the fat man was mentioned before. Here's a page on the "O".
[October 2, 1986] Drive home - eat at "Denny's" on the way home. I'm feeling sick - I was supposed to spend the evening wth Johanna but called in sick. I'll stay home and recuperate. Buy toiletries and wash clothes with Andy. Home. Eden, Chris, and Nicole show up. We hang out and drink a few beers. I have everyone draw on my new bass drum head - a great idea that I'll do every time we leave on tour. To bed at 2AM.
I did try to change the front bass drum head for each tour. I still have those drum heads. Click the photo to launch a popup to see the five I have in my collection. The first is the one my friends and I worked on together. The next is clearly labeled for the Bucky Fellini tour in 1987. The map of the US was used for at least two tours based on the routes I marked in different pen colors. The "target" head isn't particularly inspired. The last one was used for a few tours. I originally had the eye sticker on there and at some point our road tech Matt D. added the "Mr. Clean" from a punk rock show poster. The smaller text reads "Iowa City Punk Gods".
Friday, October 3rd - Dave B. and I rise at 10. We go to "Medley Music" to get a new speaker cone for the "Combo 300". We get here about 11:45 - wait until 2PM then drop the amp back home. Then downtown to "I Goldberg's" - buy socks, jump pants and special forces pin for my beret. Then to "Gallery" to buy vitamins and tape for my fingers. Home about 5. I pack for an overnight - will stay at my parents. I'm taking Johanna and will take her to her parents place after dinner. We have a great dinner at my parents then I take her to hers in nearby New Jersey. Home to my folks' place and watch TV. Go to bed at 3AM.
I Goldberg's was an Army/Navy store. The Gallery is the downtown Philadelphia mall.
Awake this morning [October 4, 1986] at 9AM. Up and make coffee. I make French toast for everybody (Nina is home too). The four of us watch "PeeWee's Playhouse" - great show - secret word is "little" Yeah! Lee calls. I'll pick him up at noon. I shower and pack up and say goodbye. Pick Lee up and drive to Philly. Pack up the remaining gear that I'm taking. We hang out. Dan shows up at 3PM.
I find it hard to believe that my mom would let me nake French toast for everyone and that my dad would actually watch Pee Wee. Lee is an old high school buddy of mine that wil be our roadie for this stretch of the tour. He had done a stint in the Air Force and then lived in California. He was back home and living in PA now and was ready for some adventure.
We leave and I drive to Washington, DC. Arrive about 6:15. 'Timbuk 3' are sound checking. Man and wife with a drum machine and bass. Traveling with them was Roy - their sound man. He was the old sound guy at "O'Cay's Corral" in Madison Wisconsin. Also with them was their son Devon and a babysitter. Nice people! We sound check - OK sound. Hang out in dressing room - free beers and juice etc. Scott Herzog shows up. We do the first show (sold out show). Great set and great crowd response. Half the crowd leaves after our set - we were the draw. I'm drinking heavily now. We do radio interview between shows. Second show - crowded again. OK set - pretty good actually. I get trashed after the show. Pack up and leave club. I sleep. Dan drives and we end up in North Carolina at 11 AM. check into a "Days Inn" 22 miles from the club. Sleep until 4PM. I've got a terrible hangover and I've written too much. See you tomorrow - tour is off with a bang - Good!
Our shows at O'Cay's where some of the best. Roy was also present for the house trashing party in Madison. Fun to see him again here. Info on Timbuk 3 is here.
Posted by Dean at October 4, 1986 06:30 PM
