...18 years ago...

Up at 9 - out and drive to a "Shoney's". We all had the breakfast bar. Drive to Columbia South Carolina. Arrive at 3:30 at "Rockafella's". Load in. Ed the booking guy is cool. We set up. Sound dude not in until 5:30. We go to radio station for an interview. OK interview - guy is real paranoid about us saying naughty words on the air.

Shoney's is a chain of mainly Mid-West restaurants. If a DJ was paranoid then that made us tease them even more. We never purposely said things that would get them in trouble.

Back at the club we go eat while sound guy sets up. Back at 7:30 - long check. OK sound - my drums sound like shit though. The 'toms' don't like the new heads. I'll have to get black hydraulics tomorrow. We're done and hang out. 'The Preachers' check - generic rock 'n roll. Richard the singer had put a show on earlier this year. People show up - sign a T-Shirt etc. Steven B. - Johanna's brother-in-law arrives. He's in Columbia editing a PBS show about an Italian opera composer. He'll be down for 5 more weeks. I talk to him all night and get him free beers.

I noted in the margin that the PBS show was to be broadcast November 21st. I mainly used Remo Pinstripe heads on my rack and floor toms. For awhile I also used Evans hydraulic heads.

We play a good show. Not as many people as I expected, but the sound on stage was real powerful. We pack up. I get a 'Christmas' poster and sign a few things. We load up an go.

'Christmas' morphed into 'Combustable Edison' later on.

We follow one of the sound guys Augie and this "wild crazy bitch" named Karen to go eat. On the the way we stopped in front of the capitol building and all ran to the statue at the bottom of the steps. We have pictures taken - silliness. Just as we jumped back into the van, two security guards could be seen walking around the steps and statue area. We go to a cheesy cafe place. Have club sandwich and coffee. Out - find hotel - "Econolodge". Two singles - Dave B., Lee, and me in one and Dan, Joe and Rod down the hall. Very comfortable. To sleep at 4:15 - up early tomorrow.