::wheels will roll::
so we are now about half-way through our tour with death cab for cutie. i am sitting in our bus at the merriweather pavillion, just outside of washington DC.
we have been feeing the whirlwind of global warming, political turmoil, synaptic firing and mis-firing and the constant reminder that we are the late bloomer, the perpetual underachiever, the long-lost step cousin.
in short, we have been an "opening band".
to be honest, the shows we headlined in europe in may were not always that well-attended. there was one show we played in birmingham, england in which only a few souls showed up. however, our record was not even released yet in england, so what else can you expect? the record just came out there, so next time we are there we will see what is what. sometimes though, you can feel the strong current of the powers that be holding you back. let us do some general math, shall we: at present, most euro currency is close to 2:1 to US currency, fuel prices are skyrocketing, airlines charge $50-$75 for every extra piece of luggage and sometimes $150 for every piece of luggage over 50 lbs (think of how much luggage/gear a band needs to bring), and guarantees for bands in venues has stayed the same. something does not add up here. how is this sustainable?
so now we return to the relative present. we kicked off the tour with death cab at the sasquatch festival. we were playing a late afternoon time slot, just before the illustrious mates of state. after the struggle of the euro tour, we were happy to see so many faces when we started our set. thousands of sunshine-filled faces. people singing some words they knew, mumbling some ones they didn't. it felt like our saddle had been returned to us.
and now the tour is in full swing. every night, we step onto the stage with the lights a static golden yellow and red. the sun is usually on its way down the horizon, and you can feel the cool wind of the evening beckoning death cab and its legion of fans. i never thought we would play on a tour of this scale, and it really is nice to not only perform as part of the tour, but to also have nightly VIP seats that let us watch as death cab marches on, being a better and better band, even as the years keep moving forward. we are grateful to be just a small part of it.
but for now, the only thing i can think about is that it is noon and already 95 degrees out, and climbing. they say there is a heat wave across the northeast for the next week. heat makes me sleep and sleep makes me fuzzy. but we have a set to play tonight and i must sharpen my focus and remember that when you are the opening band, there are no free rides. you have to earn the respect of those that did not pay to see you. it is a long burn, but well worth it. i think about the job i had before all of this, and i quietly laugh.
luckily, there is AC on the bus. it is monday, and i couldn't be happier.....
3 months ago by zach
so we are now about half-way through our tour with death cab for cutie. i am sitting in our bus at the merriweather pavillion, just outside of washington DC.we have been feeing the whirlwind of global warming, political turmoil, synaptic firing and mis-firing and the constant reminder that we are the late bloomer, the perpetual underachiever, the long-lost step cousin.
in short, we have been an "opening band".
to be honest, the shows we headlined in europe in may were not always that well-attended. there was one show we played in birmingham, england in which only a few souls showed up. however, our record was not even released yet in england, so what else can you expect? the record just came out there, so next time we are there we will see what is what. sometimes though, you can feel the strong current of the powers that be holding you back. let us do some general math, shall we: at present, most euro currency is close to 2:1 to US currency, fuel prices are skyrocketing, airlines charge $50-$75 for every extra piece of luggage and sometimes $150 for every piece of luggage over 50 lbs (think of how much luggage/gear a band needs to bring), and guarantees for bands in venues has stayed the same. something does not add up here. how is this sustainable?
so now we return to the relative present. we kicked off the tour with death cab at the sasquatch festival. we were playing a late afternoon time slot, just before the illustrious mates of state. after the struggle of the euro tour, we were happy to see so many faces when we started our set. thousands of sunshine-filled faces. people singing some words they knew, mumbling some ones they didn't. it felt like our saddle had been returned to us.
and now the tour is in full swing. every night, we step onto the stage with the lights a static golden yellow and red. the sun is usually on its way down the horizon, and you can feel the cool wind of the evening beckoning death cab and its legion of fans. i never thought we would play on a tour of this scale, and it really is nice to not only perform as part of the tour, but to also have nightly VIP seats that let us watch as death cab marches on, being a better and better band, even as the years keep moving forward. we are grateful to be just a small part of it.
but for now, the only thing i can think about is that it is noon and already 95 degrees out, and climbing. they say there is a heat wave across the northeast for the next week. heat makes me sleep and sleep makes me fuzzy. but we have a set to play tonight and i must sharpen my focus and remember that when you are the opening band, there are no free rides. you have to earn the respect of those that did not pay to see you. it is a long burn, but well worth it. i think about the job i had before all of this, and i quietly laugh.
luckily, there is AC on the bus. it is monday, and i couldn't be happier.....
3 months ago by zach
