3/24/09: Middlewesterneasternnortherly U.S.

We have entered one-nighter perdition dear reader (all 5 of you).  When I first saw the itinerary for this little venture, I looked at this portion of it and thought, “It can’t be that bad, can it?”  It’s not.  But it is.  We’ve been going strong for 16 days of shows with only 1 travel day “off”.  A travel day usually means 500 bus miles but no show that night.  We are headed into one tomorrow.  Which is awesome. 

The day following St. Patty’s we had a delicious early bus call following a party that turned out to be in my wife’s honor.  Some of the fellers were having her on by not inviting her and holding conferences as to how to negate any loopholes that would lead to her being allowed to attend.  Very amusing.  When we got to our last show before the shindig, the stage manager called her aside under the auspices of giving her a talking to.  She was led to the men’s dressing room and presented with her official invitation in the form of a wrapped up and bedazzled box ‘o Lucky Charms.  One thinks she knew it would go down like this…. 

We arrived at the party.  On the door and bunted throughout the room were pictures of her in 3rd grade pulled from (evil, evil) Facebook.  They had gone to an actual Kinko’s and had them blown up.  Much thought, effort, and cost had gone into honoring her.  They did, however, put less than flattering dialog bubbles from her mouth, but she (and I vicariously) was honored none the less.  

Early morning bus call.  Earlier for some than others as is often the case.  Fortunately for us, the local Pittsfield Irish pub had last call at 11:30.  We were the mature (read: old) people and went home after 30 minutes at the party.  We head to Jonestown, PA.  Not much to say about this except that I spent Election Night 2000 in the very same Comfort Inn by the venue.  I had ridden with the crew and my friend Tom and I stayed up til 6 listening and watching while Dan Rather spun his down-homey quips.  It was (ahem) a pivotal night in what was to come in the next 8 years.  Ah, those were the simpler times that I think many of us still long for.  It’s really something to see where I am personally and where the world is since last I was there.  Thanks Karl Rove/Florida/Supreme Court for usurping the founders!

On to beautiful Sandusky!  Cold.  ”Nice” hotel. Worlds largest indoor water park.  We have discussed my fear of self-flesh in the public domain so I didn’t partake in the festivities.  Ate potato skins sans bacon at a Friday’s.  Don’t need to do that again.  Who knew that there was so much flavor in piggy?  They did serve as a crunchy conduit of my salt addiction however. 

New Albany, OH.  Great Hotel!!!

Can you see that one should not wait a week to write about places played and hotels slept?

Aurora, IL!!!  The Homeland!!! sort of.  Depends on who you ask in my family.  Aurora is close to Chicago and therefore an awful place in the opinion of every Jolley but yours truly.  I like Chicagoland.  Have played up there quite a bit in my upandcomingness. My family members are hardcore downstaters who have a life long grudge against all things Chicago.  They get the lion’s share of tax benefits.  Their politicians are notoriously and historically corrupt.  Can’t argue that in light of recent gubernatorial indiscretions.  The staunchly Republican men on my family are dancing quite a jig on that one.  Next stop, Obama!!

Anywho, there is a beautiful theater there and we were there for 2 days!! Quite a treat!  Except.  We had a 6 am bus call to roll 400 miles into a 3 pm matinee, catering, and 8 pm evening show.  Followed by a “prom” with manditory attendance.  Swear to God.  Prom meaning, “Meet the cast and crew from Footloose” but some people dressed all prommy.  Free food and drink so I’m down.  Long day though.  The highlight was one of my late mother’s very best friends who: was in my parent’s wedding, babysat my sister,  myself, and most recently my awesome nephew, catered my wife and I’s wedding, and at least 1 million other things, came to the show with her family.  It was quite a treat and they really liked the show.  It means a lot to come across your comfort people out here.  Which happened again in…….

Beautiful Madison Wisconsin.  We left Aurora on Sunday after our matinee to knock out a few of the 500 or so miles to the next gig as close to Canada as you can get without a passport. I love Madison!  Great town and we were there with the night off.  And one supremely special addition. Our great friend Mikey is also there on another tour staying in the same hotel.  He had sweet talked the maid into letting him into our room to leave presents.  Very touching.  We got there in time to see about an hour of his show and got to hang out with him and some cast and crew from his show.  This can be disastrous for some casts but his group of homeys were very cool.  It’s nice to meet other people living the life who aren’t, for lack of a better phrase,  completely up their own asses with self importance.  And I didn’t think I would see Mikey for a very long time as we now work for different companies.  It’s good to see my real people and I got a good dose of it this weekend.

Grand Rapids, MN.  That’s Minnesota.  Not Michigan.  Who knew?  We played a high school.  The band was completely exposed much to the chagrin of the drummer.  Crowd ate it up.  That seems to be an ongoing leit motif (thanks music history 101).  The smaller and more bereft a town is for anything cultural, the more appreciative they are of our efforts.  Some tourist (codename for the subversives in the show) grumble when we play these venues as they are “supposed” to be on “Broadway” already and are completely above and over our little show.  Did that sound snarky?  GOOD!  I love playing these places and meeting the challenges that smaller venues provide.  We sat in LA for 9 days and had the most lukewarm response imaginable. They more or less hated us.  But, “Like, oh my God you guys!!!  We’re like playing LA and like not like Sandusky!! We are so awesome and important and loved by all!!!”  Certain of our ranks shit all over the small town shows and these audiences are on their feet screaming as soon as the curtain call starts.  If not humble pie, these “fine actors, dancers, singers, and musicians” (quotation marks to imply grain of salt ability-wise) could do with some chastened cheesecake.  Just sayin’.  Perspective.

Oh. And I threw out my back. WAAAAAAAAAAA

~ by davejolley on March 24, 2009.