July 30, 2005. Ventura, CA. Majestic Ventura Theatre.
July 30, 2005 02:27 AM
Posting on Stacy's New Mac
Well, it's really Eisley's new Mac... not just Stacy's. But she's got a lot of material she wants to demo in Garage Band. She's been frustrated lately and has been asking for help... I vowed to push for it. In the end, it took only a nudge. A sympathetic new management team felt it was an important tool and worked some miracles.
The band will return from DisneyLand any minute now and find this bright, shining new Apple sitting on the table. They don't know that I stayed behind and went to the Apple Store here in Hollywood to buy the beauty. Additionally, my Mac's screen is fried. I couldn't even get the screen to give us visibility at the Genius table. The warrantee went out "YESTERDAY". It will cost me $1,100 to fix it, so... new management, being sensitive to the work I do for the band felt it was important that the TOUR continue without interruption... therefore, they worked it out for me to procure a bright shiny Mac as well. The people in Eisley city can move forward with helpful technology; songs will be written, tours will happen, web additions, graphics, video, etc. will flourish. There is great rejoicing.
Tomorrow, we leave at 2:00pm for Ventura. We load out, meet management for our initial meeting on Rick's boat before returning to the venue for an interview and the show!
Today, we met with Marvin, from Nylon. He's quite amazing and I must say, i'm a huge fan. Way more than I understood prior to today. As a matter of fact, Marvin created and owned and ran "RAYGUN"... the magazine of the 90's that won every kind of design award imaginable. I'll have more to say about that later. I need to get off this computer. They'll return any minute. i want to surprise them! boyd.
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Now I'm on mine. Luke's been over here fixin' 'em up real good. Loading stuff and checking stuff and registering stuff and copying stuff over and being all smart like a mac genius. I can't believe I'm working on a new 15" 1.67GHz G-4 Powerbook. I'm numb. Thankful. Feeling guilty that my newish (though it was an old model) 17" G4 broke at the hands of a mystery dropper. It wasn't my fault, but I still feel bad. We'll get if fixed eventually, like the one before that. Touring is hard on bands.
We're going midi again for Stacy. We'll be getting the best piano samples known to man... the kind where they record with tons of mics... you can hear the hammers, the strings, etc. If you strike hard, you'll get volume. It's very sensitive. The best on the market. All thru her new Mac - out to M-Audio interface to M-Audio keyboard that'll fit on top her Rhodes. You'll swoon over the sounds... and the songs she'll use it on.
I have to go to sleep. Have to go with Luke in the am for RAM at Fry's in Burbank. dead tired. up since 6:30am. So many exciting things happening. I want to find time to join that post about new management. I certainly will weigh in on that one.... night. bd
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What can i say about tonight that would be of any value to anyone? I mean, the show was great.. but why talk about it? The rest of the country probably doesn’t care... I guess it’s for anyone who might have come to the show; Ok. so... I’m ok with that.
Busy Day
Dear Diary. jk. But I am writing this.. so, who else can be thinking these thoughts and describing what’s going on...ho else would be stupid enough to think this was important but me.
I got up around 8:00, fast forward. Mark and I got gas and headed to Insomnia on Beverly to find great indie coffee. It was the best i tell you. the best. We drove to Luke’s joint in Studio City, picked him up, drove to Fry’s to pick up enought mareigtn too
Sorry. I’m in the van after the show heading toward LA and I’m flat out, falling aslwwp.
Llisten, the shwo wass really greast. The band soinded super. i can’t hold my eyes open.
Goodnigh.
bouyd
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Ok. I had a power nap. Like less than 10 minutes, but i cut the edge off. Man O man.... and an 8 hr drive tomorrow to San Fran... (that’s including losing time at the bridge).
The Busy Day.
Got the Ram. Got the Ivory Baby Grand Plug In. Back to the crib. Loaded up and out for tonight’s show. drove (John) in bad - really bad traffic. Got to the venue. Noticed that it was beautiful and cool. cool as in temperature. cool as in - an amazing little town on the coast with shops and coffee and everything you’d ever want. I noticed we’d been here before. I’m falling asleep again.
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Jumbling along in the van in the dark... lap pointed toward the door...pupils dialated from bright screen... bright NEW screen!!...
anyway, the show was amazing I think. The crowd was pretty ok. There were pockets of Eisley fans making racket... but I think Eisley won over the crowd with the last two songs. That was fun.
But this afternoon, we left at 2:00, fought traffic, loaded in at 4:00, drove 10 miles to Rick's house in Ventura, ate Mexican food on this boat, cruised around his neighorhood harbor, came back in an hour, packed it up, headed back to the venue, drank coffee while doing an interview with "Interlude" magazine... http://www.interlude-magazine.com - conducted by the girl who's on the front page of My Space right now...Terra Naomi. After, we rushed back upstairs, I printed set lists, we slammed the band on stage, they played thier set, the band signed, we packed up, crew loaded out, band and I left back for Starbucks for a long meeting with Rick and Kristen (management) while people walked by and said stuff like, "great show"... "you guys were awesome"... etc. After, merch was loaded out, drove (John) 60 miles or more back to Chad's place, band is eating cereal and signing gobs and gobs of stuff like vinyl and posters and flats to leave for WB.
Everyone is toast including me and we have to get up and leave at 8:00am in the morn. I just want 6 hours of sleep but I'm getting 5. That's ok. Good night ya'll. bd
July 28. Thirty-One Hour Drive
July 28, 2005 11:13 PM
Night Crossing
The Road... and the roadside
Continuing - we treked Westward across our US. But there were interruptings:
"It's a pitch black night. The wind from the trucks whisking past us is giving the cool breeze from our open doors a boost. Eisely girls are laying down in a field about 15 feet from the van.... watching shooting stars.
John and Mark's forms are no longer sillouetted against the oncoming traffic; they're fragile forms disappear into the night - seeking gasoline from the Love Station 3 miles ahead. Now a cop car is pullinhg up.... a train is barreling past.... the van is being jolted from all sides as we succumb to the doppler affect.
Mark ran the tank out dry! It's the first time for us - after 10 tours and countless road trips and shows. To his favor, the idiot light only gave us a few miles... not the 20 it promised. And, he'd been looking for gas for a long, long time.
To us, it's an adventure, not a crisis. A memory, not a mistake.
I'm still able to work, but I think i'll jump on the phone because this is just to funny. I have to tell someone."
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Addendum to last night's enscribings
Eisley Banner served as a big tarp for everyone to laydown on while they waited. It was nice... Right after that...The cop checked on us, drove off, picked up the guys - but not before John sprained his foot while jogging - brought them the Love's station for gas, brought them back... we glugged and split.
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My Shift...
This morning, I was so enraptured by the beauty and splendor of the landscape while passing through Northern Arizona. It's hack...
scribblings
"... the tender warmth of the sun's first offering baths the dessert's garden... as langly daisies dance along the highway's furrow. I awake the dawn."
"...whisps of weeds are brightly illuminated; entire fields are ablaze with their radiance... like feathery, photoshopped brushes... an array of splendor, dotted with plump junipers who's arms reach up to the sky...
On the other side of the hill, the same Junipers are set against sepia... but the colors; how can I describe them? Like lima green but intensify the hue... the sepia is more like a burnt red; add white to mute it... both colors are muted and perfectly analogous... duo-cratic. They belong. "
I don't know what I was saying. I jotted down a bunch of words on the back side of my sound scan sheets. I need my mac but the screen is broken... on if I slap it... for a second it works before fading and presenting complete digial chaos like my old one. It's making me crazy.
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Anyway, this is boring journaling. I'm typing this the next day... but anyway, I drove 450 from 9:00am till early eve (ref: amarillo). Mark drove till about 11:00 or 12:00, John picked up and drove till 5:00am, I picked back up then and drove us 550 to LA.
Can't hold my eyes open. Can't take my eyes off of you...
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Landing in LA
Gross. We were gross.
I felt sorry for Garron. hey, welcome to touring. First trip out, it's a marathon drive overnight with 11 in the van; 31 hours straight. Oh Lord!
We landed about 1:30pm... rag tag. So trashed... the van door opened and out we spilled... paper cups and cellophane bags and trinketry... greasy headed, muttering... stumbling, we greeted Chad. LA is nice and cool... I saw a run, grabbed my cheap purple satin pillow that I bought the night before with that mexican blanket to keep warm out of the van and was out. The next think I heard was, "Boyd, do you want to sleep or go with us to Panera Bread?" (was there a choice?) I wanted the green tea in that little plastic cup with the logo on it.
The girls are making some kind of exotic dessert. I just knodded out again...after answering tons and tons of Eisely business emails... mostly to new management.
Stacy is going to record some sweet tracks with Blake for The Elected's new project. Or something. i dunno. Blake called last night; I guess they'll figure it out in the morning. Marvin, (Nylon) is coming over tomorrow to hang... and talk about the video. Super nice guy. Very guality. Very genuine... loves the band. I gotta quit yambering.
July 27. Where the heck are we?
July 27, 2005 06:33 PM
HOW'D WE GET TO AMARILLO TEXAS?
No joke. We left Kanas this morning with Toto and Auntie Em... and somehow, we're dead center in the Panhandle of Texas at 7:30pm. I guess "Mag" knew it was the shortest route.
We were going to stop half way, but... the more we drive, the more we see how few miles are being peeled off... so I think we're just going to suck it up and drive all the way to LA. I drove 450 miles, now Mark is at the wheel... John A will take the night shift... I'll take early morn. and so on.
Actually, we're at a Cracker Barrel and I'm bogarting a Sleep Inn's wireless here in Amarillo. Perdy dang cule.
Well... things are really progressing for these Yahoo shows... as well as the Switchfoot tour. I'm getting phone calls and emails around the clock. What's in between? Not sure. Maybe a little rest... maybe not.
Either way, I just wanted to check in... say hi. Better go back to my potatoe soup before the band figures out I'm in the van again.
Hi Texas. Wish we were staying longer. Time to chase the sun...
boydout
no drums. not ready.... dern.