Day the Seventh (cont.)

So, after bowling (and yes ladies, your beloved Jordan did win) we picked up the van with it's spanking new tires and headed for Cleveland. A half hour later we were at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern. We love this place. They've always treated us really really well and the people there are great. They are also really great at giving you free drinks but, alas, I could not capitalize on that this time around. Life is, of course, terrible.

The tour up until this point had been pretty much without incident, but I'd be lying if I said some tension wasn't building up. I mean, I love these guys, but spending 24 hours a day with anyone gets annoying after a while. And seeing as I'm the designated "angry" guy in the band it always seems like I blow my top first.

Anyway, we were on stage soundchecking and Gordon and Jordan get on me to turn my amp down. Now, in our band no one says what they really mean, as we are all some passive aggressive motherfuckers. So it comes out more as "What if you saved the really loud volume just for the solos, because the solos kick ass and people should hear the distinction" instead of what they really mean "asshole, we can't hear ourselves sing and this isn't the Joe show so turn that shit down!" Regardless, I got angry.

The volume issue has been an issue for a while. I've always felt that I played pretty damn quiet and that G and J just never got where I was coming from since they come from a more nuanced, not "turn it up to 11" school of music, whereas I like to have the speakers vibrate the fillings in my head. Anyway, being pretty damn passive aggressive myself I've always done what I've been asked and secretly stewed when anyone else asked for their instruments or voices to be louder. Communication, my friends, is truly the key to happiness.

But tonight I was feeling fiesty, so I got pissed and yelled a little and then sulked for the rest of the night. I also turned my guitar basically off for the rest of soundcheck in order to be a real diva. Yes, people, I'm about 9 years old at heart.

Finally, it was time to play and there were actually folks there to see us. That snapped me out of it and we rocked. It was actually a pretty durn fine show.

After some meeting and greeting we returned to the econolodge for another night. Everyone was happy by then since the first tour storm had blown over pretty uneventfully. I fell asleep in about thirteen seconds.

Rock and roll.