Now we are off to Tour

RV hell. I own a 36-foot long Toy Hauler class C RV for touring – Or maybe I should say it owns me. If you get a chance to buy an RV – don’t. It’s a bad idea. Unless you are: A] Rich B] Old C] Drive at speeds slower than 45 mph D] An expert metal worker, plumber, electrician, mechanic, & carpenter E] Have an endless supply of DUCT TAPE After a long day at the session, with my boys Charlie and Erie, barely hangin’ in there… I head down to CRETE Ill to buy from my source, two RV tires, – retreads – at less than 1/2 the cost of new tires. One RV tire has actually got holes in it and it still drives? Go figger. He meets me in the truck stop parking lot and we “do the deal.” Cash only. Ah the internet. Endless possibility. Touring with the RV is fun. When it works. It’s not fun today. At all. We were about to depart for tour when we notice that the passenger side door won’t open all the way…upon further inspection… sheeeet!! The entire passenger side is sagging two inches below the driver’s side. RV dealership has NO IDEA what’s goin’ on. Insurance has NO IDEA what’s goin’ on. Is it safe to drive?!?! It seems the same as ever, but NAW, let’s not risk it… so now we are driving in two cars… old school once again. That’s a lot of money I am spending to not drive my RV this summer. I am depressed. Maybe the RV is totaled. And I still owe $$$ on it. LOTS O’ MONEY. We are playing a small free show at a artsy, divey club in St Louis. Likely gonna be dead. Sometimes it’s so hard to get up and play for 10 people. I’m lying down in a dirty greenroom, and its dead out there. And my RV s toast, and I’m broke. 20 mins later… I wake up to the rumble of people’s voices. Groggily I head to the bar, and – well whadyaknow – It’s a nice crowd with dancers, hoooolohoooooopers, crazee partiers, and some tapers… just like the old Garaj Mahal days. And a beautiful set! Good energy, and we are back on the horse. Maybe it’s not so bad after all. Who needs an RV anyway. 5 hours of sleep and we are off to Norman, Oklahoma the home of James Garner! [aka Maverick, Jim Rockford] for a headlining slot at their Jazz in June festival. FESTIVAL STYLE! The Road …goes ever onward Well it might not be a heroic quest to save middle earth… but being on the road is still quite magical. LOTR is infusing everything again, cuz we’ve been playing it on the car DVD player [intended for kids, now its inspiring us grownup boyz.] It’s fun to drive around with Howard Shore’s great score in the background. Makes everything seem portentous , important, meaningful, intense, sentimental. Showed up after 2 days in Norman OK. Playing, eating and teaching, to our next hit in Stillwater, OK. You have no idea the horrible names normanites call your fair city. But we had a blast there! Definitely in OKLAHOMA now. Greeted by E-Rock and his crew dropping off the PA. Love, enthusiasm and fun and an invite to hang at the house, dip in the pool and taste the local home brew. Looks like meat’s back on the menu, BOYZ!!!! Local band jammed before us, we hung all day at The Stonewall Tavern, drinking, eating, cussin’ and spittin’, just trying to fit in. Truth be told, Oklahomans are about the nicest people I’ve come across anywhere. Until they get drunk. Then – at least these Oklahomans – got even nicer. Never been hugged by so many big drunk guys. We howled at a beautiful full moon, played our asses off, and drank weird Southern drinks. No wargs or goblins but plenty of DWARVES, and definitely a couple Hobbits dancing on the tables. 5 hours of sleep, 5 guys in one big room and it’s back to the car, back to Middle earth, and off to Houston. Who knows what the future may bring?