chrisg's Tour Diary

i'm currently sitting in a parking lot. we're in upland, which is where dan grew up. they call this area the 'Inland Empire'. Personally, i don't think i'd like to be emperor here.

but here we are, sitting in a van in the parking lot of an office building with blue mirrored glass. adrienne is inside, trying to find out why one of her eyes is swollen and red. we are headed to tucson today. we were supposed to get to a radio station this afternoon to chat with some nice folks there, but i think that we won't get there in time.

arizona's not as far as we think. the cacti along the I-10 are cracking me up; they all seem so fake and cliche, like if you went to france and everyone was wearing a beret. but they're real after all.we arrive at KAMP late, but everyone is very accommodating and we still have the chance to chat with them for a bit on the radio. jonathan and nicolette are perhaps the first interviewers we've come across that have spent time thinking up questions to ask us, so it's not the same old 'what are your influences? tell us a bit about yourself' approach.

the plush lounge is hot. there's a front bar room, and then a separate room in back where the performances occur, or 'the magic' that we like to call it in the industry.* Lots of that olden tyme wallpaper with the felt damask designs. and in tucson, you can smoke indoors! this is perfect for my new smoking habit. dan teaches me a neat way to open my zippo lighter. i'm set.

show is pretty fun. not a bunch of people there, but i wasn't really expecting many. the nice fellows from local band Lagoon tell me where to get a pedal i'm looking for. and Frank Jordan play a really nice set. they are from Sacramento, and have just started a 7-week tour. man, that's a long time! turns out they played at spaceland the night after us. what's more, they played with keanu reeves' new band becky, also featuring rebecca lord from real world seattle 'fame'. ah, los angeles. the rest of the band accepts that as the reason that keanu was at the club when we played. but i know better...

we retire to jonathan's house, where nicolette has arrived with beer and Heaven starring Giovanni Ribisi and Cate Blanchett. it's a really good movie, but it's really late and i fall asleep about mid-way through. good night.

*also known as 'the craft', 'rockin'', and 'laying down the grooves.'