Category Blog/Tour Diary

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, TMBG Tour '05

Jet Blue was real good to me. They didn’t charge me for oversize bags (ie my piano). Continental did. They even called me from the gate to come back to the ticket counter to pay for it: $75. I hope they put that money to good use.
My friend, Eric, picked me up at the Denver Airport took me to the great town of Boulder.
It was good seeing everyone again. The Giants are really good guys.

And tonight we debuted “Hocus Pocus” by Focus! That song is awesome. They brought me out on their 2nd encore and we rocked the shit out of that song. wait, they did and I ran out of breath due to the rocky mountain levels and couldn’t yodel the second time through but squeezed in some “Stayin’ Alive”. That’s a good song, too. The Bee Gees wrote good songs.
Oh, and some guy named Dave is bringing m...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary

If you’re having a bad day, call this number. It may help or hurt more. I like this lady’s voice: 510-351-7654

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Corn Mo's Boring Life

For those that came out to the show Saturday night expecting a full show, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I was supposed to do a 30-45 minute set and was told 15 minutes before I went on that it was going to be a 3 song set. I had my piano and drummer with me and had to leave those offstage. After hearing some lamentations from folks after the set and from those who missed it completely due to the debacle (what a lovely word) I decided to treat myself to an Italian ice. Cherry. And it was tasty. But for real, I feel a little showtime blue balls (I don’t know how else to put it). So, I’m hoping to do a set, soon. Keep watching the site because I may get one this week.
Ding Dong,
mo
The Giants are very gracious.

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Corn Mo's Boring Life

I heard this on my computer’s speakers today. I couldn’t tell what game it was but I think it was Divine Intervention. This is what my computer picked up:

Let’s go let’s go
Divine intervention
I can’t move him
What the hell
Omigod
(lost)
I didn’t think you could cast with that shit
Omigod
God dammit Leroy
You moron Leroy
Not my fault
We do have cyst on don’t we?
Leroy you are just stupid as hell
We got fried chicken
(and then it was gone)

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Miscellaneous Shows

I wore my sequin jacket during my set at Jam on the River. It looks good but I got a bit slow from the heat towards the end of the set.
I went to the FYE tent to sign some cd’s and a storm came in. Holy shit was it awesome. The cd’s blew off the table and the canopy began to blow away. If not for my dynamic Lose Weight Exercise holding down the tent, FYE would have lost it all. The three employees and I were holding onto the greatest kite ever. And then I thought, idiot, I’m gonna get struck by lightning. And then, someone who had their cd signed, asked for a picture. So, I had one arm around her and one arm holding the shelter. Shit man, I was Thor.
We took down the roof and I went back to my dressing room and hung out with DJ Logic and was rewarded with a Yuengling. Good times.

Posted in Ben Folds Tour '05, Blog/Tour Diary

The stage crew at Town Hall are tightknit. They all seem to get along well. One guy shared his dinner with me after the show. Good, good fellows.
This is the place where Mighty Wind was shot. It didn’t feel like Mighty Wind but more like the audience in Chris Elliot’s portrayal of FDR. I loved that special.
This was the first show on the tour with seats. It made me work harder. I didn’t pull out all the stops because I ran out of time but I did pull the stops real hard.
There’s was a huge Steinway backstage and organ pipes on the sides of the stage. I’d love to play the organ there someday. I played one at Trinity University in San Antonio. There’s a delay from pushing the keys to hearing the sound. I tried playing a Bach invention on it but couldn’t...

Posted in Ben Folds Tour '05, Blog/Tour Diary

I get confused with all the Florida streets DC has to offer but when I finally find get to where I need to it’s awesome. The 930 club takes real good care of you. Someone made tomato soup with stuff in it as soon as I walked in. And then they brought me dinner! And then beer! And then I got a motorcycle ride!
I wanted to kick around in Bowie and see the old sites but didn’t have time. And the museums. Next time.

Posted in Ben Folds Tour '05, Blog/Tour Diary

I played a whole song on piano without any sound coming out. I could hear it onstage but noone in the audience heard it. I started the second piano song when I was told the sound wasn’t working. Excellent!
It was like dropping a bowling ball on a glass table and then still trying to serve ice cream on napkins. Delicious!
Someone yelled out Freebird and I played it, though I shouldn’t have.
I still have trouble talking to the audience individually. It’s hard not to. I have a hard time not answering back to dialogue directed at me.
“Are you high?”
No. Please. I’ll crash and burn with one beer at this thing. Hi. Yes, I did see Bad Boys. Huh? Not the second one. I should finish my set. Oh, yes I did like the first one...

Posted in Ben Folds Tour '05, Blog/Tour Diary

I stayed at the Holiday Inn in Chicago. It has a holidome with a macaw named Popeye.

Posted in Ben Folds Tour '05, Blog/Tour Diary

Ben Folds is a beautiful gentleman. What a stand up fellow. And so are Lindsey and Jerrod. Nice, nice fellows. And their tour manager, Joe, is stand up guy, too. He takes good care of me and always smiles and goes to bat for me when 2 outs are coming. I’m a lucky fellow. Real lucky.
The first night was in Chicago at the Riviera. I’m intimidated by places of such heights. But I walk in and there’s my beer and soda and bananas in my room and 2 dinners right outside in the hallway: pad thai, steak, pasta, homemade soup, salad, desert, good cheese and GOOD TIMES. I meet everyone and everyone is cool. Everyone. Mike, the sound guy, is a pro. And the promoters took a house of cards and put bricks around them. So tight!
The show went well and I got to watch Ben’s magic hands from ...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

I got a donner kebab the other day in Glasgow. It was the best donner kebab I’d ever had. Eric had 3 of them. The taxi waited for him to go back for another one. It topped off a weird night.
After the show we took our things to the tour bus and went out and about. I was very happy to be hanging out with Scots. Two excellent fellows, John and Steve, took me to the Cathouse.
“You want to go to a metal club?”
I pictured sitting at the bar listening to Guns and Roses and it sounded lovely.
“Yes. Let’s do it.”
Two of the lassies said, “You don’t want to go there” which made me want to go even more. I haven’t heard Ugly Kid Joe in a long time and I felt like it was coming.
The alleys in Glasgow smell like pee because of people like me...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

Let me tell you about Jimmy. From the time I was approached by him I was duly warned from three different people to watch out for him. I guess those were people who were around him all the time. For me it was no more than twenty minutes, maybe twenty-five and I enjoyed myself completely.
Jimmy’s balding with long hair, has a belly like mine but bigger and sports a Hitchhiker’s Guide t-shirt of which he was very excited about its upcoming movie.
“He’s been banned from every bar in Scotland.”
“This one?”
“Well, almost.”
Jimmy didn’t have it that night but he usually carries a flask of whisky with him to the bar. And he shares.
“Do ya have any single malt?”
“No, that would be in the front bar.”
We were playing that night at O’Neills -a chain of pubs with no real sound system for bands...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

I met Common Rotation during the Giants tour. We didn’t know each other and were going to share a vehicle together. They were ready to not like me and I was worried about them liking me. But like a cheetah to an antelope we took to each other becoming fast friends.
Erego, when they decided to go to the UK, good times steered them to invite me and good times we had. I don’t know how they were able to get a tour bus but they did. Good bunks, kitchen, entertainment center including playstation, toilet, good times.
I’ve been known to fall asleep early no matter what. I’ve taken naps at bars, parties, green rooms. But with jetlag I was able to stay up late but not able to sleep late because the sun excites me...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

My flight to London was alright. There was a kid kicking my chair constantly. I did the half turn thinking he was 11 and would get the hint. I finally did the full turn with a mean look and it was a four-year-old. My face changed quick and I let him continue kicking. During my chair banging I watched Cellular. Holy shit is that a terrible movie. “Dude”, “Bro”, “When you going to realize she doesn’t want you anymore”. I wanted to change it but wanted to see some action so I waded through the point break dialogue and finally got some action and it soon sucked less. I started to watch Elektra but was a smarter watcher by then and changed to the Lemony Snicket movie which I enjoyed.
I had no problems getting to my friend’s bar. I hung out with him and others and had a nice time.
I’m ...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Corn Mo's Boring Life

http://www.pbs.org/previews/nova_saving_natltreasures/

My Uncle Nathan was one of many who discussed the best way to preserve the Declaration of Independence. It was like a monster garage show but a little more serious. Although there were some people that performed for the camera. That’s why I can’t watch reality shows. That fake arguing or elevated arguing for the camera is bothersome.
But my uncle stood his ground on the real argument. They all wanted an airtight casing and made a good design to do so. But, Nathan wanted to frame the sealed casing with pockets filled with silica gel to regulate the humidity. The others argued if it were airtight you wouldn’t need the gel. (This gel is what you find in packaging like a sugar packet.)
I’m no scientist. Not even an amateur...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Miscellaneous Shows

I have a lot on my plate today. When I get home I can start finishing those things. One of the things I have to do is- no wait, two of the things are:
learn a Ben Ickies tune
learn a Baby Dee tune
Ben wrote a song for his orchestra but can’t be at his show and asked me to play it for him. That’s cool. I like his work.
And I have to learn a Baby Dee song for next week.
About three years ago I stayed at this lady’s house in Ohio. She let me have her bed and she slept elsewhere. Had I known she would be sleeping on the dining room floor I would have refused for she had to get up early to do her paper route. She, Una and I had stayed up that night in her kitchen drinking wine...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Miscellaneous Shows

I get emails for shows all the time. And I try to make them. And sometimes its cold outside and my stomach hurts from not cooking my food well enough. Or some other reason. That would be a reason not to go out.
But when someone calls me and invites me to a show it’s hard not to go. They took time to make sure I knew they had a show and asked me to please come. I can’t let a friend down.
I made lobster ravioli for dinner and I think I messed up the sauce because my stomach hurt really bad not too soon after I ate.
I was given a PS2 and it can suck your life. I can leave it alone and not want to play but I had a hankering for an RPG so I found Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick.
The game itself is okay but the cool part is Bruce Campbell’s voice. I love that guy. http://www.kittenpants...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Miscellaneous Shows

Saturday night was one of the best saturday nights of saturday nights. Three bands at my house, friends, beer, new friends, good times all around.
My friend Jim brought his band, Deck of Jack, which was him and another guy named Fuzz. They were fantastic. I’d done a solo show with him at a BBQ a couple of years ago. But this one was a lot different.
Fun raps. Yo raps on the mike. Really fun.
And then the Live Ones. My roommate’s band with the drummer singing. Like the Carpenters set up but with KISS-like sermon banter and straight up rock. The guy, Mike, puked behind his drums because he played too hard. I love that. That’s a rock show. That’s the spirit. That’s the way it should be done.
And then we took the stage and we were sloppy but it was still fun...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Corn Mo's Boring Life

Like building a model rocket- you spend days making it and then take it to the park. It’s going to either be spectacular or a dog is going to bite it and chew on it and then bury it.

I started working with this girl, Irene, on the rock opera. It was weird having someone else sing a song I wrote. I had to let go and let her take the wheel and drive. Like building a model rocket- you spend days making it and then take it to the park. It’s going to either be spectacular or a dog is going to bite it and chew on it and then bury it. Well, it was spectacular. Irene took the torch and high-fived her coach at the finish line.
I’m gonna write another for her to sing.

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Corn Mo's Boring Life

The receptionist I work with is taking off next week to lay down some tracks. He raps. His name is BRock. You can pronounce it either way. I hope he goes far. He’s real nice.
He told me his producer told him to rhyme about escalades and shit he can’t afford. Now he’s told to rhyme about the ghetto.
He had a rhyming dictionary up on his computer.
“things that rhyme with -ain”
“Castles of Spain”
“woodworking plane”
I really hope he uses one of those two options that are really on this site.
I helped him a little and got him going. He got really excited. He told me what he was going to write about and I told him he was already writing it as I repeated it back to him. Write it down.
Oh, and fuck escalades...