So tomorrow we begin our journey in our 'Red Dragon' van. If you have ever wondered what it's like to be in a van in a band here's my little take on it......

Like any trip the preparation begins with making sure you have the right music. Fortunately the iPod has made my life so much easier. The hardest part of packing for me used to be choosing the selection of CDs I would be taking. How does one predict ones mood when you are far from home? Fortunately the iPod has that covered but I always check to make sure everything is updated.

Next, you guessed it.... salty snacks. One must always be prepared for that moment when hunger strikes and you need a salty snack. For some reason Beef Jerky is a favorite amongst QSJ. I guess because of it's salty nature and it's ability to keep in any climate. Dave once bought $15 beef jerky on the road. When he asked why it was so expensive the guy behind the counter responded, "cause it's smoke and cured." Dave thought that was a suitable answer and chowed down on his 'premium' jerky only to find out later that he bought $5 jerky. I guess the moral of this story is be leery of overpriced jerky on the road or you can get taken for a chump (not that Dave is a chump he craved a salty snack and I would've paid $20 in his situation, supply and demand). Be prepared for your salty urges is all I'm saying.

Anyways, wardrobe is weird to talk about so I won't. If you have seen us before live you know we wear really unseasonably hot garb. Too bad our clothes don't keep like our salty companion beef jerky. Maybe we need to smoke and cure our stage gear. Who knows?

When on the road we all have all our little jobs. Ed is our maintenance guy. He keeps the Dragon purring and some have remarked when he is driving he is one with the Dragon. Dave on the other hand could make a sailor sea sick when he's driving. However when stopping for gas he keeps the windshield ship shape. Fran's job is to keep us amused with his endless supply of great stories and antics. Craig acts as our mother and cleans up after everyone keeping the van proper. There is a saying that goes, "A clean van is a happy band." ( Not really but sometimes we say it). My job is to tell history and lesser known facts about music that keeps everyone awake when necessary. I also am in charge of our velvet curtains in the van that were 'custom' made for QSJ.

So if you have ever tried to get a group of friends together you know its a difficult task due to everyones varying schedule, jobs etc. Playing in a band is no different. The biggest headache can just be getting everyone someplace at the same time. Our friend Sarah Goodman once remarked getting us together was like "herding cats." That's a great description. We even have assigned numbers to call out when we get in the van like a school field trip. My point of all this is when we get in the van everyone immediately snaps into a great mood. There is nothing like it.

To summarize what could be better than being in a vehicle with your best friends playing music that you are really proud of and enjoy playing.

So my advice to you is before the summer ends grab some smoked and cured beef jerky, your iPod, a vest or two, your four best friends, a conversion van and go on a road trip. You'll be glad you did. Maybe you can come see us play as a destination somewhere between Connecticut and North Carolina.

Stay Frosty,
Greg
xoxoxo