Monday, December 18th, 2006 - Dallas, TX - Standard and Pours

I left Pineville around one or two in the afternoon because I didn't want to rush myself and also because I just like getting into whatever city I'm playing in early.  So after a rather pleasant (but still pretty long) drive, I get into Dallas and it's already dark.  I immediately go to the address of the venue, but am slightly confused when the building occupying the address is some giant apartment building with a doorman who won't let me in.  I wander around the corner, however, and it turns out that Standard and Pours is in the basement of that building and the entrance is actually on a road to the side.  So once I get the van re-situated and talk to Mallorie who tells me not to expect much of a crowd since they usually have quiet nights on Monday, I load in and tell her that I don't expect anything really since I only booked the show the Friday before and I was just grateful to be able to play.  Standard and Pours (now called Opening Bell Coffee due to some legal issues or something, I don't really know the ins and outs) had free internet for the customers so I quickly posted some last minute MySpace bulletins and invites, then set my stuff up.  Mallorie (I hope I'm getting her name right) was super nice and once I had everything set up the place was pretty much empty.  But then, right before I was going to start, my sister and two of her friends showed up which I was very happy about (especially since it was the same crew I had gone to see Journey in Dallas with back in July).  So I played just the acoustic half of my set, hung out with my sister and her friends for a little while, thanked Mallorie again (God, I'm really paranoid about screwing her name up now), then followed Jennifer in what had to look like a high-speed chase back to her apartment because she was driving so freaking fast.  We got there, relaxed a bit and watched some tv, then crashed pretty quickly.

Tuesday, December 19th, 2006 - Austin, TX - Hole in the Wall

So since my sister had work the next morning, I woke up shortly after she left and hit the road for Austin.  My original plan was to get there really early, find a music store to replace the guitar string I had broken the night before during the show, then just walk around the Guadalupe area and enjoy the various stores it has to offer.  That, however, did not happen.  On the way down there I suddenly found myself in traffic that was at a complete and total standstill.  This went on for something like two or three hours.  So by the time I got into Austin and found a place to park near the Hole in the Wall, it was around seven or eight o'clock.  I decided to wait to load my stuff in and just relax and have a beer since the drive had been fairly stressful, but I didn't know that my stress level was about to shoot up even higher.  The bartenders changed shifts and when the new guy arrived I asked him when I should start loading in, he asked me what band I was in, and when I told him it was just me he looked at me like I had just grown a horn in the middle of my forehead.  He then said that I wasn't on the schedule for that evening (even though I still had the confirmation e-mail in my inbox from July).  Once the booking agent arrived, I (in a very frantic manner), explained the situation and he assured me that I would at least get to play four or five songs sometime during the bill.  So I sat down, tried to calm down, and drank a few more beers while Passed Out Flyers played.  These guys were incredible and really fun to watch and listen to, and even though I was being slightly accosted by a very drunk middle-aged woman who was trying to get me to dance with her, I still enjoyed their set very much.  They had a steel guitar player which I love, so after they were done I talked to him for a little bit about steel guitar in general.  Then it was my turn to play, so I got up there and once again just did the acoustic half of the set since I was pressed for time.  I had gotten a decent amount of beer in me at this point, though, so I was ok with a shorter set.  The people in the bar seemed to enjoy my set, and as always I tried to work the audience into it as much as possible.  Once I was done I quickly loaded my stuff back into the van so I could relax and enjoy the rest of the bands.  The band that played after me, Dave's Not Here, were incredible.  Their guitarist, who looked to be my age, was ripping out solos like nobody's business.  The bass player was playing ridiculously fast slap-and-pop style that reminded me of Incubus's very first record, Fungus Amongus.  And he was doing all of this while wearing sunglasses.  I was floored.  Once they were done I was moved to talk to them and tell them how awesome I thought they were.  I helped them load their gear into their van, then chilled outside with them for a good while.  We traded merch and they were super nice guys and really fun to hang out with.  We walked back in to hear the rest of the performers, which ended up to be other musicians from various Austin-based bands doing solo sets.  The promoter told me not to leave Austin tomorrow before coming back to the Hole in the Wall since they pay their bands the next day.  Once all the music was done, I said goodbye to all the incredibly rad people I had met, hit the road, found a Holiday Inn nearby, and slept in the van in their parking lot.

December 20th, 2006 - San Antonio, TX - Limelight

When I woke up I went into the Holiday Inn to use the restroom and noticed they had free internet in the lobby, so I logged onto my MySpace to make sure the other two venues still had me on their calendars (the Hole in the Wall fiasco still had me a bit shaken).  Luckily I was still booked for the rest of the tour, so I got in the van and headed back to the Hole in the Wall.  The bar manager, a super nice guy who I had talked to the night before, handed me my money envelope and said, "You're going to love this."  I didn't know what this meant until I saw that on the outside of the envelope someone had written "That Mystery Kid Kassidy Booked".  Apparently they had gone through a few booking agents, and the one that had booked me was obviously not working there anymore.  And no one who was working the night before remembered my name (haha).  So once I picked that up I got on the highway pointed toward San Antonio.  It was only something like three o'clock in the afternoon when I got into San Antonio, so I made sure I knew how to find the venue then I headed toward the Alamo.  I was determined to have some relaxation time on this tour that didn't involve waiting for a show to start or residing in my van.  I found a ridiculously cheap parking lot right around the corner from the Alamo (rejoice!), took a few pictures, then went down the Riverwalk, which is a beautiful area for those of you who have never been there.  Sure there are a lot of really expensive shops and bars, but there's also a lot of really pretty scenery.  Once I had pretty much walked all the way up and down the Riverwalk, I stopped at the bar at the end nearest to the Alamo and bought a seven dollar beer (insane!) then went back to the van.  The sun was starting to go down, but it was still only about six o'clock and I didn't know if the venue would be open yet.  Nevertheless, I drove over to Limelight and saw a guy walking in so I assumed they were open.  The guy happened to be the owner, and once I walked in he told me that they weren't open quite yet but I was welcome to chill.  This was good news, so I stretched out on a couch and relaxed for a little bit more.  Once people started arriving for open mic night (I was playing afterward) I shuffled toward the bar and chatted with a very delightful bartender whose name escapes me now (her myspace url has to do with "ape" but i'm pretty sure that's not her name).  Between her and the other locals at the bar, I was having some great and entertaining conversation.  I told the bartender I had never eaten tamales, and she gave me the horn-sprouting-from-forehead look.  She then heated a couple up for me and I thought they were delicious.  So after the open mic performers did their thing (all very well I might add), I set up my equipment and finally played my full set, which pretty much lasted until the bar's last call.  I shot the breeze a little longer with the staff and patrons, got paid (always a good thing), said my bittersweet goodbyes since once again everyone was super nice, then got on the highway pointed toward Houston until I found a rest area to park and sleep.

Thursday, December 21st, 2006 - Houston, TX - Super Happy Fun Land

When I woke up, it was raining and there was an immense black funnel-shaped cloud not too far from where I was parked, so I quickly got myself together and hit the highway for Houston.  I got into town around six and drove to the venue thinking that they'd be open, but the doors were locked so I chilled in the van until I saw the doors open.  When I got inside one of the other performers came in as well and introduced himself as Michael, but he performs under the name Boogdish.  We loaded our stuff in then played Connect Four for a good long while (I totally kicked Mike's ass which counts for something later on in the evening).  A few kids showed up (friends of the other performer, Yatagarasu) and then I noticed this incredible poster for the night's show taped to the side of the counter.  Apparently, Chris from Yatagarasu's girlfriend had either drawn or painted these, and Mike and I both wanted one.  But the one taped to the counter was the only one left, so we said we'd fight over it later.  My dear Niki Sevven showed up (bassist for Something Fierce who are very badass) even though she was sick and made me go "awww" when I saw her because she looked like a sad little puppy dog in the rain (haha, don't e-punch me Niki).  Shortly after that her friend Kasey, who I met the last time I was in Houston, showed up and I was really thrilled to see those two come out.  Yatagarasu went first and was this super crazy video-game-techno-beat stuff with the guy Chris playing bass and screaming over it.  It was insane, but in a way that made sense (if THAT makes any sense).  Boogdish played second and he was also a solo bass player with preprogrammed drum beats backing him, but his songs (and the spaces between them) were more humorous narratives and I thoroughly enjoyed his set.  One negative, though, was that he flung a lot of snot onto the microphone so I had to get the sound guy bring another one up there before I played due to my extreme snotophobia.  Once again I got to play my full set, and the people who stuck around seemed to really enjoy it.  It was great to have Niki and Kasey there, especially since Niki knew some of the songs already (it made me feel like I had fans to see her mouthing along with the words, haha).  After the show Mike said I could have the show poster since I royally destroyed him in Connect Four, and I said my last bittersweet goobyes for the tour as far as saying them to bands and venues were concerned.  Mike and Chris and all the guys at Super Happy Fun Land were incredibly fun and nice and really made the night a great cap-off to the whole tour.  Niki and I left the venue in her car and went to her favorite pool hall/bar where we had a few beers and played a few rounds of pool while joking around with each other.  Getting to hang out with Niki again was definitely another really great cap-off to the whole tour.  We went back to get my van, I followed her to her house, then we watched a couple of movies until we both fell asleep.

Friday, December 22nd, 2006 - I20 and LA165 - Going Home

Leaving Houston might've been the most bittersweet moment since I always love being there and playing there, plus Niki has turned into such a great friend that having to leave is never all that super.  But we said our goodbyes, then I pointed the van toward Louisiana.  When I crossed the bridge into Louisiana from Texas I was slightly saddened, but I was definitely looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and getting to see my kitten.  Once I got into Alexandria I went straight to Finnegan's Wake, got reacquainted with my friends there, then headed home to unload my equipment and go out for a night with my friends.

Once again, I want to thank everyone involved (the people at the shows, the bar owners, the employees, the friends, the other bands, everyone).  I had an incredible time despite the ups and downs (but hey, those come with every tour).  It was definitely a great way to get the new record out there and to end the year.