I had taken the pick-up off of my bass and put it somewhere safe so I could superglue a piece that had become loose and repair it during the drive from Jacksonville, FL to Black Mountain, NC. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember where that somewhere safe was. When Brett and Mikey arrived at my place to load up the van and take off, I confessed my dilemma. I tore my place apart looking for the pick-up, but couldn't find it anywhere. I felt pretty stupid and started to panic. Brett remained calm and suggested we hit the road and figure something out along the way. We sent out a few texts and made a few calls. Brett remembered hearing positive things from our friend Ernie Evans about a place called Randy Wood Guitars near Savannah, GA along I-95. I called them and they said they had a bass pick-up in stock and could install it on the spot. So we decided to give it a shot. It turned out to be a good decision, as they helped us quickly and we were able to get back on the road.
Randy Wood Guitars to the rescue!
We were back on schedule - disaster averted! The rest of the drive was pleasant enough. In South Carolina, Brett suggested we stop for some local produce -- another good idea. We stopped at an Abbott Farms stand along the highway and picked up some peaches and peanuts. Delicious!
Peaches n' peanuts!
Brett drove a marathon first leg of the trip. I took over the last hour and a half of the drive and we arrived at Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain, NC which is right next to Asheville. Great venue!
The Tap Room Stage at Pisgah Brewing
Comfy green room for shootin' pool and changin' strings
At this point I must reveal a few more things. My drinking had gotten out of control. So, 50 days ago I quit. I don't know how long I think I need to stay on the wagon, but I'm eager to go alcohol-free for a total of 100 days before I reassess my relationship with alcohol. It has already been a challenge sticking to my decision, considering we're usually offered free or discounted drinks at our gigs. I have my good days and bad days. I've also been on a bit of a general health kick lately. In many ways I feel better than ever, but in some ways I don't. I feel dehydrated and exhausted a lot. I've done a little research online, and apparently these symptoms aren't uncommon. I'm not sure if it's related to quitting drinking, but my voice has felt broken for the last couple of weeks. My high notes are incredibly raspy. I've been rather stressed-out about it. I had hoped that our week off would allow my voice to rest and all would be ok, but I found that the problem was still there today. In an effort to heal my voice, I'm drinking LOTS of water, using natural lozenges, and taking colloidal silver. I know there is no scientific evidence that homeopathy works, but I remember it seeming to help my immune system in the past, and I figure I have nothing to lose at this point. Besides feeling tired and not being able to sing well, I find that little aches and pains while playing are much harder to ignore without booze. I know the fact that I'm not getting any younger doesn't help; I felt every bit of my years tonight without a buzz to numb me out.
All that being said, it was a good gig. I look at my role in the band kind of like an athlete on a sports team in the sense that I can't just wait until I feel 100% to play. The show must go on. Also, we had a nice, enthusiastic little crowd. Some nice folks showed up that had seen us before. Our friends Bobby Miller and Isaac Corbitt showed up and sat in with us on mandolin and harmonica, respectively, on several tunes. My new bass pick-up sounded ok, though it will take some getting used to. At least we have something that works. We're still getting the hang of our new in-ear monitors, but so far, so good. On a positive note, although my voice is still broken, I started to feel like it may be healing.
Us and Isaac Corbitt
After our gig, wed went to the open bluegrass jam at Jack of the Wood in Asheville, which is where our gig is Friday night. We met up with some of our buddies from the band The Fritz. I mostly sat and talked while Brett and Mikey spent more time on stage, but I did get called up to play the last few tunes.
Brett pickin' in the bluegrass jam at Jack of the Wood
We closed the bar, and then we went to friends Jamie & Brooke's place. They're nice enough to let us crash here. I've been here typing away and listening to my bandmates and friends talking and jammin'. It's now just past 4am, and time to call it a day. All in all, today was a good first day of the tour!
- Jon
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