More Cruising

After a quick two days off, Yacht Rock was back on the high seas, this time sailing on the Norwegian Pearl as part of the Impractical Jokers Cruise. This was not a music-themed cruise, so we had pretty low expectations about the attendance at our shows. We were correct.

Wednesday: The boat sailed from New Orleans, our first time leaving this port. Definitely not as well organized as things have been in the past. The company that hosts these cruises, Sixthman, seems to have had enough turnover with their staff that we are no longer given any sort of favoritism--we're just another band on the boat. Where have all the hipsters gone?

Our first show of the cruise was at the sail away, so we got on the boat, ate lunch, and headed to the stage to set up.

Looking at this photo, you'd think we were off to a good start with this crowd, but all of these people were on the deck because the stars of the show were making their way through the audience, pausing for selfies.

It had never occurred to me just how far New Orleans is from the Gulf of Mexico. We left at 4:30, and probably didn't reach the mouth of the river until 10 PM. I went to bed at 9:30 PM and slept twelve hours.

Thursday: Show #2. This photo more accurately represents our pool deck crowd. My big highlight of this particular performance: I think I played my dragon of self-doubt about the intro to Sailing. That song began this set, and I had no trouble.

Our traditional teppanyaki meal. We had a new guy as our cook, so mercifully there was a little less show. At this point, we know all of their jokes anyway.

Friday: We have reached our destination! Costa Maya, Mexico is a cruise ship port scraped out of the jungle south of Cozumel. Unfortunately, that means that you can get off the boat, eat at a tourist-y Mexican restaurant, buy cheap jewelry and clothes, cigarettes, and booze at the duty-free shops, pet the caged dolphins, and go down the Mayan ruins-themed water slide. I've seen it. Pass.

we're getting a little stir crazy

the view from my balcony

The Great Bencuya in action

other boats in port today

Our show for this night was indoors, with a similar draw. It's too bad, though, because we played really well on this boat, and things were fun and loose, but there was no one there to see it.

Saturday: More of the same. Slept as long as I could, got up, ate as much fruit as I could, ran as far as I could, ate lunch, read my book, ate dinner, played the show, went to bed.

I ran so far away on this boat

the daily drying of my running clothes

Our final show of the cruise was moved to earlier in the day, and indoors (this time in the atrium of the ship). Because of this location, we had slightly more foot traffic, and some people stuck around for the show. Mostly, though, people were here for a few songs and then off to the next thing.

the Gulf did provide for some nice sunsets

Sunday: We got off the boat at 8 AM, but didn't fly until almost noon. Lots of time to kill in a pretty terrible airport (speaking mainly of the lack of food options, the lack of wifi, and whoever turned the thermostat down to 40 degrees at gate D5).

Sooooo...that was a bust! On to the next thing:

Monday: Just when I couldn't get more brain dead, I (along with Marks Bencuya and Cobb) had a last minute recording session, improvising music for a Dremel commercial. It took five hours. We were paid in Thai food.

This week:

Friday: We're at the Georgia Theatre in Athens!

Sunday: I'll be playing with the Atlanta Latin Jazz Orchestra (lead tenor-yikes!) at Venkman's as part of a benefit for Puerto Rico.