Monday, June 1, 2026: San Jose, CA. A day off after the stay in San Diego. We woke up in a hotel parking lot, parked for the day while the drivers were sleeping. I went inside and had some lobby coffee. Unlimited supply, but I had to listen to some sort of business meeting that was going on in the lobby at full volume.
Eventually, it was time to head out on a run. I found a trail about a mile away; it was ok. Not a whole lot of tree cover.
This always reminds me of the Stanford Marching Band tree costumes. I had to get a shot of the real thing.
Having survived my run, it was time to go find lunch. There was a burrito place nearby that was very good and very filling, and my only disappointment was that they only served unsweetened ice tea (which is bullshit).
After lunch, I made a pitstop at one of those Amazon delivery units to pick up some more reeds that I had ordered. The fact that I was able to order reeds and pick them up two days later was super awesome.
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| fuck these guys |
Our hotel was next door to a Bass Pro Shop. I like their bike rack.
In the afternoon, the bus was empty, so I got some flute and clarinet playing done in the back lounge.
Everybody headed out en masse for the family dinner around 6:30 PM. Check out these tree roots!
We ate at some sort of "all purpose" restaurant, and I ended up with some kind of Thai/tofu thing. It was ok. Could've used some more vegetables.
We got back to the bus early enough that the band let me a little bit in the back. Most of the band guys went to the crew bus to watch a stupid movie.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026: Saratoga, CA. This gig at Mountain Winery, which we have played at least three times, I would guess. After the coffee, I went ahead and did my run, which consists of laps in this parking lot. It's as bad as you think it is.
Once I'd finished, I caught a golf card ride down to the venue to set up my gear.
On to lunch!
I forgot my flute and tenor on the bus...so I had to get another golf cart ride up to grab those. I did have around thirty minutes with flute in an empty office before it was time to check.
Scenes from soundcheck.
We did an a cappella social media video afterwards, but I don't remember seeing it, so I'm guessing that management vetoed it.
Dinner. Not so great for me, so I doubled up on the beans. The big slab of tofu was weird. I guess it was a big protein day.
Post dinner walk around.
This gig was two sets with an intermission, and once the sun went down, it was kind of cold! I played well, except that the cold made me sound a little flat.
My Africa solo tonight was, dare I say, comfortable? Hmmmm.
After the gig, everybody slowly returned to the bus via the golf cart, and we all settled into our bunks. When we were driving away, it felt like the bus dragged on some spots--maybe that was just my perception, but kind of like the bumper dragged in a steep incline.
We got a bus wash in the middle of the night. That woke me up.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026: Medford, OR. I think everybody that I encountered in Medford just got out of jail. It was rough. We parked in a supermarket parking lot between some trucks.
They had a buffet, but it was extremely limited and very bland. Maybe I'm the last person to acquire this knowledge.
All the usual stuff; went for a run, practiced in the back lounge of the bus while everybody was off watching a basketball game at a bar; Subway for dinner. In other news, I started feeling kind of bad (a dull headache that would not go away). Maybe it was the Indian restaurant. Anyway, Medford was pretty crappy.
Thursday, June 4, 2026: Seattle, WA. A chilly gig at the zoo! I didn't sleep very well, so I slept more more once the bus was parked. The headache persists.
Once the rain moved on, it turned out to be a nice day.
Dinner included roasted potatoes and some kind of Indian curry. Not bad at all.
The schedule for the day was compressed because the started time was 6:30 PM. I still did all my usual stuff, including a run that went over a big bridge, and then down into a sidewalk that was so overgrown as to be nearly impassible. The rest of the band had gone to pet snow leopards or something.
I played ok. The weather made me a bit anxious that my hands would get too cold.
There were no showers at the zoo, but there was a hotel room sort of nearby and a runner with a van, so we went in small groups to get cleaned up before going to bed.
The buses stayed parked at the zoo until 3 AM. On to Portland!
Friday, June 5, 2026: Portland, OR. Night one of a two night stand at Revolution Hall.
I had coffee and Pete had donuts. My headache continues.
The dog park next door to the venue was a nice morning hangout. I wish Finn could've made the trip!
I walked to a pizza place for lunch. This was vegan, and good, and maybe not what I would choose next time. I wanna say that it was a Greek pizza? I feel like I should've gotten something a little more mainstream.
Between setting up my gear and soundcheck, I ducked out for a run, but since I don't know the neighborhood very well, I ended running uphill way too much, until I gave up and just walked up the hills. I did not enjoy that.
Dinner this evening was one of those Impossible burgers. I'm not much of a fan--they're not particularly healthy, and I'm not excited about a meat substitute--but it was my best option on the menu. So it goes.
A little flute warm up before the show.
Fun gig. The G# key on my alto stuck shut a couple of times, which was annoying. I could feel it hanging up a little bit during the Heart to Heart solo, and then it stayed shut when I tried to play Summer Breeze. Yuck!
I left a small piece of paper under the pad overnight to dry it out.
Two nights in the same venue! Easy night for the crew (for a change). We left everything set up on stage.
Saturday, June 6, 2026: Portland, OR. Night two! We spent the night on the bus outside of Revolution Hall. I got up and had my coffee, and then went for a run (heading in the opposite direction from the one I chose yesterday!). It was a little bit frustrating--at one point, it was sunny, then it rained (and I was cold a wet), then it got sunny again, and I was not sure where I was going (kind of lost).
I did figure out that I was more or less headed to Revival Drum Shop, another shop that I'd only ever seen on the internet, so I made a short detour to stick my head in the door. Very cool place.
For lunch, I went to a Thai place (called Thai Vintage Cuisine) a couple of blocks away. It was stellar.
And I talked to this beautiful girl!
Back at the venue, we couldn't make any noise until 3 PM, but once that came around, I found a great spot on the second floor (a small meeting room next to the stairwell) where I could practice without bothering anybody. Gotta remember that for next time!
We had Thai food from the place across the street for dinner. Not as good as my lunch, but it did the trick.
Good gig. Sold out.
Afterwards, we took Lyfts to a hotel for the night. I was in a car with Bencuya and Monkeyboy, and we had to wait an extra ten minutes because Monkeyboy is snooty and will only ride in the more expensive "black car" option.
Sunday, June 7, 2026: travel. The flight options home were either at 6 AM, or 11:30 AM. Boooo. I took the later one, so I spent more of the day in the air. I brought a burrito from the airport.
Back on the ground at the Atlanta airport, where my Lyft driver couldn't get to the pickup area because it was clogged with scammers hanging around trying to get people of cancel their scheduled cars and pay them directly. That's some bullshit.
Home! A friend who is an event contractor asked me to send her some jazz duo/trio/quartet promo stuff, but I didn't have anything that wasn't twenty years old. Here's some of it. It was fun to make this, even if I don't end up getting any gigs out of it.
Thursday, June 18, 2026: travel day. The band and crew flew to Newark to reunite with our gear and get out to Long Island for one of our big gigs of the year, Jones Beach. Unfortunately, several thunderstorms were pushing through Atlanta, so we ended up sitting on the tarmac for an hour and a half before there was finally enough of a break for us to leave.
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| the venerable Pub Sub for dinner |
We spent the night on the bus, parked next to a Hampton Inn on Staten Island (except for Nick and Kourtney, who both opted for hotel rooms).
Friday, June 19, 2026: Jones Beach, NY. Here we go!
I went for a run while the setup was happening--there's a nice multipurpose path along the highway. I was moving right along, and I should've known something was up--I turned around to face three miles of a terrible headwind. What a bummer!
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| lunch |
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| soundcheck |
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| dinner |
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| backstage |
Jones Beach is right on the bay, and somebody had brought their boat over, so we were afforded a short ride before the show.
Anyway, epic show. 9,400 people.
Saturday, June 20, 2026: Bethel, NY. We woke up at the sight of the Woodstock Festival after a very bumpy night on the road. Pretty day, though.
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| Greg and Ganesh walking where Woodstock happened |
This was one of those festival-style trailer stages planted in a field up next to the museum.
A few pics from my run.
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| sort of a dinner |
This evening's show started a little early, so the sun was still up when we kicked off.
There were no showers in the museum (where our green room was), so we had to be shuttled over to the backstage of the amphitheater to use the bathrooms there.
Sunday, June 21, 2026: Tanglewood, MA. I accidentally left the vent at the foot of my bunk open, and my feet were cold all night, and I had trouble sleeping. Once the bus parked in the loading dock, I finally went back to sleep and woke up at 9:45. Oops! I made myself a quick cup of coffee and headed inside to set my gear up (matinee show today!).
What a cool room!
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| uhhh, mid June? I'll take it. |
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| lunch |
Check this out! The back wall of the room opens up, and there's a big grassy lawn where people sit outside and watch the concert.
Pretty good gig. We had A/V troubles with the opening video again, and Nick was furious, and it was a bummer that he had to carry the anger through a two hour show so that he could still be mad afterwards.
Africa solo was pretty perfect tonight, and my sax solos were good, too.
I went for a run after the show. It was hilly. Not my favorite.
When I got back to the venue, somebody else was in the shower, so I squeezed in an extra couple of parking lot laps.
I got the last shower before the theater closed, and then we all headed to a pub in town for a family dinner.
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| I was hoping it would be better than one of those frozen/reheated ones |
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| another veggie burger and fries |
Back at the buses, there was a hang/singalong. I'm not a big fan of either, I tried to make the best of it until everybody finally decided we could get on the buses, where we passed the early part of the ride watching The Three Amigos.
Monday, June 22, 2026: Harrisonburg, VA. Somewhere in the early morning, we arrived at Harrisburg, PA, where we dropped Ganesh and Nick off at the airport (Ganesh went home, Nick went to hang out with a friend in DC). We then drove to Harrisonburg, VA, where the buses stopped for the day so that the drivers could sleep.
Guess what! They had an Indian restaurant with nobody in it! The food was good, though.
All the usual stuff...ate lunch, practiced in the back of the bus...
Big thunderstorm came through.
I ran on the treadmill at the hotel to avoid the rain.
I selected Thai food for dinner. Guess what? Nobody was eating there.
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| this was pretty crappy |
Back at the hotel, I had a chance to do laundry, and while my clothes were churning, I noticed a ballroom/conference room that was not locked, so I seized the opportunity to use it as a practice room! Perfecto!
Tuesday, June 23, 2026: Mount Pleasant, SC. Is there really a mountain here?
Anyway, we have gigs here, but they don't happen until tomorrow, so today we were posted in a Target parking lot on the buses while the drivers slept.
I went to lunch with Greg and Peter Searcy (tour manager) at a nearby bar. Veggie burger and fries, and a big glass of tea. It was fine.
I hoped to use the treadmill at the hotel, but it's still broken (it was broken when we stayed at this hotel last year). So...off I go in the heat. It was bad. I stopped a lot.
Later on, I had a chance to play some in the back of the bus--most of the band had gone to some seafood restaurant. When I'd finally decided to go find some food of my own, everything had closed except for the place where I ate lunch, so I had another veggie burger and fries (not pictured).
The whole gang had made it back to the buses by then, so there was no chance to do any playing inside, but Target was closed, so I spent about an hour playing tunes outside before it was time to go to bed.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026: Isle of Palms, SC. Night one at the Windjammer.
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| the morning run |
After getting my run out of the way, I went to the Harris Teeter and got two sandwiches--one for lunch, and one for dinner. The Windjammer food is free, and not anything that I will eat.
Night one was not too bad. A little windy, but the heat was bearable.
Ooof...I thought I remembered Careless Whisper, but I played the first sax part twice instead of once, and then proceeded into a death spiral of knowing the parts, but not knowing where they belonged. Fortunately the band followed me, but I was in the wrong place every damn time I put the horn in my mouth, AND I KNEW IT.
I tried this move for the Windjammer shows--wrapping a towel around my rack so that less sand would accumulate inside. Seems like a good idea. Probably doesn't look that great, but I didn't have a black towel.
After the show, we packed everything up, made a big pile in the middle of the stage, and they put a big tarp over it, and a security guard slept out there with it. I hate this plan, but I also hate the idea of putting everything back in the trailer, so this is what we're doing.
We all slept in the buses parked out in front of the Windjammer, except Nick and Pete, who slept in hotel rooms in Mount Pleasant, and Kourtney, who slept in one of the dayrooms next door to the venue. Air conditioning on the buses was not the greatest on generator power. Just sayin'.
Thursday, June 25, 2026: Isle of Palms, SC. Windjammer night two. Same stuff...same run, two sandwiches from Harris Teeter, soundcheck.
This was a pretty whatever/average show. Lots of non-yacht rock stuff on there. I wasn't that interested in this one. There was some sax stuff, but it was almost entirely the recorded solos, so not much improvising.
This damn dog was in a taxi when I was walking back to the bus, and HE REJECTED ME! Didn't want me to pet him or take his picture or talk to him, and the owner was very gentle in encouraging me to just move on. I was so bummed!
After the showers, everybody went across the street to Dinghy's to watch the USA soccer match. The music kept getting louder. I snuck out the side door.
Friday, June 26, 2026: Isle of Palms, SC. Ugh. Night three at the Windjammer. Same ol' stuff.
Here's our buddy Chad Holbrook picking up piles of dog poop in the sand right before the doors open.
No good place to practice, so I found a spot in the parking garage under the hotel next door.
Here's a small surprise: I only had one sandwich from Harris Teeter today because we had tacos for dinner (and they were really good).
Pretty good gig. The wind was awful, blowing from the back of the stage to the front, and it worried me enough that I put my backpack on the legs on my sax stands to keep them from blowing over. It also means that everything on stage is full of very fine sand.
Saturday, June 27, 2026: Birmingham, AL. We got hired to play a wedding. Indoors! Yay!
I had my coffee on the bus, and then we took a golf cart to get from the parking lot over to the main clubhouse. Another small stage and tight setup.
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| lunch |
We sound checked (went over Careless Whisper!), and around 4:30 PM, Pete discovered a fitness center in another one of the buildings that had treadmills, so I changed clothes and boogied over there, only to be informed that they were closing at 5 PM. Well damn! I was sort of committed to myself to do some running at that point, so I headed out in the heat.
I thought it was maybe going to be ok. I found this trail, but it wasn't very long, and it dumped me into a neighborhood that was nothing but hills and dead ends, and I spent way too much time looking at a map on my phone, trying to find a straight, relatively flat road.
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| dinner. bleah. |
They did have a good shower, here, though.
The gig was crazy. Lots of alcohol going around, for the adults and also the teenage boys, who seemed to always be lurking, looking to finish other people's drinks! A lady climbed up on stage, claiming that she was looking for her friend. When a second woman got on stage, Kip tried to jump up and intercept her, and he fell, and that was quite a disturbance in itself.
In other news, I played Africa perfectly, fixed Careless Whisper, and avoided playing Baker Street. Woo!
We were back in Atlanta the next morning.
Sunday, June 28, 2026: Atlanta, GA. I played my last church gig today. The bandleaders have decided to retire from doing it weekly, so the church opted to cut the entire ensemble and choir loose. I was using it as an opportunity to work on my flute playing, so I'll miss that, but my enthusiasm for dealing with the overall situation has been lacking for a while. It was time to go.
Monday, June 29, 2026: Greensboro, GA. Ugh. NOBODY wanted to play this gig--it was I'm guessing a summer concert series for a gated community. Another festival stage thing set up on their soccer field. It was hot, it was awful, there was no water by the stage.
The band's green room was a cottage down the street, and we spent the majority of the day there, watching soccer and wishing that the day would end. In time, the thunderstorms rolled in, and it seemed like maybe the whole thing would get canceled. That would've been fine, even after the drive and the setup.
All of the weather eventually passed, and we ended up starting twenty-five minutes late. Still played the whole setlist. We finished right at 10 PM.
I drove myself so that I could take all of my gear home for some cleaning before the next big stretch of gigs later in the summer. Sand and humidity and saxophones don't mix!
