CARBON LEAF

I recently read "The DaVinci Code." I don’t read many books. It’s not that I don’t know how to. I’m just bad at choosing books that will hold my interest beyond 20 pgs. I’ve put down several books after less than 10 pgs. I loved this book though, I couldn’t wait to finish it to see how it ends. Thus, I present to you, "The Car Binci (leaf) Code".

It is music you seek, more specifically a song
Barely less than 5 minutes long
Many to consider, more than a few
‘So much left to do’

E-mail Carter. In the subject box, write "I have solved the code!" In the e-mail, write your answer; below your answer, write "Do you seriously like playing guitar?" The first correct response will win 2 tix to our next show in your town.

We’re approaching San Diego. I am sitting in the van. Terry and Barry are splitting the back seat as Buford drifts in and out of his sleep-induced coma in the seat just in front of them. Carter is driving, and Jordan is hunched over the seat behind me, trying like the dickens to relieve himself into an empty soda bottle. I am ping-ponging between awe and disgust.

I can’t decide how I feel. We’ve been on tour (more specifically, away from home) for 3 wks and 5 days, with another 13 days to go. Am I tired? Excited? Pissed off? Mellow? Constipated? Thinking I could get away with a felony (or 6) since we’re so close to the Mexican border? Yes.

This tour has been our busiest (and longest) to date, and shows no signs of slowing up. With just 4 days off so far, it’s been a whirlwind of long drives, radio station visits, acoustic performances, and full on rock shows. Remarkably, Terry and Barry have been the only ones to get sick. But like I said, 13 days remain. The busy schedule translates into less (good) sleep, less exercise, less Cracker Barrel. Hopefully, it will also translate into a wider audience.

"This is what you’ve worked so hard for."
"It’s not the destination, it’s the journey."
"Enjoy the fruits of your labor while they last."
Nonsense. Hookers and Blow – bring it on.

We made great friends with 2 new bands. The first leg of the tour was with an LA (Los Angeles, not Louisiana) band called The Low Millions. The lead singer is the son of Leonard Cohen, the guitar player is John Mayer’s guitar player, and the rhythm section is comprised of 2 LA session players. They’re super guys and a great band with fabulously catchy pop rock songs. Their first single ‘Eleanor’ is playing on many of the same stations spinning ‘Life Less Ordinary,’ and their new record ("Ex-Girlfriends") just came out a couple weeks ago.

The second leg of the tour was with Blue Merle from Nashville. They include upright bass, drums, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and a touch of keyboards. And their singer Lucas beautifully melds David Gray with Chris Martin of Coldplay. Blue Merle is making amazing music, I suspect we’ll be hearing much more from them. I believe their record comes out early next year.

The tour started off with a bang. A 2 parking ticket, $220 bang in the you-know-what. One ticket while loading the gear in, another during the show. Is $220 enough to pave New York City and make it a parking lot exclusively for band vans and trailers? Let’s hope so. The show was good though. Boston and Rochester the following 2 nights were good too.

Next up was the Celtic Classic in Bethlehem, PA. Time to get our Irish on, hi-diddlee-ho. I grew up less than 2 hrs from Bethlehem, yet it was my first time there. It’s a quaint little town, a town worth returning to when I’m not on tour. It’s funny though – the more Irish festivals we play, the more I wonder what makes these quaint little towns say "Hey, let’s have an Irish festival!" Maybe the Irish citizens of Bethlehem argued "The Germans get OktoberFest - where’s our love?!" Or maybe Belgium Fest was a miserable failure. Either way, it perplexes me. This was the 18th year of the Celtic Classic and it showed. Everything was efficiently run, all the major and minor details tended to equally. We can sniff out a fledgling Celtic Festival several potato patches away, but this one was as veteran as they come. We soaked up our 4 separate hotel rooms, drank our Guinness, and rocked harder than U2 on St. Patrick’s Day.

After a quick return to New York (Buffalo, more specifically), it was back to the great state of Pennsylvania. The guys in my band love to hate Pennsylvania, or at least pretend they do. Or maybe they vent their frustrations with me on my state. Or maybe vice versa. Or both.

"Scott, why are there NO merge lanes on PA highways?!"
"There aren’t many people here for the show…Scott, you really DON’T have a friend in Pennsylvania, do you???"
"Damn it Milstead, your roads suck!"
"Scrapple and Cheesesteaks – the ONLY good things to come from Pennsylvania!"
"YOU cracked the Liberty Bell, didn’t you?"

Forgive them, for they know not what they’re missing. They’re soft Virginia boys with thin skin and an inferiority complex stemming from the Civil War. Right? At least the Eagles are 6-0.

From PA, we headed south for shows in Baltimore and Lexington, VA, with a 12 hr pit stop in Richmond in between. Baltimore was a rockin’ street party, while Lexington was a posh fraternity event. Clif masterfully bent the living hell out of our trailer hitch after the Lexington gig, so we spent a good chunk of our next day off at an RV/Trailer center located somewhere on the fringes of Indianapolis. The night before (in Cleveland) and the night after (Indianapolis) both yielded great shows for us. Cleveland was a Sunday night, and Indianapolis was our first show ever in said city, so we were psyched.

The next day in Ann Arbor included an acoustic performance at the Border’s national headquarters. These are always interesting ventures. The word ‘sterile’ comes to mind, as do the words ‘free coffee, free books and nice bathrooms.’ We set up in a boardroom/conference room; I used a stripped down acoustic drum kit, the guys go sans amplifiers and electric guitars. After a quick sound check, the employees file in, grab a snack from the refreshment table, and take a seat. The performance feels like a cross between the SAT’s and a talent show. It made perfect sense though, as it helped put a face and a personality to the music these folks are working hard (on our behalf) to promote. We signed some cd’s, packed up, and headed to The Blind Pig for another beer soaked rock show.

The following day in Madison, WI was one of the best stops of the tour. We had a stellar visit at WMMM radio in the afternoon, followed by an energetic (fun?) show that night. We played a few songs at MMM, per usual. Then Barry gave the DJ a CL ‘trivia question’ to ask on air ("Name one of the [4] CL original songs that appear exclusively on ‘5 Alive!’"); the first 3 callers with correct answers won a pair of tix for the show that night. The best part – folks actually called in. People really DO listen to radio. And having played Madison only a handful of times, we were psyched to see over 350 people at the show.

Friday and Saturday were in Chicago and Minneapolis, respectively. Both shows were equally rockin’. Saturday afternoon we had a great visit to Cities 97, a magnificent station in Minneapolis that’s added our record. And Sunday we played a benefit for the Spare Key Foundation, a Minneapolis-based charity that raises money to support parents with terminally ill children. Monday brought a chill show at the Maintenance Shop in Ames, IA. Tuesday was a waterlogged television performance for "Windows on St. Louis," followed by a good show at a club called Off Broadway (which should be renamed Way Off Broadway). Wednesday included a great visit to KZPL in Kansas City. In light of the fact that we’ve played Kansas City only once (and it was as an opener), we were psyched by the 200 people who came to the show that night. Most importantly, Carbon Leaf thanks the 4 women who participated in the bikini contest immediately following our set.

Thursday sucked like a Hoover on high. There’s a lot of Kansas between Kansas City and Denver, about 11 hrs worth. And the scenery – if you can call it that – is like Barry’s last girlfriend – flat and uninteresting. If you ever get the chance to drive thru Kansas, don’t. Fly. The Denver visit, however, was awesome, despite the wintry welcome. KBCO was kind enough to invite us to play a couple tunes for their Studio C show. And the gig that night ended up selling out, our first sellout in CO. Go us.

Saturday brought another desolate marathon drive. About 2 hrs in Terry stopped at Tess’ for some authentic Mexican fare. Let’s just say, there was no need to stop for gas. Sunday in Tucson, AZ brought another amazing radio visit (KWMT "The Mountain"), followed by a grand show at the newly renovated Plush. For a Sunday night (and only our second visit to Tucson), it was a very successful show.

The drive today began at 8 am and, depending on traffic, should last the better part of 6 hrs. I remember this drive particularly well from the last time we did it (on the Great Big Sea tour back in May) – empty brush land followed by expansive desert followed by jagged mountains, massive boulders, and finally the lush vegetation and palm trees that line the outskirts of San Diego. It’s all the scenery of the West packed into one 400 mile stretch of road, sprinkled with the occasional illegal alien making a dash for that coveted US border. Yup, we have it pretty good. All things considered, we have it damn good

More to come
CL

< back

next >