Hey Everybody!!!
It is time for Michelangelo’s good-time, southern fried blog entry. We have been having a blast, and it is only fair if I let you in on some of the good times. So sit down, pour yourself a sweet tea, and enjoy.
We woke up bright and early on Thursday morning. Had a few bagels and some black coffee to expedite the wakeup process. The first thing I have learned from touring down the east coast is that the further south you go, the more the coffee resembles water with some dirt in it. We headed off making a stop at the Red Star (Uncle Sando’s Grandmother’s restaurant/former bar). We had a champion’s breakfast of cheeseburgers, fries, and coke (who needs Wheaties when you have grease to fuel the rocking). We left, taking a bagful of fried chicken with us. You can just imagine how great that bag of chicken made the Exploder smell. We slowly made our way through Virginia. Gardner manned the helm of the USS Sandolorean, which translated to everyone else passing out. As we made our way towards the North Carolina border, we literally saw the humidity hanging over the trees (don’t get excited Nacho). When we entered North Carolina we stopped at a gas station for some drinks. I was amazed to find Budweiser bottles shaped like bowling pins (yes bowling pins) for $1.09!!! And to answer your question, yes it was quite refreshing. Got back in the car and headed further south. The car kept getting hotter. This had its pros and cons. The cons would be that we were sweating bullets. The pros would be that our bag of chocolate chip cookies melted to the point of tasting oven fresh! Around 5:00 pm we pulled into North Carolina. After searching for a suitable stopping point for the night, we settled upon the always-ritzy Econolodge. After checking in, we headed over to the venue.
We made it to Lucky’s Pub, only to be greeted by no one. Apparently we showed up too early, so we sat around and listened to some tunes while waiting. If you have never been to the South, you know it’s always hot! And especially now as summer is coming around, its smoldering. Thankfully we were not too far from the ocean, which attributed to the nice breeze. Eventually the guy came and opened the club. Lucky’s had a great stage, and the locals were all extremely nice! The one thing I can safely say about North Carolina is that everyone was super kind to us. We had a great time, and we plan to return to Lucky’s very soon! Then it was back to the motel to crash.
We woke up bright and (too) early the next day. It was off in the caravan of two cars towards South Carolina. The journey took us through historic Wilmington, a nice little southern city with a righteous WWII battleship docked in its harbor! We continued on our journey. The further south we drove, the hotter it got. After crossing the border into South Carolina we drove along the seaside highway through world famous Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach looked like a good time. Lots of BBQ’s, bikers, and beach towels on sale. There were also a noticeable amount of mini golf courses with unnaturally blue flowing water. We continued on. No time for Myrtle chilling on this gig day.
We made it to Mount Pleasant (outside of Charleston) by mid afternoon. We were slightly skeptical when we saw that the venue was located in a strip mall right next to the Piggly Wiggly. Upon entrance all fears were squelched as the venue turned out to be a great place!! Big bar, lots of tables, and a great four-foot stage. After checking it out, the guys decided to go to the beach, and I ventured into downtown Charleston is search of that Southern charm that us Northerners read about so often. I got a map and walked through the historic district. Many beautiful churches and old school Southern graveyards. I then headed through a section of old million-dollar homes, many of which has beautiful closed off gardens. Next stop was the battery, a walkway along the bay. Many old monuments and cannons lined the battery. Then I picked up some dinner at a little café, drank too much sweet tea, and met Gardner to head over to “A Dough Re Mi”. Our man Stewart (the owner) opened for us with his southern rock band. The band sounded great and the lead guitarist looked like a Confederate civil war general! Rock n roll! Then we played a great set, unhindered by my broken 7th string, Uncle Sando’s improperly strung (don’t ask) bass, and the smoldering heat. The local “Battleground Road”, a powerhouse local trio, followed us. Like North Carolina we had the pleasure of making many nice, new friends. We picked up a lot of great fans, and had a blast. We then headed towards Hardeeville, near the Georgia border, for a night’s rest. We were truly sad to have to leave Charleston after having spent so little time there. Zach and I set off in search of food, spotting the “Waffle House”, apparently a Midwestern/Southern tradition. At 3 am in the morning you never quite know what you will see. As we waited for our food the workers behind the line treated us to some fine entertainment. Manager “Ethel” kept throwing crusty barbs at “Denise”, our waitress. In the middle of this was “Samuel” who threw our breakfast burrito from the pan right onto the counter. It was good to know that Waffle House sticks to the state health laws. After witnessing more bitching, we eventually took our tasty, cheap thrills back to the room and enjoyed.
Wake up consisted of a housekeeper knocking on the door. As I opened the door, it felt like looking into a pizza oven. The high noon heat was quite the shock. I quickly closed the door and say by the air conditioner to regain my senses. We hung out for a bit, spending quality time watching “Bible Man” (imagine the Power Rangers meets the Rev. Pat Robertson). Gotta love the Deep South. We then left mid afternoon in search of strings and Savannah. Special thanks towards the McLean family for lending their van to us for this leg of the tour. The extra room and the air-conditioning make this second leg quite the different experience from the first. As we crossed the bridge into Savannah we noticed right away that this truly was a charming southern city. After locating that night’s venue, we drove through Savannah’s historic district. Savannah had a very cool feel. Many old graveyards, homes, and churches gave it its unique feel. Huge oak trees covered in Spanish moss created a roof over the roads. Zach navigated the van through the city to Annie’s guitar shop. We picked up some strings, some sandwiches next door, and headed to the Guitar Bar. The gig went well, considering we played to Zach’s lucky parents. Due to the low turnout for the night (odd considering the excellent ad they ran on that radio for us), we jammed a bit more than we usually do. The highlight of the night was a new version of “Sleigh Dog” which included freestyle versus chronicling the journey of “Nacho The Possum”. After drenching ourselves yet again, we packed the van and headed back to the motel.
The next day we once again woke up early. Before saying goodbye to the McLean elders we went to Shoney’s to celebrate Nicky Walnut’s birthday. The highlight of the “breakfast” buffet were certainly the biscuits and gravy complimented by the fried chicken. Like I said, we are a very health conscious band. After stuffing ourselves like hunting trophies on a wall, we continued south for Florida. The trip was fairly uneventful, marked by many palm trees and giant billboards. We rolled into Orlando early in the evening. Since yesterday we have chilled out, recovering from all the traveling and rocking. The plan tomorrow is to spend the day on sunny Daytona Beach, then prepare for four days of gigging up and down the state. Hopefully I will have better Internet access this week. I will try and keep the blog as up to date as possible. By early evening Gardner and I should have all the pictures up from the first two weeks of the tour. Until next time, keep on rockin.
It is time for Michelangelo’s good-time, southern fried blog entry. We have been having a blast, and it is only fair if I let you in on some of the good times. So sit down, pour yourself a sweet tea, and enjoy.
We woke up bright and early on Thursday morning. Had a few bagels and some black coffee to expedite the wakeup process. The first thing I have learned from touring down the east coast is that the further south you go, the more the coffee resembles water with some dirt in it. We headed off making a stop at the Red Star (Uncle Sando’s Grandmother’s restaurant/former bar). We had a champion’s breakfast of cheeseburgers, fries, and coke (who needs Wheaties when you have grease to fuel the rocking). We left, taking a bagful of fried chicken with us. You can just imagine how great that bag of chicken made the Exploder smell. We slowly made our way through Virginia. Gardner manned the helm of the USS Sandolorean, which translated to everyone else passing out. As we made our way towards the North Carolina border, we literally saw the humidity hanging over the trees (don’t get excited Nacho). When we entered North Carolina we stopped at a gas station for some drinks. I was amazed to find Budweiser bottles shaped like bowling pins (yes bowling pins) for $1.09!!! And to answer your question, yes it was quite refreshing. Got back in the car and headed further south. The car kept getting hotter. This had its pros and cons. The cons would be that we were sweating bullets. The pros would be that our bag of chocolate chip cookies melted to the point of tasting oven fresh! Around 5:00 pm we pulled into North Carolina. After searching for a suitable stopping point for the night, we settled upon the always-ritzy Econolodge. After checking in, we headed over to the venue.
We made it to Lucky’s Pub, only to be greeted by no one. Apparently we showed up too early, so we sat around and listened to some tunes while waiting. If you have never been to the South, you know it’s always hot! And especially now as summer is coming around, its smoldering. Thankfully we were not too far from the ocean, which attributed to the nice breeze. Eventually the guy came and opened the club. Lucky’s had a great stage, and the locals were all extremely nice! The one thing I can safely say about North Carolina is that everyone was super kind to us. We had a great time, and we plan to return to Lucky’s very soon! Then it was back to the motel to crash.
We woke up bright and (too) early the next day. It was off in the caravan of two cars towards South Carolina. The journey took us through historic Wilmington, a nice little southern city with a righteous WWII battleship docked in its harbor! We continued on our journey. The further south we drove, the hotter it got. After crossing the border into South Carolina we drove along the seaside highway through world famous Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach looked like a good time. Lots of BBQ’s, bikers, and beach towels on sale. There were also a noticeable amount of mini golf courses with unnaturally blue flowing water. We continued on. No time for Myrtle chilling on this gig day.
We made it to Mount Pleasant (outside of Charleston) by mid afternoon. We were slightly skeptical when we saw that the venue was located in a strip mall right next to the Piggly Wiggly. Upon entrance all fears were squelched as the venue turned out to be a great place!! Big bar, lots of tables, and a great four-foot stage. After checking it out, the guys decided to go to the beach, and I ventured into downtown Charleston is search of that Southern charm that us Northerners read about so often. I got a map and walked through the historic district. Many beautiful churches and old school Southern graveyards. I then headed through a section of old million-dollar homes, many of which has beautiful closed off gardens. Next stop was the battery, a walkway along the bay. Many old monuments and cannons lined the battery. Then I picked up some dinner at a little café, drank too much sweet tea, and met Gardner to head over to “A Dough Re Mi”. Our man Stewart (the owner) opened for us with his southern rock band. The band sounded great and the lead guitarist looked like a Confederate civil war general! Rock n roll! Then we played a great set, unhindered by my broken 7th string, Uncle Sando’s improperly strung (don’t ask) bass, and the smoldering heat. The local “Battleground Road”, a powerhouse local trio, followed us. Like North Carolina we had the pleasure of making many nice, new friends. We picked up a lot of great fans, and had a blast. We then headed towards Hardeeville, near the Georgia border, for a night’s rest. We were truly sad to have to leave Charleston after having spent so little time there. Zach and I set off in search of food, spotting the “Waffle House”, apparently a Midwestern/Southern tradition. At 3 am in the morning you never quite know what you will see. As we waited for our food the workers behind the line treated us to some fine entertainment. Manager “Ethel” kept throwing crusty barbs at “Denise”, our waitress. In the middle of this was “Samuel” who threw our breakfast burrito from the pan right onto the counter. It was good to know that Waffle House sticks to the state health laws. After witnessing more bitching, we eventually took our tasty, cheap thrills back to the room and enjoyed.
Wake up consisted of a housekeeper knocking on the door. As I opened the door, it felt like looking into a pizza oven. The high noon heat was quite the shock. I quickly closed the door and say by the air conditioner to regain my senses. We hung out for a bit, spending quality time watching “Bible Man” (imagine the Power Rangers meets the Rev. Pat Robertson). Gotta love the Deep South. We then left mid afternoon in search of strings and Savannah. Special thanks towards the McLean family for lending their van to us for this leg of the tour. The extra room and the air-conditioning make this second leg quite the different experience from the first. As we crossed the bridge into Savannah we noticed right away that this truly was a charming southern city. After locating that night’s venue, we drove through Savannah’s historic district. Savannah had a very cool feel. Many old graveyards, homes, and churches gave it its unique feel. Huge oak trees covered in Spanish moss created a roof over the roads. Zach navigated the van through the city to Annie’s guitar shop. We picked up some strings, some sandwiches next door, and headed to the Guitar Bar. The gig went well, considering we played to Zach’s lucky parents. Due to the low turnout for the night (odd considering the excellent ad they ran on that radio for us), we jammed a bit more than we usually do. The highlight of the night was a new version of “Sleigh Dog” which included freestyle versus chronicling the journey of “Nacho The Possum”. After drenching ourselves yet again, we packed the van and headed back to the motel.
The next day we once again woke up early. Before saying goodbye to the McLean elders we went to Shoney’s to celebrate Nicky Walnut’s birthday. The highlight of the “breakfast” buffet were certainly the biscuits and gravy complimented by the fried chicken. Like I said, we are a very health conscious band. After stuffing ourselves like hunting trophies on a wall, we continued south for Florida. The trip was fairly uneventful, marked by many palm trees and giant billboards. We rolled into Orlando early in the evening. Since yesterday we have chilled out, recovering from all the traveling and rocking. The plan tomorrow is to spend the day on sunny Daytona Beach, then prepare for four days of gigging up and down the state. Hopefully I will have better Internet access this week. I will try and keep the blog as up to date as possible. By early evening Gardner and I should have all the pictures up from the first two weeks of the tour. Until next time, keep on rockin.
posted by MetalMikeGuitar at 2:28 PM
1 Comments:
your food eating was almost a good as the great BBQ food my stomach inherited this weekend...rock on
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