So here's a conversation that I neglected to add last entry:
Dave: "YEAH MAN, SATURDAY, USF VS NOVA"
Jason: "Pffft... dude, no way"
Dave: "Dude, lets GO to the game!"
Jason: "Dude, we have a show in Daytona that night..."
Dave: "Yeah, but what time is call?"
Jason: "530" Dave: "Wait... dude the game starts at 1200pm... it'll be 2 hours..."
.... It was then the entire room started freaking out -- we were going to Tampa. So we needed to rent a car, split gas 4 ways (Gregg, our illustrious percussionist wanted to hitch a ride), and it was decided that we were going to stay at my condo in Tampa Palms. We were going to drive to Tampa after the Gainesville show on Friday, go to the USF game on Saturday, drive to Daytona for Saturday Night, drive back to Tampa, and then drive to Sarasota the next day. Read on to see if it was worth it...
Panama City was nothing short of amazing. Great crowd, great show, great reception. They had these meatballs, Jesus. I must've eaten 40 of them... at once. They had strawberry cheese spread, southwest chicken rollups, and your other typical finger food/hors d'œuvre.
Gainesville on Friday... first of many 'home shows' I have labeled -- if you classify a home show as "I have friends going". Goldberg, Kim, Nic, Phil, Andy, Becky, and other assorted companions were in attendance. We got to Gainesville around 200pm and Nic picked us up from the hotel and brought us to AVIS. Goodbye bus, hello Chevy Cobalt. Really?
Hung out for a little, deposited a check, went to Chipotle, missed Chipotle, went over the Phillips Center, gave Nic the grand tour, shoo'd him out, and got ready for the show. Gainesville was a great crowd - very involved, lots of laughs, excellent response. We all went to Ale House afterwards... Becky and Andy had to bail before the pic was taken... THANKS! :(
After Ale House, my carmates had to take their sweet time leaving the city. Essentially, all you really need to know is we arrived in Tampa circa 336am to a very groggy Harry Freeman. Thanks for the keys to my car/foreclosed condo -- I owe you my life.Let me tell the world how great it was to be home. Without internet... without cable... without any amenities... just laying there in my bed -- Dorothy was right. There really is no place. I was in heaven -- I can't believe how much I missed it. It will make it all more special when I head back to Tampa on my March layoff.
I decided to forego the USF game to go stop by Tampa Palms. I surprised one of my old chorus parents and her kids by showing up to her house. They were the ones responsible for holding my "going away" party about a month ago, and it's been forever since I've seen them. I was greeted with piercing screams and the ever so predictable "what are you doing here?'
It was great to see them. Boy, I miss Tampa Palms -- those kids were phenomenal. Picked Dave, Sukh, and Gregg up at the game and bolted towards Daytona. Made it just in time. The setup in Daytona was reversed so I got to see the show from the wall of the pit (closest to the 1st row). Mike Livingston made accomodates because I had the large instruments -- how considerate. Went to Friendly's afterwards (obligatory), got back to Tampa at around 1230am, and crashed for the night.
Sunday was a day from hell:
9am - Wake
9am - Missed alarm
1030am - Wake
1100am - Gregg wanted me to drop him off at the Casino
1120am - Hard Rock for Gregg
1130am - Drive to Sam Ash for reeds / Bed Bath and Beyond for AeroBed
100pm - Back home to clean up and pick up the trumpeters
130pm - Drop them off at USF to get reacquainted
... uh oh.... I have to be in Sarasota by 3pm to hang with Ryan and gang.
That just became 4pm.
And call... was at 5pm, instead of 530pm. The window just got even shorter...
220pm - Pick up Gregg at Hard Rock
237pm - Pick up Dave and Sukh at USF
250pm - Pita Republic
258pm - BK Lounge
303pm - Shell
410pm - Sandcastle Hotel in Sarasota
Oh no... this is awful... I got to Sarasota at 415pm amid much of the 'darkness' that occured in the car. Don't worry about that -- I'll explain some other time
420pm - Wings, Carrots, Salad (without forks) Coke, catching up quick with Ryan/Trista/Trista's Family at the Beach park
430pm - Picked up Gregg, Dave, and Sukh
440pm - Finally left the hotel...
456pm - Made it on time for Call... phew
Then I got a text from Gerard (who graced the Van Wezel hall that night with Harry and Dan)
"We can't find Harry's ticket. Is it in the same place."
UGH. I ran up to the box office to go find them, exchanged tickets out, and matters were clear. Hey! Dan, Gerard, and Harry! Good to see those fools!
Quick stop at Publix between the curtain and the soundcheck and we were off.
Sarasota's crowd -- a bit dead. Just like the populous. But having my friends there made it all the worthwhile.
730am Bus Call today... stopped in Gainesville for lunch -- ugh, I really can't escape this gator garbage. Show in Tallahassee tonight -- ARENA SHOW. That was... disgustingly fun. What was better was the fact that the first row was literally 3 feet away from my bari sax. Hope you had fun staring at me, blue haired lady with the well dressed husband.
We ate like kings and queens afterwards -- the "Drowsy Chaperone Celebrity Club" threw us an enormous buffet that could feed a third world county and its neighboring jurisdiction(s). Wings, meatballs, pasta, turkey, ham, spinach dip, pastries, ice cream, dessert shooters, fruits, cheeses, etc... it just never stopped. The ice sculpture was a hit as well...
Taken before the inevitable. Great times, great friends, great food, great ice.
North Charleston, SC tomorrow. Bus leaves at 630am, up at 600! God, help us all. Tomorrow ends our one nighters -- we'll finally be able to wake up after the sun! End of the week, Northeast United States. Get ready :(
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