It's just a few days before the second leg of the Switched On Tour starts. And I'm getting really excited. It's going to be great to see the guys again.
So far I have tickets for:
May 5 in New York, NY, at Radio City Music Hall (thanks Zane!)
May 7 in Fredericton, at the Aitken Centre (front row!)
May 9 in Halifax, NS, at Metro Centre (thanks to some Snarkgasm girls!)
May 11 in Montreal, QC, at the Bell Centre
May 12 in Ottawa, ON, at Scotia Bank Place
May 14 in Toronto, ON, at the Air Canada Centre
May 15 in London, ON, at the John Labatt Centre
May 16 in Kitchener, ON, at the Memorial Auditorium (front row!)
May 19 in Cleveland, OH, at the State Theatre
I thought about adding in the Moncton show, since I have to go through there to get to Halifax, but good tickets are hard to come by. I have had an offer of a place to crash from a very kind Fortune 448er if I get a ticket though.
I was hoping to get a ticket to the Niagara Falls show at the Avalon Ballroom. It's an intimate little 1500 seat venue. The public sale caught most of us by surprise, and it was excrutiatingly difficult to get even one ticket for this gig. I'm still hoping for success if there is a fan club post-sale, although it's looking less likely since they promised us that would happen a while back and nothing has materialized. I've entered the CHUM contest to win some tickets, and my fingers are crossed.
It'll be great to see the forum folks I've already met again, and I'm looking forward to meeting those of you I haven't had the chance to meet yet.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Reflections on my batshit crazy road trips: INXS Switched On Tour, Leg One
I had the most amazing adventure travelling to and from the INXS concerts on the first leg of the Switched On Tour. All you forum folks I met made the whole adventure even more fun. INXS fans rock! The band should be really proud.
Ranking of the gigs I saw:
1. Detroit, MI, February 8, 2006. INXS was on fire. It was orgasmic. A phenomenal gig.
2. Toronto, ON, February 7, 2006 - awesome gig. Better than night one. Great sound.
3. Jacksonville, FL, February 24, 2006 - good sound, great show. Clear view of stage. ENERGY!
4. Norfolk, VA, February 20, 2006 - 2nd row pit seats, slightly loud, but I was right in the action.
5. Toronto, ON, February 6, 2006 - good gig, great sound, JD comes home!
6. Washington, DC, February 18, 2006 - good sound, GGB in leather!, but obstructed view.
7. Reading, PA, February 15, 2006 - great energy, but somewhat muddy sound.
8. Philadelphia, PA, February 17, 2006 - great energy, and a beautiful venue, but muddy sound.
Things I discovered after watching 8 gigs in 3 weeks: it’s as much fun to watch INXS play as to listen to them in concert. They love what they are doing, and they give 120% every night.
Favourite live INXS Songs on the First Leg of the Switched On Tour: ‘Never Let You Go,’ ‘Pretty Vegas,’ ‘Taste It.’
Favourite live Lovehammers Songs: ‘The Tunnel,’ ‘Call of Distress,’ ‘Straight As An Arrow.’
Number of Canadian Provinces I travelled to/through: 2
(Ontario, Quebec).
Number of American States I travelled to/through: 14
(Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia).
Place I most want to go back and explore more: South Beach baby!
City I had the most difficulty finding a pay telephone to audio-blog: Detroit.
City I had the most difficulty finding an internet café: Philadelphia.
Dirtiest bus stations: Philadelphia, PA and Richmond, VA. The bathrooms in both places were so filthy I waited to go on the bus.
Cleanest bus stations: Detroit, MI and Ottawa, ON.
Worst bus trip: Jacksonville to Atlanta on bus #2797 with torn seats, dust wafting up from the torn seats, and a huge cracked in the window near the third row seat. It was an 8 hour ride, and the driver was weaving back and forth from lane to lane, and the bus was rocking back and forth when he did. I closed my eyes and hoped I’d make it there in one piece. There was no decent food to be had on that run either. And after Savannah, the only rest stop had a tiny little bathroom that was filthy and the door didn’t close. Once we arrived in Atlanta it didn’t get any better either because some bozo started unloading the bags onto the road on the other side of the bus, and a car hit and damaged one of my bags.
Best place to store your luggage when not staying over in a city:
1) In the car trunk of fan-f**king-tastic forum members!
2) Hotel concierge desks - DC (Marriott) and Norfolk (Radisson Hotel).
Things I learned from travelling on Greyhound buses for 3 weeks:
● Logic is not something Greyhound understands.
● Departure times are arbitrary. The bus may arrive as much as five minutes after you are supposed to have left the station. And it can take a long time to load everyone on board.
● If you don’t have at least 1 hour between connections, you won’t be at the next station in time to line up and get the next bus out.
● Most American Greyhound bus toilets don’t have hand sanitizer, or paper towels, and often no toilet paper. However, if you do find one with sanitizer and paper towels, you can use that to clean the toilet and surrounding area before you use it.
● Chances are the lockers in the bus station will be out of order, so you’ll need to make other arrangements.
● Travel with plenty of water, drinks, and snacks. Just because it says you will have a meal/rest stop in such and such a place doesn’t mean you actually will. It will probably get left out because the bus is running late and the driver is trying to make up time.
Ranking of the gigs I saw:
1. Detroit, MI, February 8, 2006. INXS was on fire. It was orgasmic. A phenomenal gig.
2. Toronto, ON, February 7, 2006 - awesome gig. Better than night one. Great sound.
3. Jacksonville, FL, February 24, 2006 - good sound, great show. Clear view of stage. ENERGY!
4. Norfolk, VA, February 20, 2006 - 2nd row pit seats, slightly loud, but I was right in the action.
5. Toronto, ON, February 6, 2006 - good gig, great sound, JD comes home!
6. Washington, DC, February 18, 2006 - good sound, GGB in leather!, but obstructed view.
7. Reading, PA, February 15, 2006 - great energy, but somewhat muddy sound.
8. Philadelphia, PA, February 17, 2006 - great energy, and a beautiful venue, but muddy sound.
Things I discovered after watching 8 gigs in 3 weeks: it’s as much fun to watch INXS play as to listen to them in concert. They love what they are doing, and they give 120% every night.
Favourite live INXS Songs on the First Leg of the Switched On Tour: ‘Never Let You Go,’ ‘Pretty Vegas,’ ‘Taste It.’
Favourite live Lovehammers Songs: ‘The Tunnel,’ ‘Call of Distress,’ ‘Straight As An Arrow.’
Number of Canadian Provinces I travelled to/through: 2
(Ontario, Quebec).
Number of American States I travelled to/through: 14
(Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia).
Place I most want to go back and explore more: South Beach baby!
City I had the most difficulty finding a pay telephone to audio-blog: Detroit.
City I had the most difficulty finding an internet café: Philadelphia.
Dirtiest bus stations: Philadelphia, PA and Richmond, VA. The bathrooms in both places were so filthy I waited to go on the bus.
Cleanest bus stations: Detroit, MI and Ottawa, ON.
Worst bus trip: Jacksonville to Atlanta on bus #2797 with torn seats, dust wafting up from the torn seats, and a huge cracked in the window near the third row seat. It was an 8 hour ride, and the driver was weaving back and forth from lane to lane, and the bus was rocking back and forth when he did. I closed my eyes and hoped I’d make it there in one piece. There was no decent food to be had on that run either. And after Savannah, the only rest stop had a tiny little bathroom that was filthy and the door didn’t close. Once we arrived in Atlanta it didn’t get any better either because some bozo started unloading the bags onto the road on the other side of the bus, and a car hit and damaged one of my bags.
Best place to store your luggage when not staying over in a city:
1) In the car trunk of fan-f**king-tastic forum members!
2) Hotel concierge desks - DC (Marriott) and Norfolk (Radisson Hotel).
Things I learned from travelling on Greyhound buses for 3 weeks:
● Logic is not something Greyhound understands.
● Departure times are arbitrary. The bus may arrive as much as five minutes after you are supposed to have left the station. And it can take a long time to load everyone on board.
● If you don’t have at least 1 hour between connections, you won’t be at the next station in time to line up and get the next bus out.
● Most American Greyhound bus toilets don’t have hand sanitizer, or paper towels, and often no toilet paper. However, if you do find one with sanitizer and paper towels, you can use that to clean the toilet and surrounding area before you use it.
● Chances are the lockers in the bus station will be out of order, so you’ll need to make other arrangements.
● Travel with plenty of water, drinks, and snacks. Just because it says you will have a meal/rest stop in such and such a place doesn’t mean you actually will. It will probably get left out because the bus is running late and the driver is trying to make up time.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
On The Road With Ember: Switched On Tour, Leg One
Toronto, ON
I’d been waiting patiently for months for this concert, and I couldn’t sleep the night before the show. I could barely contain my excitement the closer my bus got to Toronto. The poor woman sitting next to me must have wondered why she got stuck next to a freak. On the way I kept wondering why INXS would pick winter time to travel in the snow belt. At one point the blowing snow completely obliterated the road, but the driver was experienced and we arrived safe and sound.
I got to the hotel, dumped my stuff and got ready to go and meet some folks at the Hard Rock Café. It was awesome to meet up with so many Rockbanders before the show. Thanks for organizing the get-together BSCgirl. The Hard Rock had the I'm Only Looking DVD playing, and it was great foreplay for the show that was to come. I'm glad I got the chance to meet so many people that I had been partying with on the forums for months. You all rock!
After the show Suzieblue from Rockband.com and I went to The Lovehammers signing, and afterwards we went back to the Hard Rock Café to meet up with the others. They were already doing last call. I couldn't believe they were closing so early. When we came out Bobby and Billy of The Lovehammers had just found out the Hard Rock was closing. Unfortunately we couldn't give them any suggestions on where to go, because none of us were from Toronto.
I slowly walked back to the hotel, but it took me a few more hours to fall asleep. Luckily the bed was comfortable, and when I finally nodded off I slept for hours.
I got up and got ready to go to the Hard Rock Café for the INXS press conference. We spent quite a lot of time at the Hard Rock over two days. The service was great, but the food was pretty bland and overpriced for what you got. I managed to catch up in an internet café before we were meeting back at the Hard Rock for the before show get together.
After the show, and our stage door encounter, I had a great time with Rouquine, Suzieblue and Inzane at a bar.
Detroit, MI
I drove in from London, ON with She and Misty from Rockband.com. We got a little lost before the show. The Masonic Temple directions had us turning right instead of left from the highway, and we ended up in Grosse Point and then on Eight Mile Avenue. The level of poverty we saw there really saddened me. There were wooden frame houses that were barely standing lining street after street. They tore down this kind of housing forty years ago in Ottawa. She, thanks for making the trip so much fun.
We eventually made it to the restaurant where we were meeting some Rockbanders, just as they were getting ready to leave. It was awesome to meet MJ, Serendipity, DeeRock, Shiplato and her brother, Kindred_spirit, Butterflytattoo, and Fortune2005. Sorry we didn't have more time to spend with you. We couldn’t find you after the show or we’d have stayed for a chat. And Shiplato don’t be afraid to join us in the worship of the Sultan. You know you want to girl!
I was amazed at the size of the potholes in Detroit. The potholes have potholes. It's rough on cars and people. And there were steaming manhole covers all over the place obscuring the road in front of you. I've never seen that anywhere else. I'm sorry I didn't call in an audio blog after the show. I wasn't able to find a pay phone in Detroit. They must all be hidden in some other part of the city from where we were.
Reading, PA
Getting to Reading was a bit of an adventure. I left home just after dinner on Valentine’s Day to get the bus to Montréal. I left early because we were having a snow storm, and I didn’t know what it was like up the highway.
It was a long night on the express bus to The Big Apple, including a prolonged stay at customs. I had such a hard time keeping a straight face looking at the customs guard, because immediately behind him was a picture of Cheney, and the story had just broken about him shooting his hunting buddy.
When I got into Port Authority, I contemplated taking a run up to see if I could get in the stand-by line to see INXS on Regis and Kelly, but I didn’t want to stand alone in the cold. So, instead I got the next bus out to King of Prussia to hook up with the Reading bus.
My hotel room at the Wyndham Reading wasn’t ready when I arrived, so I had a look around Reading. It’s a nice city. I didn’t know there was such a high Spanish speaking population in and around the area. And it was cool to discover that Reading is about to have a Keith Haring exhibit. If I ever get a chance to go back I want to go up to the pagoda on the top of Mt. Penn.
When I got back to the hotel after lunch my room was ready, and when I opened the curtains I squeed loudly. My windows overlooked the stage door at the Sovereign PAC. It took me longer than usual to get showered and dressed because I kept scouting out the door.
We were gathering at the Outside In restaurant. I got a chance to meet GGBgrrl for the first time! And it was great to meet Reckon, GBRN, and JTDuran from Switchboard, and Cumoncumon from Rockband.com and her friend. Later on at the gig I got to meet Kris with a K and Shrlynxs from Switchboard.
I got a chance to sleep in a bit, and work out in the hotel gym before heading off to get the bus to Philly.
Philadelphia, PA
Coming in by bus to Philly you go through Chinatown. The arch was really cool. I made a mental note to come back and have a better look around.
It turns out the Bank Street Hostel, where I was staying, was only about eight blocks from the bus depot. I walked there, and stopped off at the Visitor’s Centre on the way to get some maps and information.
I walked past two stores on Market Street that made me giggle. One sold the most outrageous pimp style hats and accessories. And a shop a few doors down sold the most flamboyant pimp style shoes I’ve ever seen. I would have taken pictures if the owners hadn't been standing in the doorways.
The hostel itself was off a narrow alley way, but it was clean, safe, secure, and had a great kitchen area complete with coffee and tea and any spice you might need to cook with. They have a pool table on the main floor, and they play movies every night, and the night I was there they played The Colour of Money. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy that movie, even though Tom Cruise is in it.
The one thing that was really hard to find was an internet café. I looked everywhere, tried the telephone books, the local papers, and couldn’t find anything. In the end I found out from Jenny the cleaner at the hostel (a real sweetie) that a little coffee shop around the corner on Chestnut gave you 10 minutes free internet access if you bought a coffee. So there I am at 7:30 a.m. checking my email, and I found out that I had won the INXS Fan Club meet and greet for D.C., and immediately burst into tears. The two guys at the counter looked really concerned, and people picking up coffee on the way to work retreated like I was a leper. One of the guys came over, found out why I was crying, topped up my coffee, and reset the computer so that I had a few more minutes of internet time. When I left they told me to have a great time at the M&G.
I spent the day of the INXS gig touring the historic section of Philly. I saw all the main sites, The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Post Office, and The Underground Museum. I got a bit emotional looking at the Liberty Bell, and all it symbolizes. The coolest spot I visited though was the archaeological reconstruction of Ben Franklin’s Tenant Houses on Market Street. That would have been an interesting project to have worked on.
I managed to stop for a quick bite to eat on the street. I sampled the famous Philly cheese steak sandwich, without the steak since I'm a vegetarian, and it was one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten. And very inexpensive. I love buying food from street vendors.
I rushed by subway up to the Tower Theatre to meet up with forum folks. There were some really run down sections of the city the closer I got to the venue. It was sad to see that the city let things get that derelict, and that families live there. It turned out that the restaurant we were going to, Pica’s, was a fair distance from the venue, so I was very grateful that ChatNoir from Rockband.com and her hubby not only drove me there and back to the Tower, but also stored my bags during the concert. Unfortunately JonYouMystifyMe and Elegantly Wasted from INXS Switchboard weren’t able to make the before show meet up, so I never got a chance to meet them. But I finally got to meet Kissthedirt and Quietrokbabe from Rockband, and got a chance to see Fortune2005 again. Looks like we didn’t have much more time than in Detroit girl. Next time for sure. And I got a chance to meet a lot more folks whose names I forgot in all the excitement.
Thanks so much to Trixie from Snarkgasm and her partner for putting me up for the night. Trixie is also an anthropology student, and we would have had an amazing adventure if I could have convinced her to come to D.C. and Norfolk for the gigs. Thanks for making me giggle so early in the morning. You have a great sense of humour girl!
Washington, DC
Special thanks again to Trixie and her partner for going out of their way on a Saturday morning and running me into downtown Philly to get to the bus station on time, and for providing me with breakfast and some water. You rock guys!
It was cool to get to meet Crazyforinxs from Rockband, and so many 448ers after the show. I wanted to go to the hotel with you all, but my roomies preferred to stay in.
I stayed with GGBgirl, KTD, and QRB the first night in D.C., and I ended up at the HI hostel the second night. It was clean, and safe, and had a huge kitchen for preparing meals. It was cool to meet so many people from around the world. I was grateful that they had reasonably priced internet access as well.
I got a chance to visit a number of the Smithsonian Museums on Sunday, February 19. I spent quite a bit of time at the National Museum of the American Indian. I was doing some thesis research investigating a few of their exhibits. They have an awesome café there where you can get food from North, South and Meso America. It was very tasty.
I spent a fair amount of time exploring the Natural History Museum as well. I was extremely pleased to discover that they also believe that Neanderthals were a sub-species of modern humans, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis.
The one place I didn’t get a chance to get to was The Exorcist steps on M street by the Key Bridge. There just wasn’t enough time to get over there.
Norfolk, VA
I arrived in Norfolk to find out the bus station lockers were all broken, and there was no where to store my bags. There was a bus leaving for Richmond, VA not too long after the gig would end, and I hadn’t booked a hotel because I wanted to get down to Miami as quickly as possible. Besides, my budget was very tight. I discovered a Radisson Hotel close to the depot, and I explained my predicament, and hotel security were kind enough to store my bags for a few hours. They also informed me that Chrysler Hall was only two blocks away, which was welcome news.
I had a quick look around downtown Norfolk while I was looking for a place to eat, and was impressed with how incredibly clean it was. All the restaurants nearby were crowded, so I ended up at the upscale MacArthur Mall nearby and had a sandwich from a natural food stall.
It was good to see Crazyforinxs again. I was bouncing off the walls with excitement about being so close to the stage when she came up to me, so we didn't talk for long. It was also cool to meet some INXS fans who had on shirts that read "Virginia is for whiplash lovers."
On the way to South Beach, Miami, FL
Thanks to a sweet Snargasm babe, I was able to extend my stay in Florida, and take in South Beach for a few days. The trip to Miami was an interesting one. I got to Richmond, VA without a hitch, but the depot there was completely unorganized. There were tons of people trying to get South, but not all of them were going as far as Florida. I ended up on the third bus heading out, and didn’t leave until thirty minutes after we were supposed to. They had us get off in Fayetteville, NC, and merged us with the second bus. Why they didn’t just put the people going to Florida on one bus is beyond me. After travelling on Greyhound for three weeks I discovered that logic is not commonplace. They finally made a pit-stop in Manning, SC where I was able to buy non-packaged food. From there it was on to Savannah, GA, and when I saw the big peach on the highway signs, I thought of the song 'Hot Girls', which would rock live, and all the Marty fans I'd met. Then it was on to Jacksonville, FL. I made a mental note in Jacksonville that the lockers were not working, and that I was going to have to find a place to stash my bags (again) during the concert. I decided not to wait in the Miami bus station for several hours at 2:00 a.m., and instead got off in Daytona Beach for a rest stop there. The lockers there were also out of order, but Greg from Redwood, CA who manages the depot checked my bags and stored them while I walked the mile or so to the ocean, and had dinner.
They have a huge Harley Davidson dealership on the main drag, and there were tons of bikers there. All around Daytona Beach you hear the roar of motorcycles. And there were lots of titty bars too.
On the walk over the International Speedway, I ran into a girl from Toronto, who was heading back home, and we walked to the ocean together. It wasn’t well lit on the beach so we took off our pants, and we both went racing into the cold, dark water. It felt so refreshing after travelling for so long. In a short time I could feel things bumping up against my legs. We both looked at each after we felt something bigger hit us hard, and decided it was pretty stupid to be standing in water we couldn’t really see and we got out. An old guy on the pier told us that if we hadn’t gotten out of the water soon he was going to shout out that there had been shark warnings that day. He asked us didn’t we know that Daytona Beach has the reputation of being the shark bite capital of the USA. Neither of us knew that. We do now.
She had to get back to the depot, so I wished her good travels, and I ended up at Checkers Cafe & Club. It was nice to sit down and eat a full meal. When I got back to the bus station, a few drunken fellas had gathered to go on the Miami bus. So much for a policy of not allowing intoxicated individuals on the bus. The bus driver never said a thing. Luckily they were pretty quiet on the ride.
South Beach, Miami, FL
I arrived in Miami around 6:30 a.m., and grabbed a city bus over to South Beach. I got to the Clay Hotel at 7:00 a.m., and they were great at reception. They gave me the key to the shower room upstairs, so I could freshen up, change my clothes, and go have breakfast and a look around. That shower was so welcome, and when I came down they stored my luggage and told me they'd try to get me a room by noon.
I stayed in the hostel part of the Hotel, and it was relatively clean, and very safe. The ceiling fan and the air conditioner both worked well in the room, which was good because it was quite warm. The hostel room was a bit on the small side. So small that you couldn't open the bathroom door completely because the bunk beds were in the way. I did see a few cockroaches in the room, but I didn’t really spend much time in there.
I went by the “Miami Ink” tattoo shop, 305 ink, at 1344 Washington Ave, on both February 22 and 23 to watch Darren Brass work. He was the only artist from the show who was in the shop while I was there. On the first day he was doing a samurai style design on a guy. It looked awesome, and he does great colour work. I realized how much I miss the hum of the tattoo gun. Sigh. It’s interesting how they change the shop’s interior to allow for filming, and how they dress it for the show. The front counter faces the customers when they come in the shop, but on the show it’s runs along the side of the wall. And the art copying area was at the back of the shop, but when filming it’s near the front window.
South Beach has some of the most prime Art Deco architecture in the world, and I spent a fair amount of time exploring the Art Deco district, and walking along Ocean Drive. It's a very interesting place to people watch, see old cars, and pass the time in South Beach. I also made a special stop at the steps of the mansion where Gianni Versace was shot. The Versace family sold the mansion last year, and I enquired about building tours, but there was a private party going on while I was in South Beach, so maybe next time I'm there.
The ocean was just two blocks from the hostel, and I spent most of the day there. The day before I arrived they had to clear the water on several occasions because sharks came too close to the shore. The first day I was there they were flying the purple flag, which indicates “marine hazard,” but I only found out it was jellyfish when I got stung near the shore. A very lovely lifeguard with a very lovely British accent tended to my sting, and made me comfortable afterwards. I spent the rest of the day out of the water, because as the day progressed the number of Portuguese man-of-wars multiplied at a phenomenal rate. By 4 p.m. as I walked along a 10 block stretch of beach I counted about 45 of them washed up on shore. They are supposed to have a really bad sting, and they can still sting even when they are washed up.
The hostel had a big industrial style kitchen to cook in, so I saved on food. And it was cool to meet so many people from so many different places at the hostel kitchen area (two girls from Sydney Australia, some Dutch, a couple from Sweden, a group of girls from Norway, some Germans, a few Brits, and quite a few fellow Canadians). There was a 24 hour market across the street with big cans of beer for $1, so by late night the conversations that started out very intricately became fluffier. It was surreal to be debating metaphysical poetry, enjoying the evening breeze, and becoming intoxicated on cheap beer.
My final day in South Beach the water was calm, so I decided to have a really good swim near South Pointe. A coast guard boat came nearby and called out to me and said “just don’t touch them and it will be okay.” Which made me panic for a moment because I was thinking sharks. But in the water around me were manatees. They were so cool. I spent far too long in the water watching them, and got a nasty sunburn for the first time in my life. I used all the aloe gel I had with me, and the next morning as I packed for Jacksonville, I was still bright red. And I was really sore.
Jacksonville, FL
I had to get up at 4:30 a.m. to get ready to get the bus to Jacksonville from Miami. Luckily South Beach city buses start running early, and I was able to get to the downtown bus depot half an hour before the bus left at 6:45 a.m. It was ridiculous in Orlando though, because there were so many people trying to go North, and not enough buses. It was pretty stressful for awhile because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get to Jacksonville in time for the gig. But, they finally got some extra buses serviced in time and I made it.
On the way to meet up with forum folks at the London Bridge pub, I walked past the Florida Theatre, and ran into Billy and Dino from The Lovehammers out front. Billy was having a smoke, and we chatted for a bit. I asked him about whether they were going to be doing the INXS world tour, and he said no, they were only scheduled for the first leg. He also said they would really have liked to have done the Canadian tour, but that wasn’t going to happen. He said the record label had plans for the band. He told me he thought that D.C., Charlotte, and Atlanta were the best gigs they had done on the tour. I asked him about the ‘Trees’ video, and when we were going to see it, and he said the record company wanted to re-shoot the video. Billy was nice enough to give me a few guitar picks he'd used during sound check. He mentioned the dressing room was up a huge flight of winding stairs.
The backstage area at the Florida Theatre was so small they were doing the set-up out in the road, which was cool to watch. Later on I watched them take down the equipment too, including Jon’s kit. I had the urge to reach out and touch the drum seat, but was told to step back by a burly security guard.
Special thanks to inxsary from INXS.com and her husband for not only treating me to dinner, but storing my bags in their car during the gig. I wouldn’t have been able to go to the gig without their help.
It was good to run into GBRN, and JTDuran from Switchboard after the show.
On the Road Heading Home
Sooner or later my road trips had to come to an end. While I was chatting with INXS security at the front of the Florida Theatre, one of the crew came up to me and let me know that they were just releasing some seats in the first few rows for the Clearwater gig. If my VISA card had had any more room on it, I would have bought one and I would have gone to one final show. But meeting Jon and Garry was such a perfect way to end my little adventure that I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat as I began my long trip home. And it was one hell of a long trip. It took me two days to make it back to my own bed. And I fell asleep thinking about the Canadian tour starting in May.
I’d been waiting patiently for months for this concert, and I couldn’t sleep the night before the show. I could barely contain my excitement the closer my bus got to Toronto. The poor woman sitting next to me must have wondered why she got stuck next to a freak. On the way I kept wondering why INXS would pick winter time to travel in the snow belt. At one point the blowing snow completely obliterated the road, but the driver was experienced and we arrived safe and sound.
I got to the hotel, dumped my stuff and got ready to go and meet some folks at the Hard Rock Café. It was awesome to meet up with so many Rockbanders before the show. Thanks for organizing the get-together BSCgirl. The Hard Rock had the I'm Only Looking DVD playing, and it was great foreplay for the show that was to come. I'm glad I got the chance to meet so many people that I had been partying with on the forums for months. You all rock!
After the show Suzieblue from Rockband.com and I went to The Lovehammers signing, and afterwards we went back to the Hard Rock Café to meet up with the others. They were already doing last call. I couldn't believe they were closing so early. When we came out Bobby and Billy of The Lovehammers had just found out the Hard Rock was closing. Unfortunately we couldn't give them any suggestions on where to go, because none of us were from Toronto.
I slowly walked back to the hotel, but it took me a few more hours to fall asleep. Luckily the bed was comfortable, and when I finally nodded off I slept for hours.
I got up and got ready to go to the Hard Rock Café for the INXS press conference. We spent quite a lot of time at the Hard Rock over two days. The service was great, but the food was pretty bland and overpriced for what you got. I managed to catch up in an internet café before we were meeting back at the Hard Rock for the before show get together.
After the show, and our stage door encounter, I had a great time with Rouquine, Suzieblue and Inzane at a bar.
Detroit, MI
I drove in from London, ON with She and Misty from Rockband.com. We got a little lost before the show. The Masonic Temple directions had us turning right instead of left from the highway, and we ended up in Grosse Point and then on Eight Mile Avenue. The level of poverty we saw there really saddened me. There were wooden frame houses that were barely standing lining street after street. They tore down this kind of housing forty years ago in Ottawa. She, thanks for making the trip so much fun.
We eventually made it to the restaurant where we were meeting some Rockbanders, just as they were getting ready to leave. It was awesome to meet MJ, Serendipity, DeeRock, Shiplato and her brother, Kindred_spirit, Butterflytattoo, and Fortune2005. Sorry we didn't have more time to spend with you. We couldn’t find you after the show or we’d have stayed for a chat. And Shiplato don’t be afraid to join us in the worship of the Sultan. You know you want to girl!
I was amazed at the size of the potholes in Detroit. The potholes have potholes. It's rough on cars and people. And there were steaming manhole covers all over the place obscuring the road in front of you. I've never seen that anywhere else. I'm sorry I didn't call in an audio blog after the show. I wasn't able to find a pay phone in Detroit. They must all be hidden in some other part of the city from where we were.
Reading, PA
Getting to Reading was a bit of an adventure. I left home just after dinner on Valentine’s Day to get the bus to Montréal. I left early because we were having a snow storm, and I didn’t know what it was like up the highway.
It was a long night on the express bus to The Big Apple, including a prolonged stay at customs. I had such a hard time keeping a straight face looking at the customs guard, because immediately behind him was a picture of Cheney, and the story had just broken about him shooting his hunting buddy.
When I got into Port Authority, I contemplated taking a run up to see if I could get in the stand-by line to see INXS on Regis and Kelly, but I didn’t want to stand alone in the cold. So, instead I got the next bus out to King of Prussia to hook up with the Reading bus.
My hotel room at the Wyndham Reading wasn’t ready when I arrived, so I had a look around Reading. It’s a nice city. I didn’t know there was such a high Spanish speaking population in and around the area. And it was cool to discover that Reading is about to have a Keith Haring exhibit. If I ever get a chance to go back I want to go up to the pagoda on the top of Mt. Penn.
When I got back to the hotel after lunch my room was ready, and when I opened the curtains I squeed loudly. My windows overlooked the stage door at the Sovereign PAC. It took me longer than usual to get showered and dressed because I kept scouting out the door.
We were gathering at the Outside In restaurant. I got a chance to meet GGBgrrl for the first time! And it was great to meet Reckon, GBRN, and JTDuran from Switchboard, and Cumoncumon from Rockband.com and her friend. Later on at the gig I got to meet Kris with a K and Shrlynxs from Switchboard.
I got a chance to sleep in a bit, and work out in the hotel gym before heading off to get the bus to Philly.
Philadelphia, PA
Coming in by bus to Philly you go through Chinatown. The arch was really cool. I made a mental note to come back and have a better look around.
It turns out the Bank Street Hostel, where I was staying, was only about eight blocks from the bus depot. I walked there, and stopped off at the Visitor’s Centre on the way to get some maps and information.
I walked past two stores on Market Street that made me giggle. One sold the most outrageous pimp style hats and accessories. And a shop a few doors down sold the most flamboyant pimp style shoes I’ve ever seen. I would have taken pictures if the owners hadn't been standing in the doorways.
The hostel itself was off a narrow alley way, but it was clean, safe, secure, and had a great kitchen area complete with coffee and tea and any spice you might need to cook with. They have a pool table on the main floor, and they play movies every night, and the night I was there they played The Colour of Money. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy that movie, even though Tom Cruise is in it.
The one thing that was really hard to find was an internet café. I looked everywhere, tried the telephone books, the local papers, and couldn’t find anything. In the end I found out from Jenny the cleaner at the hostel (a real sweetie) that a little coffee shop around the corner on Chestnut gave you 10 minutes free internet access if you bought a coffee. So there I am at 7:30 a.m. checking my email, and I found out that I had won the INXS Fan Club meet and greet for D.C., and immediately burst into tears. The two guys at the counter looked really concerned, and people picking up coffee on the way to work retreated like I was a leper. One of the guys came over, found out why I was crying, topped up my coffee, and reset the computer so that I had a few more minutes of internet time. When I left they told me to have a great time at the M&G.
I spent the day of the INXS gig touring the historic section of Philly. I saw all the main sites, The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Post Office, and The Underground Museum. I got a bit emotional looking at the Liberty Bell, and all it symbolizes. The coolest spot I visited though was the archaeological reconstruction of Ben Franklin’s Tenant Houses on Market Street. That would have been an interesting project to have worked on.
I managed to stop for a quick bite to eat on the street. I sampled the famous Philly cheese steak sandwich, without the steak since I'm a vegetarian, and it was one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten. And very inexpensive. I love buying food from street vendors.
I rushed by subway up to the Tower Theatre to meet up with forum folks. There were some really run down sections of the city the closer I got to the venue. It was sad to see that the city let things get that derelict, and that families live there. It turned out that the restaurant we were going to, Pica’s, was a fair distance from the venue, so I was very grateful that ChatNoir from Rockband.com and her hubby not only drove me there and back to the Tower, but also stored my bags during the concert. Unfortunately JonYouMystifyMe and Elegantly Wasted from INXS Switchboard weren’t able to make the before show meet up, so I never got a chance to meet them. But I finally got to meet Kissthedirt and Quietrokbabe from Rockband, and got a chance to see Fortune2005 again. Looks like we didn’t have much more time than in Detroit girl. Next time for sure. And I got a chance to meet a lot more folks whose names I forgot in all the excitement.
Thanks so much to Trixie from Snarkgasm and her partner for putting me up for the night. Trixie is also an anthropology student, and we would have had an amazing adventure if I could have convinced her to come to D.C. and Norfolk for the gigs. Thanks for making me giggle so early in the morning. You have a great sense of humour girl!
Washington, DC
Special thanks again to Trixie and her partner for going out of their way on a Saturday morning and running me into downtown Philly to get to the bus station on time, and for providing me with breakfast and some water. You rock guys!
It was cool to get to meet Crazyforinxs from Rockband, and so many 448ers after the show. I wanted to go to the hotel with you all, but my roomies preferred to stay in.
I stayed with GGBgirl, KTD, and QRB the first night in D.C., and I ended up at the HI hostel the second night. It was clean, and safe, and had a huge kitchen for preparing meals. It was cool to meet so many people from around the world. I was grateful that they had reasonably priced internet access as well.
I got a chance to visit a number of the Smithsonian Museums on Sunday, February 19. I spent quite a bit of time at the National Museum of the American Indian. I was doing some thesis research investigating a few of their exhibits. They have an awesome café there where you can get food from North, South and Meso America. It was very tasty.
I spent a fair amount of time exploring the Natural History Museum as well. I was extremely pleased to discover that they also believe that Neanderthals were a sub-species of modern humans, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis.
The one place I didn’t get a chance to get to was The Exorcist steps on M street by the Key Bridge. There just wasn’t enough time to get over there.
Norfolk, VA
I arrived in Norfolk to find out the bus station lockers were all broken, and there was no where to store my bags. There was a bus leaving for Richmond, VA not too long after the gig would end, and I hadn’t booked a hotel because I wanted to get down to Miami as quickly as possible. Besides, my budget was very tight. I discovered a Radisson Hotel close to the depot, and I explained my predicament, and hotel security were kind enough to store my bags for a few hours. They also informed me that Chrysler Hall was only two blocks away, which was welcome news.
I had a quick look around downtown Norfolk while I was looking for a place to eat, and was impressed with how incredibly clean it was. All the restaurants nearby were crowded, so I ended up at the upscale MacArthur Mall nearby and had a sandwich from a natural food stall.
It was good to see Crazyforinxs again. I was bouncing off the walls with excitement about being so close to the stage when she came up to me, so we didn't talk for long. It was also cool to meet some INXS fans who had on shirts that read "Virginia is for whiplash lovers."
On the way to South Beach, Miami, FL
Thanks to a sweet Snargasm babe, I was able to extend my stay in Florida, and take in South Beach for a few days. The trip to Miami was an interesting one. I got to Richmond, VA without a hitch, but the depot there was completely unorganized. There were tons of people trying to get South, but not all of them were going as far as Florida. I ended up on the third bus heading out, and didn’t leave until thirty minutes after we were supposed to. They had us get off in Fayetteville, NC, and merged us with the second bus. Why they didn’t just put the people going to Florida on one bus is beyond me. After travelling on Greyhound for three weeks I discovered that logic is not commonplace. They finally made a pit-stop in Manning, SC where I was able to buy non-packaged food. From there it was on to Savannah, GA, and when I saw the big peach on the highway signs, I thought of the song 'Hot Girls', which would rock live, and all the Marty fans I'd met. Then it was on to Jacksonville, FL. I made a mental note in Jacksonville that the lockers were not working, and that I was going to have to find a place to stash my bags (again) during the concert. I decided not to wait in the Miami bus station for several hours at 2:00 a.m., and instead got off in Daytona Beach for a rest stop there. The lockers there were also out of order, but Greg from Redwood, CA who manages the depot checked my bags and stored them while I walked the mile or so to the ocean, and had dinner.
They have a huge Harley Davidson dealership on the main drag, and there were tons of bikers there. All around Daytona Beach you hear the roar of motorcycles. And there were lots of titty bars too.
On the walk over the International Speedway, I ran into a girl from Toronto, who was heading back home, and we walked to the ocean together. It wasn’t well lit on the beach so we took off our pants, and we both went racing into the cold, dark water. It felt so refreshing after travelling for so long. In a short time I could feel things bumping up against my legs. We both looked at each after we felt something bigger hit us hard, and decided it was pretty stupid to be standing in water we couldn’t really see and we got out. An old guy on the pier told us that if we hadn’t gotten out of the water soon he was going to shout out that there had been shark warnings that day. He asked us didn’t we know that Daytona Beach has the reputation of being the shark bite capital of the USA. Neither of us knew that. We do now.
She had to get back to the depot, so I wished her good travels, and I ended up at Checkers Cafe & Club. It was nice to sit down and eat a full meal. When I got back to the bus station, a few drunken fellas had gathered to go on the Miami bus. So much for a policy of not allowing intoxicated individuals on the bus. The bus driver never said a thing. Luckily they were pretty quiet on the ride.
South Beach, Miami, FL
I arrived in Miami around 6:30 a.m., and grabbed a city bus over to South Beach. I got to the Clay Hotel at 7:00 a.m., and they were great at reception. They gave me the key to the shower room upstairs, so I could freshen up, change my clothes, and go have breakfast and a look around. That shower was so welcome, and when I came down they stored my luggage and told me they'd try to get me a room by noon.
I stayed in the hostel part of the Hotel, and it was relatively clean, and very safe. The ceiling fan and the air conditioner both worked well in the room, which was good because it was quite warm. The hostel room was a bit on the small side. So small that you couldn't open the bathroom door completely because the bunk beds were in the way. I did see a few cockroaches in the room, but I didn’t really spend much time in there.
I went by the “Miami Ink” tattoo shop, 305 ink, at 1344 Washington Ave, on both February 22 and 23 to watch Darren Brass work. He was the only artist from the show who was in the shop while I was there. On the first day he was doing a samurai style design on a guy. It looked awesome, and he does great colour work. I realized how much I miss the hum of the tattoo gun. Sigh. It’s interesting how they change the shop’s interior to allow for filming, and how they dress it for the show. The front counter faces the customers when they come in the shop, but on the show it’s runs along the side of the wall. And the art copying area was at the back of the shop, but when filming it’s near the front window.
South Beach has some of the most prime Art Deco architecture in the world, and I spent a fair amount of time exploring the Art Deco district, and walking along Ocean Drive. It's a very interesting place to people watch, see old cars, and pass the time in South Beach. I also made a special stop at the steps of the mansion where Gianni Versace was shot. The Versace family sold the mansion last year, and I enquired about building tours, but there was a private party going on while I was in South Beach, so maybe next time I'm there.
The ocean was just two blocks from the hostel, and I spent most of the day there. The day before I arrived they had to clear the water on several occasions because sharks came too close to the shore. The first day I was there they were flying the purple flag, which indicates “marine hazard,” but I only found out it was jellyfish when I got stung near the shore. A very lovely lifeguard with a very lovely British accent tended to my sting, and made me comfortable afterwards. I spent the rest of the day out of the water, because as the day progressed the number of Portuguese man-of-wars multiplied at a phenomenal rate. By 4 p.m. as I walked along a 10 block stretch of beach I counted about 45 of them washed up on shore. They are supposed to have a really bad sting, and they can still sting even when they are washed up.
The hostel had a big industrial style kitchen to cook in, so I saved on food. And it was cool to meet so many people from so many different places at the hostel kitchen area (two girls from Sydney Australia, some Dutch, a couple from Sweden, a group of girls from Norway, some Germans, a few Brits, and quite a few fellow Canadians). There was a 24 hour market across the street with big cans of beer for $1, so by late night the conversations that started out very intricately became fluffier. It was surreal to be debating metaphysical poetry, enjoying the evening breeze, and becoming intoxicated on cheap beer.
My final day in South Beach the water was calm, so I decided to have a really good swim near South Pointe. A coast guard boat came nearby and called out to me and said “just don’t touch them and it will be okay.” Which made me panic for a moment because I was thinking sharks. But in the water around me were manatees. They were so cool. I spent far too long in the water watching them, and got a nasty sunburn for the first time in my life. I used all the aloe gel I had with me, and the next morning as I packed for Jacksonville, I was still bright red. And I was really sore.
Jacksonville, FL
I had to get up at 4:30 a.m. to get ready to get the bus to Jacksonville from Miami. Luckily South Beach city buses start running early, and I was able to get to the downtown bus depot half an hour before the bus left at 6:45 a.m. It was ridiculous in Orlando though, because there were so many people trying to go North, and not enough buses. It was pretty stressful for awhile because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get to Jacksonville in time for the gig. But, they finally got some extra buses serviced in time and I made it.
On the way to meet up with forum folks at the London Bridge pub, I walked past the Florida Theatre, and ran into Billy and Dino from The Lovehammers out front. Billy was having a smoke, and we chatted for a bit. I asked him about whether they were going to be doing the INXS world tour, and he said no, they were only scheduled for the first leg. He also said they would really have liked to have done the Canadian tour, but that wasn’t going to happen. He said the record label had plans for the band. He told me he thought that D.C., Charlotte, and Atlanta were the best gigs they had done on the tour. I asked him about the ‘Trees’ video, and when we were going to see it, and he said the record company wanted to re-shoot the video. Billy was nice enough to give me a few guitar picks he'd used during sound check. He mentioned the dressing room was up a huge flight of winding stairs.
The backstage area at the Florida Theatre was so small they were doing the set-up out in the road, which was cool to watch. Later on I watched them take down the equipment too, including Jon’s kit. I had the urge to reach out and touch the drum seat, but was told to step back by a burly security guard.
Special thanks to inxsary from INXS.com and her husband for not only treating me to dinner, but storing my bags in their car during the gig. I wouldn’t have been able to go to the gig without their help.
It was good to run into GBRN, and JTDuran from Switchboard after the show.
On the Road Heading Home
Sooner or later my road trips had to come to an end. While I was chatting with INXS security at the front of the Florida Theatre, one of the crew came up to me and let me know that they were just releasing some seats in the first few rows for the Clearwater gig. If my VISA card had had any more room on it, I would have bought one and I would have gone to one final show. But meeting Jon and Garry was such a perfect way to end my little adventure that I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat as I began my long trip home. And it was one hell of a long trip. It took me two days to make it back to my own bed. And I fell asleep thinking about the Canadian tour starting in May.
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