The Gods of Now On Tour – Day 26

I open my eyes. It’s late. So I sleep in, is that so bad? No not really. Not after all we’ve done – yeah that’ll be my reasoning. I go for a shower. A long one. The hot water, like magic, effects me immediately. I’m somewhere else. A long time ago – when the road wasn’t hotels and three meals a day. When their was no tour support – when no one believed me – where each town was fight for survival to get you to the next one. Where you were desperate but couldn’t show it – they’d smell it – they’d hate you. The hot water pouring over me does the same magic tho. That’s all I needed then. I didn’t even need to sleep. I could do that at the club before we’d play. 5, 10, 15 minutes and that would be enough. But what I couldn’t live without, EVER, was a hot shower. I’d pimp out my old band mates for one. “Dude, yeah, go with her. Just ask her if we can shower at her place in the morning!” We always could. I’d be hanging outside a 24 hour convenience store someplace in New Jersey or New York or Illinois with the bass player or the drummer or whoever wandered up and wanted to talk. And that promise of a hot shower just kept me going… baptism. Didn’t matter what you did the night before – that shower would wash you clean again.

This water is exactly the same now. But everything else is different. Better.

Except for the fact that Alex, when he shaves leaves what looks like Woolly Mammoth clippings knee deep in the sink. We don’t live here for more than a day so we don’t care but we notice. I think it’s funny.

So we’re all up and one by one we go down to Shoeless Joe’s for breakfast. It’s good and our waitress behind the bar is a very exotic looking woman who at first seems stand-off-ish. But later she asks where we’re playing and what our story is.

We hang out and do some work and rest up. I go down to the terrace and have a JD in the sunshine. It’s a very pleasant moment. I watch the homeless guy way down at the bottom of the hill at the end of the off ramp of the 401. What a great day for being lonely. Writing infected songs down by the highway. Feeling each sip like a throbbing tattoo. Thinking if I had the money…

So we’re all a little slower than usual. Cathy Fudge contacts us and says she’s not feeling well and has no way to get back to her place, (it’s like 579 miles to where she lives out in Yakoupitzville, a little known suburb of Toronto.) so she may not be able to come to the show. I shake my head. She has a fucking tattoo of our logo on the side of her torso! I think we could drive her home.

We get into the Banyion and head to the Kathedral. The drive is fine and by now we know our way. Easy.

We get to the venue and Scott and Tasha from Awsum Ink are there to greet us. They are so friendly and we like them immediately. Scott gives off the air of being on top of all the details. He points out the postering (which is everywhere!) they’ve done in the area. We are going to be working with them for our Toronto record launch on OCTOBER 24th so this makes us feel very reassured. Great!

They are expecting the other acts so we have some time to go and eat. Jon really wants to go to the Hard Rock Café which is fine with me. I love all those rock star things on the wall. I think it’s great that they have the clothing that each of these amazing performers have worn during one show or another. What I don’t like – and neither do Alex, Zasta or Jon is the instruments, amps and equipment that are all up in their glass cases. These things are like horses or musicians – they’re happiest when they’re working.

We have hamburgers . Mine’s veggie. It’s good. And a chicken wrap. It is also good.

I have to go for a quick shop in the Eaton Center to buy two things for my two girls. I don’t have a lot of time so I choose two dolls very quickly. I don’t realize one of them is a special edition Barbie – Those Tartan Nights – The Pinup Collection. She’s wearing this tiny tartan nightie. Oops. Maybe a little too Scottish for a little girl?

So I go back to the Hard Rock Café and we pile in the Banyion and go back to the club. This time Rob Power the head guy from Awsum Ink is there. He is a straight up rock and roller who is all about the live music. He looks after us.

We set our gear as the other bands arrive. The stage layout is established and it’s all a go. We need some coffee so we let Scott know we’re leaving for 15. We walk down the street to a little coffee place. We look outside on the other side of the street and see Cathy Fudge walking along. We call to her but she doesn’t hear us.

We head back and each give Cathy a hug when we see her. She’s the girl that got the TGON tattoo on the side of her torso – “TGON torso Cathy!” We sing.

So we sit back and enjoy the show…

A 15 year old guitarist who is going to be a fucking power to be reckoned with in just a few short years opened it up.

Next Blood Runs Cold played. They had great energy and a really hard vibe. Nice.

Then West Memphis Suicide who slammed down the whiskey bottle and played Hard Greasy Rock until the dust was falling from the rafters.

Tasha’s camera has run out of batteries. So I grab my Nikon D70 which she takes to like that! She’s clicking away. I really want to take a photographer on the next tour. It’s so important to have a record in pix.

Then we played. Soon, when the expectations of what we do are as great and satisfied as the surprise and shock you feel when you first see us – we’ll be getting closer to our goals. We kick fucking ass.

So, sweaty as I am! And I sweat like Michael Jordan when I play! We hang with Rob, Scott and Tasha after the show. We make some plans. Gotta do an all ages show with Rob and Scott for sure. But as usual it’s time to book outta there.

Cathy comes with us in the Banyion. She’s sitting with me in the back and is also as hungry as we THE GODS OF NOW are. So we go for something to eat at Markham station.

We have breakfast and then it’s time for the long ride to Cathy’s place. I don’t think content matters at all as much as intent. Large grey spires that reflect no light. Deep, dark hidden things that are all just a Point Of View. Fog everywhere. I drop her off and head back.

I turn on a Classic Rock Station. What is it? Harlequin? Streethart? Strange Advance? The huge road is all mine. 7 or 8 lanes of room to breathe. 579 milles is a long way to drive someone home but I love to drive. It dawns on me – “That helps.” Of all the problems that I have just trying to get from birth to death the fact that I like to drive “helps.” The thought makes me happy.

I get back to the hotel and lay on the bed.

I close my eyes. Home is right around the corner.

Somewhat Related Entries

• The Gods of Now On Tour – Day 22
• The Gods Of Now On Tour – Day 11
• The Gods Of Now On Tour – Day 24
• The Gods of Now On Tour – Day 19
• The Gods of Now On Tour – Day 21