Ok, I know it's been a while, and last you read we were on our way to Vegas. Well, I'm happy to report we're all in one piece. We didn't hit it big or lose it all. I won a little money the first night playing Blackjack, which helped fund our time there; which was an unexpected treat.
When we arrived we got a great hookup because our producer Patrick Krief's brother Steph lives in Henderson, NV and owns several stores on the Las Vegas strip. As a result he was able to let us park behind his store behind the Harley Davidson cafe' right on the strip. This was huge for us because we had the experience of living on the strip with out spending any money.
Halloween:theWANDAS & Patrick Krief. Outside of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Questionable costumes
We met up with Steph and Patrick and caught up on band stuff, life, etc. It was halloween and there were definitely some great costumes and just an overall heightened level of enthusiasm; if that's even possible in Vegas. Keith came prepared and brought his vegas lounge singer tux for a costume. With Will bearing a remarkable resemblance to Freddy Mercury we pieced together a costume direct from Freddy's wardrobe circa 1984. Brent and I were struggling for ideas. I threw together a mix which I claimed was Pablo Escobar; although I don't think anyone recognized me. We all agreed Brent looked like a New Orleans trumpet player and that was that.
After vegas we headed to San Diego a couple days early. We decided to pull right up to Pacific Beach and park the bus. We found a sweet parking spot and were beach bums for a couple days. The amount of places we have been able to stay free of charge is probably rivaling a $20,000 vacation at this point. The beach was lovely. Sunny, blue skies, big waves, fish tacos and margaritas... ahh the good life.
Pacific Beach: San Diego CA. My view from the sand
Last night was our first show back after a brief break while on the road. The night was extra special for me as my parents decided to take a tour of the west coast themselves and make it to a few of our shows while they're out here. We were playing a the Ruby Room. This place was awesome. It had a great vibe and sound system. The all (ruby) red decor was reminiscent of a 70's lounge. The staff and ownership were amazing. They were extremely hospitable with everything from letting us park the bus right out front to complimentary drinks.
The show was great. Several old friends of ours who had relocated to San Diego came out to the show and it felt great to get back up on stage. After the show we hung out with new & old friends on the bus in our sweet parking spot.
Post show bus scene. San Diego, CA
We woke up this morning and headed to LA. Looking forward to another great show tonight!
Cheers,
Ross