That big grey cloud sprinkeled some white stuff.
Said our goodbyes to the lovely Uli and Doris (and their goat) and made the short drive to Wiesbaden. Drove through red forests with, wait, what the hell is that?!? Snow. I'm leaving just in time. It went from like 60 degrees to 30 degrees this week. Winter has arrived and I'm getting the hell out of here.
Parking around the hotel was a bit of a nightmare but we found a little parking lot for hotel guests and locked her up. Got to the door of the hotel to find no one there to open the door. A little sign on the door gives a number to call to get the door code... Great. None of us have cell phones... First order of business was to find a pay phone. Tracked one down and got the code. Next order of business was food and it was a unanimous decision to get one last Döner so we walked down the hill towards the pedestrian zone and immediately found a good Turkish restaurant.
We were pretty well frozen by the time we walked in, and we were all relieved. The joint looked legit. I went big... And it was friggin' delicious...
My good god... So good. Why aren't there Kebab joints in Phoenix?!? This one was killing too. Bread was fresh and warm, meat was juicy and not dried out, garlic sauce was kickin... 9 out of 10.
Spirits were high and bellies full as we walked back to hotel, got cleaned up and walked to the venue, Thalhaus, which is an arts/culture center. Beautiful building with cool bar, lots of funky art hanging on the walls, and a cozy little 60 seater theater where we played. We got dialed in with Max the sound guy and chilled for 30 before curtains.
The set was great. It usually is at the end of the tour. All the little kinks have been worked out and we can hone in on the shit and make it super clean. The crowd was engaged and attentive and the band had a fun, relaxed night.
After the set we chatted with friends. Some friends from Mannheim drove an hour to see us. Super nice folks. And we chatted with new fans before sitting down to Italian take out. I went with a caprese salad. Diet starts now! Oh man, we are so spoiled on these tours... And I am still so grateful to be able to do this. Always a highlight of the year and never taken for granted. 2016 isn't going to suck either. I swear each year is better than the next... I'm a happy man.
Peter asked Max after the show the best way to say "I'm happy" in German and Max suggested "ich bin einverstanden." Directly translated that means "I agree." It's the same thing you would say after a judge sentences you and you accept the terms of the punishment. We scratched our heads and thought maybe "icy bin glücklich" which no one really says or "Ich bin zufrieden" which is more "I'm content." Odd, and maybe very German, that there is no easy and direct way to express this very simple emotion.
I don't really know what the lesson here is. I may be sufficiently burned out from three weeks on the road to make some sharp analysis. But if we are talking about MY overall happiness... This country and this people play a large role in my happiness. So grateful I get to come and share my love of music here.
Gute Nacht from Wiesbaden. Gute Nacht Tour. Bis April.
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