4/30/15 day 12: Vranov nad Toplou, SK

Solid 8 hr shut eye felt amazing. I was actually up before the alarm, but decided to stay in bed. Still got up well in advance of the alarm. The alarm usually sounds the last 15 min before the end of breakfast. I got down to the lobby with time to spare. Slovak breakfast is pretty standard European fare: bread, cheese, sliced meats, yogurt, granola. Nothing too funky like a pigs head or boiled goat ears or anything... I must miss Italy subconsciously because I grabbed a roll and smeared Nutella all over it. Chocolate withdraws or in this case, hazelnut withdrawals. Oh man, remember that Nutella Brioch in Milan?!? Me too. My kingdom for a chocolate Brioch! Just kidding. Not really.

We hit the road at 10:30 because we had a full day. First stop was Tatras Mountians. We took a walk around a lake, the name of which I forget but it was stunning. Dig.

Cascading selfie: Tatras Mountain style.

It was cold. And beautiful. And a nice change of pace. I needed to do something to feel worthy of lunch which we enjoyed at the cafe at the mountain.

After lunch and the mountain walk, I promptly fell asleep in the car. Basically woke up as we entered Prešov. We had a 5:30 interview with Radio Preśov, and I had a hard time getting my mind right after this...

We did the interview at Radio Prešov and had great success! We talked about the shows, and our tour manager Olga translated, and we played about 39 seconds of Love Song.

Interview was cool! By all accounts, success. We promoted the upcoming shows and then we went to celebrate.

We then headed to Vranov nad Toplou our home for the next couple days. The driving was at times a little nerve wracking. Olga is an excellent driver but the roads weren't meant for Formula 1 driving. It was all good tho. We laughed, she hugged the lane, and pulled into the hotel like a rally car driver. 

Speaking of the hotel... We got the west wing and its stunning! A huge hang room, full bar (with nothing in it, but we have our own wine), and beautiful rooms. It's super pimp.

We went downstairs for dinner at about 8. The restaurant was quiet. I chose the steak, medium, with mushroom sauce.

Made short work of it too. So good. Amazing food and local wine. It was amazing.

Oh wait. And dessert.

A poppy seed pastry with caramel sauce and coffee ice cream.

In the next room there was a group of doctors celebrating a 60th birthday (full on singing Slovak folk songs) so we did what any singing group from the states would do and offer to sing them a song... We did Bid You Goodnight and then was immediately offered Slivovica, which is the digestive we had the other day, but then after one round we all quietly removed ourselves from the scene. It was clear we were in over our heads so we quietly snuck out the back and crashed.

Happy to have a home base for the next couple days. Driving everyday can get old. Night world.

4/29/15 day 11: Nitra, SK

Alarm at 9:15 was unpleasant. Rolled down to the small but wonderfully non-Italian breakfast buffet. Don't get me wrong, I loved eating chocolate croissants every morning but at some point they lose their allure. I do miss the crazy good espresso. Done right. And just downright killer. Oh well, regular coffee and yogurt with granola was a welcome change.

We met Olga's friend Eva who is a resident of Pezinok and has connections to the local winery scene and made our way to a local and successful winery for a tasting. I love wine tastings before noon! We tasted four or five really tasty wines (got a cab sauv for home), snacked on cheese and bread and schwarzwälder schinken while Eva and Olga translated for the owner of the winery. Really interesting cat. It got pretty deep too and he shared some interesting stories about soviet era wine making and such. A little bit history lesson, a little bit wine. It was righteous.

Made the short drive to Nitra, a small college town in about an hour. Olga had picked out a spot for lunch. Again, we dined in style, Slovak style. Dig.

1) cabbage soup 2) potato pancake with pork and onions and gravy 3) and a customary digestive the name I will remember by the end of the tour, promise.

So full. So completely full after lunch it took almost all I had to make the walk up two floors to my hotel room which over looks a big square in town.

Went full power down; eye mask, noise machine, which was all necessary because there was some shenanigans in the square. Some bands, parade, etc. it needed to be drowned out if any sleeping was going to take place. Slept a good solid hour and made it down to the lobby by 5:50. Made our way to the club, a nice little spot in a newish building with a great stage and sound system, sound checked and chilled. 

We did a TV interview; not sure what station. I'm not sure, but I think Olga arranged it. Never asked for some reason. We did the interview upstairs with a very sweet Slovak with really good English. We talked about the tunes, and the process and the band. Hope it airs soon. I'll share a link when I see it. It was legit tho. Here we are post interview:

And yes, I'm letting the locks fly. Just au natural. It's angular, yes, but less work then slicking it back.

Gig went well. We had a small crowd of about 30 folks but we were happy with reaction and engagement. They dug it. We had a solid performance and we had probably the best sound on the tour so far. Just juicey and warm and nice.

Wrapped up about 10:45 and made it back to the hotel. The others went out for food, but I can't eat another thing. I just chilled on my patio in the super crisp air and watched as the festival on the square was all packed up and had some more of the wine from earlier today. My younger self would probably be disappointed with me but my actual self is totally cool with getting to bed before 1am. It hasn't happened since we got to Europe. 

Another fun night for the books. I mean any day that stars with a wine tasting is going to be cool. I did have that moment tonight (actually during Peter's tune "Beauty that surrounds") where I was like "I get paid to travel and play music in new and awesome countries" and I shared a small smile with myself. A nice little reminder that I am doing what I love and that's a beautiful thing. I am lucky and grateful and enjoy every minute of it; even if I want to be an old fart and go to bed before everyone else. Night.

4/28/15 day 10: Pezinok, SK

We met Olga, our friend/Slovakian manager & booking agent, in the lobby of our hotel at 11. It was nice to see her again. She used to have to drive 10+ hours to see us perform and now we all get to hang out for 10 days with her as our tour guide. Very stoked for her to show us her country.

We made it to the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava shortly before 1. We were all pretty hungry at that point. Olga had plans for us to meet her friends Patricia and Hayden at a restaurant/brewery in Bratislava... She knows us too well. What came next will never be forgotten as it was both delicious and borderline overload..

First we had some appetizers; I think it's called "Brine" in English... Basically pigs head meat in a clear gelatin sliced thin like lunch meat served doused in vinegar and a great loaf of crusty brown bread. Peter got the smoked pigs neck with Dijon mustard, fresh horseradish, and pickles... I can't describe it in a way to make it sound appetizing but it was all delicious. And then came the mushroom crime soup which might be the best mushroom crime soup I've ever had. The mushrooms were fresh and wild and the cream base was light. Main course was this; roasted duck leg with potatoe dumplings, potatoe crepe and red cabbage... So good. So filling. I had to tap out. I just couldn't finish. I was beyond stuffed...

Pivo, baby.

After lunch I was about ready to collapse into a ball and fall asleep. We took the short 34 min drive to Pezinok where our first gig of the tour is. We found the hotel (an old Closter) and I had to power down hard. So I went full eye mask and white noise and comafied for 20 mins.

We met in the lobby after 5pm and walked over to the club which was across the street (in the increasing wind and consistent rain... First rain in three months) and started to get everything situated. On the 3 min walk over to the club, my 5€ venitian umbrella took a huge shit and basically snapped in half in the wind. Awesome.

Walked up to the club located basically across the street which is also a bar/restaurant. We were to play in a performance space to the side of the restaurant. Met Richard the manager, Mat the sound guy and got set up and ready to roll. Right after sound check the power went out, presumably from the wind. No one seemed to care. Lit some candles and carried on. We were full on prepared to carry on without amplification when the lights randomly came back on. 

Had a quick bite of cheese and bread and a couple cold Pivo before our set which started at 815 or so. Had a about 30 beautiful Slovaks waiting for the show to begin. We did our thing and it was really well received. At one point I made a comment about how I would try to speak more Slovakian if I had a Pivo ("Pivo power") and the owner disappears and reappears with a fresh cold one for yours truly. Respect.

We wrapped up about 10:15 after a double encore and got to sit down for a proper dinner. I had some pasta with chicken. I needed something relatively light after that lunch... Pasta is "light" compared to roasted duck.

Before the set we met a local cat named Richard who brought his banjo as he came directly from rehearsal. At some point after the set someone said the words "jam session" and peters ears perked up. What ensued can only be described as a hootenanny... He busted out my guitar, Jeff got the bass working with a speaker from the PA, I had an egg shaker, and we sang. We all sang. The seating was rearranged to make the circle larger and larger as folks still hanging in the space started to draw closer. We went through blue grass, rock, folk all with the really tasty licks of Richard on the banjo. Language barriers dropped and the once slightly reserved patrons opened up and started singing and interacting. It was one of those moments where u look around and wonder how you got there.

Needless to say, we made friends. The manager Richard was beside himself (almost literally) after every couple tunes he would smile and lean over and say "nazdravie" with a crooked smile, his wife was passed out in her chair after passionately singing "wish you were here" by Pink Floyd with peter, and the owner, a quiet stocky tattooed Slovakian bearded cat, kept pulling me aside to share his top shelf rum which I don't think he could even reach at the bar. I don't even like rum, but this stuff was amazing. So smooth. I feel like it was a sign of appreciation. When words fail, try rum.

By all accounts, the jam session lasted longer than the actual set. Picture a room full of Slovaks chain smoking, drinking wine, and singing the Beatles. It was scene. At about 1:15 am, when we finally were allowed to leave (The owner kept telling us we couldn't leave until he played one more song from his computer on the house system... First it was Georgia by Ray Charles. I stopped listening after that), we said our goodbyes, gave hugs, and said our thank you's and made the short walk home.

A great first night. A long one, but great. This is going to be a fun week.

4/27/15 day 9: Montebelluna>Venice>Vienna

Up at 9:15 for a quick Italian breakfast in the lobby of the hotel; cappuccino and small jam filled brioche with powdered sugar. Out the door at 10:15 headed for Venice airport to return the rental car. Maybe an hour drive from Montebelluna. Raining again this morning as we dropped off the car and gathered our things and made our way by bus to Venice Train Station. You could smell the sea water as we rolled through the rain.

Dropped off our bags at Left Luggage at the Santa Lucia Train Station and burst out into the scene.

(Top a watery lawn, bottom the view walking out of the train station)

First stop was some grub, recommendation of Gian our sound guy last night. Definite locals vibe but not off the beaten path per se; small little bites and miniature glasses of wine for cheap. So tasty. Now that's what I call breakfast.

Salami and cheese, cheese and sun dried tomato. Both slamming...

The joint was teeny tiny. I mean a closet. There were as many people working as could fit in the little area to order but in fine Italian tradition, there is a group of locals standing at the bar chatting and drinking. That's just what you do here. Especially in cafes. And the smaller the cafe the better. It's a beautiful tradition not made for speedy to go orders. Luckily, things like espresso and little sandwiches disappear quickly.

It started coming down pretty good but all was okay after a 5€ umbrella purchase from a gentlemen of Indian descent. Come to think of it, none of the souvenir shops seemed to be run by Italians. I wonder if they were bought out or just retired? But I digress...

I have yet to own a rain coat since moving to Phoenix. Note to self, buy a raincoat when I return to Phoenix. 

We went on a full blown wander, following the crowd of tourists and umbrellas (one dude was wearing a trash bag) meandering through tiny little alleys and over small bridges perched over green water that I wouldn't swim in. Can't imagine Venice in the summer. It's probably brutal with the humidity and the crowds... Glad it is April and glad it was raining.

We got to a point in our soggy journey where we had to turn back to make the 3:59pm train to Wien, that's Vienna for all you land lovers. We made a pit stop at a little cafe and picked up some provisions for the 7 hr train ride ahead of us; big bottle of sparkling water, red wine in a 1liter tetra box, a couple cold Italian beers the make of which I've never heard of, sandwiches (ciabatta with prosciutto and cheese heated up like a panini and cold sandwiches cut into small triangles on soft, crust-less white bread with tuna and tomato... so killin'), and a couple bars of chocolate. Only the essentials, people...

Made it back to the train station pretty well loaded down now w snacks, grabbed our baggage from the Left Luggage and found our seats on the train that was waiting for us at platform 9. Feet were tired and damp so I was definitely ready to kick back, enjoy the views and the plunder and not drive.

4:59pm. Jeff has already left our little sitting area for more space in an adjacent quarter. We fear he may leave us forever. I fade in and out sleep in a position not meant for sleeping. Peter is air drumming to his iPod.

5:59pm. Train is approaching some mountains. Sent Peter on a mission to find the food cabin. Provisions are already dangerously low. Some of us (Peter) didn't plan accordingly. He's eyeing my beers and sandwich in a way that makes me uneasy. Will protect at all costs. I'm tall and have a longer reach than he does. Jeff is asleep.

6:59pm Food cabin has been located and prices are sufficiently gougey... At least it was expected. All sandwiches have been consumed and peter is already trying to get in on my box of wine. He's dangling a 'surprise for later' in exchange for some fine boxed vino. I think he is bluffing, but I feel for the little guy. He looks hungry and he's been crying a lot... He thinks I should share. I explain to him that I have two older brothers and we didn't share and look at us, we turned out OKAY. Sharing was a sign of weakness, especially when it came to food. We fear Jeff has emigrated.

In other news the landscape is stunning. Very dramatic mountain scenes with small villages. Something out of a sci-fi or fantasy novel. Dark, dark green mountains covered in coniferous trees with clouds clinging to the side. Wide river beds with smooth round white stones and a small stream of light green water in the middle. Lots of tunnels. At this point u only catch glimpses. You can tell you are nearing the end of the tunnel because the pressure changes in your ears, so u look out the window in anticipation. 

7:59pm Food levels almost completely depleted. Liquid rations are low. On any tour, you start to accumulate booze in the rental car; bottles of beer and wine, schnapps, water. Most of the time it's a gift from a venue or from raiding the green room. It's affectionately referred to as the "car bar" best said with a Boston accent. This tour we had only two bottles of beer when we cleaned out the car. Peter just cracked one. These are bleak, bleak times...

Lakes!

Peter is lying about not having food. He has gummy bears, I saw them in his bag. "Those are totally gifts, man..." Not cool man. I wonder if Jeff moved his seat early on to preserve his rations.... He knows Peter well. Man that guy is smart. I'm gonna miss him... I wonder if we will ever see him again.

Heavy cloud cover blocks out the sun but you can tell it's still up there somewhere barely. Train announcements in German now. Already feel better, more at ease. Like if I make a run for it at the next stop, I'll get to Vienna no problem....

I wonder about these towns and their churches in the middle. I wonder how religion affects these people or how or if it drives their daily life in any way. I wonder if we will ever get to a time when we only visit churches as part of a history lesson; to remember that people used to actually physically congregate and socialize and be thankful for some intangible force guiding their lives. And whether it's evolution or devolution that describes a godless culture. In any case, these were once God fearing communities. You see it everywhere.

8:59pm All is quiet. Peter appears to be asleep. Jeff hasn't spoken in hours. The windows have gone dark. I wish they'd turn the lights off in the train so we can see outside although there wouldn't be much to see. Every once in a while a castle on the surrounding hill will be illumated. Otherwise basically pitch black, just our own reflections in the windows.

I've successfully rationed my chocolate and wine and now that Peter is alseep, I think it's safe. Thinking this will help me survive a couple more hours. Going to try to avoid the train food, but I'm only human. 2.5 hrs to go. All work and no play makes Brian a dull boy.

Stepping off the train at the various stops on the route. For the :45 seconds that the train pauses (we are after all in Austria), the air is crisp and clean. Mountain air. Whistle. Back on the train.

9:59pm 20 min delay in Leoben, Austria. No one is quite sure why. But made some Austrian friends who called our hotel in Vienna and asked if we would still be able to get into our rooms so late. We are good. Gave our older Austrian friends an L&S. It's gonna blow their freakin minds.... we are going to be HUGE in the town next to Loeben!

Peter broke down and went to the food cart and bought, wait for it, chicken tiki masala in a box and a Hefeweizen; I mean some real Italian/Austrian shit... he comes back to his seat with a shit eating grin and then asks for some of my private red wine stash saying "it helps with digestion and the flavor profile is better than my beer." Me: " why didn't you just buy some red wine?!" Peter "Oh, it was too expensive." See what I mean?! No man, it's cool. Have some of the secret stash... Go back to bed...

Haven't seen Jeff in a week. 

There are two women from Slovakia next to us on the train. They are teaching us some Slovakian, all of which I've forgotten. The saying that peter knows (something about not being behind a horse's fart) they didn't understand. Shocker. I'm starting to question his language prowess. I'm gonna go sit next to Jeff....

10:59pm I couldn't help it. Hunger levels were high and blood sugars were low. Food and liquid rations were all but depleted, empty, closed. I went to the food car for a ham & cheese panini... And it was good. That is all. I'm slightly ashamed.

Peter's 'surprise for later' was a nip of Johnny Walker Black Label courtesy of Air Canada from his trip over... He'd been saving it for a special occasion. Spirits were briefly raised.

What have I learned from train travel with Peter Day and Jeff Vallone? Well, it's not much different than car travel...  1) if you sit near Peter, be ready to share everything 2) if you sit near Jeff, expect to maintain your food and drink stash. Well, it helps that Jeff is vegetarian. He said my panini looked delicious, in a very non-threatening way. Peter said little. Just eyed my sandwich.

Our train car is almost silent now save the tapping of someone's fingers on a laptop.

Lights rush by the windows. Names of town flash by. Peter eyes my beer. I avoid eye contact... 

11:59pm Rolled into Vienna Meidling Train station in Vienna. Our prayers were answered and there was a Döner joint still open. He was just packing up shop. Grabbed Döner to go and found the taxi stand. Our taxi driver was full on asleep in his seat when we walked up. Despite that, he got us to the Ramada in one piece. Devoured said Döner in the lobby.

What a day; we laughed, we cried, we bartered for wine...

Night from Vienna.

4/26/15 day 8: Montebelluna, IT

Up and out of the hotel by 11 today. Breakfast was a cappuccino and a chocolate brioche shortly before which we took outside on the patio as the elderly matriarch watered the potted plants and kept the other staff buzzing around. Another nice slightly overcast day. It's funny, the sun sometimes burns off the haze, sometimes it doesn't and the difference is like 10 degrees.

Peter had another insider tip for some good gelato in Vignola so we packed the car and parked at last night's venue and walked into town. Sunday mass was happening at the church and there was a textile market happening in the pedestrian area. Socks for 3€, jeans for 5€, that sort of shit. We found the gelato spot and sat in wonder of our luck. I mean, this stuff was amazing. So good. Creamy and light. I got coffee and peach. The best gelato combination so far was coffee and peanut butter in Rome. That was just stupid...

Walked around the Rocca Di Vignola. It's old, we are talking 11th century and still a stunner. Dig.

I'm a sucker for a cool castle. Always have been. 

We hopped back in the car and headed NE to Montebelluna. The drive was fine. I mean, we took a toll road so it was in good shape and it was very uneventful. We listened to Band of Horses and Beck's new record. Peter and Jeff dozed off and I set the cruise control at 130 kph. 

We stopped at an Autogrill for a sandwich and espresso somewhere along the way. I also found a couple Italian seasoning packets which are basically packets of herbs and seasonings you add to your pasta at home with some olive oil. I first came across them when I was working on the cruise ship on the southern Italian coast and thought they'd make good gifts for my foodie friends (I don't think my mother has used hers yet tho, so I might reclaim it when I'm there next). I don't think Italians use them either, I think it's a tourist thing, but I dig it. Some packets will have dried olives and oregano or tomatoes and red peppers; there are a bunch of different flavors. I was relieved because I was seeing them in Rome in specialty shops but never picked any up thinking I'd see them again the next day. Glad I at least found two different kinds today. I won't be giving these ones away.

Made it to Montebelluna at like 3:30. It was deserted... Didn't really see a soul at all driving in. We thought the hotel was closed even. But no, it was open (albeit reminiscent of The Shining) and I walked into my room and went straight to sleep for a nice 30 minute power down. I woke up to the sound of rain and got cleaned up around 5pm to make the 5 min drive to Mattorossa, our last venue of the Italins tour...

I was already impressed as we pulled up. You could just tell they put some money into the build out. From the street it looked sexy as hell, so I was confident we were in for a good night. The interior didn't disappoint. Big room with a nice big stage, great gear, great sound man Gian, exposed brick, original wooden beams, sleek bar, lots of polished brass. 

Sound check and then an authentic Italian dinner of burgers and red wine. There was even another Italian IPA on tap which was called Grunge IPA. Our new friend Nick, who first saw us in Milan, came with a friend, and bought us a bottle of Prosecco, which is grown in this region. Spirits were high as the room began to fill up with diners. We hit around 9:10 and played a great one hour set, which included a Printemps standing on chairs in the audience.

Pre-dinner repose.

Just the hits...

After the set we chilled and rapped w new friends. Hopeful we can come back to this venue. Everyone was very nice and welcoming and the sound was really nice. Crashed out at the hotel after rapping with Gian the sound guy who gave us some insider tips for our short visit to Venice tmrw. Gian grew up in the area and his dad works in the wine industry and offered to maybe set up a tour of the Prosecco facility but the guys were determined to see Venice, so, another time for the Prosecco tour.

A great last night of the Italian tour. Hope to come back to this beautiful country. Thanks again to Cesare and Enrica of Roots Music Club for organizing this fun tour!

4/25/15 day 7: Vignola, IT

Up and out of the AutoHotel at 11:15. Breakfast isn't provided so we decided to try our luck on the ol' Italian road. GPS had us go north a bit and then jog over east to the larger, better surfaced A1. We stopped about an hour in and had a road side bite and coffee and filled up the tank with the help of a well dressed man who meticulously cleaned our windshield.

I had the distinct pleasure of not driving so I sat in the backseat and napped and occasionally drooled on the luggage. The A1 sent us just west of Firenze and off in the distance we caught just the tip of the Duomo, which is more than just an Italian sex move, as we rolled by.

After Firenze the landscape became pretty mountainous. Little villages dotted the valleys. After about three plus hours the mountains mellowed. We drove through Bologna and arrived in Formica, which is Italian for "counter top." The venue was the next town over in Vignola. The Vignola castle we could see from our hotel, so not a far commute to the venue.

Found the venue/bar at about 715pm which is actually attached to a large swimming facility minutes past the old part of town. Got loaded in, had an espresso, sound checked and dinner was served at 8. It's a cool little spot with a great stage, sound system, and it's run by a real character named Franco. Cesare and Enrica were there with friends, so we all gathered and had dinner together.  The caprese was off the chain and the focaccia was light and delicious. A couple days ago I told the guys I was focaccia'd out... That didn't last long. Vignola is in Modena which is known for balsamic vinaigrette. Yes, that was delicious too.

Before I forget, one thing I really love about Italy is that they still make espresso with an actual espresso machine. Most of the other Western European countries have replaced the machine with a much inferior coffee machine that spits out your order. It doesn't even touch an actual espresso. Thank you Italy for keeping it real. Keeping it old school. Keeping it caffeinated.

There was a working keyboard bolted to the wall. Jeff got angular...

We hit around 10:30 to a pretty full room. This isn't a listening room per se, but the crowd was engaged and interactive. Had them singing for Printemps which we did in the audience and clapping on 1000 Little Pieces. Free Falling continues to be a stand out. It was a good night. Things are gelling, and we are getting our rhythm.

Peter, Enrica, Franco, Cesare, tall guy, Jeff.

After the set, we greeted fans and sold CDs and chatted about music and the industry with new friends. Made the short 10 minute drive home and crashed out happy but tired.

4/24/15 day 6: Roma, IT

Up at 8 for espresso and a brioche. On the road back to Cesano for another afternoon in Roma. Caught the 10:03 to St Pietro. The plan was to hit the cathedral, Parthenon, and colosseum.

We started out the same route as yesterday, but instead of heading to the bar we went to a gelato joint. Always a good start to the day. Headed east on foot to Piazza Nuova, Pantheon, Campers store (picked up some fresh new kicks), then the Trevi Fountain (under repair), steps we thought were Spanish (turns out they were just steps) and then made our way south to the Coloseum. Behold. Pictures of very old things...

You should see the statue's front side. I spared you...

Pantheon

Oculus selfie... It's a new thing.

Inside the pantheon

An old bit of something...

More old stuff on the way to the Coloseum...

Coloseum Cascading Selfie. It's a thing.

Coloseum. Very impressive. And yeah, wicked old.

This statute had such a striking resemblance to Jeff I just had to take a shot.

Then we hopped the metro at the Coloseum to Station Ostiense and then the train to Trastevere and walked around for 45 minutes and had lunch, Rome style....

A little pizza fungi, ham, and suppli (fried rice Twinkie with mozzarella).

Hopped the 2:41 back to Cesane. Tired. But satisfied we put a hurt on Rome. Didn't see it all, but that just gives us a reason or two to come back. Oh, and they have a great IPA I need to try.

Took at hard nap for an hr before waking up and hopping in the shower. We left for Cross Roads Live at 5:40. We drove past the Cesane train station and it was about 10 minutes down the same road.

Cross Roads Live is a big room (1000 capacity standing) with a great stage and great sound men to make it sound sensual. With tables and chairs it's smaller, but no less sensual.

We had dinner at 8; bruschetta and pasta with eggplant and zucchini and red wine at 8. Opener hit at 10. They were kind enough to have us up for The Weight, which was their last song. We warmed in the green room bathroom (for the acoustics) and then walked back on stage at 10:35.

We slayed our set. Played 90 minutes of just the hits and had a swarm at the merch table after.  It was a lovely feeling. Had a ton of great compliments and kind words from the audience and staff.

I'm sure we will come back. Magic night.

The drive home was hairy. Crazy fog made it borderline impossible to see, but we took our time and made it home in one piece. Tomorrow Vignola!