TTS Midwest Tour
Day 6, Dispatch 1 - Rose Bowl Tavern in Urbana last night was just as much fun as I remembered it being and easily as much fun as I was hoping it would be! The stage is tiny but the volume level in that place is perfect in that I'm not slammin behind the kit but I don't have to hold back either. I can just play my instrument and enjoy myself. I feel like a kid practicing in my room again when we're there. Fun!
Our pal Corny Leonard came out for a visit too. I met Corny last March when he was there and informed me he was from El Paso. Then I was hoodwinked to find he was from El Paso, Illinois! The ol' bait-and-switch. Hardy-har-har. We've kept in touch though and it was good to catch up again with him.
It was also cool to see some of the same folks from our show with Big Sandy in Springfield drive over to catch us in Urbana at The Rose Bowl last night. Steve also went out of his way to provide us with more Shiner Bock and I was a very happy boy. While I didn't even drink any of it last night, when we show up and I see Shiner, it's a sure sign that somebody's reading their contracts and cares enough to make sure we're taken care of. (Steve sent it with us to enjoy for later!)
After hanging around just a little while and visiting with fans we loaded out our gear and began the trek across town to find Merry-Ann's Diner. Dennis were looking forward to getting reckless with the #5 on their menu -- The Diner Stack. This is a full plate of delicious goodness made by my new favoite late night cook, Juan. Hash browns topped with cheese, topped with two giant sausage patties, topped with biscuits, topped with two scrambled eggs and then smothered in gravy. In the words of the late Big Bopper, "Oh baby, that's what I like!"
I hadn't eaten but just a tiny bit at the Rhoades' home and was starving when got to Merry-Ann's. By the time we finally checked into the hotel, I was absolutely wiped out and so happy that nobody wanted to afterparty with us in Urbana. Urbana is a town we can rest and recharge our batteries. We were in our rooms before midnight and I was tucked into bed shortly thereafter. Dennis and I watched some classic boxing footage from the late 50's before I drifted off to sleep.
We didn't have to check out of our rooms til noon today and we didn't have to be on the road til 2:00, so after posing wuth the police bomb squad truck parked outside or hotel (what was that all about?) Dennis, Rhoades, and I found a nice Indian Buffet and ate til we felt like we were about to pop! The last several hours have been spent inside the belly of our time capsule. We crawl in here together and arrive somewhere else at a much later time. We're less than an hour from Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines, IA and this is a dimly lit room that also has such great vibe and character. Rhoades played here several months back with The Bar Brawl 3 and the same band that opened for them is opening the show for us tonight. This will be fun and then afterwards, it's Kung Fu Tap & Taco for everybody! More on that tomorrow. Happy trails and safe travels. Much love from...
- The Doddster
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Location:Interstate 80,Grant,United States
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