I can't believe we've been out for three weeks already. It feels like three days. I guess I better make sure I know the songs.
Let's see, we started out in New Jersey at PNC…more specifically, Holmdel. I assume it's close to a big city, but I'm not sure which one. It must be a big one because it was packed that night.
We're really blown away by the fact that people are coming to see us play in cities that we've already done in the last year or so. We're out with Run-D.M.C and Kid Rock and I'm sure they're helping fill the seats. I love the synergy we've got going with those guys. Mostly I love it 'cause I get to use the word "synergy". I think we should have called the tour the Rock Hop tour. We start out with a Rap act then there's a combination Rock Hip Hop act then us being the Rock guys. Neat little formula there.
At the end of the show we've been having all those guys come back up for a finale of "Walk This Way". I love watching Jay do his thing on the turntables. One night I went over to where his turntables are set up to check out how he does that thing and hung out for the whole song. The next night I went over there and he started pointing at me and then the turntable. "Wow," I thought, "maybe he wants me to try it!" The same thing happened the next show. When I got over there he waved me over like he wanted to say something. "This is it," I thought, "I hope I do it right!" I leaned over and he yelled: "No stompin' around near the turntables." So much for my big chance.
So the PNC gig went well. It was the first show of the tour so there were plenty of opportunities to screw up and we used a few of them. Luckily we're getting good at not letting the audience know it.
So we tried Young Lust into F.I.N.E. for the beginning of the show. The audience seemed to be into those songs for a few minutes, then we started getting the "we like these songs but we'd rather hear something else" vibes. Maybe I'm paranoid. It's hard to tell. Usually the crowd is glad you're finally on stage so they're open to almost anything for the first song. Then hopefully in the second song the engine starts running for real. Whatever, I hope they dug it. What the hell, we had fun playin' 'em. And, ya know what? We'll play 'em any time we want to, damn it. YEAH.....!!!!! They're both great to play live so maybe we'll pop one or both of 'em in somewhere else in the set. So that covers the first gig. Now what...?
Oh yeah, the album. Which is called "Oh Yeah" by the way. I'm pretty sure you knew that. People seem to dig it. It's got our statistically greatest hits spanning the whole career without a big empty hole in the middle where our Geffen hits would go. Instead they're all in there together. It caught me by surprise to hear the Columbia songs and the Geffen songs together in one hunk. It was a new context and I was liking the way they all sounded next to each other. Plus everything was remastered much hotter. Does this sound like a sales pitch yet? I might have slipped into that mode without even knowing it. Gross.
Someday maybe we'll do a Greatest Hits of all our songs that haven't been hits yet!!! What a great idea! How about Greatest Songs You Like, But Don't Know it Yet Because You Were so Busy Listening to Greatest Hits. What a list I could make. As a matter of fact why don't you make a list and send it in? I'm gambling that you'd know where to send it because right now I can't think of it. It's on the site somewhere.
So back to the other subject and none too soon. The band is playing really well. Tight but loose. Tempos in the pocket going for the feel thing. Fast yet slow, loud but infinitely quiet, bombastic yet understated, snotty yet modest, lugubrious yet arid.
Okay here we are at the gig in Scranton, PA. We just finished a great set and everybody in the band is thinking about how tight we're playing the songs this time out. Everybody's stretching a bit, taking little risks here and there, popping in little riffs. The band as a whole and individually is feeling the need to make a creative statement. Something’s brewing...
We've been to Boston, New York, New Jersey and a lot of other great places. Boston, as usual, was an insane mix of a rabid audience and foaming at the mouth guests. It's hard to find the time to really say “hi” to everybody back stage. I usually feel a little guilty the next day as I remember everyone who was there and wonder if I said “hi” or just squeezed past with a desperate look on my face as I made for the dressing room. I think everybody is pretty understanding. It's just the nature of the gig.
I hope you all liked the Behind the Music VH-1 just did. I found it uncomfortable to watch so that probably means it was interesting. They did a great job on it. It's hard to go over all that history again and again but it's there and always will be.
Day off today then tomorrow night - Cleveland. Hasta lumbago,
TH
