Show 13 – Arlington, TX

Home of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders!!!  Oh yeah, there’s a football teams that prances around between their dances, forgot about those ‘pokes.

 

Home of my third favorite NFL Cheerleaders

The video board that hangs in the middle is every bit as imposing as it seems on TV broadcasts.  And the whole stadium is just cavernous.  It’s like this huge, beyond huge bubble with a moonroof.  Not much to say about the show part of things.  It was a bit of a wash, literally.  Just funky sounding.  Another day in my life that I’m thankful not to be an audio engineer and try and figure some of these places out.  They all earned their pay, and then some, on this Saturday in the sun.

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Beware of over-zealous stagehands.  Not that those exist in any market.  But every once in a while, a very elementary set of instructions is misinterpreted.  NOOOOO!!!!  Example:  ”Open this monitor wedge case. Each wedge is spray-painted L for left and R for right.  The carpet has tape (points to exact markings), where we have written left & right.  Place each wedge where the tape matches the paint, then put the empty case behind the riser.”  Of course I FORGOT!!!!  They could have never guessed that the artist wanted to hear those wedges, and not the audience: (side note: Dallas stagehands no one speed when loading a truck RAMMING SPEED..)

FAIL!!!

Here’s the autostitch of the stadium.  Taken from section 421, I think.  All I remember was that it’s one heck of a walk to get your ass all the way up there.  But I had friends along for the trip.  Nathan, Kelsie, and Mary Margaret walked with.  Halfway there we decided that we should bring a pack lunch the next time we venture to the top row of Cowboys Stadium:

Cowboys Stadium

Shows 9 & 10 Uncasville, CT

Walk away shows are great.  I think.  Strike that (we’ve done shows with Corky before, and know the terminology), walk away shows are great when dumb shit doesn’t happen.  Not necessarily people doing stupid things, but weird crap that’s out of your control.  Like, oh I don’t know, a kick drum mic performing an epic fail halfway through the first song.  And then the replacement falling off the stand halfway through the fourth song.  It kind of just leaves you on pins and needles for the rest of the set.

Although things were okay.  The second night at Mehegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, the crowd was way better.  Evidently more people finished their “fishbowl of 151″ at Bubba’s BBQ Pit before they came in.  Much louder and into all the acts than the first night.

Here’s a shot of the house:

Highlight and low lights of the weekend.  In that particular order:

1.  Meeting Michelle Beadle, host of Sportsnation on ESPN with sidekick Colin Cowherd.  There were several “Mother Ship” personalities there on both nights.  Many of whom mutually milled around in the same after show gatherings, as I was.  But of all the celebrity I find myself running into here and there, I never really care to meet most of them.  But I saw her stroll by me while we were loading our truck, and just about freaked.  I’m not a fan of much, but Michelle def has a great TV show, and is super funny and entertaining, as well as being more knowledgeable about sports than almost any talking head in a borrowed suit I’ve ever watched.  Thanks to Ashley for snapping a quick photo (it’s a bit blurry, but oh well).

Lowlight of the weekend:  Thinking that you’ve completely lost something that accidentally ended up in someone else’s luggage, they find it but forget to call you for three days to let you know it’s been found and being returned to you.  Not that that happens a lot.  I think the last time it happened to me, well the item actually was lost,  it was my passport on a Sunday night in Christchurch, New Zealand.  Not a great feeling then.

But when things like this do happen.  Your personal bags and belongings basically vomit into your bunk amidst your best efforts to find the damn item in question (a tour laminate and important key).  Here’s “post-explosion” documentation.

Next week, we will be in three more cities.  So the combination post of shows will not be the easiest.  Looking forward to an off-day of golf with the guys in San Antonio though.  Later.

 

- MT

Show 8..or something, Tulsa, OK

If I never work another show in Tulsa again. Well then fine.  From doing things in the past at the decrepit Maebe Center on the campus of ORU, to the newer and way cooler BOK Center, it’s all a wash now.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cute lil town, and the arena is very well-appointed.

But seriously.  I don’t know how much those people were paying for tickets, but it was like they were at a 10 dollar, crappy Winter Jam Tour concert.  Everyone just sat there, and sang along.  I’m not really affected personally by crowds.  My job is what it is regardless, but come one people.  Maybe the lamest fucking group of nitwits I’ve ever witnessed.

I stood and watched one artist after another work their asses of to get people out of their seats and have a great Saturday night.  And I think most of them would have had just as much fun drinking boxed wine and watching re-runs of “Friends” on cable.  If there is anything nice about the touring life, it will be years before I go back to Tulsa, OK.

Nothing was worth taking pictures of.  This is just a rant.  BTW – OKC is FREAKING awesome, and people there give a damn and wanna party at a concert.  Maybe Tulsa will develop a huge sinkhole and disappear.  Thankfully I get to move on to places where people have a pulse next week.

- WHEW!!!

Show 7 – Little Rock, AR

And again, I am sure somewhere I’ll stop mentioning this, we appeared at  an arena where it was much colder the last time around.  I like this whole warm weather touring situation.  It suits my Alabama blood quite nicely.  Verizon Wireless Arena is code for “Your iPhone doesn’t work past the security door, jackass.”  Does AT&T make a mobile signal booster I could purchase and haul around with my production office case?

That’s the latest panoramic I have.  Hopefully another one today.  I also have a pretty artsy-looking hipstamatic print I gotta find from yesterday’s show.

But seriously with arenas and the whole, “I can’t advance a show unless I walk 400 yards to the bus so I have signal” thing.  Come on people.  All this technology, and you can’t give me signal inside a building.  I’m not even gonna get started on the street corner right by my house. i.e. the only dead spot for two miles on Belmont Blvd in Nashville.

Another great crowd in Arkansas though.  And they didn’t seem to be phased by sketchy cellular data connections nearly as much as I was.  But I have a feeling the daiquiri cart helped ease any text message pains people were experiencing.

Until tomorrow

-mt

Show 5 – Omaha, NE

Cold was the theme of the “summer tour” weekend.  But such is the case when getting started sometimes.  Maybe Spring missed it’s bus call time of March 20th.  Although it got much milder by the end of the evening, there was blowing snow all day long.  Therefore, to stay functional, I spend more time in front of this thing than I do actually asleep, while we are on tour:

Coffee, Espresso, Tea - My Personal "Great Chocolate Factory"

 

The QWest Center in Omaha is another place Billy visited last Fall.  And everyone was expecting exactly what we got.  A killer crowd.  The place was packed almost a full 270 degrees.

Omaha, NE

I will say this Omaha, the upper concourse needs to go all the way around.  There’s just no excuse for that crap.  One of our bus drivers is from Nebraska, he had family there.  It’s always good to see family.  I kinda get jealous every time someone introduces me to family members that come to shows.  But we all have our moments.  I’ll get to see mine one night between now and October.

Thus concludes the one-night wrap up of a three day weekend.  Leaving again Wednesday night.  Billy has a show in Ruston, LA before joining back up with the Goin’ Coastal Tour.

 

Show 4 – St. Paul, MN

I admit, and will say it forever.  I absolutely love Minnesota, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Washington (state). In that exact order.  I mean the other 46 states are cool, and I obviously adore the state I call home, but those four take the cake for me.  I’ve never done a show in any of those places that some part of me wasn’t excited about.  For some reason, there’s always the anticipation that it’s going to be a really great or unique concert.

I’ve already posted in the Hipstamatics category a little pic of the snow, and I won’t bother commenting on it.

It was the first change in the set list for Billy, but the song swap may have evened out the flow for everyone involved.  Middles shows on a wknd run can either launch you into the next one in a killer way, or crash the whole damn thing.  And with doors at 5:30 pm, my guys hadn’t pushed a single piece of gear on deck as of 4:30.  Things definitely could have crashed.  Not to mention Uncle Kracker‘s crew needed to set their gear and check it as well.

And of course my friends who had bought tickets just assumed I was ignoring their texts and refused to come meet them early, b/c I was “living the dream” relaxing backstage or on the bus.  Oh if it were only true all the time.  St. Paul was a fun crowd, saw a couple mammoths (i.e. Vikings players).  And it was the night before Kenny Chesney’s birthday.  So he extended his set almost right up until midnight, in order to officially celebrate with the people in Minnesota.  Pretty cool.

Here’s a pic of the arena before the evening’s mayhem insued:

St. Paul, MN

Show 3 – Des Moines, IA

I had to look back on the calendar to remember, but the last time I visited in Des Moines, IA was Dec 4, 2010.  Not that it was the only cold or cruddy weather day on the Carrie Underwood Play On Tour, but winter in Iowa was was kicking my ass.

Hence, I checked weather reports before leaving sunny Nashville, and had no worries about what I was walking in to.  It’s a Spring / Summer tour right?  It’s literally Goin’ Coastal, correct?  I know there will be plenty of time for hot days, and gorgeous weather.  I’m just over being cold.

I got a great workout in though.  Because the parking situation in downtown Des Moines is super accomodating to a small fleet of commercial-sized busses and trucks, I happened to be riding the lone coach that was parked almost two blocks away.  Haha.  At least there was an indoor path to get there.

Show was fun, and the employees of the Wells Fargo Center are very motivated people, case in point:

If only posting signs were the way to get all the results we desired.

Here is a good panoramic shot of the Wells Fargo Center Arena right after doors had opened

 

Des Moines, IA

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Sharing Is Caring

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Show 2 – Tampa, FL

Raymond James Stadium, home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Although, I’m not sure if any players would have been allowed in the building, seeing as how the NFL is a childish, bickering group of warring factions these days.  Nonetheless, first weekend, first stadium show of the tour.  I have to say it was a lot of fun.

For people just stumbling across this blog b/c of searches, etc.  I’m not ever going to give anything away as far as secrets of shows, etc.  So stop being an idiot and allow yourself to be surprised and enjoy the shows.  Knowing everything before you get there doesn’t make it more exciting.  Here are a few general pics from Stadium 1:

Back of the house, right after doors had opened

The waiting game during load-in

Before the chairs went down

Show time is pretty early for the stadiums.  So catchingBilly’s set means getting into the place by 5 or so.  The sun is still up, but the video stuff we are carrying shows up good, and you can see all the content.  Here are a couple more pictures from after we were done.  A few of us walked up to the upper deck right around sunset.

Doors open, from house left

ZBB performing right before sunset

One more from ZBB

Last pics of the day were from the actual set.  Great crowd singing along with a bunch of the songs.  I’m sure everyone is excited about the next 5 months out with the Goin’ Coastal Tour.

Clint - I think he gets his workouts in running during the set

My view during the show

"Good Directions" & a lively Tampa crowd