Reflection

Hey friends

I'm drawing on some memories that are now nearly a month old, so bare with me here. I've got the recently released Nirvana Live at The Paramount 10/31/91 blaring in my ears as I type. Kind of hard to focus! Hahaa!! Wow, I was 13 years old on that date and my sister had just bought "Nevermind" on tape. My Mom didn't really like it....at first anyway!

Ok, so all of August is this blur of 1-2 hours of daily practice getting ready for the set Matt and I were scheduled to play Labor Day weekend just ahead of the PJ20 shows at Alpine Valley, Wisconsin. Our first "major" gig together. I remember thinking how difficult it was practicing without Matt around and having only a CD to play along to. I tried learning both my parts and his parts so I could jump into songs different ways. It wasn't until I flew down to Waco last weekend in August that I really felt the butterflies go away. The connection to the songs were intense in practice.

That week leading up to the show was all relaxed and easy. I was more excited for the PJ shows and of course getting a chance to actually hang out with Matt and his wife Laurel in person! It's tough having a "virtual" friend most days! Hahahaha! So, they made it up here that Thursday and we were off! The preparation just seemed to be there and nothing else. We jammed out on some tunes all 8 hours up, stopped for a slammin' breakfast/dinner before landing at a lovely little town called Delavan. It wasn't minutes we were there and I saw PJ people around. The first guy I met asked me if I "knew Dimi." (you're such a rock start Dimi!)

Thank goodness we arrived early cos' we got to sleep in the Friday of our show and totally relax. We took in the sights, had some tapi 'OH' ca (that's a Wisconsin accent you see) and got to see a record player Matt and I were sure came from Abraham Lincoln's bedroom. It was that old! The ladies ended up finding some ancient underwear in the same antique shop (they didn't buy it) and we got Maura postcards from the 1940s. I recall Matt asking several times if I was ready for the show. I don't think either of us ate much lunch that afternoon.

Back to the hotel to change and do a quick rehearsal of ones we still weren't quite sure of. Off to the venue. It was out of the middle of nowhere! A giant Jimmy Buffet themed bar. We pulled up and were given VIP parking (haha) to unload our gear. I think it all kinda hit me when security said "the band has arrived." Wow. No sense for what that even meant. Still don't! **OK, NIRVANA OFF, BEER OPEN AND MUSIC CHANGED**
The place was pretty empty. There were a TON of security guys there though. Turns out the sound guy wasn't there yet and so we just sat around and shot the breeze. Not without some weirdness though. A couple of guys sat and pretty much gave Matt and I the stink-eye from the time we arrived till some time after we started our first set. Who knows what the heck that was all about. We had bigger issues, like the fact the sound guy still wasn't there and people were starting to trickle in. The party seemed to be a tad disorganized with people running late, and a general uncertainty as to what was to happen when. Eventually the sound guy did show up and we got things rolling pretty easy after that.

The first set was pretty calm and paced. I remember the monitors being really sharp and clear on stage, and being excited about that. It was one of those electric moments I won't forget. A real smack in the face like "this is it, this is what we sound like in the same room!" I don't think there were many people floating around during the first set, but it did get a bit busier as we went. Ali and Laurel were seated close enough to see them, which was comforting. I remember the song "Circle" in particular because there was a part where Matt and I started a little improv jam right in the middle of the song. We locked in a few times and traded riffs which was awesome and completely spur of the moment. Seemed like we were egging each other on musically. So, the first set drew to a close and some cheers from a much bigger crowd than when we started.

Nearly 3 hours later after a blur of chaos and disorganization we jumped on stage to find the room completely booked. Later I find out there were 1500 people in and around the venue. Pretty freaking scary to be honest. We jumped into the second set and after the first song Matt leaned over and said we needed to keep the energy up. The next hour was a huge blur of songs. I honestly can't remember many of them. He was calling out songs out of order from the set list and I do remember a moment of panic trying to tune for "Recollection." I am really glad we pulled that one off. It's the one I wanted to most play off the set. Poor Matt's voice had been sitting so long in between sets it started to go on him close to the end. By the last song "Silver Lining" he was just shot. I felt so freakin' bad for him. I remember trying to sing the harmony parts and his voice was barely there! Other random memories from the set; a few different guys jumped on stage and asked us if we'd play Pearl Jam and one guy asked for a "sing along" at the end; two people had us sign copies of our CDs in between songs; seeing someone in the crowd singing the words to "Silver Lining."

A huge sense of relief after the sets. We relaxed, had a few drinks and headed out. The festival the next 2 days were the most fun I think I've ever had! I met some really nice people and of course got to see the best band in the world play two nights. Spending time with Matt and Laurel was so easy. It was like hanging with people we'd known for years. Thanks to them both for making that experience an absolute blast!

It's been really busy for me since that weekend. Matt's been hard at work on new music though and I will be jumping back into the band come early October. The new tunes are sounding really great and I can't wait to get back to creating again!

Adios!

Chris

PJ20 Experience (part one)

wow...what a trip.

it's been well over a week since Laurel & I left the insanely hot weather of Waco to head north to Columbia, MO to meet up with Chris & Ali. to be honest, it's taken me that long to collect my thoughts from one of the best musical weekends of my life.

we started our journey late in the day last Wednesday (8/31) with our goal being to make it all the way to Springfield, MO to stay the night. well, we had some bumps along the way (traffic, lovely Oklahoma construction, etc..) but managed to make it to Vinita, Oklahoma shortly before midnight. after waking up & grabbing some breakfast, we were on our way. we've driven through OK many times, but had never gone this far east through Muskogee/Tulsa, so the change of scenery was nice. there were mini-casinos at every gas station..not something we're used to seeing in TX. eventually, we found our way to Joplin, then Springfield, then drove through the Ozarks (cool little Ozark town: Osage Beach) and finally arrived in Columbia right around 1 in the afternoon. we were greeted by our awesome friends...people we've only known for about 2 1/2 years, but it feels like we've known them our whole lives. we quickly unpacked the Scion & started playing luggage & gear "tetris" in their car. somehow, it all fit! (i was shocked, to be honest)

and away we went....off to St. Charles, MO to drop off their dog, Gertie. from there, we kept heading north towards our final destination of Delavan, Wisconsin. the drive was great...tons of new scenery...lots of cows...and SO GREEN. Laurel & I hadn't seen green grass in months because of the drought in TX & it was a very welcome sight. we arrived in Delavan exhausted & excited. the months of rehearsing, planning & preparation were about to become a reality, and we were ready.

day #1 is Wisconsin started off by sleeping in & enjoying some coffee/breakfast in a quiet hotel lobby. our friends from all over the country & world would start arriving soon...and we couldn't wait to play. after stocking up on some groceries & supplies for the weekend, we were able to meet a lot of these friends as they arrived. these are people that have been supporting what Chris & I have been doing from day one...and it was amazing to finally meet them in person.

the four of us ventured into the quaint downtown of Delavan for some lunch & some vinyl shopping, of course! after that, it was almost time for soundcheck, so we went back to the hotel, packed up & off we went. we arrived @ Hemingway's right around 3:30pm...the show was set to start at 6 & we were told to be there 2 hours early for soundcheck. it seems like there there was some miscommunication going on because the soundguy didn't show up until 5:30 or so...30 minutes before we were supposed to start our 1st set. we had the fastest soundcheck that i've ever been a part of...then we were ready to go. Jen & Laura introduced us & spoke about the Wishlist Foundation & their goals for the evening. (goal: $10,000; actual: $13,000!!!)



it was showtime. this was it. we'd been practicing like madmen for months and here we were.


set #1 went exactly as planned & we had so much fun....it was all a blur, to be honest. we were supposed to start our 2nd set right around 8pm, but the raffle was running long & there were other events planned, so we enjoyed the atmosphere & waited. when it was time to start our 2nd set, we were more than ready and launched right into "Man Of The Mountain." i could tell that the break had played havoc with my voice, so we decided to keep the momentum going with more of the faster & upbeat songs while i could still sing them! the place was PACKED at this point and we had a blast! Chris sounded absolutely AMAZING & we had some really fun jams going on...smiling the whole time. i'm a lucky guy to be writing music with him...but even more lucky to be his friend.



before we knew it, it was over. we just smiled, said thanks & tried to enjoy what was happening. we'll have soundboard audio & pro-shot video of the show soon & we can't wait to share it with you all.

i know i said it earlier in this post, but it was truly an honor meeting so many people & being a small part of a truly wonderful event. it's something that we'll never forget.

so, there's part one of my PJ20 thoughts...part two will be about the festival (which was beyond mind-blowing, by the way). i'm sure i could have said a lot more...but i still haven't completely come down yet. thank you again to our friends (both old & new) & family for your constant love, support & encouragement....especially our amazing wives, Laurel & Alison. this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you all.

wow...what a trip.

all the best,
Matt