Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Family Values
Back on the road - feels like I never left. Only a handful of days back at Casa Fyre in Brooklyn - a couple here and a couple there and maybe another day someday.
Lucky Devil went back out on the road again and it was great to have the team back together again. Magic Brian - I've got to say I miss him every time I'm on a show without him, Ekaterina - hands down the best contortionist I've ever worked with and such a sweetheart, The Peach - red headed daredevilina, and Albert Cadabra - on stage in Brooklyn at our old buddy the late great chopper builder and motorcycle stuntman Indian Larry's Grease Monkey Block Party.
We showed up saw our biker buddies and hit the stage first thing in the day to tear it up - and it felt so good to have the crew back onstage together. We had a blast at the show and it was bound to happen - Lucky Devil's first Chainsaw accident.
Peaches was on the bed of nails and as the watermelon was just about cut through down to her bare belly - her finger slipped off the juicey melon and up into the running chainsaw blade. She's a champ and clinched her bleeding hand in a ball - finished the act - stood up - took a bow and walked off stage smiling.
We patched her up - and as Grindergirl came on stage - we packed up the van and headed down to Atlantic City to play the Cigar Gala at the baseball stadium. It felt righteous to load in through the gate, past the shopping carts of baseballs, and the spare bases lined up in a row, past the field chalk line marker, and out across the grass to centerfield to set up on our stage.
We drank fine whiskey - a new favorite called Swing - which has a bottle shaped like a beautiful bottom with a curved base that swings back and forth so it won't fall off the shelf on a rocking cruise ship - and smoked fancy cigars - put on our fancy suits and swung with the high rollers all afternoon.
We took Cadabra to the bus station - had a fun and exciting meeting with the local cops - who couldn't have been nicer to a van full of well indulged sideshow folk - and headed to our room at the sweet suite at the Resorts.
After an hour at the high stakes roulette table my number came in and I found myself one dollar ahead of where I started - so we cashed out and went exploring. It was a beautiful night inside and out - so before the sun came up we went back up to our room and I called into my buddies at the Bros. Grim Sideshow who were playing Bristow, VA outside DC the next day.
We went to go visit them - but the manager called and said the show was cancelled that day - but would I come back out on the road and finish the tour with them?
How could I say no to the best all star sideshow cast ever put together playing a sold out arena tour?
So with just an overnight bag packed for AC - we drove straight out and met the crew half way - I pulled my gear out of the Lucky Devil van - and loaded it up with Bros. Grim - said goodbye to the Peach and was back on tour.
It was so great to see the road dogs again. We hit my stash of moonshine for our reacquaintence and we all went to DC to drink with my favorite bartender The Gypsy before leaving out early in the morning.
Since we took the night to party in DC - which was unquestionably amazing and made me so happy to see my favorite and my friends again - we had to drive hard all day long at almost 100 mph to make it to Tampa by midnight.
We pulled into the St. Pete Times Forum to see our canvas all laid out and ready to raise the big top in front of the arena.
I climbed on the new RV (apparently while I was gone a wreck took the lives of our truck, crew trailer, and our brand new Ritz Carlton tour bus) but it's not the vehicles - it's the cast and crew I love - the big top, the show, and of couse the crowds.
William Darke and I are drinking a cold beer and relaxing before thousands of rock & rollers roll into the stadium in the morning.
It's great to be home.
Home under the big top.
Home on the road.
Home with the family.
Lucky Devil went back out on the road again and it was great to have the team back together again. Magic Brian - I've got to say I miss him every time I'm on a show without him, Ekaterina - hands down the best contortionist I've ever worked with and such a sweetheart, The Peach - red headed daredevilina, and Albert Cadabra - on stage in Brooklyn at our old buddy the late great chopper builder and motorcycle stuntman Indian Larry's Grease Monkey Block Party.
We showed up saw our biker buddies and hit the stage first thing in the day to tear it up - and it felt so good to have the crew back onstage together. We had a blast at the show and it was bound to happen - Lucky Devil's first Chainsaw accident.
Peaches was on the bed of nails and as the watermelon was just about cut through down to her bare belly - her finger slipped off the juicey melon and up into the running chainsaw blade. She's a champ and clinched her bleeding hand in a ball - finished the act - stood up - took a bow and walked off stage smiling.
We patched her up - and as Grindergirl came on stage - we packed up the van and headed down to Atlantic City to play the Cigar Gala at the baseball stadium. It felt righteous to load in through the gate, past the shopping carts of baseballs, and the spare bases lined up in a row, past the field chalk line marker, and out across the grass to centerfield to set up on our stage.
We drank fine whiskey - a new favorite called Swing - which has a bottle shaped like a beautiful bottom with a curved base that swings back and forth so it won't fall off the shelf on a rocking cruise ship - and smoked fancy cigars - put on our fancy suits and swung with the high rollers all afternoon.
We took Cadabra to the bus station - had a fun and exciting meeting with the local cops - who couldn't have been nicer to a van full of well indulged sideshow folk - and headed to our room at the sweet suite at the Resorts.
After an hour at the high stakes roulette table my number came in and I found myself one dollar ahead of where I started - so we cashed out and went exploring. It was a beautiful night inside and out - so before the sun came up we went back up to our room and I called into my buddies at the Bros. Grim Sideshow who were playing Bristow, VA outside DC the next day.
We went to go visit them - but the manager called and said the show was cancelled that day - but would I come back out on the road and finish the tour with them?
How could I say no to the best all star sideshow cast ever put together playing a sold out arena tour?
So with just an overnight bag packed for AC - we drove straight out and met the crew half way - I pulled my gear out of the Lucky Devil van - and loaded it up with Bros. Grim - said goodbye to the Peach and was back on tour.
It was so great to see the road dogs again. We hit my stash of moonshine for our reacquaintence and we all went to DC to drink with my favorite bartender The Gypsy before leaving out early in the morning.
Since we took the night to party in DC - which was unquestionably amazing and made me so happy to see my favorite and my friends again - we had to drive hard all day long at almost 100 mph to make it to Tampa by midnight.
We pulled into the St. Pete Times Forum to see our canvas all laid out and ready to raise the big top in front of the arena.
I climbed on the new RV (apparently while I was gone a wreck took the lives of our truck, crew trailer, and our brand new Ritz Carlton tour bus) but it's not the vehicles - it's the cast and crew I love - the big top, the show, and of couse the crowds.
William Darke and I are drinking a cold beer and relaxing before thousands of rock & rollers roll into the stadium in the morning.
It's great to be home.
Home under the big top.
Home on the road.
Home with the family.
