Travel Blog: November 10 Chicago: Kid Rock
Finally travel without the flight hassles. Going to Chicago to speak to college students about radio and take in a Kid Rock show. Speaking engagement went well. Met the voice of the Cubs, Len Kasper. He use to be the voice of the Marlins the year they won the series. He let me try on his Championship ring. It is HUGE. Off to the show. Kid rock is without a doubt one of the greatest on stage performers in the history of rock. His band smokes. He smokes and they killed it. I do not care if you do not dig his music. You can not deny him live. His ode to ex wife Pam Anderson “She’s Half Your Age. And Twice As Hot” was CLASSIC. After the show I was invited to tag along as Kid Rock dj’d at a club. It was called club Enclave. Basically one of those Metro-Sexual dance clubs where the drinks are bright green, yellow or pink. The “men” wax their eyebrows and are WAY to cool. Just ask em. The girls are snobs and not as hot as they think they are. And the music sounds like that shit that bellows out of those hair salons at the mall. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BLAH! Kid got up though and spun everything from Metallica to Skynyrd. The Pretty City Hip Kids pretended to like it because the person next to them was pretending to like it and they only have the ability to conform to the trendy masses. Cool to watch Kid Rock work though. I loved the tunes he picked and they had this area roped off for Kid Rock and his posse. I am certainly not part of the posse, but he was gracious enough to let me hang out in that area. Which rocked because Detroit Red Wings Domonic Hasek and Chris Chelios were there. I am a life long Sabre fan so meeting the Dominator RULED! (Non NHL fans: He was a goalie for the Sabres for years). Hotel had a Shula’s Steak house in it. No respecting Bills fan would stay in that place twice. Here is a link to the club he spun at. Just go to photo’s and find the date November 10. CLICK. Other than the show the highlight was meeting Kid Rocks son and seeing what an amazing dad he is. His loyalty to his friends, family and fans is unmatched and to often unnoticed. He is a good guy.
Travel Blog: October 19th San Francisco: Hip Hop N
This is a strange one. Believe it or not I am on my way to a Hip Hop conference. Part of my job is to oversee the crew at 106.7 Jamz. Hence the hip hop show. As my dad once told me, you can frost a turd but it will still taste like shit when you eat it. You can take the metal guy to the hip hop show, he ain’t gonna fit in. The good thing is the Jamz people know their stuff so I am just along for the ride and to try and learn some stuff. I ended up getting my picture taken with Ashanti (Smokin’ Hottie) and saw Raider Warren Sapp at a seafood joint down on the Wharf. Pretty cool. Good people and a great city. Red eye flight home because it is my daughter’s birthday. Not going to miss that.
Travel Blog: September 26th Charlotte North Carolina: A lot of bands
I am off to the land of smokes and NASCAR for a Radio Conference. A lot of business stuff. Consultants. Research. Seminars. Bored yet? Me too! There is plenty of play though. Got a ticket to the opening night of the now kissed and made up Van Halen. Dave will be there. Judging from the recent pictures I have seen online, his hairline will not be. I am prepared to be unimpressed. I am wrong. They were great. Towards the end Dave takes the stage alone with an acoustic guitar. A clear sign that this is a perfect time to take a leak. The leak seemed to be going as planned until I wash my hands and head to the door. I walk out. Someone with a massive southern accent shouts out “Randy Hawke what the #$!@ are you doing in North Carolina?" It's Roman, the bass player for Jackyl. Always great to see Roman and Jesse. Two of the nicest guys in this business. Cold Beer with friends and a good show. The next night I head out to see the Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Skillet, Three Days Grace show. Aaron from Breaking Benjamin was hanging out with us the night prior for Van Halen so we are hooked up. Get back stage and the first thing I see is a JJO Black Concert T-shirt. Breaking Benjamin’s sound man. SHARP dresser. He tells me it is his favorite shirt and reminds me that I gave it to him when BB played Taste. Huge discovery back stage. Not counting the beer my friend Allie from roadrunner scored me. Original. Old School stand up arcade GALAGA. I proceed to host a clinic on the machine. High Score. My work is done here. I track down the Skillet crew. I say hello, we talk and they invite me to watch them side stage. I stay there for Seether and Breaking Benjamin. Moved out front for 3DG. All of them did great. The show really flowed. Hats off to whoever put this line up together. The bands work great together, on and off the stage. Some of the band members are dry, some are not. I of course landed on the "are not" bus. 3am the busses are pulling out and I am taking a cab back to town. Over served. Back to madtown the next afternoon.
Travel Blog: August 15, 2007 Orlando Florida: Alter Bridge
I am going to Orlando to former Creed and current Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti’s house to hear the new Alter Bridge CD and check out an acoustic performance from the band. Should be fun. Early flight out Madison means shower at the hotel when I get there. No problem. Right? Wrong. I booked myself through O’Scare. At all cost DO NOT FLY THROUGH O’Scare. Madison to Chicago on time. Get to my gate in the land of Ditka and get ready to board the plane for my 8am flight to Florida. Over booked. The guy right in front of me in line gets on the plane. Bye Blake enjoy your flight. BASTARD. I get a few more hours in Chicago. Three canceled flights and four gate changes later I am now leaving for Orlando. I will be landing 1 hour prior to the party. I switch my car service to take me to the house rather than the hotel and should be set. Of course I assumed the car service would know where the hell they were going. What is that assume ass out of me thing? As we pull into the house, an hour after the party started, I remember something. NO SHOWER. Shit. Huge sweet house. Big circle driveway. I make a plan with my near moronic driver. Pull around to the door. I will pull my bags, duck beside the car, spray some cologne, swipe some D and throw on a new shirt. Then go away. Right about the time I get my bags open and my shirt off shit for brains drives away. And then the door opens and there stands Mark and his lovely wife. Staring at me shirtless in front of an open suite case rubbing my pits up with speed stick. IN THE middle of their driveway. NICE! I collect myself and my things. A few awkward intros’ and I am in. Nice pile of bricks. Catered to the MAX. Steaks, sushi, drinks. Awesome. I make my way to the bar. Because I need a drink. Wait. I deserve a drink. From the corner of the bar I hear Randy @#!%ing Hawke. John from Sevendust. YES. A drinking buddy. Turns out he lives down the street. He introduces me to his wife. We drink, we eat, we tell stories and we watch a great set from AB. Miles is an amazing frontman. His guitar skills are great as well. Looking forward to hearing the entire CD. John’s wife proceeds to over serve me. Way over serve me. That chick can drink the shots. Good night. Early flight home goes flawless. Of course.
That's Alter Bridge, Blake, myself and some really
strange looking blonde guy that we saw and all
agreed: We need a picture with that weird mofo.
