FLORIDAFEST TOUR - PHASE ONE
EASTERN / CENTRAL TIMEWARP

 

Into the storm...

It was such a warm winter, I didn't see a problem with heading up the East Coast. Days before we left, I tuned to the weather only to find a massive cold front was coming our way... and wouldn't let up for close to two weeks - almost the entire time of this short tour.

My girlfriend was to go, and we would take our own car, but she couldn't take off work. This left me with no car and having to tag along with 32forty. We left at midnight - a little early - to pick up i hate julie in Margate, about an hour away. We met at their warehouse and we proceed to chat for less than 10 minutes before people are yelling to hit the road. I had told the anchorite four we would arrive around 5 or 6 am. Normally it's a 2 hour drive to Cape Coral, but on this night a thick fog developed while passing through Alligator Alley.
Even with the fog slowing us down, we arrive too early, at about 3 am.

Things start out rather hectic, as we realize we may not have enough room in the van to help take the the anchorite four drum set. Thanks to years of playing Tetris, everything works out fine, but with no room to spare. We were to take a trailer, but plans changed when everyone saw how much money they had. Instead of everyone meeting, chatting and realizing we all have one common goal (which is to rock out!), after polite introductions everyone jumps in their vehicle and we head off to Pensacola at about 4 am.

I drive. I'm used to sleeping at around 2 am, so I am quite tired as we approach the 6 o'clock morning hour. My eyes are drowsy and I fall asleep at the wheel. The van swerves off I-75 as I awaken to the sound of tires hitting the shoulder. "Shit!" I screamed, which wakes everyone else to the sight of the van careening off the road. Everyone yells and screams. After getting the van back on track I relieve my driving duties for this night. I lay in the back, a bench all to myself, and now I cannot sleep. This, for me, is common - the lack of sleep, I mean, not driving off roadways.

DRIVE TIME MUSIC: Hot Water Music, John Coltrane, DJ Shadow, southern rock compilation

We pass Tallahassee, the trees are all dark brown and black, leafless. It's the end of winter, but I've been here before and know this area - it looks like this all the time. At around 11 am we stop at Walmart for supplies and continue on our way. The other bands were following us, we have all now gone our separate ways. We arrive in Pensacola at about 3 pm, but forget the time change until about 7 pm (so it's really 6 pm).
We drove around downtown, visited the scene's record store and met some locals who we invited to the show.

Somehow I am already short on cash and missing my girl - even though I just left hours ago.
This may be a long two weeks. We return to the club,

- 32forty - Van Gogh's Coffee Haus -

where some catch up on sleep, as I trail off to find what there is to do in this town. Before I walk off, we question whether to get a room or wait until 32 play and ask the crowd if we can crash on anyone's floor.

I walk around and find St. Michael's Cemetery. I take photos, and walk around the grave site for about an hour.

- St. Michael's Cemetery - Pensacola, Florida -

I notice that across the street is something far creepier than a cemetery. It's a prefab housing community - each house painted a different florescent color; bright blue, yellow, green, pink, etc. The houses look like they're all made of candy. It looks too wholesome and I am scared off back to the club. The cold front hits Pensacola late in the afternoon and I feel like I'm freezing, though it's only about 50 degrees.

While waiting for the show to begin I place pennies on a railroad track just outside the club. It works as the train smashes the copper flat and I have a keepsake of my boring stay in Pensacola.

The show begins and it's a small (40+), calm, but warm crowd. the anchorite four start by amazing the crowd with their stop-start screamo emo.

Next up is i hate julie and the crowd is receptive to their catchy brand of emotional punk rock.

32forty play and many new fans are made. If the rest of the shows are like this, I'll be quite thrilled.

Scott who manages Van Gogh's Coffee Haus said we could stay at his place, a house we quickly label 'the Punk House'. We are all dying for some sleep, so we head off to the crash pad. The house is quiet and there are many crusty squatters here already. We find our spots on the floor, roll out our sleeping bags - the silence is deafening. I am not used to such quiet, and it doesn't help that every twenty minutes a train keeps plowing by.

We awoke to find the entire house still asleep. I get a half decent sleep of 5 hours. We raid the hotel where i hate julie is staying for showers and a quick synopsis of what to expect the next days coming up. There is a few days break between the next show and all the bands decided to move forward instead of going back home and starting over. Over 1000 miles to the next show - we all split up and head our own ways with the intention of meeting up in Ohio 2 days from today.

As we drive through Alabama, I stop so I can pick cotton in the fields. In Tennessee I laugh at mankind's stubbornness as he plows his highways, cutting into mountains instead of over or around them,

- carved steeps somewhere on Interstate 65 in Tennessee -

and notice that survival of the fittest works in the vegetable world, as well as the animal world, while I find a photo op for 32forty in the rocky hills.

It's getting dark and we are tired again. It's bizarre how just driving can take a lot out of you. We were to head into Nashville to promo the new 'hearts and mirrors' album, but a schism between 32rod and I breaks out. He's tired of me disagreeing with him on everything. More so when I don't seem to understand why two people cannot just agree to disagree. He simply wants me to agree on one thing he brings up... but I can't.
To me, it's a difference of opinion. To him, it's the world. We sleep on the outskirts of Nashville, with tensions already flaring.

Most of 32 are not adventure seekers. Sadly, every night for the rest of the tour (except South Carolina) they will be passing out and hour or two after each gig with a half-drunken 40oz bottle. I'm stuck with naïve, lightweight Hialeah boys who've never been too far from home and are afraid of the great wide open. Every argument between the band and I these two weeks will be about how they just want to find hotel rooms and crash, while I want to walk around the city. I'll have to put up with it, or hitchhike home. I have records to sell, damn it!
Plus, I will pull some fuckin' strings here and there. Like...

The very next day while driving through Kentucky,

- 32forty - Little Hope, Kentucky - Joey, Mario, Steve, Rod -

I convince the boys to stop off at Mammoth Cave in Cave City, Kentucky.

- The Bottomless Pit - Mammoth Cave -

A 2 hour, 2 and a half mile walk through the world's longest cave - 350 miles of so-far discovered caverns. We reach almost 400 feet below the Earth's surface. It is an awesome experience, the cave is wonderfully large at times, other times painfully narrow and claustrophobic (Fat Man's Misery they call it - 32rod is not amused). At one point they shut off the lights to experience pitch black, as I wave my hand in front of my face - as I'm sure 20 or so others were doing - to find I cannot see a thing. The bats have all migrated for the winter, except for one who is either a straggler without instincts or just a rebel. More photo opportunities inside the cave for the band, and we soon head on our way.

DRIVE TIME MUSIC: Converge, Mammoth Volume, Fugazi, Blackstar, (old) Cave In, Small Brown Bike, Karma To Burn

We arrive in Cincinnati later that afternoon. Certain areas of downtown look similar to parts of City Island in the Bronx, while other parts looked like Manhattan. So, yeah, in a sense it looked like a shittier New York... sorry Cincinnatians. None of us want to stay here.
We look for a camp ground to sleep for the night, only to find they have all closed for the winter.

We druve on to Cleveland, arriving early morning and the 32 folks deciding they'd like to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, only to find the entrance is over $17. I wasn't up for staring at has-been's guitars and dead legends handkerchiefs at about a $5 entry fee anyhow, so this was out of the question for me. 32 and I part ways, as I again want to see the city, and they head off for... what else, a bar.

I stroll through downtown Cleveland, only to find me falling in love with this city. A huge public library (thanks for the free internet use), friendly people, Lake Eerie, cops that make fum of tourists for asking them questions, inspiring architecture and stone carved fasci everywhere.
I used to hate this place, but I've only been here twice and both times were only at night. I'm glad I could give this city a chance again.

- a double-axed fasci, Cleveland Public Library -

One of the highlights of this trip was seeing many old friends - some of whom I had lost touch with. The first was Dave Wulff - who is a talented tattoo artist. While I was in Ohio he was thrilled to see me and we launch into stories of old times and catching up on everything new. He asks that I stay at his house, and invites the band to come along. The Human Furnace of Ringworm buys the 32crew and I a round of beers.
We head to Dave's home and spend the rest of the night talking, exchanging stoner rock CDs and watching Japanese anime.

- Dave and I outside 252 Tattoos -

Dave hooked me up with a room of my own, so I was lucky enough to get a break and sleep 7 hours straight - the longest sleep I would have this entire tour. I awake to find an icy slush everywhere and a wind chill of 8 degrees below zero, which always makes for great driving.

- 11 am view of the 32forty van -

We head for breakfast, say our good-byes, exchange current contact info and head off to the next show.

DRIVE TIME MUSIC: Rubberoom, Kyuss, Fu Manchu, The Glasspack, Led Zeppelin

We get to the venue, Midgard Comics in Columbus, Ohio and the other bands are there. They too have been experiencing money woes, and I assure them that we should recover on the shows coming up in the next few days. After I hear all the bad news, I hope I'm right. System Of A Down is playing tonight, the temperature is 15 degrees (with a wind chill of below zero) and to top it all off Columbus, Ohio does not have a mass transit system, so those who usually ride their bikes to shows, which Kieth of Midgard tells me many do, won't tonight. The turn out will be slim. He is correct as the bands will play to less than 20 people, half of whom are friends with the guys in i hate julie.
Kieth would like everyone to play on and in true rock star fashion, and everyone agrees.

- the anchorite four - Midgard Comics -

- 32forty - Midgard Comics -

32forty and the i hate julie fellows drink, and one of the julie guys receives a blow job from a fan in the back room. Fuckin' rock on...

The night is a loss, though everyone sells a bit of merch. Some of the tensions of traveling in these conditions spills over the phone to my girl. I begin to mouth off and treat her poorly. Though sweet, she's spiteful - she reciprocates and my tension mounts. As a "record label" I planned hitting cities to do promo. We have promoted the new CD in only one major city on the entire 1600 miles our odometer had reached so far.

To ease sleep Patrick from the anchorite four gives me Ny-Quil. It does not help me get to sleep, but keeps me there once I fall asleep.

We awoke early to drive through much better weather, but worse road conditions. Visibility was good, but there was ice on parts of the road. Ice makes me nervous. I have to drive because no one else here has ever experienced these conditions. I pull over during the heaviest part of the storm, so "the two in the van who have never seen snow" can experience it in it's full spectrum. I myself haven't seen snow in 4, maybe 5 years.

DRIVE TIME MUSIC: Brant Bjork, Santana, Ween, They Might Be Giants, Jawbreaker

Onward to St. Albans, a town 10 miles outside of Charleston, West Virginia, only to find the venue, the Brickhouse, is run by born-again Christians - no cursing, no drinking, no smoking, no slam dancing, no t-shirts with rude slogans . Everyone laughs and points at my shirt with a large goat-headed Satanic pentagram. I zip up my jacket, and worry about tonight's show. I remember a remark about this, made by Luke who set up this show, when Feast of Hate and Fear booked it - it left my mind soon after only to come bite me on the ass - or so I thought it would.

Things were picking up as the show began until...

I later get a phone call from back home. Midgard Comics called Miami, as 32joey left his guitar in Ohio. A patron found it outside and brought it in. I laugh hard, as this is becoming typical of the things that happen when I'm on the road - bad luck abounds.
I also laugh because if that were Miami, some pawn shop would have a new guitar.

St. Albans is a small industrial town, with the local nuclear power plant towering visibly, miles away. This is the kind of town that breeds disenfranchised emo-youth. I am right as close to 50 people attend the show, even though the weather is in the low teens, with light snow.

The A 4 go on first, who blow the crowd away, as usual.

- the anchorite four - The Brickhouse -

i hate julie was up next and made a great impression on the locals. Next up where two local bands, Stateside Drive, who were very powerful pop punk, but need to smooth out the rough edges. They were followed by The Beautiful Down, who play an almost Weezer-like power chord insanity chased by inspirations of Bob Mould and some stoner rock. An awesome blend, let me tell you. Last was 32forty, who of course made another gang of fans, even with a borrowed guitar.

The Anchorite gentlemen take off for North Carolina, as the remaining bands hit the local area for sleep. With the merch money I've made tonight I offer i hate julie a hotel room. They bunk in with me and it's the first time in five days I am apart for the night from the 32 guys.
I sleep a decent sleep.

As we begin the next day's trip into the Carolinas, I am unsure why, but everyone in the 32 van seems quiet and hostile. I believe there was tensions in the 32 room last night, but I am unaware as to their dirty laundry. This morning, I'm very happy just to live out this experience again. Touring, to me, is great - even when your sleeping on floors and broke. It gives you a reason to travel to, say, 14 cities in two weeks.
Why else could - or should -you do it?

To get to North Carolina we would have to drive through the western part of Virginia, straight through the Appalachian Mountain range.
What a sight, driving through tunnels where the road travels into a mountain or two.

- Interstate 77 through Virgina's Appalachian Mountains -

Mankind lets nothing stop it's progress, of course. Plowing through mountains, some would call it digress.

As I write in my journal, I copy my girlfriend's name over and over, like a school kid crush.
I'm a puss, but I miss her and I know she would love this voyage also.

DRIVE TIME MUSIC: Sea of Green, Mos Def, Black Sabbath, A Tribe Called Qwest

We pull into Asheville, North Carolina to feel colder here than up north. It's 25 degrees outside, but I'm somehow shaking more than before. I take a stroll with 32steve through the downtown area of Ashville and notice the similarity with Brooklyn and Queens, except it's much cleaner here, and everything is on a slant due to the all the hills the town was founded on.

The anchorite guys almost didn't make the show, mistaking a turn and almost driving off a mountain.

The show begins and it's the worst crowd yet. There is a free concert down the street, playing are several local bands - three of them have the largest draw in Asheville - we're screwed! About 10 people in total show up, and it's a shame, because this venue is the nicest place we have played yet. Large, high stage, and space for close to a thousand people.

Unbelievably we all manage to sell merchandise. I call my sister, who lives in Fort Bragg, to ask her if about 15 people could crash at her place. She agrees, but the drive time there, then to South Carolina is just too much and we opt to head south.

The bands spilt up and head to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina - it should be a 12 hour drive.

DRIVE TIME MUSIC: Rival Schools, Quit, Jimi Hendrix, Weezer, Aphex Twin

We find a short cut and arrive 50 miles outside of Myrtle Beach at about 3 am. We try to sleep in the van, but can't. We pull our resources together and scrape up $30 to scam a room for two and pile in five. I paid 50% of the tab, therefore I get a bed.

On 5 hours sleep we check out of the hotel to hit Myrtle Beach.

DRIVE TIME MUSIC: Placebo, Knapsack, Poison the Well

We go to the mall and pass out freebies, promo the show and talk to the locals. We arrive at The Lazy I (now called The Lime Light) to find it's simply a warehouse that sells records in the front, and has shows in the back. With a friend holding hands we can stretch and touch the opposing walls. This place is tiny, but they say the crowd should be good. I still worry - it's what I was born to do. Also, I have not seen the anchorite guys in sometime and begin to worry if they made it. One night, the Anchorite gentlemen had no place to crash, settling for some by-the-wayside motel. Patrick slept on the floor after being bitten in bed several times, and receiving welts by who-knows-what.

An hour before the show, everyone is gathered. I feel better. Others do not, as before the show even starts most everyone is making comments on how "this show will suck". Oh, but it does not.

The crowd begins slow, but by the time the anchorite four take the "stage" or should I say, floor space, the place is packed with close to 40 people. By the end of the set they have made more fans in this state than any other. i hate julie play and ask the crowd if they have a floor we could crash on, about five drunk girls respond, they accept their hospitality for all of us all. The girls continue to amuse us throughout the night.

Next up was a Florida band some of us knew, A Jealousy Issue from Coral Springs. They have a sound very similar to Poison the Well. Close to 70 people are packed into this place. Some actually moshed during their set in a place that could fit only several bodies. My merch table was knocked over once, while other times causing great pain to those slamming up against it. Very wild crowd.

32forty was up next, playing to a packed house, er... warehouse.

- 32forty - The Lazy I -

I thought their sound this night was terrible. The vocals also suffer as the "tazer girls", as I soon call them, keep cracking 32joey up during the set. This is just the beginning. The vocals and the drums are too loud. The bass nor guitars can be heard.

All right, I know... why go on writing, you want to know why "tazer girls", eh? Because they carried a stun gun and kept shocking themselves for fun... and profit, later charging some guy a buck to watch them zapp one another's hindquarters for the hell of it. The set was fun though, as the girls cheered and shocked everyone into a good time.

Marc, Mike and Patrick of the anchorite four decide to go ahead to Savannah. We stay for the free floor and space. 32, i hate and jealousy go to one of the girls apartments where we will stay. Things are off to a bad start when a freaky born-again who lives downstairs starts trouble and calls the police. We must vacate...

so 32 and i hate follow another girl to her house where she said a friend's parents are gone for the week. It's 3 am and I am praying for sleep, but the house is suddenly transformed into a party and I fall asleep at about 7 am watching Blood Sucking Freaks.

I awake at 11 am to stumble my way into the shower, and let them all know we have to go.
Some in 32 got lucky with the ladies last night. Ah, the rock-n-roll lifestyle.

Everyone says their good-byes, e-mails are exchanged and it's off to Savannah, Georgia to play at the Velvet Elvis for an all day / night festival.

DRIVE TIME MUSIC: The Smiths, The Police, a Cure cover compilation, At The Drive In, Gus Gus

A little over half way there we get a call on 32mario's cell phone. It's Tim, the promoter of the next show... "Where are you?" It's past 2 pm and all the bands had to be here by 2 o'clock. "Oh, shit! Step on the gas. We arrive and the place is packed with about 200 kids, many have left due to the large intermission (a total of 600 people came and went through out this day's festival). As 32 sets up, I notice an old friend, Jorge DK.

- two goofy fuckheads - The Velvet Elvis -

We chirp and hug and I ask him what the hell he's doing here. "I own the Velvet Elvis," he replies.
Again, stories fly of old times and catching up on new ones.

32 played first and I was put off by the fact that this was the worst set on this trip. Again, the vocals were just too loud, and all you could hear was the drums and the bass guitar. You heard almost no electric guitars, just this kind of background fuzz - but added was that their timing was off. Well, you can't shit a golden egg every night, can you?

Julie and the A 4 were very good, and outsold us in merch, which I was pretty glad to see. You see, I've been selling pretty well through out the tour, and I was low on cash, so you could imagine how I felt for a band that may not have sold anything for a night or so. You build a tight relationship with these people and begin to care for them. Call me a sucker, because at least I feel that way. Your record label set this up, and you would like everyone involved, even the crowd, to go home with a good experience. Also, it does suck, but without cash - just 10 days on the road can destroy many a band.

This was another highlight of the tour as I spent the entire night walking around Savannah doing label promotion, talking to old friends and making a few new ones and then shifting over into my spot at the side of the stage where I enjoyed many amazing bands:

Bloodjinn was to play and it sucked to find out they canceled... heavy stuff!

7 Ton Diesel - a much heavier, better and more interesting Chimaira - one of the best live vocalist I've heard in a while.

Caroline - a poppier, almost dreamy, Thursday - again the vocalist is much better than the usual in this genre.

On only five hours sleep, it's past midnight and I'm wide awake. It's 50 degrees and I'm so used to the cold, I'm in a t-shirt. It's raining and all I can do is smile. Yes, I'm high as hell, but I'm also happy. A girl attempts suicide from the top of a parking garage. My friend Paul, sneaks up and grabs her ankle, saving her from falling to her imminent bruising - yeah, it wasn't that high, but awfully dramatic.
Thank you for the extra show nice lady.

More bands:

Genital Mousetrap Circus - metalcore ala Coalesce or Botch with a wicked sense of humor.

Cream Adbul Babar - a heavier Neurosis with more samples - plus a trombone player... no really, a trombone player.

- Cream Abdul Babar - The Velvet Elvis -

The Independents - the Misfits on ska... and acid!

The show ends and I bid my farewells. Anchorite decides to move on to Atlanta. The Julie guys follow us, who follow Tim's directions to CJ's place, our crash pad. I dare not mention I'm stoned, as Tim and CJ burn down marijuana fields for the military to make a living - but they're still gracious hosts. We fall asleep watching Joe Dirt.

I wake up to shower, to come out and realize everyone is still dead asleep. They are tired of me waking them up, but I have no choice - this is my job here. We head out after everyone shifts from showering to eating breakfast to watching.. Gladiator?

We head back into the storm. Driving west to Atlanta we hit a heavy rain, and all I can think about are extremely explicit and massively perverted scenarios with my girlfriend. Yes, I miss her.

DRIVE TIME MUSIC: Caroline, Cream Abdul Babar, (new) Cave In, Thursday, Jazz June, Death By Stereo

We arrive to 20 degree weather and a return to feeling like I'm freezing. We stop off at Georgia's Stone Mountain, and drive around Stone Mountain Village - a beautiful town in the 1800s I'm sure, but now just a run-down crack neighborhood.

More graveyards.

- Atlanta, Georgia -

We arrive at Under the Couch were I am greeted by an old friend, Smittie. He had been called by Jeorge DK to let him know I was in town.

- as the sun sets, (c)old friends prepare for a picture -

We went out to eat just before the show. I am uneased by the car ride as we take sharp turns - I'm used to being in a van that has to take corners at 7 miles per hour - plus I have not been in a car in close to two weeks. I eat a large meal - the biggest yet so far. Hey, I've lost 5 pounds.

Chris is now a photographer who says he would like to take pictures of tonight's show as a gift. Everyone thanks him. The show is quiet, and almost everyone there is a friend of someone in one of the bands. Everyone plays short sets, but they are all the best so far. Everyone jams to each others songs, as we chat with friends. Dedications are thrown left and right, as everyone is somewhat sad it's all over.

We pack it up and head out, we opt to drive the 15 hours back, instead of sleeping.
We stop for nothing but food, gas and one photo of me in Adel, Georgia.

- Adel, Georgia - Interstate 75 -

DRIVE HOME MUSIC: Queens of the Stone Age, Acme, Man Will Surrender, and finally when in range -
to know we were home... Neil Rogers 560 AM

 

 

 

 

Adel 156, 2002