aNOther practice? Sheesh!

Yep. Basically, I realized that we're headlining a full show in two weeks, and next weekend is Daniel's birthday, so it's now or never. We have a totally new setlist with three new songs, and we've gotta be tight, confident, comfortable and competent. So, the plans were laid and on Friday, with a deep breath, I passed the turn for 60 south, pulled into the right lane, and hit the highway for home #2, hoping I wasn't heading for a weekend of burned-out practice and overstretched relationships.

Short story: we didn't.

Slightly longer story: We practiced Friday, everybody else was gone at a dance show, we had mad crazy times with Nick, Josie and his friend Nate at the Chimas that night, slept long, ate Taco Bell, practiced more, practiced more, got food, hung out more at the Chimas, and I drove home.

Mentally protruding points of interest and memory:

Walking in to a house full of girls when I was expecting everybody but Steve to be gone. Then walking up the stairs and in the hall seeing Stephen, with his long mane of shoulder-length wavy hair cut down to a childish-looking mop on top. Crazy thing is...I'd gotten a haircut that week too! Poor Steve--he looks 12 now, and we pounded him endlessly on that! At least I was honest. Everybody else said it looked fine. Pfft :-P

Nick, Josie and Brian seriously acting like we were going to stop practicing at 7:30 on Friday and go hang out. I'm pretty used to dealing with vagrants and those not wishing to buckle down and work, but when Brian started taking off his guitar, I laid down the line. I hate to crack the whip, but there are times when we've gotta work to honor a comittment (playing a gig), and all joking aside, we've gotta practice. And they were cool with that, once it was made clear. Brian especially has given up a ton these last weekends to practice, and that means a lot to me and the band.

The change in Phillip from a 10-year-old little brother to the man chillin' with his man John Behrens after everybody else left. I volunteered to stay home till Scott got back from the show, and let Brian and Steve go hang out. It was just funny to see how Phillip's demeanor changed into something subtly and laughably, yet innocently, pretentious. And I was happy to hang out, play some PS1 and get some Taco Bell with him. Until we got home and for some reason he turned bratty. Then I was happy to leave the house. Ah well; he's still 10 years old :-)

It wasn't a highlight for me or Nick, but for the other guys going to the ghetto McDonalds and meeting a carful of 16-year-old girls who'd tossed them their number at Donato's was the highlight of the weekend. To my dry reasoning eyes it was ridiculously pointless, but they all spazzed out about it, and after they stood in the cold outside my car talking to them (as they sat in their car with the windows open), they spent the rest of the evening talking about it, trying to find them on myspace, talking about it more, texting their cell, and talking about it more. Pfft. I'm so disconnected from that whole scene and concept, it's kinda funny.

Watching Zoolander was sweet, especially 'cause it was Steve's first time. Such a funny movie! So many great quotes! Ahhh :-)

It wasn't so much a highlight, but it was notable: I flopped on the couch midway through Zoolander and ended up not rising from there until noon the next day. Jake (one of the Chima's dogs) was at the head of the couch, and he became my pillow for the entire night. It wasn't too comfortable, and I kept partially awaking, and my back got fairly sore, but sleep was sweet. Ooh, and I didn't brush my teeth, or take off my shoes, or even unclip my cell phone! It felt weird, but I never wanted to stir myself enough to do any of those. And so I slept on, on my breathing pillow.

The SECOND time we ran through the set on Saturday. That was the highlight for me. Steve was rested, he could breathe again (getting over a cold), we were all warmed up and practiced up, and we tore through the songs like it was summer '05 again. I just can hardly think how to describe how sweet it was. Let's look at the drum fills, since they're a good indication of how I'm playing. I toned them down so there were very few "adventurous" ones that mess up, but what I did play flowed out and pounded power into the songs. Steve even noticed them on "Straight from the Nails," which we played fantastically. My limbs were limbered up, my mind was focused, the songs were all fresh in my memory, my foot was rested, Steve's sub was pounding the air in the whole room every time I tapped the kick drum, and I sat upon my throne and commanded the drums with the swinging tips of my sticks--hickory extensions of my musical mind. Our sound was one. The bass amp throbbed, Steve lightened and loosened up once he switched back to his old bass, and Brian worked the guitar tones from my two pedals deftly. We brought the house down with "You Were Everything," hopped and danced to "Summer Song," pounded out "Northeast Tragedy," and when Steve called out "Break it down!" on "Ohio," aahhhh, it just brought a smile to my face. Sweet. Sweet like good scotch and fresh Braeburns. Sweet like deep conversation. Sweet like driving fast on an empty winding road. Sweet like putting something together and watching it actually work. Sweet like I hope and pray and cry that we can play for the actual concert. Oh please, let it go well! Please!

The other high point was probalby me and Steve and Brian hanging around the Chima's barn after dinner at Chipotle tonight and talking. We'd had a great dinner with Nick, good talking and joking, and now we were sitting around heedless of time, freezing in the night air, and sharing stories and asking questions and laughing. I really wanted to stay and watch Zoolander again with them all, but I knew I had to get home, and it was 10:30 already, so off I went. Brian and Nick are great guys, and Steve, of course, is like one of my best friends. In fact, he's probably 3rd on the list, after Daniel and Dad. Funny how that happens.

Anyway, this weekend, like the VSOP I just got, has left a deliciously sweet taste in my mouth. It was just great that Brian was a part of it all--the music, the hanging out, the talking--and that that last run-through was so good. If the sound and technical side is good at the concert, and we can somehow get well warmed-up, we are gonna rock the place and have a blast. Lord, may it be so, and Thy will be done, and thank You for this weekend! Bless church tomorrow please, and help me look to You, Jesus. Amen.

And rock on!

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