Sunday August 4 2019

Waking up in a hotel room at who knows what time but the sun is obviously out cause the curtains are pulled aside. Feeling headaches and hangovers. We say our goodbyes to Jordan and Amelia and head out of the city but not before consuming some bagels.

 

Heading to Philly. I sit in the back seat of the van editing footage from yesterday and catching up on things on all my devices. It’s my 35^th birthday! Getting a lot of birthday wishes on all the social mediums.

 

Meeting up with Emily Hill somewhere in Jersey to scoop her up and bring her to Philly with us where she lives. I haven’t seen her in I don’t know how many years. It’s really good to see her – catching up with her in the backseat.

 

 

After arriving in Philly we make our way towards the venue but discover it’s a maze just to get to the back alley cause of some kind of outside festival with main streets closed off. In the process Bobby side swipes a car under a bridge on accident. Luckily, it was only cosmetics and nothing serious. But the whole thing was stressful and took us almost 40 minutes – the city just feels claustrophobic.

 

Either way we eventually park in the back alley and get all our gear loaded in, up a long stairwell, and into Bourbon & Branch, a small humble dark lit room. I grab something to eat downstairs in the restaurant using the 30% off discount for bands. I order an Asian Salad with Fried Chicken.

 

 

Tonight’s show is similar caliber to the New York show, hardly any people and no money. But we played well. So Totally is a decent melodic shoegaze band. Ladada goes on second, then Shormey.

 

 

Afterwards, we make our way to South Street in search of Philly Cheesesteaks. The boys find a place called Jim’s. The whole vibe reminds me of the strip at the oceanfront without the ocean. Hot blooded millennials trot down the streets with a blasé eagerness to fill their voids. At some point we end up at Kevin’s place up north – Emily’s boyfriend.

 

We all chat with Kevin while the Planet Earth documentary plays on the TV. Ambrotious, the cat, marches around. I think he remembers me from the 1623 days when Emily and I used to live together.

 

Later on, Jonnie and I discover a small room upstairs with all of Emily’s books stacked in a color coded system. Jonnie sits down near the unorganized stack and playfully starts separating books into a worthless and worthy pile. Meanwhile, the cats lie around on the ground just content to be around the commotion.

Saturday August 3 2019

Waking up to the sound of the boys talking excitedly about grabbing something to eat. It’s a hot muggy but beautiful late morning in New York City.

 

 

Grabbing some quick breakfast from Jesse’s across the street, a mainstay every time we visit – they have the best egg burritos and juices.

 

Bobby takes us out of the city, which doesn’t come as no surprise that there’s tons of traffic. Jonnie and I nap in the back of the van – every now and then waking up to the jerk of the wheel from Bobby hitting the brakes.

 

After a quick fuel up on the New Jersey Turnpike I take over the drive with donuts and coffee in my belly. All the way into Washington D.C.

 

We arrive at the Songbyrd Record Café right in the heart of Adams Morgan, the hipper part of town for us millennials. Getting acclimated to the place. Grabbing an awesome Chicken Sandwich with Fries from the bar. We got 50% off meal tickets and drink tickets. People pile into the record shop next door to the bar as Bottled Up tears up the corner of the room with some goofy but spacey melodic rock – they really get the crowd moving. Then, Shormey lights the room singing her groovy tunes. Then, Ladada gets on. The vibe is just right. No strings get broken. We’re all playing together and loving the energy. After Josiah settles up we’re rewarded with a profitable door deal of $333 (a prophetic number I suppose), a huge difference compared to last night’s show in New York where we split $30 with Shormey.

 

 

After we pack up the van we all chill outside on the block where all the street action is – large groups of people constantly marching by. Some busker is playing two chords over and over again (Am and Em) with a beat machine. At some point we start joining in picking up the djembe, banging on the nearby newspaper machines, opening and shutting the doors in rhythm – freestyling “Where ya going? Where ya from? Where ya be? Where ya been?” we shout to the beat. Oh and then my birthday starts at midnight! Feeling an extra sense of camaraderie and well being.

 

 

Jordan and Amelia happen to be in town for some Trader Joe’s mate party at the Omni hotel down the street. They offeer to let us crash their hotel room. Having a grand ol’ time jousting with the cylinder pillows and Josiah doing kung-fu. Discovering these LED reading lights on the corner of the beds. We turn everything off and shine a spotlight on Josiah while he paces around with a mug of water/whiskey. For some reason we can’t stop laughing our assess off. My chest hurts from all the giggling.

 

Friday August 2 2019

Alarm goes off at 9:30 a.m. Packing up and meeting Josiah, Jonnie, and Bobby at the apartment.

 

Ladada is officially off on tour for the weekend!

 

Josiah takes the wheel with Jonnie in the passenger seat controlling “the queue”, as we call it, the music.

 

At some point north of the Eastern Shore we stop at a Royal Farms to get fueled up.

PB&J. Plum. Coffee.

 

Napping.

 

We finally arrive with the city skyline in our sights.

 

Bobby, the driving master of the big city, leads us into the heart of Brooklyn. At Muchmore’s, in Williamsburg, a dark lit no bullshit bar similar to Charlie’s back in Norfolk. There was supposed to be a $10 cover but we decide to make it free entry in order to get people into the show room. So many of our expectations about this show were unmet, and that’s exactly how you have to treat a show in New York. Shormey showed up without her full band but still put on a charismatic show. The local band, Smock, dropped off the bill for whatever reason and apparently they would’ve drew a nice crowd. During Ladada’s set Josiah broke a total of three guitar strings, two on his guitar and another on my backup. Besides those setbacks I thought we played well overall.

 

Earlier, down the street I enjoy a couple slices and garlic knots at Best Pizza, a notoriously great spot for pizza.

 

Linking up at Brock’s apartment, our go-to place to crash when in New York. Josiah and Bobby start talking about their past experiences with cocaine.

“If you’re doing art,” Josiah says. “I’ve had those nights. I spent 12 hours with just a pencil – I created this – it looked like multiple galaxies!”

 

Bobby and Josiah saunter off to some bar down the street to meet up with Bobby’s friends. Meanwhile, Jonnie and I walk down to the nearest bodega for a cold drink. We dig deep and talk shop – about our relationships in the band – music – growing up – film.

 

Later on, everyone makes it back to the apartment. I lie down on a few couch cushions ready to sleep but not until everyone settles down. Josiah’s freaking out about where his bag of cigarette packs are but they are recovered sooner or later. Up here on the third floor is terribly hot but not because the A/C doesn’t work – Brock just chooses not to turn it on. I manage to get to sleep as the sun starts to come up.

Thursday August 1 2019

Waking up at 11:14 a.m.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, Maple Syrup, and Almond Milk. Earl Grey Tea.

 

I joke with Ana about how her one goal today is to get Jeremy, her brother, to his lesson with me today.

“One goal amongst a pool of goals,” she replies.

I love when she comes up with these funny little things. I demand she draw a “pool of goals” at some point.

 

Shooting around and playing a couple pickup basketball games at Great Neck Rec.

 

Scrambled Eggs. Toast with Vegan Cream Cheese and Jam. Salt n Vinegar Chips. Coffee.

Watching Avengers: Endgame (2019).

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Back home. Warming up leftover Spaghetti, Kale, and Pizza.

 

At the storage unit for Ladada rehearsal. We start a weekend tour up the east coast tomorrow and have to prepare a 1.5 hour set list for one show. Everyone seems out of sorts and tired, especially Josiah so we barely get to all the songs. But I’m not worried cause we’ll be solid after a good night’s rest.

 

 

Sleep 4:30 a.m.