100+ Hours in the Life of the Lonesome

Tuesday, November 1st, 2016
10:00 PM - I'm hanging out in front of the computer, listening to a Playlist on Spotify I named "Summer 2014" when I get an email asking if we could jump on a bill on Thursday evening at Thunder Road. I've wanted to play here since it's opened. The Lonesome has been without a home since TT the Bears closed. Knowing we had a show in Burlington, VT on Wednesday, and a show in Plymouth, MA on Friday, and of course day jobs and sleep, ya da ya da ya da - it seemed just crazy enough that we could pull it off.

10:03 PM - I text all my band mates, and we plan our attack.

10:06 PM - I send the email back. We're in!

Wednesday November 2nd, 2016
9 AM - Wake up, coffee, lyrics, more coffee.

10 am - Just enough time to run to the gym and swing back through town for the merch gal.

12 PM - I load Vanessa up with my gear, the merch case, and the merch girl. We're off!

12:29 PM - The low tire pressure guage comes on. We frantically pull into the nearest gas station and suffer minor heart attacks. We pump the tires, ask the attendant if it's safe to drive. With an indifferent tone, he tells us we will "probably be fine, but you should get it checked out". I do not have enough time to doubt him.

2 PM - We arrive in Allston at Lonesome HQ to load in our PA system. Gas Vanessa one more time, make a quick sandwich and get the hell back on the road

3 pm - Vanessa pulls up to Andy's. We load in drums. My phone goes off approximately three hundred times with texts, emails, facetweets pertaining to my day job, that I'm pretending I don't have today.

8 pm - We arrive in Burlington, check into the venue, watch a few other bands, enjoy our pay of "Half-off a meal, and two drinks per band member", and plan out our set.

11 pm - Load into the venue. We cram 20k worth of instruments onto a tiny stage, fumble with our own sound "the sound guy went home", and pour our fucking hearts out to the seven lonely people hanging out in a music venue on a Wednesday night at midnight.

Thursday, November 3rd, 2016
1 am - We finish our set of Lonesome songs arranged for one electric guitar and drums (super fun to play this stripped down actually!), and mingle with the good people of Burlington, VT. We sell a few shirts and cds, and a few hugs, handshakes and laughs later, we're back in the van

2 am - Gas Vanessa back up, buy ourselves a fine post show meal of gatorade, cliff bars, and pretzels, and head back to the homeland.

5:35 am - We hit the morning commute north of Boston. Rage ensues. I am seriously questioning all the poor decisions I have made in my life that have led to this moment.

6:05 am - We drop off Andy, leave the drums in the car for the next day.

7:35 am - I pull into my driveway, stumble into bed, and catch a solid four hours of sleep

12:00 PM - coffee, cereal... no lyrics this morning. Worn OUT.

12:20 pm - Frantically write emails because we're falling behind on our January tour dates. Try my best to close some loose ends

2:20 pm - Shut the computer, and drive to work

2:40 pm - 8 pm - daaaaaaaaay jobbbbbb.

8:55 pm - I arrive five minutes early to load in. This is the first few minutes I've had as a break since Tuesday evening. I'm hungry and tired. I immediately fall asleep in the parking lot.

9:02 pm - I awake to my phone ringing. Time to load in.

10:00 PM – I eat an overpriced salad that costs way too much, because the venue that's only paying us in PBR (which turned out to be three cans split between four band members, no pint glasses of course) doesn't have any provisions for the band.

11:00 PM – Again, we pour our fucking hearts out to the handful of people in the bar. We don't sell anything.

Friday, November 4th, 2016
1:00 AM - Load everything out, pack up Vanessa, and head south

2:15 AM – I pull into the driveway, and catch a luxurious six hours of sleep. It feels spiritually cleansing.

9:30 AM - Wake up, coffee, tour emails. The bane of my existence, but we need to keep feeding the beast. I don't have the energy to write lyrics today, but I have some time to strum some chords. It feels nice... off to the gym to do 65% of the workout I normally do.

12 PM – 6 PM – daaaay jobbbbbbb

6:30 PM – I drive the van to Quincy to pick up Seth, who's been filling in (admirably) on bass this week.

7:30 PM – We arrive in front of the venue just in time for load in. We frantically have enough time to unload the van, backline the show, pretend that we are calm, rational, and not overworked... we even manage to crack a joke or two and get the sound guy to laugh.

8 PM - Vanessa is safely parked. I sprint back to the venue so I can be there in time for everyone coming in.

8:10 PM – I order a pulled pork taco. I know I won't be able to eat this, but I haven't eaten anything since breakfast.

8:20 – 9:35 PM – I run back and forth to everyone coming in. This is our first hometown show in over a year. Everyone I love is in the room – family, friends, other fine musicians, and even some real long lost friends. I just want to eat that taco, but I'm too excited to see everyone.

9:45 PM – I get a bite of the now, colder than room temperature taco. It tastes like it was probably really good when originally presented. I just need something or I am going to be nauseous.

10: 15 PM – we load onto stage as quickly as possible.

10:35 PM – Rock and fucking roll! The Lonesome is back. We're loud, we're killing it, the crowd is electric-- I even tell a story or two in my awkwardness, and get a good response.

Saturday, November 5th, 2016
1:15 AM – We load out Vanessa and watch the nightlife fade away to the distant corners of the American night. It was all worth it. We're tired, but everyone is thinking about the next time.

2:30 AM – I drop off Seth in Quincy, and turn Vanessa south again. It seems like I have driven the same stretch of highway in a never ending loop these last few days.

3:15 AM – I pull into the driveway. I'm too tired to unload Vanessa. I just grab my guitar, and head into bed.