BBQ, Blues, Beale

Memphis, Tennessee

About nine hours, four stops, and one bus change later, we made it to Tennessee!  Arriving in the morning after traveling all night, we went straight back to bed.  Then started the day, or well afternoon off again waking up in a bed instead of a bus seat.  And just like that it was time to get busy. 

Beale Street was calling to everyone since it is such a renowned attraction for the area.  It has a feel like Bourbon Street in New Orleans, but not as crazy and much cleaner mixed with downtown Nashville, but geared more towards blues and jazz instead of country. 

B.B. Kings Restaurant was also located in the area as well as the famous Rendezvous BBQ and just around the corner was the Gibson Guitar Factory.

A little further away some stumbled upon the Mississippi River, the Bass Pro Shop in the pyramid where all of the live events used to be performed and even Graceland with the King himself.  

And even though this may have been our easiest week ever on this show, we were all still wore out from the previous two weeks leading up to it.  But, that didn’t stop us from having some fun and pushing through it. 

Especially since my parents came this week and not to mention bumping into a college friend by pure accident!  It just goes to show that you can never be too sure who you may run into when you are on the road and that seeing your family can do wonders!

And speaking of college and friends, I was feeling right at home sitting at the Memphis University vs. Cincinnati football game.  However, I will say that the Memphis stadium probably more than tripled the number of people that the SRU (Slippery Rock University) stadium could hold, you had to buy tickets to get in (SRU – we used our student I.D.’s), there were multiple stands for food (SRU – one concession stand), and both teams were DI (Division 1) unlike SRU which is DII (Division 2).  It still did not change the fact that it made me miss my college days though.  It really took me back. 

Ah the good ole days…

But, moving forward, the week was done before we could even realize it and we were on the road again heading back to where we just came from…OK!

The State Fair

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Deep fried chocolate chip cheesecake, kettle corn, chocolate covered bacon, a deep fried donut burger, and foot long corn dogs…yep, we were at the state fair in OKC at least for our second week of being in town.

While the first week was full of rehearsals and run-throughs, week two meant presentations, shows, and the FAIR!

And for not only the show itself, but for myself as well as a few others, it was our first time performing the show in a fair atmosphere instead of just another arena.  This being said, there were a few differences. 

The building was not only very open to the public, but it was also covered in a decent amount of dirt, smelt like goats every now and then, and had its own permanent visitors; one being a gray and white cat and a pigeon we liked to call Ralph, who at times wanted to be part of the show both in the set as well as on the ice. 

We also had a group of police officers stop by while we were rehearsing one day.  Of course they were on bikes and some of us had the bright idea to try to ride while we had our skates on.  Some were successful, while others did not dare to try.  To our surprise, they came back day after day, even to watch the show and each time they did, the numbers in their group increased as did the audience and fair.

It seemed like it just went on forever in every direction, there were always more food booths, game tents, rides, or contests.  There was a petting zoo, a western show, a RAM driving course, of course the stables for horses, cows, and sheep, but one of my favorite attractions were the Piggy Races!  Yes, little pigs would race around a track and one even went for a swim. 

It’s no wonder that it took us walking around on all of our breaks to be able to see the whole fair and I still think in the end that we didn’t.   However, it did make the days pass by a lot quicker and when we weren’t at the fair, we found other things to busy our time. 

One day was dedicated to laser tag where of course it was Girls vs. Guys for the first round followed up by Earl’s BBQ and Marble Slab ice cream in Bricktown along the river walk.  And then it was off to Midtown for some bowling and ping-pong at the Dust Bowl.  And of course you can’t forget the mall and soccer night at the hotel.  It’s always nice to have an outdoor area to be able to escape to even if it is a late night on the field. 

Calling everyone to play, we were off to where The King was laid to rest.

Here We Go…Again

Indianapolis, Indiana

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, No!  How about a 12-pack!  Yes, you heard right, its only the second week on the West Coast Tour and we are already doing a 12-pack! (4 days of 3 shows each day)

I guess there was no sense in getting back into the swing of things again in an easy way and the preparations for the weeks ahead have already begun.  Higher standards, expectations, and goals are all on the line.  Staying focused, we all chalked off one show at a time.  Of course though, by the end of the day you end up going a little crazy anyways, but that’s what keeps you on your toes and makes show business, show business. 

However, before the madness began we had one day to catch up on some much needed sleep from the long bus ride into the city and another to see what Indy had to offer. 

So, we were off to the races.  From the Arcade to the Indianapolis Indians baseball game, a Triple A Farm Team to the Pittsburgh Pirates, to of course shopping and milkshakes at Steak N’ Shake, to walking around Town Center and making post cards, to seeing some familiar family faces stroll through the hotel, to a nice dinner out at Rock Bottom Brewery, to finally some much needed girl time. 

It all may have been a blur, and we may all have been worn out, our toes were all about to fall off, but the laughs and memories that came from the experience will always be there to remind us. 

So it’s been great Indy, but it’s time for us to part.

See you in OKC!

First Stop

Kansas City, Missouri

And we were off.  Just like that it was time to get back at it again.  All of a sudden our week at home or for some the week sightseeing was a thing of the past and the only thing in the future was the beginning of the West Coast tour!

The first stop on the list of many was Kansas City, Missouri. 

Coming from different travel destinations some of us arrived a day before others.  For the majority that only left one day; our travel day, to really see anything before most of our time was spent at the arena. 

Of course everyone wanted to catch up and meet the new faces as usual and we were in the perfect place for that with numerous places to eat in the Kansas City Power and Light District.  Places like the Flying Saucer, Bar Louie, and the Pizza Bar just to name a few, were just down the street along with a space for outdoor concerts.  Luckily we were able to catch a few as we were leaving the building.  The first night featured the Eli Young Band and the next night was a classical rock band that played a variety of artists’ songs. 

When we weren’t enjoying the live music, it was time to celebrate a few birthdays that all seemed to occur within the week.  It was a nice way to mingle with everyone as well as enjoy the weather and catch up from the short break we just had. 

Its crazy to think that it hasn’t even been a year yet and we have already done over 500 shows!!

We can’t wait to see what the rest of this year brings! 

Here goes nothing!

Starting the first travel day of the season off with a nine-hour bus ride to Indiana! 

See you at the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!