March 2013 Tour Blog - Day 8

Drag ourselves out of bed. I tossed and turned a lot, but still got some rest.

Bagel and a cup of tea, then back in the van. We go back downtown and walk around Navy Pier for a little while. Ride the ferris wheel once around. Chicago is beautiful from the air like that. We stop at bopNgrill and have some amazing food.

With full bellies, we start heading back south. Takes forever with traffic. Fuck traffic. That is why I don't like large cities.

Anyway, we pull into Springfield about the time our stomach's begin to growl. We already know where we are planning to eat and wouldn't you know it, it is right across the from the venue we are playing at tonight. What luck.

A quick load in, as usual, after we fill up on amazing Italian food of course. Time to hurry up and wait. The down time in between load in and our set's drag me down. I just want to play. It also gives me the time to think and miss my family back home, which is a bad thing. I love thinking about them, but it brings me down at the same time.

Whatever. I still love the road.

We watch as Dog of Panic rocks us. After they finish and load off stage we set up. We play very well. Our set is so tight I can't stand it. The last band is a 3-piece acoustic band. Mandolin, acoustic guitar and stand up bass. We all get really into it. We are hillbilly moshing in front of the stage. We had a couple drinks, but what do you expect when it's "freeBR". As soon as the band is done we load our gear and get ready to shove off, but not before the singer/guitarist for the last band plays us off with a new cover he's been working on, out on the street.

We take an hour drive north to the house where we are crashing for the night.

On the way there. Somebody made the mistake of playing The Slats in the van at full volume. In turn, that made Nik, JJ and myself invent a new sport. Van Moshing. By the time we arrive at our destination, JJ is bleeding on his shins, my nose was kicked and is a little out of place and we all have rug burns all over ourselves. In addition, the van is now destroyed. Food is scattered everywhere. Our bags were tossed all over the place. In conclusion, Van Moshing, might be the greatest thing ever. I suggest you try it.

Now sleep. Last stop Cedar Rapids. --Cole