Issat one 'a them ah-pods?
I have left New York. About a week ago, Kaylen and I drove down to Maryland for the first show of a five month tour that will take me to the west coast via flyover country.
I write from a Best Western hotel room in Evansville, Indiana that I have left only twice today, both for negligible spans of time. When we arrived here the flat landscape was enveloped in powdered-sugar snow, like an ad for Folger's christmastime blend.
West Virginia and Kentucky were everything I dreamed they would be. Nothing like getting one's yearly allowance of saturated fat while hobnobbing with the best and the brightest of Appallachia. I feel as though I should be receiving a masters degree in Anthropology at this show's conclusion. Culture, accents, behaviors change seamlessly from county to county, and we've yet to get even a fourth of the way across this bitch.
Here in Indiana, for instance, one cannot drive a fifth of a mile without seeing an "Abortion Kills Babies" billboard (i'm not joking. They're that frequent, like it was the winning submission in a Town Mantra contest) Either that, or its one of those ridiculous "blah blah blah dont make me come down there- GOD" signs, or an image of an American Flag with "God Bless America" defensively emblazoned in black for no apparent reason. This is the Bible Belt, as my father has pointed out. Not that there is anything wrong with bibles or with American flags, but this region seems to have overdosed on both.
I am having a good time, if only due to the constant, self-renewing novelty of touring. I'm a big fan of driving places and an even bigger fan of looking out of windows, both of which i've been afforded a lot of opportunity to do. There is already a modicum of dissension within the ranks, which I wont get into and which, I suppose, is to be somewhat expected. Weathered, dilapidated farmhouses have yet to lose their charm entirely, and luckily, neither the novelty of being nominally well-paid to act, nor my childish excitement and enthusiasm toward the disposable living space of a hotel room have yet to wear off.
One is supposedly supposed to learn a great deal about one's self doing this sort of thing. While i'm not prepared to announce any revelation after a week or so, I am finding that I seem to be much more passive of a person than I previously would have thought myself. I have moments of definite assertiveness, but I find myself, on this tour, preoccupied with making sure everyone is getting along (as opposed to making sure I get what I want/need.) I predict that by the end of this thing, I will be taking a much more active and aggressive role in making sure i'm not being taken advantage of.
My last night in New York was about as complete and wonderful as I could have hoped. Lots of friends, La Mela, and Flannary's. Tyler was in town and staying with Mike and I, which was a treat. If you see him, encourage him to move to the City. Zach Clark is subletting my room while i'm gone, which I couldnt be happier about, as he has repeatedly shown himself to be a awesome.
I hope i'll be able to see as many people as I can on the West Coast as well. I'll be in San Diego on March 6th, then the south bay, LA (playing the theatre that Miles and Brian live next to), Vegas, the Vally and The Bay Area, and I will want to party after a month in the midwest and Texas.
I hate this entry. It seems dissatisfied and pouty. I'm actually stoked to be here and i'm having a great time, even if I miss New York and all the people therein already. I am halfway through "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh", which is so good that I must recommend it before even finishing it. Its by Michael Chabon, who wrote "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay", which Mike Landers is currently reading and undoubtedly loving.
Anyway, I apologize for the clumsy, stuttery writing, but forgive me if the view of a silo from my homogenized midwestern motel room is less than inspiring.
I hope everyone is absolutely wonderful.
I write from a Best Western hotel room in Evansville, Indiana that I have left only twice today, both for negligible spans of time. When we arrived here the flat landscape was enveloped in powdered-sugar snow, like an ad for Folger's christmastime blend.
West Virginia and Kentucky were everything I dreamed they would be. Nothing like getting one's yearly allowance of saturated fat while hobnobbing with the best and the brightest of Appallachia. I feel as though I should be receiving a masters degree in Anthropology at this show's conclusion. Culture, accents, behaviors change seamlessly from county to county, and we've yet to get even a fourth of the way across this bitch.
Here in Indiana, for instance, one cannot drive a fifth of a mile without seeing an "Abortion Kills Babies" billboard (i'm not joking. They're that frequent, like it was the winning submission in a Town Mantra contest) Either that, or its one of those ridiculous "blah blah blah dont make me come down there- GOD" signs, or an image of an American Flag with "God Bless America" defensively emblazoned in black for no apparent reason. This is the Bible Belt, as my father has pointed out. Not that there is anything wrong with bibles or with American flags, but this region seems to have overdosed on both.
I am having a good time, if only due to the constant, self-renewing novelty of touring. I'm a big fan of driving places and an even bigger fan of looking out of windows, both of which i've been afforded a lot of opportunity to do. There is already a modicum of dissension within the ranks, which I wont get into and which, I suppose, is to be somewhat expected. Weathered, dilapidated farmhouses have yet to lose their charm entirely, and luckily, neither the novelty of being nominally well-paid to act, nor my childish excitement and enthusiasm toward the disposable living space of a hotel room have yet to wear off.
One is supposedly supposed to learn a great deal about one's self doing this sort of thing. While i'm not prepared to announce any revelation after a week or so, I am finding that I seem to be much more passive of a person than I previously would have thought myself. I have moments of definite assertiveness, but I find myself, on this tour, preoccupied with making sure everyone is getting along (as opposed to making sure I get what I want/need.) I predict that by the end of this thing, I will be taking a much more active and aggressive role in making sure i'm not being taken advantage of.
My last night in New York was about as complete and wonderful as I could have hoped. Lots of friends, La Mela, and Flannary's. Tyler was in town and staying with Mike and I, which was a treat. If you see him, encourage him to move to the City. Zach Clark is subletting my room while i'm gone, which I couldnt be happier about, as he has repeatedly shown himself to be a awesome.
I hope i'll be able to see as many people as I can on the West Coast as well. I'll be in San Diego on March 6th, then the south bay, LA (playing the theatre that Miles and Brian live next to), Vegas, the Vally and The Bay Area, and I will want to party after a month in the midwest and Texas.
I hate this entry. It seems dissatisfied and pouty. I'm actually stoked to be here and i'm having a great time, even if I miss New York and all the people therein already. I am halfway through "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh", which is so good that I must recommend it before even finishing it. Its by Michael Chabon, who wrote "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay", which Mike Landers is currently reading and undoubtedly loving.
Anyway, I apologize for the clumsy, stuttery writing, but forgive me if the view of a silo from my homogenized midwestern motel room is less than inspiring.
I hope everyone is absolutely wonderful.