The Van

And so I conclude this blog; for a second time. I hopefully will be in Toronto for more than a week. I plan to stay for the summer.

Two weeks with Switchfoot. It has definitely been another learning experience, but in other ways this time. Like, working on one meal, or trying to be the street team with no voice. 

But seriously, I’m the last person to know why these opportunities keep popping up. I don’t know where I’m being led, or if I am indeed being led, or if I’m just delusional and overcomplicated. Any which way all this goes, I don’t care as long as God’s at the for front, which I suspect. He has this awesome effect on people’s lives.

So, I suppose until next time I venture to a distant land with crazy people with musical instruments, I will see everyone one of you later. I have my personal blog here, and also an interesting journal here. I try and keep both up to date. Try? Do or do not, there is no try…

I’ll stop now. Thanks,

Seth

Hello all,

Yes, I thought was had finished this blog too. It seems my touring days are not yet done. I will explain.

After getting back from the States I jumped back on a plane to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to visit the grandparents. While there, I happened to glance at my Facebook events and saw that Switchfoot was coming to Toronto the day after I got back. I didn’t think much of it at first, but then remembered a friend’s company, Everyeye media was providing production for the tour. I sent him a message and left it.

The day after I got back I saw a new message on Facebook. Apparently one of the guys on the production crew had bailed out, leaving a spot open for a roadie/crew position. I quickly called back and about two hours later I was on my way to the Toronto show and had a flight home from Vancouver on the 30th.

All I can say is wow. In a matter of hours God had secured me another huge opportunity in the music industry.

And I was wondering what to do for a month before work started. Gosh, why do I even bother with worrying…

Anyhow, I don’t have much Internet access, so I’ll try my best to update as much as possible.

Much awesome, Seth

I’m not sure.

Regardless, I’m back now. It’s hard to believe I’ve been across America and back, seen mountains, oceans, rivers, and all within two and a half months. Gosh, has it really been that long? Feels like two and a half weeks. I suppose that’s because that was the total time I had off during the trip. The rest of the time was either a show, or I was unconscious.

It was awesome, all of it. All I have to say is thanks. Thanks to After Edmund for taking me on, even though my experience were low and my insanity was high. You guys gave me a another angle on the music industry, which is always a plus. Thanks to my ‘rents for letting me out of the house for such a long time. I’m sure after I left there was a quick buildup of leftovers. Thanks to my friends as well, even though you guys didn’t do anything except say you missed me, which I sure you got over. I mean really, I was only gone for two and a half weeks… right?

So, I’ve stepped back into my old life, though with new perspective and focus.

The Turret, same as always. Sweater on the bed for the cat, messy desk, keyboards, ghetto sound system, papasan chair, and books. mmmm…

Things haven’t changed much. Neither have the people, except maybe my sister’s belly. It’s good to be back.

Now that the hype of coming home has calmed down I have time to look around and see what next? What do I do now? Where will music take me? Where will I take music? The questions are still there, but I have peace now, the same peace I had a while back about my future. Perhaps its because of the doors that are now opening since I got back, or the fact I’ve seen so many musicians in the last couple of months, or possibly the fact that God is love (not that that has to do with anything, except that it does).

Well, I’ve said enough, I think. I suppose this is the end of the blog. I never thought a blog could have an ending, but I guess when it has such a defined subject it must end when its subject does.

Not that my touring life is over; as a matter of fact, it may have just begun.

Kimbo

Last night is definitely going down as one of the more memorable experiences.

Yesterday the guys played a worship gig at a church about an hour away. When we got back the weather looked doleful. There was a low, black cloud covering and a few sheet lightning flashes, so we quickly got our stuff in the house.

Today we’re starting a new leg on the west coast, so Austin and Mitch decided to stay over as usual. Austin came in with Jordan and I, but Mitch was droving to the gig in his own car so he was still on the road. Austin got a call, so he went back outside to talk on the veranda. Jordan and I proceeded to look out the window at the growing sheet lightning flashes.

I picked up my camera and went outside to see if I could capture the lightning in the clouds. Jordan joined me after a while, but I couldn’t really get any good shots so we went back inside when it started raining. When we got back in Jordan got a call from Micah. Apparently there was a tornado watch in effect in our area.

We took the matter kind of lightly at first. Austin had just ended his call at that point and we all kind of joked about huddling in the bathtub with a mattress over us. Jordan then got a text from Micah saying there were legit tornados touching down right around Hogansville. We all paused for a minute.

“I’ll get a mattress,” Jordan said, getting up quickly.

“You can use mine,” I said, getting up too.

We put my mattress by the washroom and sat back down for more updates from Micah and Twitter. We heard reports all around us. At this point I realized that Austin was playing Klavierzeiten on the piano in the other room. I popped my head in and requested something a bit more light hearted.

Then Mitch got home. He got in the door wide eyed and with a story to tell. Apparently while driving off the exit to get into town he looked to his right and saw some weird angled clouds. He looked again as the sheet lightning lit up the sky, and saw a funnel shaped cloud with lightning running up and down it. He said it was the first time he’s been freaked out because of the weather.

We then got a another text from Micah saying a tornado touched down on Corinth road, about four miles off. We shut all the doors to the hallway and made sure my mattress was nearby. There were slow sirens going off in the distance. Tornado warnings. None of us were quite sure what to do, or really how to act in a situation like this, least of all me. Austin was raiding the kitchen, Jordan was walking around with a box of cracked black pepper triscuits under his arm and Mitch was texting his wife love messages. The wind and rain seemed to calm.

Nothing really seemed to happen. Jordan was keeping watch out the window. The lights were off (not because the power was out, but because Jordan kept turning them off so he could see). We waited but didn’t see or hear anything. Suddenly, Jordan said he could see smoke and orange flashes somewhere in town.

So what did we do? We went outside to look. We still couldn’t see anything. The sirens had stopped so we got in Mitch’s car to make a circuit of the town. Our logic was that if we saw a twister would could drive away, not sure if that was smart thinking or idiocy. While driving, we kept what seemed like the centre of the storm on our left. We pulled up to an intersection, not sure which way to go, at least until a stroke of lightning hit the road in front of us, then we decided to go left (It was about three miles off, which I calculated by counting).

We continued on our way, not finding any fire or smoke. While we pulled back up to the band house it started raining again, but without the high winds. We decided the worst was over, thanked Jesus, and watched a movie before going to sleep.

I had to remake my bed.

Kimbo

Hullo there! Yes, I am still here. Things have happened! I will type.

We’ve finished the longest leg of the tour! The worst is behind us (if you can call it that, I don’t like to, but you get what I’m saying) and we’re home for Easter. I almost made it. I say almost because after we had finished the last show before coming home, I got sick. It was impeccable timing really.

On the night of our last show on the west coast I was having terribly uncomfortable dreams. I seem to remember groaning and curling up in the fetal position, saying over and over “It burns”. Waking up from what I thought was an alien inside me, I found out I wasn’t much better off.

Flinging off the ample folds of hotel linen that enveloped me, I dashed for the toilet in pitch darkness. Tripping over a suitcase, a bed and multiple shoes, I flung open the washroom door and threw my guts up. After the damage was done, I flipped on the light and found to my amazement that all the milkshake and cold cut sandwich had made it into the toilet bowl (thanks to masculine forgetfulness).

I flushed, stood up, and found Jordan and Austin standing behind me; wearing nothing but briefs, blinking at the light, and wondering if a tornado had passed through. The usual manly grunts of “you ok?” - “yeah, I think” - “ok” were passed around and we all went back to bed.

Then the worst night of my life ensued. I probably got up what felt like every 10-20 minutes, but in reality was probably every hour, to throw up again. It got to the point where nothing was coming up and my body was just being a jerk (seriously, I think I probably mumbled it in between heaves). Half way through the night I laid out my blanket and pillows by the washroom to avoid the journey across suitcase land, over bed mountain, and through shoe forest. 

Morning finally broke and the guys found me on the carpet beside the washroom door, thinking, I’m sure, that I had passed out; or at least until I suddenly get up and retch again. I started counting my episodes at this point, I will mention them with a *(retch)*. Normal morning procedures are carried out around me, and I tried my best to collect my things between trips to the toilet.

I made sure I knew where the washroom was when I sat down for breakfast (retch). I couldn’t even keep down water, which I needed badly (retch). Everything was hazy (retch). I quietly commented I would like to see a doctor before I get jammed into a van with six other guys. I showed my travel insurance card and Micah and Ben did the calling (Aren’t they awesome?). I answered the questions they asked and we were soon on our way to a clinic.

(retch) (retch)

At the clinic there was some more paper work and faxing to be done regarding my insurance, so I was stuck in the waiting room, taking up three chairs, and keeping the washroom in sight.

(retch) (retch) (re— oops) Yeah, I crapped myself. Could this day get any worse? I apparently had a case of the runs. Cleaning up as best I could, walked back into the waiting room and soon heard my name called. I lay down on the bed (if you could call it that) and waited for the nurse’s return (retch). Three blood pressure tests (retch). and the doctor arrives! He does all the doctor stuff, talking the entire time about bands (knowing I was with After Edmund) and how some make it and some don’t. I was confused. He said something about an IV and an anti-nausea shot. I was relieved. I fell asleep from pure exhaustion. 

(retch)

The nurse stabbed me twice to get the IV in me (mumbling “aw… shoot” after the first one. Real encouraging, ma’am). I passed out. She came back and said she had to give me the anti-nausea in the butt. I quietly unbuckled my belt and warned her of my crapping incident in the washroom earlier. She laughed, said she’d seen worse and gave me the shot.

Suddenly, bang! Pain! Agony! Deliverance! The Lord himself I think showed himself for a split second. For the amount that anti-nausea medicine burned, the nurse may well have swung an 16-pound sledge hammer at my right butt cheek. I was wide awake for a good minute and a half, and then was soon back asleep on my left side.

Soon the whole adventure was over, although not without retching one last time for good measure (clearly the pain-in-the-ass medicine didn’t fully satisfy my queasiness). Feeling a little less dry, and a little more exhausted I was directed by the guys to a bench seat in the van, where I was quarantined for the trip home. I was too out-of-mind to hear what the doctor said I had, nor really cared. I think it was something like food poisoning/stomach flu with a side of dehydration. Lovely mix, really. Absolutely exhilarating.

(I’m proud to say I never missed a toilet throughout the whole ordeal. Though, one of the toilet seat may or may not have been down)

So, I’m back now, all in one piece and felling quite better. I think I slept the entire trip home, which I probably needed. The band house hasn’t changed much. Everything is green and overgrown; outside looks pretty bad too.

We’re back on the road Thursday! Check out After Edmund’s Facebook event page to see the next shows! I’ll catch y’all later.

Peace,

Kimbo

(Unfortunately, Sezah, I was not counting so I don’t technically know if I threw up more than 11 times, but If I did the math I think it was probably between 14-18, so yeah.)

Unfortunately, our show in Seattle fell through. Bummer. Instead we spent about four days off straddling the Washington/Idaho state line. We stayed in Lewiston, ID and hopped over to Clarkston, WA when we had to. I’m pretty sure I found a home away from home there. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, as you can see by some of the pictures preceding this post.

Yesterday (that being the 12th, so it might not be yesterday depending on when this is posted) was probably the most adventurous. We had planned to go climbing in the mountains in the afternoon, so I had the morning off. I decided to go for a walk down the street to a watch shop I had seen earlier. I stepped out of the apartment and enjoyed a bit of time to myself.

The watch shop was nice, but had no pocket watches, so after a lovely chat with the watch man about fashion, I was on my way. My second stop was the cigar boutique. However, I was sidetracked by a sort of nicknack store next to it. The shop keeper obviously was a miner as there were many different stones and crystals for sale. I nearly overlooked the small shelf of old film cameras by the cash register (I will explain on my person blog why these caught my eye). I spent about fourty-five minutes playing around with them, and found a nice one that came with three different lenses, but decided not to buy it.

I proceeded to walk into the cigar shop, merely to take in the odourous atmosphere and also to look at pipes. While I was between the cigars and the whiskey I met the shop keeper, who seemed to be in his late 50s or early 60s, and so showed my interest in pipes. He gave a few helpful tips, taking up the majority of two minutes. We then dove into an hour long conversation, talking about life, music, church, religion, and the general future. It was a great spirit booster for me and probably a pleasure for him. I left the shop with a wide smile on my face.

So, I met up with the other guys, we went for lunch and drove off into the mountains. About 32 miles down the road, we stopped, piled out, observed the landscape with our jaws on the ground, and then started climbing. While we climbed we had to look behind us every once in a while to take in the view. Every time we thought we mounted on peak, there was another looking down on us. We were breathing hard when we reached the top (or at least as far as we could with the time we had) but the view was incredible (Click here for a google earth view, it might not work though). We took lots of pictures and videos and then began our decent.

When we got to the bottom, we saw the river. We were pretty sweaty. It looked nice and cool. Perhaps a little too cold. Probably bordering on hypothermia cold. But we are men. Needless to say we took a dip, and by “we” I mean Austin, Mitch and I. The rest were pansies.

So after the shock of swimming in death (don’t worry, it was filmed as well), we hopped back in the van and drove home. It was an all ‘round good day, filled with good talks and well used energy. I was quite happy with it and thought it was worthy for The Van. I hope you think so too.

Peace,

Kimbo