from strippers to earthquakes

so yes, it's been a while since i've updated.  let's get started.

milwaukee was the first city on tour that i had never visited.  it began a string of three cities i hadn't set foot in until now: milwaukee, minneapolis and chicago (where i am now).  the area right around the theater was pretty dead, but there were a few interesting highlights.  there is a really cool bar called the safe house that has its front in an alley, albeit a well-lit one.  a password is required in order to get in and if you don't know it (thankfully, one of the locals working on the show told me), you are subjected to embarrassing...uh, shall we say, "feats of strength"...in order to get in.  the bar itself used to be a safe house back in the prohibition era.  it's loaded with many cool artifacts and booby traps, including a secret passageway that takes you down into some of the actual tunnels that were used decades ago.  i won't give away any more, but if you're ever in milwaukee, check it out at the corner of front and wells.

4-dollar bratwursts, 2-for-1 beer specials all day, every day...milwaukee had a pretty decent bar scene.  and you know that people in wisconsin love their beer.  and their beloved packers.  being in wisconsin during the packers game was pretty sweet.  i was at a buffalo wild wings for a couple quarters of their game against the cardinals, and the place was absolutely electric.  sadly, i had to go play a show before the conclusion of the game - which could have been a blessing in disguise.  as loudly as people cheered for green bay touchdowns, i wouldn't have been surprised if they started torching the place when karlos dansby ran that aaron rodgers fumble back for the game winning td.  but overall, milwaukee wasn't that bad - but minneapolis was better.

i was pleasantly surprised by how cool minny is.  we were playing at the orpheum, which isn't far from the metrodome and target center downtown.  the theatre was nice, the band was better than the mediocre players we had in milwaukee, and downtown actually had a vibe that milwaukee didn't.  i went to hell's kitchen, a restaurant that was recommended to me, for breakfast and was blown away.  i normally don't spend 23 bucks on the first meal of the day, but i'd do it again at hell's kitchen in a heartbeat.  heaping plate of eggs, hashbrowns, black beans, sour cream, cheese and salsa for only 10 bucks (http://www.flickr.com/photos/21151899@N03/4109686604/in/pool-996578@N20) and...ahem, an 8.50 mimosa, lol.  minneapolis is the headquarters of target, so i had to go to this huge target a few blocks from the hotel.  i was also really impressed by the architecture of the city that featured multiple skywalks, keeping people out of the brutal cold.  last week was actually balmy by minneapolis standards (highs in the 30s, lows around 20).

quick minny highlights.  1) half of us stayed at a doubletree, the other half at a radisson.  kinda wish i had stayed at the radisson, because saturday night, a lot of the cast/crew told the rest of us that the dallas cowboys were staying there.  they proceeded to get trounced at the hands of the minnesota vikings, 34-3, the following afternoon.  music to a redskin fan's ears.  2) dave, our guitarist, and i have continued to play late-night xbox.  he's got multiple friends around the world that he plays with on xbox live.  turns out that one of them lives in minny.  both she (ann) and dave are gay, so they went out several nights during the week to gay clubs and drag shows around the city - much to their delight.  on sat night, they took it easy, came back to his room - dave invited people over, and we all played a little left for dead.  good times.  3) saved the best for our last night, sunday.  went to bunker's - a live music bar.  great r&b band there, including a couple of guys from prince's band back in the day.  really good music, lots of fun.  but after getting a little tipsy, we (a large group of about 20 cast and crew) decided to hop in cabs and go to perkins.  i've never been, but it's kinda like ihop.  24 hours, breakfast served all day, and apparently, they're all over the country.  but it was my first time.  and wow.  i don't think i've seen so many strippers in one place.  well, outside of a strip club.  can you imagine the conversation between a guy and the hooker he picked up?

guy: come on baby, let's go back to my place.
girl: i'm hungry, let's get something to eat first.
guy: well, i've got something for you to eat.
girl: oh come on, don't be in such a rush.  what's another 10 bucks?  you're already paying me 500 tonight anyway.  let's go to perkins - i hear they have a really good steak and eggs combo.

unreal, right?  insane atmosphere, but the food was good and so was, um, the eye candy.  our group had a blast, and it was truly the first time a group of us that size (around 20) hung out outside of the theater.  hopefully, that's a great sign as the tour progresses.

got to chicago yesterday evening.  long time ago, playing some boring, non-sexual drinking game, i had to come up with a list of 3 us cities that i wanted to visit but never have.  in no particular order - chicago, san fran, miami.  this was the first city on tour that i was truly excited to see.  it feels like i'm back in a real city.  you know, skyscrapers, the rattling of the L, hotel near the famed riverwalk, theatre actually within a sizable theatre district.  has an air of nyc that i haven't felt since leaving it behind last month.  SO excited to be here for 2 weeks, and i can't wait to talk to andrew to get the lowdown on cool places i should see.  i just completed a task that i'm really proud of.  not trying to toot my own horn or anything...well, maybe a little.  i decided a few days ago that it would be heartwarming to collect money on behalf of the entire company and send the donation to haiti.  i collected money over the weekend in minneapolis and just made the donation here in the windy city.  proud to say that we collected just over $1,600.

ok, that's it for now.  gotta run off to do a sound check in preparation for our opening night show at the cadillac palace theatre tonight!