On the Road to Portland

WEDNESDAY 14 October

Longest drive day of the tour--11 hours from San Fran to Portland. Also the last big drive day, which is a relief and a tad melancholic. These long stretches are tedious, to be sure, but there's also a sort of zen aspect to them, too. No question that it will take as long as it takes, so you have to learn to turn down your internal speedometer and just occupy your space--while hurtling through ever-changing-ever-same scenery on the super highways of America. Also helps that the other guys travel well and we all enjoy each other's company

There's less conversation in the car than in the early part of the tour. Less music, too. Just kind of simplifying it down to sheer moving through the land. Today we do listen to the CD's people have given us along the way. Local bands across America. Some better than others, but all at least interesting. It's always cool that people are making their own music and getting it out into the world. One more strike against the music BUSINESS.


After days of flat, brown scenery, it's a relief to get into northern CA and Oregon. The hills look like big brown fuzzy blankets wadded up on the horizon. Then come the mountains and the green and the blue again and air that's delicious to breathe. Damp and cool, then clear and crisp. Fog through the passes, some drizzle. 7 mile 6% grade hills. Trucks, trucks, trucks. Triple trucks.


Finally pull into Portland around 11pm. Totally adorable 8 week old black lab-dalmation pup next to us. The kids who 'own' her accidentally catch her paw in the car door--lightly, but enough to make the poor thing howl. Want to take her from them, but they do their best to comfort her til she seems ok. Not bad, just not careful enough. People just don't think enough about their animals. It's bad enough with kids.

Bob, Jim and I head into town for some food. End up at Satyricon--actually the restaurant attatched to it. Really tasty food, and very healthy. Also really spicey. Back to the Thrift Lodge. Stop in to the adjacent Galaxy for a last drink and Karaoke watching. Bob contemplates doing a number ? Some girl comes up to ask him to dance. He politely declines.

Sleep in the hearty Pacific Northwest.

Mmmmmmm

Portland, Oregon
La Luna

THURSDAY 15 October

Laundry day at last. Rain with "sun breaks". Always loved that northwest expression for partly cloudy.

Water is shut off in the hotel for the day, so I have to get up early just to shower. Figures. Then dropped off at a laundry a mile and a half away. Actually, I like sitting here alone by the big windows, watching Portland happen outside. Leaving my room to Matt for the day.



Last days of North America. Lovely ones. Shopping and wandering. Everybody's Music--good record store with lots of vinyl. Buy birthday present for Bob--the new Nuggets garage rock collection on Rhino. Jim and I kill time in Downtown. Having trouble finding an area for hanging out in Portland. Maybe you have to live here to know where to go. Frustrating.



La Luna big cool club, lots of rooms--pool tables, pinball, balcony bar. All ages system kind of screwy. Lots of rules and laws here in Oregon. All very anti-fun.

Sound is deep and good in the room. Jim's bass is nicely fat here. Unfortunately, a very dark cloud has descended and the gig is.....what? Well played, but with no joy tonight. An angry, fuming kind of night with an undercurrent of 'fuck you' to it somehow.

In spite of, or perhaps because of that, the sold out crowd are very into it. Pogoing, moshing. Lots of crowd surfing. Bob doing windmills. Thought he might go into the crowd tonight. We pulled out a lot of the b list songs tonight. Changing it up.

Post-gig no talk. Quick dispersal. Black, black and unhappy. Still makes for good rock.



To the Galaxy with Varnaline for karaoke. Only Jud manages to get onstage: a rousing rendition of Night Moves. New friends in Portland. Orin from Worthington gives me his band's CD. Quick listen at the motel (yes, the water's on again finally). Really cool record--the clear winner in the bands-handing-us-their-CDs sweepstakes.

Will the clouds clear by Seattle? Sun breaks....

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