The Dubs Tour and Pedestrian

Been out with the Young Dubliners for a couple of weeks, great tour. We played a few major Northwest cities - Seattle, Portland, Boise - and some smaller ones - Spokane, Bend, Medford. Everything from large rock music venues (The Knitting Factory) to free outdoor concerts (Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend); we even gigged in a roller rink-turned-arena rock concert. So variety is the spice of life!

And speaking of variety, and you electric guitarists out there can understand where I'm coming from, it seems that every city has a different level of voltage coming out the sockets. On some stages, my Vox amp sounded just sweet as usual, while on others the sagging voltage left my guitar sounding like the strings were found in an old abandoned mine in the desert. Can the power companies of America get it together and get nice strong electricity to everyone equally? Is that so much to ask?

Just like it would be a solid to all of us if the highways of America were equally smooth everywhere you drive. But if you travel from, say, California to Idaho through Utah, your auto has to endure miles of buckling, patched pavement which feels like washboard when driven at 70 MPH. But then you come to Nevada, and start to think that a state with legal gambling may not be all bad, because the roads are like butter. I wonder where our tax dollars are going when, in Cali at least, there are ALOT of people in the tax base, and you'd think the roads would be half decent. But instead, we're closing some state beaches and parks, and cutting back on educational spending, to make ends meet. Hmmm...

But hey, let the good times roll. I'm off subject here. I just wanted to tell you about the band which opened for us on this last tour. They're called Pedestrian, are from Los Angeles, and are not to be missed if you're fan of indie rock and good songs. Check them out on myspace, or at your music outlet of choice, and you won't be disappointed.

Keep it safe and sane this Independence Day! I'll be sans fireworks back at home for a week, and then hittin' the eastern half of NoAm (North America) during July and August. Write at ya soon!

Bob