The Exchange performing at the Global Finals 2015 for Destination Imagination, Knoxville, TN. Photo credit DnK Photography, 2015.
Damn my last few posts were #longreads (if you made it through them, I should buy you a drink). I think I feel a duty to tell you about everything, but there is so much that happens on tour, so let’s keep this short.
Post SingOff Tour, I hit up Maria in Vancouver for some “couples” time before bouncing around the US on some of our lovely airlines. It was so nice there In Boston we stayed with Whitney and Michelle at their new house. They live pretty close to the spot I visited with Plumbers of Rome for the 2010 Harmony Sweeps. I remember getting into town so early that the Dunkin’ Donuts was closed and we ended up sleeping in the kitchen at the venue. Fucking miserable. (That’s where I met Fredo BTW).
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That time Chris slipped and broke Jeremy Lister's step.
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Maria :)*
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Rambo
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My sister graduated!
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Flooding in Texas
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Vancouver Waterfront
Staying with the girls was way better, way boozier, and would have been perfect if it wasn’t for our manager, Jamal, and Aaron practicing piano the entire time. I took that time to go for jogs -_-. The gig was at Wakefield High School and after work-shopping a few of their groups, the show was a great time for an a cappella-primed audience.
With the way travel was shaking up, I crossed back to Vancouver for a couple days, popped over to DC to surprise my sister at her graduation, hustled back to Vancouver for a couple days, then flew to Knoxville. That all cost less than 2 flights: Boston to DC, DC to Knoxville. #SMH
Next gig was in Knoxville, Tennessee for Destination Imagination–a pioneering program with a lame logo. It’s a massive education program for zillions of kids and we were there to open the ceremony, do a workshop, and perform a concert. The huge Pat Summitt-built arena was full of schools and a really cool audience. They even had confetti canons, my favorite thing in the concert world. Even over audience blinders!
The HIGHLIGHT of the night was Buzz Aldrin belligerently stammering on about shooting down Korean pilots (in front of Korean students) and either frightening or insulting the audience with what appeared to be his alcohol-bathed recalcitrance toward an appearance he clearly spurned. More funny than offensive.
We drove down to Nashville a day late so we could “rest” after a 2 day gig. The dysfunction is evolving into self-defeating behavior, alcoholic enabling, and passive defiance. We had been told that we were going to do a video with Street Corner Symphony.
Richard Robot and Jonathan Lister
When we arrived, there was no place to stay (though SCS was kind enough to house us last-minute) and they were unaware of the plan. I passed up a family vacation for this, so I was pretty pissed at Aaron who had taken the lead on planning this.
We visited our friends and made the most of business travel become pleasure (including The 5 Spot, an incredible Motown bar in Nashville). That said, I am contemplating a change. It may be time to leave The Exchange.