Show Day in NYC

I’m awakened by the choppy motion of the bus driving through New York City as we head for Hammerstein Ballroom, which is located on the block bordered by 7th and 8th Avenues to the east and west, and 34th and 35th Streets to the south and north, near Madison Square Garden.

It's pissing down rain and I’m wide awake at 6:30am. Load in won't begin until 8, so I jump off the bus and grab a Starbucks for me and one for our production manager Robert who just woke up. The man's got a caffeine habit like no other – he usually drinks about 3 5-shot venti Mocha's a day and a shitload of coffee, too. I've seen him drinking coffee at 2am. Yikes!

We're doing two nights here. No load out tonight, and I won't settle the shows financially until tomorrow night, so everyone starts making plans to go out tonight.

Around 6pm, I walk the 22 blocks to the hotel to pick up everyone's keys. Could have taken a cab, but I always like to people-watch in the Big Apple and the best way to do that is by walking around.

Show's done at 9:45. I distribute an info sheet to everyone to let them know where our BT's gonna be tonight. (BT = Bar Time) Do a little hang on the bus with some crew folks, then we head to the hotel (via the runner van) to drop bags and such.

My Jersey friend Sarah and her boyfriend Alex are outside the door at Collins Bar when I walk up around 10:30. Knuckles, our rigger, shows up a few minutes later. Audio Pimp Patrick and his girlfriend Terese (who flew in from L.A. for a few days) show up. Funny story about Terese. She's a choreographer by trade, and is the person who first introduced Britney Spears to her idiot husband Kevin Federline. I thanked her for taking both their trailer-trash asses out of circulation and bought her a beer.

Later my friend C.J. shows up with her husband Bjorn in tow. She brought a couple of cute young female friends with her, too. Security guy J.T. appears with Molly, our production assistant. Marcel, our venue security director, shows up after attending an aftershow party with the band.

Much drinking occurs.

Around 3:45, I decide that I had better get my butt to bed, so I bid them all adieu and walk the 9 blocks back to the hotel.

Snzzzzzzzzzz…