SXSW-EXODUS SHOW-TOUR DAY 11 (PRT 2)

We got to the Exodus venue for the last and final show! After dropping off the band, I met up with Division Day at a said location and got their gear for the gig. After dropping the gear at Exodus, I met up with the band and Minty peeps for a little R&R and some dinner.

On the way to eat, we secured our vehicle in an underground parking lot hotel where Anthony, Al, and Angie were staying and walked from there to dinner. I however decided to bail on free food and fine dining opting for a little 'quiet time' for myself instead. I just needed a break from being around people and needed to calm myself and not think for a while.

I cruised down 6th street and just let myself get lost in the mix of people, music, and insanity that was going on, it was awesome. Eventually I stopped by this coffee spot near the tail end of 6th that also makes their own cigars. Inside I found Astrid chilling with her boyfriend so I talked to them for a while until a fairly 'out-of-it' character walked in and started talking about how he wanted to see Amy Winehouse.

At this point, Astrid and her boy went to some show down the way, and I think i was txting jonas at this time and went to see the park the van showcase.

The venue, Halla Catina? where the showcase was was really cool. It had a bar/resturant upstairs and a really nice stage area & bar downstairs. There was even a way out the back that led to another show that was going on outdoors. I feel like I saw more then Tulsa play, but they're the only band I can remember. The drummer for that band was pretty amazing, and they were a good gig over all. Somewhere in the mix i went to go get a drink and there was a bartender there who i was waiting on who kept ignoring me and helping other people. even though she saw me standing there. What a jerk.

Later, Chris Watson, who I didn't know as Chris Watson at the time kept pushing for me to get a PTV compilation, which I kept insisting to him that I had already gotten and downloaded only two days earlier. He was persistant I tell ya, even when I mentioned a friend of mine was in the band and how much i dug the band, but i suppose when you're the head of a high rising indie company you can't take 'no' for an answer...at least the first four 'no''s.

Other on goings were talking to a photo guy who had been touring with 'What made milwaukee famous' and talking about Lady Sovereign, Amy Winehouse, and people musically showing off.

I then left after this and made my way back to the Exodus. It was a bummer though, I wish I stayed only to bump into Al from Minty who i later found out was inside talking to PTV people when i was outside. I just went out the back too so i totally missed him...ugh! that would have been cool.

Anyways I went back to the venue and checked to see if the band was there yet. They weren't. I think I bumped into Angie at this point, but i'm not entirely sure....I might have gone to get some more coffee actually....no wait.

People were coming back to the venue, I still needed to get the merch, so i went back to the hotel where had some. I ran into Angie and Alex there and we just chilled in the lobby for a long time just shootin' the shit about stupid stuff.

Later on Al and his friend joined us which was cool. Eventually Alex and I left to go back to the venue and THEN i got coffee. On the way out some kid started talking to me, i think because I said excuse me or something for reaching over him to get sugar at that coffee prep station. he noticed my laminates and just asked 'are you a tour manager?' it was awesome. That's probably the first time someone's just asked me first if i was a tour manager and not if i was in the band it made me feel good.

When Alex and i finally got back to the venue, him and Francois decided to check the equipment to make sure everything was in order for their performance. I stayed out side and talked to Sage Allen, the promoter, who was a bit of a cutie with his southern drawl. Alex then frantically ran out to me and said we didn't have a drum pedal...and it was about 30 so minutes before we went on. I just told him 'give me five minutes' and immediately went down the street to where the teeth were and borrowed jonas' pedal. it was awesome. the teeth JUST finished there set, i rolled up, grabbed the pedal...to which jonas kinda gave me a scowl of disapproval....but he offered earlier in the day so can't be going back on his word, haha. but really, it was awesome of him, and booked it back to the show.

I got back to the venue, gave Alex the pedal, then another problem arose. 'Mary I don't have a thrown' Great.....at this point i sure as hell wasn't going back to ask for a thrown from jonas, so I just kinda asked the tech who was helping us on stage and he let us borrow Jr. Sr's...but luckily we didn't get charged for using it, thank god.

When the band played I went to the hotel to get the car and brought it around to be loaded. I also had a few mintues to take some pictures of the band. There last show was off the hook and it was jam packed with sweaty people. After the show we packed up both our stuff and Division Day's. That ;venue sucked though. Just the structure. No loading dock area, no dressing room, no nothing, it just blew getting all our stuff out past lots of people in the dark at 1am.

After everything was loaded into the proper vehicles we paid the band off with 75 bucks. super cheap! the only thing that we messed up on was loosing a inch thick piece of padding for one of division day's cases. But Sebastian, from DD, and I agreed to make amends by me taking him out for a beer sometime in LA since they're from there, so it's all good! They were the best guys any TM could find at that point for help, we seriously lucked out they were amazing!

All was loaded and ready to go at this point. I scooted out the band best I could into the car after we said our goodbyes to Minty people and DD. It was sad to go, but was nice to be back to just 5 people on the road once again!

The traffic wasn't bad, I was good to drive and we were off to San Antonio for the flight to our final show in NYC....or so we thought.......