Week One - As told by Stephanie Liana Kulla

Hello dear friends!
Please excuse my tardiness in getting this to you a day late (not that you are really concerned with such things,) but yesterday was a little busy and the bloggisphere took a back seat in the agenda for the day. But now I come to you, ready and willing to share the triumphs and tribulations of I am they as we hustled and bustled through this first week of touring.

To begin at the beginning, I will say two words ice... storm. I had no concept of what this weather phenomenon would entail till I walked out of our little rental house to see our poor van (affectionately named Jean Claude Van Van) covered in an inch thick sheet of ice. And looking up to see the branches of the trees crystalized with frosty solid water was beautiful, but at the same time infuriating! How is it possible for water to solidify so quickly that is remains clear on the branches and twigs as if it were a lacquer created to preserve those branches forever.  The feeling that you will never be warm again is one of panic and disdain. I can speak for everyone in the band when I say that we were so happy to be heading to the warmer climate of Dallas, TX that day. But first, getting out of the drive way. We strapped two chains onto our back tires and shuffled all of our luggage and instruments into the trailer, our hurried breaths hanging in the air. Like little chimneys we puffed and pouted, letting our warmth out into the great unknown, only to have it disappear into the vast cold.  But never mind all that, we were on our way! Nothing could put a damper on the fact that we were finally setting of on this tour that we had been preparing for for months! Nothing that is, except breaking a chain on the freeway and having to pull over to take the one remaining chain off... NO! Nothing could dampen our spirits, onward friends! Onward to our future! Let us see how this new life will be!
We drove through five states to get to the glorious state of Texas. We arrived late in the evening to a friends house a couple hours outside of Dallas. We were greeted with hugs, smiles, and a feast of enchiladas that turned hispanic food into a near religious experience. Sleep came swiftly and we fell into her open arms with satisfied bellies and hearts. We left in the morning eager to get to Dallas.
We arrived and starred in awe from our dirty tired van at the huge building that was The American Airlines Canter. Its tall brick walls loomed over us as if to say "welcome to the big leagues kids." Not really knowing what to do or where to go, we circled around the building for twenty minutes or so before we even found the entrance, a rookie move I know. The way in was a small entrance behind some clearly marked 'DO NOT ENTER' signs, and guarded with security. You may be able to understand, dear reader, why we were struggling so. Finally pulling into the loading dock underneath the venue, we parked Jean Claude Van Van next to several huge tour busses, their austere windows gleaming with intimidation. We stumbled inside the stadium, knees shaking, hearts racing, standing at the base of this coliseum of sorts we were floored at it's size and grander.
We were a flurry of unanswered questions and pacing feet all day long. Trying to get a grip on what to do and where to go. What our place was in this giant machine of gear and speakers and amazing experienced musicians. Where did six folks from Carson City Nevada fit into this hurricane of quarter inch cables and microphone stands? Needless to say, stress levels were high, but we made it through and actually had a great show! We were so encouraged by all the other artists and couldn't wait to get to know them more.
We got done with all of our after show chores (loading the trailer with merch and equipment) at about 12. Now to save money dear friends, we are staying in the bus drivers hotel rooms, seeing as they sleep during the day and drive at night. So we can get their hotel keys and stay overnight for free. The only down side to this awesome money saving endeavor is walking into your room to the scents of old pizza and axe body spray. Yes my friends, at one in the morning after a long day of running around like a headless chicken, these are the smells of comfort and cleanliness we crave...
Sleep was short lived, as we had to leave at 4am to drive to Springfield, MO.
Because Raul is a machine of a man and offered to drive all morning, we all woke up in Springfield. Popping my head up to look out the van window, I saw grey, grey skies, and a coldness you could see in the trees and on the streets of this somber town. Winter had surely come upon Springfield. But, despite the cold, the people that came to the show that night were warm and welcoming! We had an awesome show and met some amazing people. That is the best part of what we are doing, being able to meet people, pray for them and hear their stories. If we are able to do that every night, this is all worth it. After the show we stopped for some warm delicious cookies and a fine establishment called Insomnia Cookies. Life changing I tell you. Then with a sugar high racing through our bodies and the impending doom of another storm front heading towards Nashville, we decided to drive through the night get to Memphis.
Arriving in Memphis at around six in the morning (Matt drove all the way through the night) we parked in a Walmart parking lot and slept for a few hours while we waited to see if the show in Chattanooga, TN was still going to happen due to the weather. We curled up on the van benches and tucked our cold feet under our blankets. We received the call that the show was on, so we headed out of Memphis towards Chattanooga. The clouds growing dimmer and darker by the minute in the haze before us, we wearily made our way onto the highway. We only got about 30 miles out of town before our van started to slip and slide all over the road due to the ice and the rain... and the ice rain. So, defeated by the powers of nature and the lack of a certain chain we had lost days before, we were forced to turn around and head back to Memphis. And so our first missed show happened in our first week of touring ever. But this is life dear friends. We were able to stay with the Gooches at their incredible mansion in Memphis. Walking up to that grand brick estate I exclaimed "We are home!" That is how we all feel there. Relieved to see friendly faces and a place to stay that wasn't going to endanger our very lives was a relief and a joy. We spent the rest of the evening folding band tee shirts and wrapping them in various colored rubber bands, eating homemade weather appropriate chili, and taking glorious hot showers. So even though we missed a show in Chattanooga, we were in much need of a night of rest.
We headed to Moblie, AL in the morning, excited and refreshed. We got in and started what had become a sort of flow for us. Unloading the trailer, getting the merch set up, finding time to eat, changing into our stage clothes. I think that we are getting a hang of this whole thing. Playing the show was awesome. Every night we walk out on that stage and see the thousands of people, we are reminded of the favored we have and the blessings we are living in. We slept in bus driver's hotel rooms again that night and headed to Southaven, MI in the morning. The last show of this first run, we all woke up with a little stinging in our eyes and a yearning in our hearts for home. This mobile life is very tiring, shuffling out of the hotel, lugging our suitcases that seem to get fatter by the step, we loaded up and drove all day, heavy rain hit in waves on our windshield, lulling our weary spirits till we arrived in Southhaven.
I do realize that this blog is becoming mundane... but that is a true reflection of what the days are like out here. The majority of our time is spent either in the van or setting up and tearing down our equipment and merch table. Not as glamorous as we may have thought, but this is the job, this is the life style. And I wouldn't trade it for anything!

On that note dear readers, if there are even any of you out there, I will say farewell, as it is late and my fingers are slowly giving up on me and my ability to form intelligent sentences.

Still remaining,
honestly and bluntly,
your bloggist,

Stephanie Liana Kulla.