Another LA endurance test. Touch down at noon. Driven to artist check-in. I brought candy for the ladies there and they immediately were down for helping me with a few last minute problems I was encountering. As I’ve found out on these tours, being nice and friendly gets you a lot further than being a typical tour manager dickhead. Well, at least that’s been my take on it.
Garth shows up, we check the merchandise in, and then make our way to catering and sit under the big tents until show time. The show was okay, but a rather difficult situation seeing as how other shows were blaring from other stages at the same time as our set. The comedians being the pros that they are, they power through it and make it work. Garofalo does a guest set that kinda falls on deaf ears. Patton goes short and then goes and passes out in our half-trailer that we’re sharing with the nice kids in the Ravonettes.
I get the comedians over to the Virgin tent for autographs, say my goodbyes and immediately head to Amoeba for a bit of record shopping before my red-eye back to Atlanta. Garth suggests taking the train which almost turned into a fucked decision as I almost miss my flight due to 20-30 minute change-overs between trains. Ugh.
The second the plane takes off, I pass out. 20 minutes later, the captain gets on the horn to tell us that the plane is going back to LAX due to a faulty gas filter. Long story short, we get back on the plane at 5am, I immediately pass out again (consider it a talent of mine) and I get back to the house with the wifey and the pooch around noon. Not bad for the first leg of the tour.

A bit of good news/bad news is that I will now be able to see the Melvins in town on Wednesday as the COC show in Vegas was cancelled. Ten days in town before I leave again. I’m going to enjoy it.