New Beginnings

For the next month, I'm going to try and keep an update to the happenings while on tour with West Indian Girl. As always, check http://westindiangirl.com/blog for all of the great pics and updates from the band members themselves.

So on March 31st after a nice sendoff from my co-workers, I left my job of almost three years to venture out as the tour manager for the LA band West Indian Girl. The train ride up to Boston allowed me some time to reflect on the past few years. I had come to NYC to work in music, and at that time I had no idea how hard it would be even getting in the door. I started in advertising, found my way to BMG, and have been going to NYU and studying in their Music Business program for the past couple years. A lot of doors have been slammed, I've had a tough time finding where I belong in the industry, but in the past few months after getting to know West Indian Girl, they offered me the job as their tour manager for a month long coast to coast tour. I finally felt like this was my chance, as the band is full of potential and the experience will be priceless. So theres a brief background, now on to the tour...

Saturday April 1st-Boston University:

5AM-Wake up and drive to Logan to pick up Rob(guitar/vocals),Mark(drums),Nathan(keyboards) and Kevin(sound engineer)
7AM-Arrive home to Mom's house. She and Thom welcome them all with open arms. How cool is that?
10-2PM-Band sleeps throughout the house as I wait for Fran (bass) and Mariqueen(vocals) to arrive.
2:30PM-Fran and Q arrive. Great finally to meet Fran as we had been on the phone for the past 2 months every single day but had never met in person. The entire band is just great, very nice, laid back, and as excited for this tour as I am.
3:30PM-Arrive at Boston University. Josh Hiscock is the production guy. Yeah Hiscock.
4:00PM-My first load in complete, the band sets up for sound check as I get everything set business wise with the BU people. Everyone is very accommodating, the dressing room is filled with food and drinks. No beer though since the college is not allowed to supply alcohol, Bummer.
5:00PM-Sound Check complete, we sit down and watch the Final Four games. Go Florida!
5:30PM-Augustana arrives and begins soundcheck. They had been on Kimmel and Leno the prior week so in my first big decision on the first day, I decide to switch set times with them so as to maximize the crowd potential and exposure for WIG.
6:00-7:30-Just hanging out in dressing room, eat dinner, try and talk to Augustana guys but, well, guess being on Kimmel somehow already got to their heads.
8:00-9:00PM-Dave, Hoff, and Cobra show so I'm able to hang out a bit with them. Thanks a lot for coming guys...Josh Bhatti also shows up and I dont think this tour would be happening without him...I think i owe him a huge favor...
9:15PM-Band goes on. Sound is decent considering the room is in a basement of a building at Boston University. Crowd was pretty dead and lifeless. Dont think it was the band, rather the fact there was no alcohol allowed inside. Band hit there groove more in the 2nd half of the show. Pretty tight considering they hadnt played in over a week together.
10:15-12:30-Sell Merch, pack the trailer, get out.
12:30-7AM-Drive throughout the night to Pennington,NJ where we are staying with Fran's sister. The family is amazing and so hospitable. At this point, I'm delirious and fall asleep on a 4 foot couch in a basement. I havent slept in 26 hours. Ahhh....Update on Philly show later...Lets just say it blew away Boston University....