Rooney

Just got off stage after the first show of the tour. What a crowd. The set was very short but the crowd was so insane it felt even shorter. Tonight we celebrate. See you guys soon.

-Louie

Spring Tour- So I had a computer meltdown on the road. Excuses excuses...no, but for real. My tour diary is all gone...erased...gobbled up by the evil hard drive thieves. Never fear, I'm up and running again. Tour is over and it all went well....Let me search my memories right now. Our time in Vegas was probably the most memorable. We spent the first day at the Super 8 hotel. It was located just off the Strip and next to a casino called Ellis Island. We all went out to the Ellis Island restaurant for some breakfast...terrible service, but great prices. I had the steak and eggs....a really good steak. Then, Matt and I hit the tables...Black Jack. Matt's the biggest gambler in the band...biggest meaning, most addicted. But I've had my moments too. I remember, when I turned 21, I my brother and some friends took me to Vegas and I got sucked/suckered into playing Roulette. I thought I had it figured out...I had a system. My theory was, if color showed multiple times, then the greater the chances for the color to switch. So, when there have been 8 blacks, then bet big on red. Not a good plan. It worked for a while...I was winning...then I got careless. I started betting big. There were like 10 blacks in a row and I ran to the table. I put half my money on red and lost. Then I kept betting red and it kept hitting black. By the time it hit red, I had lost all my money. I ran to the ATM and missed the next game. It was my first day in Vegas and I was down down down. I spent the rest of my time there thinking about how I could win my money back. I went to Vegas on a budget, with X amount of dollars to gamble with and only X amount. You have to be willing to lose the money you gamble with. I broke my promise to myself and went to the ATM. Big mistake...and I'll never do it again. This time in Vegas, I had more self control. I played a few hands of Black Jack and walked away. I don't know how Matt ended up doing, but I was up a little by the end of the trip. The next day, I went to the Mac store to get my computer fixed. It was in a mall called Fashion Center, or something like that. Right outside the Mac store, there was a runway that came out of the floor. Pretty amazing. Pretty weird. My brother and his fiance' came down from LA for the show, so I met up with them for lunch at Binions. The show was at a venue/club called Beauty Bar. It was 21 and up, which sucked, but it was the only place available for that friday night. Beauty Bar is located in downtown Vegas. I'm a big fan of old Vegas...all those old casino's are more my style then the newer placed on the strip. Sound check was a nightmare. The stage was set up outside in the parking lot and the PA system was all broken and fucked. It was getting late and we were all running around, trying to find a way to make it sound better. Eventually, the PA guy had to rent a new PA about an hour before showtime. The crowd was cool. 21 and over crowds usually have a different vibe. They're less willing to participate with the show, like sing and dance and scream. But you got to try your best. After the show, we hung around with some friends and took the party to Binions. I played Texas Hold em and won a little bit more cash...not a bad time at all. Me, Ned, and Louie ended up back at the bus at 6 a.m.. A long, great night in Vegas. The next day, I woke up at a truck stop near Phoenix, showered, drank a shit load of water ate the BIG THREE...three eggs, three pancakes, and three pieces of bacon. The phoenix show that night was awesome...great crows, great vibe in the room. The next show was San Diego, which is always a good time...I met a lot of happy fans after the show. After the show, I packed my suitcase and waiting for the bus to head back home. I literally was home for about an hour, then I left for NYC to begin mixing. I've been in NYC with Taylor all week mixing...it's going really really well. We leave for Minnesota tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m.. Can't wait to get up early...I hate morning flights; always throws off the day. -Robert

Day 2- 4/19/06 I'm sitting in the lobby of the Ramada Inn...using the free wireless internet connection. Thank you technology! I love this wireless world. We played last night in San Francisco. It was really FUN. Everyone was singing along and dancing and getting into it. It's always the best when people let loose...it's hard to do...it's hard for me when I go to other shows, but it always makes the experience better. I was feeling a little sick before the show. It didn't affect me much, but after the show, I was wiped out. My voice was a bit warn out; I have a whole vocal warm-up and warm-down routine, which I did before and after the show. My voice was fried when I got back on the bus. I slept all day today...and didn't speak to anyone. That's what I do when I lose my voice. But all that sleep really helped. I'm feeling a lot better now. We drove straight to Portland...it took most of the day. We got in at 6:30ish. I needed a shower badly...Slim's didn't have one. That was the first thing I did when we arrived. Then we all went to the hotel restaurant...a very strange vibe. ned snuck a drink in and almost got us kicked out. That asshole! It was a good dinner though..I had some hot wings and a nice juicy New York Steak. Not bad at all...better than most random crappy restaurants. Now, I'm in the lobby. I don't know where everyone went off to. That's what happens, we all go our separate ways. I bought some tofuti cuties in SF. My favorite dessert. I like the mint chocolate chip flavor...anything mint I like...and I also got some Newman o's. My other favorite dessert. It keeps a smile on my face, no joke. But after dinner, when I rushed back to the bus for my cutie, I opened the freezer and found melted cuties. FUCK! Yes, melted. The freezer couldn't keep them whole. It really ruined my night. But, luckily, I planned ahead and broke out my Newman Mint O's. They save the day...thank you Newman O's. I think I'm going to put a movie on. I bought In Living Color season 1...which was one of my favorite shows growing up...I watched singing in the rain today...one of the best films ever...with the best songs!