A Piano Player's Adventure.

Or Why I Decided to Drive to NY for a 4 week gig!

October 2001

I was booked to play in NY for all of October and so in light of my controlled but real terror of flying,, and having a window of opportunity on each end of the gig, I decided to indulge in a driving holiday.

Monday: September 24th.
Left SF on my trip east and spent the first night in glamorous Elko, Nevada. I knew I'd left civilization because when the hotel clerk asked for my address and I came to the "San Francisco" part, she asked, "is that one word or two?"

Tuesday: 25th.
Lunch in Idaho Falls. A destination I'd been drawn to because out of the mists of the freeway’s monotony loomed a large billboard that announced "Worlds Largest Sheet Music Collection." How could I resist. They didn’t have “Ev’ntide” by Hoagy Carmichael though and I’ve been searching for that for years.
On to Yellowstone where I led the applause for Mother Nature when Old Faithful blew his top. Luckily there's no TV in Yellowstone so there was a respite from the current bad news. Which was good because bicycling around the steaming geysers at dusk plays tricks with the imagination. Lucifer seemed very close.

Wednesday: 26th.
Breakfast in Cody, Wyoming. Found out that I had no urge to buy any “western clothing” so soldiered on after choking down the worst scrambled eggs I've ever had. A strange conglomeration that had only occasional hints of yellow color. Arrived that night in Rapid City, South Dakota having had a nice chat with a Wyoming trooper who was intrigued that I was traveling with three teddy bears but gave me the speeding ticket anyway.
Found a lovely brewery and enjoyed a cask-conditioned bitter whilst watching the Giants on ESPN. Is this a great country or what! 20 years ago it would've been a Bud in dreary motel bar and straight to bed.

Thursday: 27th.
Managed to avoid turning off the freeway to see Mt. Rushmore. Couldn’t stomach the thought of larger than life Presidents. That night, Rochester, Minnesota. All the advertising on the freeway approaches stated that Rochester, MN had been voted, "The most livable city in the US" at least three times. I could find no evidence that this claim was valid.

Friday: 28th.
Rushed to get to Chicago in time for an afternoon Cub's game at Wrigley. Absolute magic. Beer was only $4.75 AND it was served in the stands! We all sang "God Bless America" in the 7th inning stretch gazing teary-eyed at the ivy in the outfield.
But when I get back to the hotel there's an urgent message to call home, and Wesla (Wesla Whitfield wife and singer extraodinaire) tells me the news. The NY gig is canceled. So I have to drive back!

Saturday: 29th.
Late start out of Chicago due to the excellence of the Guinness and jazz at Andy’s the night before. If Chicago didn’t do winter it would have my vote as THE Second City. That night Des Moine, Iowa. Less said the better.

Sunday: 30th.
Cheyenne Wyoming. Why is it that there's amazing natural beauty in this country but the stuff that humans decide to erect on it is so ugly? The best buildings on the whole trip were the old railway stations. As an aside let me tell you that the night life in Cheyenne Wyoming is not what it's cracked up to be either.
That evening had an interesting encounter in the “Best Western” bar with a huge gentleman who was wearing a leather vest that showed off his large, naked, biceps to great advantage. After discovering that I was a musician he insisted I had to hear some of the love songs he'd written. I disappeared to my room while he was tending to Mother Natures needs.

Monday: October 1st.
Lunch in Salt Lake City. Actually the best food and beer I had in the whole 9 days was in Salt Lake City. I thought it was impossible to get beer in Salt Lake, but in fact it was easier than at Pac Bell Park. There it was, a wonderful brewery just a couple of blocks from the Mormon Temple. After lunch spent an interesting hour bicycling across the Bonneville Flats on the Great Salt Lake. This is a weird country. Stopped that night in Wendover on the Utah/Nevada border but slept on the, unfortunately more expensive, Utah side as I find that casinos are the most depressing places to be around. Zombies depositing their hard earned money into metal money pits for entertainment. I understand the thrill of Poker or Blackjack, but "one-arm bandits?"

Tuesday: 2nd.
Arrived home. Kissed the earth outside Pac Bell Park and decided never to leave home again. Unfortunately I now have to FLY to NY on the 20th of October for three concerts. Ah well. Life goes on.
And isn’t that wonderful!