Yes Yes, im way overdue... sue me.

This is gonna be a long one. Prepare yourself.

So i promised you all that i would blog on my entire trip across the country and back.... i made it three days. But honestly, any of you who know me well, did you really expect anything less from me? I do appreciate the scores of people who IMed me wondering when my next update would be... i didnt think people were that interested, but then i remembered, i know J. Brown, and therefore vicariously, im kind of a big deal.

So i left off in Omaha, where i promised a more exciting entry the following night. I went and saw Billy's show Yesterday and Today which is a review of the Beatles music that gets requested by the audience each night. I was really impressed with the show. The band sounded tight, the set looked amazing, and the lighting was quite good. This actually struck me the most. I usually hate going to see theatre because all i do is look at the lighting and tell myself what i would do to make it better, and notice every little thing i consider to be a mistake. This didnt happen this time though, i really loved what the LD had done, and the moving lights were used fantastically, not overused, not underused. I got a lot of ideas for myself when i get to take on this production in February.

The other news i had received in Omaha is that Brett and Tuohy had decided to fly to San Diego and meet me so we could get some work done on the tour. We arranged to have Jeff play at Lestat's Coffee House, a famous venue in Normal Heights, San Diego, where greats like Jason Mraz, Gregory Page, Carlos Olmeda, and Tristan Prettyman have graced the stage. Brett's and Jeff's time in SD would be short, so we needed to prepare to get a lot done, in not much time.

The next day i boarded a plane to San Diego where i got to see my sister Aimee, meet my new brother-in-law Thomas for the 1st time, and best of all meet my first niece Autumn Sierra. Let me tell you. She is the cutest!! It was pretty awesome to hold her and tell her that i was her Uncle Bryan! My sister and i walked the strip along Pacific Beach while i gathered up possible venues for the tour to stop at. Had some mexican food which i had been craving since i got off the plane.

I got my rental car the next day, i asked for a compact for the low low price of $26 a day, so imagine my pleasant surprise when i was given a Pontiac G6 to drive around for the week. Man, that thing had balls. I took it out to L.A. to meet up with my old roommate Bret and his finance. We had a fine meal and caught up on old times, It was really good to see him, and i look forward to seeing him again when the tour rolls in to L.A. Driving in Los Angeles was pretty interesting, mostly because i experienced not only the 405 which is basically just a parking lot, but also the open road of the freeways, and people blowing by me when i was doing nearly 100 mph.... very cool.

I picked up Tuohy and Brett from the airport, and brought them off to their motel for the night...picking them up the following morning to get some work done. We hit the beach strips, giving out press packets, and finding out just where we wanted to play. Later on that night Jeff played the open mic at Lestat's and killed. Check out one of the tracks, and a video of his performance over at our Reverb Nation page.





After that, and a little surfing the following morning by Jeff, it was time to say goodbye to my sister, brother-in-law and niece, promising i'd be back in a couple months, and we headed on home.

From that point on its been quite a blur. I prolly could me much more detailed in what went on in the month that followed, but im gonna mostly summarize here. I want this entry to be finally done so i can get to some good blogging from the road...

We began a crazy booking spree... i still remember thinking...wow, we have 6 shows booked.... a long way to go, and now i look at our schedule... 28 strong, with a few more on the way and i cant help but have a little pride mixed in with exhaustion. The biggest feat of my new tour manager duties was researching and finally purchasing a tour bus for the company. How man people can say that shit right? I bought a tour bus.

Of course while all this tour stuff is going on Brett and I are also knee deep in the swamp of 42nd street. No M.E. had been hired, so i ended up designing the entire show from the Buddy Holly plot. For what i had to work with, i didnt end up coming out bad at all, and let me tell you... Brett worked her ass off, she practiced and pushed thru the pain and frustration, and she was spectacular. I'm so proud of the way she turned that show around.

So now 42nd street is over. We have played our final shows before the tour, including the Harbor Cruise that took me the closest iv been to the Statue of Liberty since i was about 9 years old. I'v started stepping up slowly and making myself take on more and more responsibility. I don't want to let Jeff down. I know i can do this, and i can do it well.


I'v got one day left here in Waterbury. There is a tour bus parked in front of my house, and its about to be full of gear. I'm going to miss my friends, and family, and of course my pups. Brunk! you'll hear about him from the road no doubt. My new friend, and newest member of the Seven Angels family, sadly can not just tag along on our trek across the country, tho Brett and I desperately wish he could. Next y'all will hear from me, will be from the road.

So Say We All.