More tales from the road, 8 days in...

and here we are…

….barreling down the road in our beloved RV now dubbed "the white knuckle express". She earned that name after one to many trips down some crazy assed steep hills… Tony and I went through some "national forrest" a few days back in the dead of night…we crested a hill top and saw a sign that had two squiggly lines and read "next 99 miles"… of course that wouldn't have been so bad had the VERY next sign NOT read "8% down grade next 100 miles"…that portion of our journey came to a close at the base of "Hells Canyon"….yes..this is a real place…midway down the nastiest squirmy two lane road I've ever seen with cliff face on one side and a drop off to oblivion on the other…we could smell our brakes starting to deep fry…I eventually said hell with it…kept my feet of the pedals and said a prayer….it got so bad all Tony and I could do was laugh…our eyes were about as wide as saucers..the best part is…we had been cautioned about this route via the Queensryche camp…but thought "nahh…we'll be okay…we're in a smaller vehicle and need to save some time"…yeah…new rule: always listen to the truck drivers..

  The shows have been like a fantastic blur, the drive times in between widdleing down what little energy we have left each night. I remember at one point looking down at my stage tuner and realzing I couldn't get my eyes to focus a few shows back…then looking up at the sea of faces and feeling the adrenaline kick in. The crowds have been so, so amazingly supportive of us. Its a great feeling to be winning over so many new fans each night. We all haul ass to the merch table post set and are swamped with new friends and fans wanting their CDs signed, photos taken. Its just such a great feeling to be connecting with so many amazing people, and seeing them respond to what the 4 of us are putting out there.

  We had a day off yesterday so we could have time to travel from Sacramento CA to Flagstaff AZ. Tony's Father Pat and his wife Diane, live in Kingman AZ. So we were able to crash with them last night. It was really nice to get to see Tony hook up with his Dad. Due to the distance apart, they don't get to see each other very often (much like the rest of our camp with family spread all over the country). We arrived to an amazing steak dinner, great company, warm showers, and a lot of great visit time and laughs. We're only 6 shows in and there are already to many hilarious stories and moments to keep track of….but we certainly had Pat and Diane in stitches.

 Out in Sacramento I had decided to sleep it off for a while. I had been bought many a drink by new friends and fans while watching Queensreyche's set..so yeah…I needed a little "nap"…Kevin Mark and Tony went to a local bar around the corner from the club we'd played and had a blast hanging out with more of the QR gang. As I understand it, at some point Mark climbed a tree while Tony tried to knock him out of it while a large crowd gathered howling with laughter and commenting on what lunatics the Windowpane gang is.

   The QR crew has been just phenomenal, the sweetest group of guys, looking after our every concern, just treating us like family. I can say the same for the band members as well, all such great, warm and welcoming people, and being so good to us. It's a hell of a thing seeing those guys do what they do night after night. So much talent, and so much humility. We all feel very honored to be a part of this tour and be among this group of people. 

 The venues have varied from large clubs to theaters, I gotta say..i think we all LOVE the theaters…just the size of the stages and the sizes of the rooms, sounds incredible in those venues. Chico CA was a hot one…that was the Senator theater. We rolled into Chico and it was about 101 degrees, the theater was an older building so…no AC…I went up to the second story balcony and found some box fans…I turned them all on and literally sprawled out on the floor in front of them…venue staff kept coming by and asking "…are you okay??"….I would moan.."yep…the world is my oyster".. I eventually fell asleep face down on the floor for about an hour…. funny part is I found out a few hours later that there was a green room downstairs with couches and cots…lol…perfect. Chico wouldn't have been so bad except that we were all VERY hung over after Reno…Eddie Jackson (QR Bass player) Michael Wilton (QR lead Guitar) and Parker Lundgren (QR Rhythm guitar) as well as my old friend Kenny Bender (QR guitar tech for Eddie and Parker) and Kelly Gray (QR monitor engineer and our FOH guy) all invited us to this hotel room where some "mega fans" were having a party for the band…Windowpane and free booze??? brilliant. so yeah…we had a ball…but we hit Chico in 100 degree heat with a series of hangovers that could have dropped a rhino. no complaints though….at least not now…lol…it was worth it for such a good hang.

  a really memorable moment happened a few nights back…we rolled out the loading door of the theater after the meet and great and final "idiot check" of the night…(idiot check - when band members return one last time to the venue, stage and dressing room to make sure nothing was forgotten…thus AVOIDING being called an idiot the next day for forgetting said item)… as we came out the loading door, three teenage kids who had been down front rocking our set and whom we'd met at the post show meet and greet to get their CDs and T-Shirts signed…were jamming. One was playing a jembe (hand drum) one was on bass and one was on guitar…we stood there for 10 minutes or so just watching them jam…we had thrown down for them, now they were trowing down for us. It was killer…they could all really play. The youngest was the bass player…all of 14 years old…and slapping and popping on this acoustic bass like Flea on his best day..they were all REALLY good…when they finally ended their 3rd tune..we stood there in awe clapping and thanking them…there was a mutual inspiration at play…as they looked up to us, and we looked up to them…just a bunch of people who love music sharing what they do with each other and for each other. I'll never forget that moment. That's the thing I'm feeling most out here…the people…the people we've been meeting who are so excited about our music and so excited to meet us…and I think it's really coming across just how mutually stoked we are to be meeting them, and how grateful we are to have the opportunity to play for them..this thing…it's not about how many notes you can play, how well you landed that change, how great your tone was that night, how well the set flowed…it's about the people..the exchange of energy..the amazing feeling of sharing a genuine hug with someone you've never met before…they are so happy to meet you..and you are so elated to meet them…it's always been the heart and soul of this band…the fans…the people…and meeting them and embracing them night after night has been one of the greatest feelings of my life. God bless you f*ckers one and all….you're all the reason the four of us aren't dead in a ditch somewhere…thanks so very much for your love and support…

   Tonight we're in Flagstaff, looking forward to the gig and getting loud with my boys again. The tour is going great and we really are killing them night after night, feeling the love and respect from the QR staff and band members has been a tremendous reinforcement to what we've been feeling from each new crowd…we're killing it for you all out here….more to follow… 

  Cheers and much love ~ Glenn

  Final thought ~ last night we were at yet another random gas station..as we pulled in a rather large and expensive looking dual level tour bus with a big "Las Vegas Tours" logo down the side was pulling out….there were lots of very happy looking tourists visible through the tinted windows..watching flat screen TVs..enjoying their journey..as the bus pulled out of the gas station and headed up the freeway…a young pretty brunette in a pink sweater came SCREAMING out of the gas station…running at full pace…yelling "WAIT!!!!….WAIT!!!!…WAIT!!!…" she ran out on to the shoulder and continued sprinting up the road after the bus….as it faded into the distance...

   …at that moment I knew…with all of my heart…I knew….that our tour….was going a shit load better than hers…."