Chapter 25 - MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE
It's
a good thing that we had a chance to recharge our batteries
with a day off because today was going to be a very full day,
indeed. We would be driving from Redwood City to Lake Tahoe
and then doing a gig that night in the show room at Caesar's
Palace. Now the drive was only 215 miles but a major portion
of it was climbing up into the Sierra Mountains on a beautifully
scenic highway that ran along side the American River and
it was like an uphill slalom in an Italian road rally. It
was great for someone driving a Porsche or a Ferrari but very
slow going for a forty-foot land yacht and a general pain
in the ass for 'Jeff the Invincible.' The narrow two-lane
black top twisted through the Sierras like a giant snake,
the mountain above us on one side and the river just below
us on the other. It was Mr. Toad's wild ride all right, like
riding an elephant on roller skates. If you've ever been stuck
behind a Winnebago on a two lane black top with no passing
lane, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
On the
other hand, I was having a wonderful time. I was strapped
into The Chair , with various snacks and had
an absolutely amazing view of the spectacular scenery going
by. It just so happened that the river was on the passenger
side of the bus and thus I was treated to a non-stop singular
stream of beauty for a couple of hours. I remember the route
very well from my early days with The Travelers 3. Of course,
then we were traveling in an old Dodge van and not a luxurious
tour bus, but that's another story. This was one of those
few times when I didn't have to do the driving up highway
50 to Lake Tahoe. All I had to do was just sit back and enjoy
the ride.
We finally
made it over the summit at about six thousand feet and started
to slowly descend into the valley and the city of South Lake
Tahoe for our gig that evening and another round of casino
chaos. There were so many hotels and casinos on the main drag
into town that you couldn't even see the lake, unless it was
from a hotel room about ten floors up. And even then your
view may be blocked by another hotel. It's obvious that the
majority of people who come to Lake Tahoe aren't here to appreciate
the natural beauty of the place; they're here to gamble! But
at least it was a more pleasant location than Las Vegas or
Atlantic City.
After
we checked in, I got settled in my room and headed down to
the stage for sound check. As soon as I saw the dressing rooms
I was reminded of the first time I worked there with Dan back
in '91. That was my first tour with Fogelberg and the beginning
of some great friendships and great music. I also remember
that my wife, Michele, was there to see our opening night
and came back stage after the show. A lot of years had passed
since then but when I got on stage and sat behind the drums,
I still had the same excitement and enthusiasm that I had
at that first sound check in '91. When you're playing great
music with great musicians you never get tired of it. And
Dan has always put together great musicians.
I couldn't
help but remember my rookie days with the Travelers 3 and
the sixties, when we used to work the same casinos. Of course,
then we were in the lounge and now I was working the "Big
Room" with Dan. You could still see the lake then too.
Yes, a lot had changed over the years, more buildings, more
people, but I realized how fortunate I've been to spend so
many of those years doing what I love most...making music.