tour 4.04
Wednesday, April 9 1997 Memphis TN Barristers
Zeph - The club was back in its original location downtown. They’d reconstructed the place inside. Moved the stage, and brought in a better PA and monitor system. We got there early and it was open so we went in and this guy Andy was sleeping in a booth. He worked there but we’d never met him. He woke up and took us all out to breakfast. As usual at Barristers, in either location and especially when we play, there was no crowd whatsoever. The band that played before us was in a tour bus. It was pathetic.
Jeff Buckley was down in Memphis and he came by to say hello. The other band lost electrical power onstage once and we lost it twice. Then Aaron’s amp goes completely dead. It was ridiculous. We’re only playing to the other band and Jeff and Andy and Chris Walker. Someone just volunteered an amp and brought it up onstage and Aaron is saying “No.” Then Andre’s sort of hassling him and they start arguing and then Andre and I start arguing about arguing onstage. We went back to Andy’s place with Jeff and watched “The Party” with Peter Sellers and smoked pot and drank.
Andre - Andy talked me into eating a Muffaletta sandwich. It was one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. I recognized JB immediately, I had seen him play before. He had a stunningly beautiful falsetto. Was it weirder to be hanging out watching T.V. with him or that he had drowned just months later? I’m still not sure.
Carol- we got there kinda early and there was this new dude. his name was andy and he took us out to lunch at some middle eastern place for no reason. Andy looks like he should be a deadhead from santa cruz. tonight was a complete riot in a disastrous way. first my friend rob met up with us on his way to LA and his car got broken into and his diary and a bag of weed got stolen. on the tv was a dead folk singer (Laura Nyro). the first band was a horrible metal band and they were called something bad which i can’t remember. aaron’s amp died in the middle of the set. Jeff Buckley happened to be in town recording and showed up at the club. i didn’t know who he was but he turned out to be really nice and came with us to Andy’s and we watched ‘the party’ with peter sellers, drank and got stoned. Rob was freaked out and took off after we played. what a strange day!
Matt- Less than two months from this night, Jeff Buckley disappeared into the Mississippi River.
Thursday, April 10 1997 Dallas TX
the Orbit Room w/Love Button
Z - Probably our best show in Dallas but it wasn’t very good. Duncan was gone and the hospitality wasn’t as warm. Matt and I got into some kind of argument at the end of the set. What kept it cool was that this was the first of three shows that were put together as a package by our promoter friend in OK City, Brian Brown. One of the bands were from Norman and knew Dan and Todd so it was like the first breath of Oklahoma friendship.
A - It’s a long room with the bar on one side and the stage in front. Someone toldme Johnny Thunders had played there. I had never been to Dallas before. I drove the van out of town the next day and Zeph guides me down past the “grassy knoll.” As we pass the book depository and approach the overpass, Zeph, from the back seat yells “BANG!” I think, at that point, it was wishful thinking on his part.
C- Andy bought us breakfast. maybe he felt bad for us. tension started to really brew between Zeph and André. the orbit was as i remembered. however, even less friendly. love button was silly. Aaron’s dad came to see us. my peavey, i mean Cookie’s peavey died during the set. it sucked! we just drove to norman.
Friday, April 11 1997 Norman OK
Cafe 66 w/Love Button
A - Norman is very very flat with a big wide open sky and after Morgantown this is, I am told, the place where CH has a home. People dig the band and after a number of shows with no one in the club, this is meant to be the highlightof the tour. And from what I remember they were right. The club was full. I must have started drinking early because I remember only the parking lot before the show, a few moments of being on stage and then strong arming a “Cheetah Style” T shirt out of Aaron’s hands. I didn’t get the full report of my actions until Austin, but it’s clear that I let everyone down and this sets the tone for the rest of the tour.
Z - Love Button are from Norman and do pretty well there but we went on last because we are so well loved in that town. Nearly 300 people. One of our biggest crowds ever. Andre got too drunk. He fell on his ass again and was swinging his legs and bass around and pissing people off. One of our friends in the audience kicked him. The girls were screaming for “…then goes back to school.” And when we got to that song it was a special moment. Earlier in the day Carol and Aaron had both gotten new amps. Carol got a Kustom previously owned by Dan. Aaron got a fawn colored Marshall.
C- it was a really great show. a lot of kids showed up and packed the place. i got a new kustom amp earlier in the day with my tax return. it used to belong to Dan but he didn't have any money so i pawned it out for him for in a sense and kept it. it was such a steal, less than 200 bucks. i felt kinda bad but excited to have a new working amp nonetheless. i think it's pretty cool. Aaron also bought a new used amp, a marshall. we are ready to rock! had dinner at a thai restaurant with Dan and it was really yummy. and we had a really good show except for André falling all over the place. there was a party at Dan and Todd's afterwards and it was a lot of fun as usual. Todd put on fleetwood mac and these girls started dancing. there was this kid who was so wasted and he kept goin on about the beatles and the minor 7th chord and wouldn't shut up. he finally left but didn't get too far. his pick-up truck fell in to a ditch in Dan & Todd's neighbor's front yard and everybody laughed.
