So we've played five shows and "tour brain" has already started to set in. "Tour brain" is what happens when your everyday life is abruptly transformed from a varied sequence of diverse events into a more regimented, cyclical existence that goes as follows: 1) Hotel Room, 2) Van, 3) Night Club, 4) Van, 5) Hotel Room. Throw in a few stops for gas and a couple vodka sodas and you've got yourself the makings of a pop tour!
In all seriousness, I've been really excited about how things are going thus far. My band looks and sounds great, which is a real thrill given all the hard work we've put into developing our show over the summer. Our team is phenomenal and I couldn't have asked for a more dedicated and talented group of individuals to share this experience with me.
On guitar and bass synth is Graham Van Pelt (best known by his stage name Miracle Fortress) who hails from Montreal and has blessed me with angelic backing vocals and guitar heroics. On electronic drums is Sonny Guy, a Freddy Mercury look-alike from Hamilton, Ontario, whom some might know as the beat and the pulse behind my on-haitus post-punk outfit Matters. Rounding out the band is Karl Skene, a newly minted Toronto resident who oversees what I like to call "the computer world." He's responsible for quarterbacking our entire live show by triggering sequences, backing tracks, and sound effects. He's basically a musical magician.
My long-time creative director Lisa Howard has been more than amazing despite the fact that her workload has quadrupled! She's in charge of making sure that me and my band mates all have fresh duds every night and hit the stage looking our best no matter what. One of the hardest things to do on the road is to make it look as though you aren't actually on the road sleeping four hours a day and living out of suitcase. Somehow (and I don't really know how) Lisa pulls it off.
Rounding things out is my managerial team. Remi Arora is my go-to day-to-day band manager and has been with us on this first leg making sure everything is running smoothly. Last but not least is Maria Carullo, our amazing tour manager and resident Tori Amos fan. She literally keeps the wheels on the bus and has been doing an amazing job keeping everything together.
It's a real thrill to be sharing the stage with Stars and after yesterday's day off in Washington, DC, I'm really looking forward to being back in the spotlight this week! Stay tuned...