Local Band Tour Diary: Update 6

[Chaz Prymek Tour] After Chico we headed up for Arcata, we got so close and it turned out the forest was alive and on fire, so we had to turn around and take a 5 hour detour. Thank goodness our schedule isn't as grueling as some bands tend to organize. I say day off every other day. So we took our detour and plowed throught the beautiful and smokey mountains till we hit the coast again. It always feels good to "hit" the coast. Refreshing air, your lungs love you, your eyes love you, your spirit always soars. All good things come from the coast.

We drove through Eureka and finally made it to Arcata. Garrick used to live here, so he was my tour guide, and what a wonderful place it is. A small port-esque town with hippies, super chillers, and bros running amuck. We wandered the town quietly and eventually made our way to the beach to find a good spot to crash, made a small fire and did our best to avoid the local law enforcement.

The morning was a delight to wake up covered in sand next to your best friend on a beach in a town you've never been to, only to be invited in for breakfast from some fellow travelers, Cosmo and Love. We took our sweet time and headed up to the Redwoods. I'd never seen anything like it, I finally truly understood why all those people tie themselves to these things, they are some of the most pure, beautiful, enormously wonderous things I've ever seen. I felt like I was on Endor. It really put me in check as to how insignificant I am as a single being. I'm nothing compared to these trees and the lush life around them. These trees know a wisdom that no human will ever know, but if you listen close enough and are open, they will share it with you.

We got back to town and played at Big Pete's Pizza. It was cool and we got some free pizza. Everyone in Arcata that we ran into was super generous and into the best music. Thanks Arcata. After the show we drove to this spot where we had learned was free camping, met some groovy couple (the parents of Justin Gordon, who is currently on tour with The Avett Bros....woah) and they were so kind. We crashed under a tree to keep us as dry as we could get. With the sounds of the ocean below us, seals around us, the redwoods right behind us, the eclipse just over head, we slept like gods.

We headed up towards Eugene, Or where our next show was. The night was long and we had alot of trouble finding a legit camping spot that wasn't near a creek a creek with names like JumpOff Joe Creek, or Butcher's Knife River, Slathe Lake, I mean, who thought it was a good idea to name it those things. That whole area had the biggest "Deliverance" vibe going on, so we headed further away. We found a spot and were met with the two kindest ex addicts there ever was. They gave us fresh fish, firewood, home-grown veggies, coffee in the morning, and bought a few CDs. What Luck.

Off to Eugene! (Chaz Prymek)

Local Band Tour Diary: Day 4

[Chaz Prymek Tour] The drive to Big Sur was AMAZING! Overwhelming even, we stopped at the Henry Miller Library to see if they had any good shows going on and ran into another touring band, playing at some place in Alpine. So go see them. Whoever they are. Big Sur is not like Jack Kerouac put it, it's very beautiful and lush, and green, but very ritzy now. Our Saturn was probably the worst off car we saw the whole time. But I do recommend you drive it. I think it's important.

We stopped and got some soup and decided we couldn't afford to stay in Big Sur, so we hit the road to Santa Cruz.

I have decided that I want to live in Santa Cruz. We kicked it old school style for a while before getting a tip of lispsy pizza girl of a spot to camp above the campus there. We drove up and found a spot to park finally, when out of the car behind us came the nicest of humans. A girl named...Angela...or Elisa... In the morning we weren't sure, we're still not even sure if she was real. Real or not, she was a doll, and so kindhearted. We talked with her in her camper she lived in, in a camper community on campus at USCS. She walked us up to a meadow in the redwoods behind her camper and left us to the woods.

Meteor shower. blah blah blah. Woke up surrounded in fog to the point of white blindness. Blah Blah Blah. Left Angel(a or Elisa) a note saying thank you. And took off for San Fran.
San Fran was cool, now were in Sacramento kicking it till the show, reading, writing, living, loving, vibin', groovin', killin'.

We have discovered a few things about each other: I really like forests and wake up WAY too early. Garrick is not human. Hannah loves to shout through tunnels.

We recorded Hannah's album up at the farm so get one when it’s all done. I think we're coming home sooner than planned.

We're smelly and sunburnt.

Love you guys, keep on rocking in the free world.

(Chaz, Garrick, Hannah)

p.s. body surfing isn't as easy as regular surfing.

Local Band Tour Diary: Day 3

[Chaz Prymek Tour] The show at the Habitat was amazing. The vibe there was so mellow and beautiful. Candles burning, minimal light, perfect sound, good people. I still can't get over it. So big ups to s.d.

The drive from San Diego to Santa Barbara is so rad, but as rad as it may be, its like a time warp. It took us twice maybe three times as long as we though. WTF right?! BUT! If you do find yourself on the ONE in Huntington Beach, stop at this place named THE SECRET SPOT its behind some gas station by some skate shop in a really ritzy part of town. Best food every. Well, maybe not ever but pretty damned close. Garrick and I were tripping out on his sandwich and my veggie burrito. As we headed further and further up the coast we turned into Cheech & Chong. The drive was beautiful though, I can't announce (express, exhaust, I don't know what word I'm looking for) that enough.

We got to Topanga Canyon before night fall and decided we needed to get some good vibes from it, after all, Devendra made his album up there, so did Uncle Kyle. So we drove up it for a while and breathed it in DEEP. We then spent until night fall trying to find the house that Incubus recorded the Morning View album in. Little known fact, the street their house was on just so happens to be named Morning View, hence the album name, we drove by the house, I was and still am a bit overwhelmed. As much as it's unhip or what have you, Incubus rocks, we all know it, we can deny it as much as we want, but we all have that album and we all know most the words. Michael Einzinger is my hero.

We FINALLY made it up to the farm we were going to be working and kicking it on a bit after night fall. The scenery was epic, we met my old friend Pete, who on my last tour I dragged along with me from Tempe, AZ, the long way to San Diego. We crashed under a little tree fort on a pete-built deck that he usually keeps his tent on, under the stars and looming the sea.

We woke up and went to work to earn our keep and stay. Then we had ourselves a beach day, climbing through tunnels to get to privately owned, mostly remote spots on the beach, we shared salad, two buck chuck, avocadoes, swim, swam, swum, got burnt to a crisp, and put a map in a bottle and sent it out as far as we could. Our new singer, farmer friend Shae was a huge part in all of this. I highly recommend to any touring band, days off. Farm work. Plan your tours more aesthetically, it's nicer this way.

The Drive from Santa Barbara to Big Sur is twice as gorgeous as anything I could compare it to.

More to come.
p.s. I fixed my guitar
p.p.s. we don’t know how to upload photos yet.

(Chaz Prymek, Garrick, Hannah)