FRiDAY @ LOLLA w/ The KNUX

FRiDAY, AUGUST 7th, 2009

3:50AM - O... K... Wake up... Thankful I could get to sleep @ 11:00PM. Shower, granola with fresh fruit, grab fav over-night bag, lock the locks, cab to LGA.
4:30AM - iLLLY Pakistani cab driver is BUGGGGin'! I watch his driving for a few mins to make sure he's not drunk. He won't stop laughing, singing and calling me 'The Man'... Whoa. tooooo early or tooooo late for this. Still, enjoy his wackiness.
6:00AM - Flight takes off, on time, for Chicago. Insert earplugs, zzzzzzzzzzzz's.
7:22AM (Central) - The landing @ O'Hare wakes me, deplane, wash face, grab coffee & catch a cab to Grant Park in downtown Chicago.

7:50AM - Mad traffic headed downtown... BUT - THE CAB DRiVER iS CHiLLLLLLLiN'! HAHAHA

8:30AM - Get up with Grant @ Artist Relations and sort Credentials, Guest Passes, Meal Tix, Parking, Load-In, Etc. - WORD TO MARC LaBELLE!
9:30AM - Walk the grounds, check out The Citi Stage where we'll perform @ 1:00PM.
10:15AM - Grab quick grubs and More coffee...
10:45AM - Walk back over to the Citi Stage to meet with Jeff, our stage manager.
11:30AM - Got parking info, hit Julius (rdmgr) with the details, waiting on The KNUX arrival...
11:45AM - Waiting, begins to rain. Enter starbucks for more coffee.
12:00PM - Uh, guys?
12:20PM - The KNUX show up, rush them and their gear to the stage...
12:40PM - 20 Mins 'till SHOW TiME - Instruments are set up, begins to rain, kids are showing up...
12:50PM - KiDS ARE SHOWiNG UP

1:00PM - SHOWTiME, LOOKiN GOOD!

1:20PM - CROWD HAS GROWN TO ABOUT 5,000.00

1:25PM - "Cappuccino" got 'em ROCK-iNG!

1:40PM - Ripped thru "The Train" and "Roxanne", TiME FOR "BANG! BANG!"

1:45PM - Called kids up on stage for "The Fire Dance"... Got 20 kids buggin' to the final trk! Jeff is REAL happy with me for this... HAHAHA

2:00PM - Post show huddle in the dressing room... Paul and Allison are in the house, spirits are up, find out Al was tripping, literally, the ENTiRE SHOW...

2:30PM - Rainy golf cart ride to the FYE tent to sign copies of 'Remind Me In 3 Days...'

3:00PM - Signing went well... It's ill to me to watch the process - kid walks up, hands over money for TK cd, walks over, gets to talk to them, they sign it, everyone's stoked!
3:05PM - Fuse on camera interview...
3:30PM - Head to the press tent. Knock out 5 interviews.
3:42PM - A google alert for The KNUX comes in to my bberry.
Turns out to be a RAViNG MTV REViEW .
4:15PM - Brief lunch break
4:45PM - Back to press tent - more more more...
6:00PM - Leila @ Adidas laces the guys w wears...
7:00PM - Back to hotel to chill b4 heading to the ASiCS/ URB afterparty where TK are performing @ 1:00AM.
9:00PM - Can't nap - need shower, then food.
9:45PM - 2 choices for dinner - something called Panda and some chain Mex restaurant. All the food @ Panda is brown, miss NYC - opt for Mex.
11:00PM - Head to the URB party @ EN VENT.
11:45PM - Pleasantly surprised that EN VENT is a dope, loft like spot in a warehouse district instead of a typical nightclub.
12:00AM - Josh from URB has taken care of us, we're in some wierd, closet board room living room thing... Friends are showing up, drinks are pouring.
12:30AM - Spot runs out of alchohol.
12:45AM - UH OH - people are leaving.
1:00AM - Showtime, kinda' underwhelming, many peoples BROKE NORTH when the dranks ran dry.
1:01AM - IMPRESSED as always by The KNUX who rock the room like its still packed... They really take performing seriously and I'm proud to be a part of the team.
2:00AM - After a brief interview, we thank Josh and head out for some action.

2:30AM - Everyone is indecisive, Sid suggests Chicago's infamous 'The Wiener's Circle' . We pull into the parking lot and are immediately screamed on for driving into the exit (pause).

2:31AM - Krispy get's into it with a cashier. OF COURSE.

2:35AM - Thinking how much my boy Neil would digg this spot... He would go here every day.

2:38AM - The crew lived thru the insults and is GRUBBiN'!

3:00AM - Mission accomplished, head back to the hotel.
4:00AM - Feel good about the trip, head to O'Hare for my 6:00AM flight back to NYC.
5:00AM - Strugglin'
5:30AM - Really strugglin'
6:00AM - Lift off and LIGHTS OUT! GAME OVER.

HELL YUP!