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The Tao of Wu
by Jason Fladager - phlaash@aol.com - The Big WuHey everybody! So good to be home. This last tour: ~down through the Rockies, through the desert Southwest, up the Coast of California to the Pac. Northwest, and finally through Missoula~, was smooth and creamy for the band. No vehicles being JaCKeD. No run-ins with the sketch patrol. Very nice indeed. I'm pretty young at doing the touring thing but one of the things I really notice is that there really is no time to do any exploration; like if you were on a vacation. You wake up on a different floor, in a different city each day...seeing the country one floor at a time.
Got a few days of exploration... We did a show at the Last Day Saloon in San Francisco and we arrived in early from a show the night before at the Brookdale Lodge. I asked the day bartender where Haight/Ashbury was because I'd never been to San Francisco and just wanted to walk the street where all the excitement was a while back, breath in the air, and check out 710 and so forth. She pointed in a vague direction and I just sorta headed that way. If you are from San Fran, you prolly know that the Last Day Saloon and Haight/Ashbury are about 4 miles apart. It puzzled me at the time because I was in a weird state of mind, but I walked to Golden Gate Park, took a left, and walked right to the corner of Haight and Ashbury! As if the good vibes took me there on a wind...surely coincidence or maybe not. I checked out the scene there and then walked up the hill to 710 Ashbury. There was a "no parking" sign in front of the house and on the back was a Jiggle the Handle sticker. (*go to their tour schedule and see if they are coming near you at the this time...and prepare to be turned on!) I didn't snap any pictures, just said to myself, "cool place" and trekked back to the club. My little journey...no need to relish the dog. Just a nice walk.
We were fortunate enough to play at the Stafford Lake Festival in Northern Marin County, just outside San Francisco. Man, the High Sierra people you have to hand it to them, they can sure throw a good time! Two nights of Radiators music, Grisman, and...my two biggest discoveries: Yonder Mountain String Band and Donna the Buffalo. Yonder Mountain are ol school' bluegrass music that is the best I've heard ever. What I liked about it so much was HOW they played the music. Big difference for me between how WELL a band plays the material and HOW they play the material. I like it when the movements of the musicians are because the music is taking them over and they can't help themselves and these movements of energy just radiate off them. Mouths begin speaking as if in tongues. Feet begin kicking for no apparent reason. Nothing bums me out more than to know that I'm being faked out in the energy department. Like its obvious the music isn't doing it so the band resorts to cartwheels and other antics to get you to give them the applause. That to me is just as annoying as sitting through anyone of a thousand new sitcoms on CBS. Its entertainment. Go to the circus if you want entertainment. Go to a concert if you want to experience what music can do for you. I enjoyed how Yonder Mountain String Band played bluegrass music...nuff said. Donna the Buffalo again was a band that I really enjoyed how they played music. Come to find, after their mainstage performance which I though was excellent; their drummer Tom informed me that his kickdrum pedal wasn't working properly and was kind of annoying. Could have fooled me....show really struck me good!
Phoenix was smack in the middle of our tour and I felt we were playing very well together this night. We played together with a band called Horticulture, a local Phoenix band that you must definitely check out. The bar we played at was called the Mason Jar and its usually home to alot of 80's metal scene now. I used to love the 80's metal thing. I was so into it...had Maiden posters all over the room and wore a Marlboro-smellin' jean-jacket with VH on the sleeve. I have seen Stryper seven times! I think back on those days and wonder how I ever got to here....
(*if you are unfamiliar with Stryper go http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/3893/stryper.html. Here you can vote for a Stryper reunion, email Robert Sweet!, and see great photos from the Soldiers Under Command tour...) Man I was messed up.
When we were in Las Cruces I was able to check out my first Phish show in a while. Before the show I was walking around the lot and Mike was out riding around on his golf cart. Everyone was so respectful of his space. He was just sitting there in the cart and people were like "hey Mike" and kept walkin' by. I was a dumbass and just had to say thanks or hi or something! I've seen a few shows...expressing appreciation seemed harmless enough. I went over to the cart and when I opened my mouth something came out that sounded more like a cat choking on its fur than English. Frog in the throat or something...he grinned and turned to talk with this girl who sang him an a cappella funkgroove. I felt like a dumbass and went into the show and caught the first set. Got to hear Waste. THE tune that reassures me that more heartwrenching human Phish music is bound to be coming... "Come waste your time with me..." eloquently simple. So little saying so much and yet still being so little. Soulbursting for me anyway...when the music and the lyrics are working with eachother like that, and the goosebumpers come...its what my good friend Paul Hagen calls a "whole-soul cartharsis". I get them at the end of Hood too...when its just music.
This tour was our fourth of the summer, and our first full tour out west. The show of support was much appreciated. Great vibes all around. Each show had something unique and fun about it, but the ones that really stuck out for me as far as vibe and how we played and so forth were: Lincoln, Phoenix, Eugene, Seattle and Missoula. Missoula was the last stop on the tour and much thanks to the people that packed the Ritz! A perfect way to wrap things up. People in the band are really beginning to understand that we are all part of this together and so set ups and tear downs and basically living in a Chev. Suburban most of the time has become an easier process. I really had a great time.
If any of you were there please shoot me an email if you have time. Keep it kind...
The Big Wu has a new LIVE cd recorded the first night at The Big Wu Family Reunion in Harmony Park last Memorial Day. Its available through Homegrown Music Network and through thebigwu.com. Check it out...it's memorable.
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