08-08-25 RTK Day 1
I met Rae at Encore before 9 and Will helped me load up the trays, and buckets of ice. The morning was a bit frustrating as there were no tables in the green rooms so we couldn’t get set up. They finally arrived and we moved the mountains. Will is a good hard worker. I do love the time during sound check when the air is palpable with anticipation.
Unfortunately there was no security downstairs so I hung out down there reading for a few hours. At least I am reading the Bruce Springsteen biography which is on point. I met each of the tour managers and gave out wristbands, a welcome and all the details they would need.
Odds were first to inhabit their dressing room and enjoyed the provisions. They did say they should shorten their rider as they didn’t need everything like 20 years ago. I appreciate that and we had a good laugh. It is funny that when you are younger it seems like the bands you enjoy must be quite older. As it happens, they are now my peer group. I was glad I had time to go up and enjoy. I had a great talk with the lead singer who’s from Port Moody and played lacrosse against the salmonbellies back in the day but figured that we wouldn’t have run across each other because he was so much older than me. He did not look so much older than me and was shocked that there is only a year difference and we graduated in the same year. Not going to lie that made me feel good.
Odds were truly the most fun!
Next up was Streetheart and they always put on a good show.
The numbers were down this year so far, but the crowd was seemingly very happy whenever I managed to pop up from the dungeon
Honeymoon Suite were also a lot of fun and I was so happy when one of the members mentioned that the only thing he ever asked for on the rider is chocolate bars, and I had supplied them. I did have to kick them out in the end told them to take the food, etc., back to their hotel room as I have to be back at eight in the morning. As soon as they left, a couple of the guys from the arena helped me empty the room so the janitor could do his thing and then I left and got home by 11:30.
A very satisfying day and my ankle survived it. It’s only aching a bit in spite of 17,571 steps.
triumphgal 