Motives - Settling In and Rehearsal

Thursday, August 12, 1999

An easy day, had coffee with Louie then went to meet Paul and check out rehearsal studio. The guy wasn't in so we looked for a coffee joint and saw a bagel place in Sunnyvale. Then Louie dropped me to the van to pick up Milo at SF Airport while they went around to pick up Phil. I came to the hotel; tried to negotiate a deal for valet parking and went to the cool health club with an outdoor pool and did 20 laps, had a smoothie and came back to work with the computer. I now have to pick up Milo tonight after midnight 'cause his plane was screwed up.

I am in my hotel room listening to Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and band in the Cesar Chavez Park where there is San Jose's annual Music in the Park festival. It's early, being only 6 pm but I'm goin' outside to check it out. Bye. Later on Phil, Paul, Louie & I went to Waves Smokehouse where we will play Thurs. & Fri. next week to meet Mary Kirk, the woman who set up RAW, but she was unable to show up. There was a latino blues band playing with a black drummer and white sax player. We ate on the second floor roof outside which was real atmospheric. The waitresses were beautiful, y'know healthy looking... We got back and rested for a little while trying to listen to KPFA. My alarm woke me as Phil, Paul & I went to get Milo at the SF Int'l airport at 1 am. Paul used his vehicle, a Dodge 4-wheel something or other. We got Milo and were glad to see him after an ordeal with a canceled flight.

Friday, August 13, 1999

A long day, starting with returning Paul's vehicle and picking up my Minivan, a white Grand Voyager. I backed the van down the alley way to get equipment from the hotel and we drove to the rehearsal studio in Sunnyvale. I was to pick up Rebecca at the Sunnyvale Cal-Train commuter rail station. We set up at the rehearsal studio (called Project Rehearsal Studio). Milo and I drove to the train station and Rebecca pulled in. It was good to see her. When I returned Zack was at the studio and it was great to see him too! The whole band has been reconstituted here in Sunny Northern California. It's hard to believe actually. We rehearsed for 5 hours in what turned out to be a non-air conditioned room, sweaty and ugly. The rappers came in to rehearse with us, "Mustafa", "Red-I" and their friend Evan hung out. They toasted and Red-I toasted in Spanish and scat-sang. It was interesting. I wasn't sure how it would turn out live.

The Motives reconstituting themselves in California -
Project Rehearsal Studio Pix

Afterwards, I took Phil to drop Rebecca off at the train station and drove Phil to a former girlfriend. She ran a licensed day-care business in her home, had a nice Rotweiller-Shepherd, Amber, had a garden and a chicken coop in the back yard with a rooster! Interesting. We finally got home. Paul, Phil, Milo and I ate at a local Mexican restaurant in San Jose. It was authentic and had a real kick to it! Tomorrow is our first gig, a day-long performance in Pleasanton so here we come!
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