Tuesday & Wednesday - August 31, September 1, 1999 - Iowa Redux.

Paul & Louie Contemplating Another Trip - Tribeca, NYC 8/31/99. We left again for Iowa this time Louie, myself, Milo and his wife Alex. I don't even want to write about it. Conversations about the "art" of conversation. Who controls who etc. Some inane minivan conversation in my opinion, a little bit of tension. Maybe this trip came too soon after our California trip. Everyone finally heard The Nails, Mood Swing. Dangerous Dreams to come. I attempted to take an obligatory picture of Pennsylvania as it is one of those night states that one just cannot take a picture of. The sun was going behind the ridge but it looks dramatic...

We drove alongside Paul and Phil in Paul's Wagoneer. We passed him in New Jersey but Louie got a speeding ticket in Pennsylvania. We sat there as the Jeep passed us. Paul then called on his cell phone and indicated that he wanted to stop at the first stop where there was a Subway. The call was barely intelligible but enough so that we stopped where there was a subway and Paul and Phil were there. Paul is an aficionado of the Subway Veggie Sub. We shared our subway subs! Later on we were driving together for awhile and stopped in Ohio as well. Thereafter we left them in the dust as our minivan, sans equipment this time was able to go faster. We had to check transmission fluid as there was a problem that had been checked our last time in Iowa by one of Mr. Bolluyt's friends, a Caravan expert. Louie decided to drive all night where I desired to rest somewhere. I had to take over while tired but took an alternative route in the Quad Cities area where we drove across the Mississippi on a pretty arch bridge. Milo attempted to document this on Alex's video camera but it didn't work which caused some consternation. We first drove around Iowa City and saw the Hubbard Field where we were to play as well as the Airliner Club.

We then arrived at Coralville and decided to stay at the Big Ten Inn 'cause it was cheap. Not all our rooms were ready but we put the equipment in the room that was. Louie and I went to the mediocre Mex restaurant across the street where he kvetched to me about the band and this trip. Remember it's the gig that counts. I was a good listener. The other guys eventually came by and I roomed with Paul. Unfortunately the equipment room was hot with the air conditioning not working right so we were moved to another room that was nice and cold. Due to Louie's paranoia (and being from NYC I know how that is), Phil stayed with the equipment and he said it was just fine. Paul and I napped and then went out with Louie to the Airliner for pizza and to scout the place for the next night.

Thursday - September 2, 1999 -- Stayed at world famous Big Ten Inn in Coralville, Iowa City's sister city. We drove over to Iowa City and located Hubbard Field early in the morning. When we got there we noticed the lonely stage that was beckoning us to play in the middle of the field. Rebecca's cool friend Kathy from the IU Alumni Association introduced herself as did her student compatriot Rachel, who both helped us out, especially because we had to go to a Coralville music store to get a kick drum pedal. We slowly but surely set up and then played in Hubbard Field, fucking hot during Student Activity Day. Despite the heat and no canopy over the stage, we had a good time playing... and it shows...

It wasn't that the crowd was scanty; they were hanging around all the tables. It was simply too hot to sit in front of us and watch us for any length of time. I got some sunburn as a badge of honor as well as an Iowa U. Activity T-shirt.

We are now in the Airliner Club where we're setting up for our playing tonight. I am actually testing my new Powerbook right now as it baked in the minivan for a few hours. It works! The club fed us a good lunch meal. I need to take a picture of it but I don't care that much anymore. Later... After we set up we had well, 5 hours of break time without a motel to hang out at. Phil and I, at Rebecca's direction, decided to go the IU Fieldhouse to take a shower 'cause we were sweaty to say the least after playing outside in 95 degree weather and then hauling equipment up the stairs at the Airliner. It was about a 15-20 minute walk from the club but we got some directions from, you know, a beautiful young student! It was heaven taking a shower even if we had to dry off with our sweaty shirts. If I only knew there was a pool there I would've gone swimming. We got into some clean clothes and walked back. On the way back after crossing the Iowa River, we saw Milo and Alex coming toward us. We pointed them to the Fieldhouse. We then stopped at the sterile local mall and had some ice coffee. After we went back to the club to more or less hang out. I was looking out the front window people watching and then took a walk around the block and caught a neat bookstore where I was checking out a book that compared the lives and philosophies of Frederick Douglas, Ralph Ellison and Bob Marley. The name of this book is On Racial Frontiers: The New Culture of Frederick Douglass, Ralph Ellison & Bob Marley. There were some other good books you just don't find in a chain store such as Howard Zinn's American History books. Later on I saw Douglas so Phil, Douglas and I took a walk to the store as well as a pedestrian mall around the corner. It was finally getting time to play...

Well it was Rebecca "This Is Your Life" night with all her IU roommates, young beautiful friends coming to see her perform with The Motives. Even her friend Emily flew in from 'Frisco to see her! We did 3 fun sets to her blonde brethren then drove 2.5 hours to Ames at 3:00 am. Louie barely got there as he was real tired and so was I as the navigator. We convoyed with Paul and Phil while Doug, Milo and Alex were asleep in the back of the minivan.