Read it here.
On The Rhythm Road
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Yesterday...
DAY 3, continued: (Brian) So much has happened and it's just the beginning of the tour. I needed a little remedial learning period with my new PC netbook since I'm a Mac guy.
Our first stop was a jumping off day in LA. I spent a scary Halloween renting a car and running down to the official Johnny Rodgers Band instrument case maker, Bruce Lamb, to have him modify my removable neck bass case to make it even smaller and lighter for the trip.
It was worth the nearly two-hour trip (each way), the six hours assisting him plus dodging and jumping away from Bruce's grunting and charging house pet "Tootie," a HUGE pot-bellied pig!
But this innovative system with the Schnitzer/Di Sola RN Upright Bass will be a boon to all bassists traveling! It's making it possible for the Johnny Rodgers Band to have our REAL sound even while traveling to all these far away locales. A bass guitar or a "stick bass" just wouldn't be the same thing!
Johnny enjoyed his last meal in LA.
We're finding the Fijian people warm, welcoming, and musical. They're making us feel like rock stars wherever we go. People recognize us from all the advance publicity for our shows and we’ve even heard a radio ad playing Mary Jean announcing the concerts on our way to the capital city, Suva.
Shana Bromberg, Manager of Tours for The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad and Jazz at Lincoln Center, has been incredibly good at doing what she does and I don't know what we'd do without her. The U.S. State Department locals have been great as well. All musicians should have it this good on the road. The Rhythm Road program is the real deal!
Our first shows here were for local school kids and the girls were screaming and cheering as if we were the Beatles in 1964.
I think it was the first time I’ve ever experienced the need for ear plugs - not to protect my hearing from our loud amps - to lessen the noise from all the excited shrieking! They were almost louder than we were, like the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. 
They were very sweet, though, and their enthusiasm warmed our hearts. 
During a little Q & A at the end of the show, I thought the girl Johnny invited up to the stage was about to faint.
Needless to say, we're having a great time without even mentioning the great food we've been having: fresh seafood and incredible buffets. Best of all, Fiji, it turns out, has a deep musical culture and everyone, it seems, is a great guitarist or singer!
So nice to see so much GOOD live music in the resorts, hotels and restaurants. I know we're going to have a treat when we do our master class on Thursday with the local pro musicians and the university music students. We're supposed to be the "Masters" in the master class but I'm sure we'll learn lots from them! Off to get ready for the evening concert at the Suva Civic Center...
(Danny) This morning, we set up for a three-show day at the Suva Civic Center. We played the first one for a group of primary school children. They were screaming with excitement and loved the program. We have the intermediate school next and then a concert later this evening. We are loving all the people we meet here and they are treating us like gold. The kids love our nicknames (Mad Dog, Mud Man, Poppy Sunshine and Cotton Eye). Johnny is doing a great job entertaining the kids. They love his silly dances and funny lines. We’ve had so much fun on stage and are looking forward to the next one. I feel blessed to be on this tour and making these connections. Music is truly a bridge to the heart and it's a two-way street. I love being here but I miss my family and friends. We are tangled, we are stolen, we are living where things are hidden. (John Doe, The Golden State) ; )
(Later that day...) Wow!!! We just got back to hotel after our second daytime show. As soon as we walked on stage, the kids started screaming and didn't stop for a second. We actually had a hard time hearing each other on stage. I felt like I needed earplugs because the screaming was so loud! We were laughing and smiling because we just couldn't believe the Johnny Rodgers Band mania.
It was truly one of the most amazing and fulfilling shows I have ever played anywhere. We have one more show tonight for the city and embassy folks.
I’m so happy right now, sitting here with a big pot of tea, watching a storm roll in across the bay, clouds obscuring the mountains. I’ll be even happier to be back on stage tonight with my brothers. : )
A quick shout out to CKC and her mom: presents in my bags! ; )
Our first stop was a jumping off day in LA. I spent a scary Halloween renting a car and running down to the official Johnny Rodgers Band instrument case maker, Bruce Lamb, to have him modify my removable neck bass case to make it even smaller and lighter for the trip.
It was worth the nearly two-hour trip (each way), the six hours assisting him plus dodging and jumping away from Bruce's grunting and charging house pet "Tootie," a HUGE pot-bellied pig!
But this innovative system with the Schnitzer/Di Sola RN Upright Bass will be a boon to all bassists traveling! It's making it possible for the Johnny Rodgers Band to have our REAL sound even while traveling to all these far away locales. A bass guitar or a "stick bass" just wouldn't be the same thing!
Johnny enjoyed his last meal in LA.
We're finding the Fijian people warm, welcoming, and musical. They're making us feel like rock stars wherever we go. People recognize us from all the advance publicity for our shows and we’ve even heard a radio ad playing Mary Jean announcing the concerts on our way to the capital city, Suva.
Shana Bromberg, Manager of Tours for The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad and Jazz at Lincoln Center, has been incredibly good at doing what she does and I don't know what we'd do without her. The U.S. State Department locals have been great as well. All musicians should have it this good on the road. The Rhythm Road program is the real deal!Our first shows here were for local school kids and the girls were screaming and cheering as if we were the Beatles in 1964.
I think it was the first time I’ve ever experienced the need for ear plugs - not to protect my hearing from our loud amps - to lessen the noise from all the excited shrieking! They were almost louder than we were, like the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. 
They were very sweet, though, and their enthusiasm warmed our hearts. 
During a little Q & A at the end of the show, I thought the girl Johnny invited up to the stage was about to faint.Needless to say, we're having a great time without even mentioning the great food we've been having: fresh seafood and incredible buffets. Best of all, Fiji, it turns out, has a deep musical culture and everyone, it seems, is a great guitarist or singer!
So nice to see so much GOOD live music in the resorts, hotels and restaurants. I know we're going to have a treat when we do our master class on Thursday with the local pro musicians and the university music students. We're supposed to be the "Masters" in the master class but I'm sure we'll learn lots from them! Off to get ready for the evening concert at the Suva Civic Center...(Danny) This morning, we set up for a three-show day at the Suva Civic Center. We played the first one for a group of primary school children. They were screaming with excitement and loved the program. We have the intermediate school next and then a concert later this evening. We are loving all the people we meet here and they are treating us like gold. The kids love our nicknames (Mad Dog, Mud Man, Poppy Sunshine and Cotton Eye). Johnny is doing a great job entertaining the kids. They love his silly dances and funny lines. We’ve had so much fun on stage and are looking forward to the next one. I feel blessed to be on this tour and making these connections. Music is truly a bridge to the heart and it's a two-way street. I love being here but I miss my family and friends. We are tangled, we are stolen, we are living where things are hidden. (John Doe, The Golden State) ; )
(Later that day...) Wow!!! We just got back to hotel after our second daytime show. As soon as we walked on stage, the kids started screaming and didn't stop for a second. We actually had a hard time hearing each other on stage. I felt like I needed earplugs because the screaming was so loud! We were laughing and smiling because we just couldn't believe the Johnny Rodgers Band mania.
It was truly one of the most amazing and fulfilling shows I have ever played anywhere. We have one more show tonight for the city and embassy folks.
I’m so happy right now, sitting here with a big pot of tea, watching a storm roll in across the bay, clouds obscuring the mountains. I’ll be even happier to be back on stage tonight with my brothers. : )
A quick shout out to CKC and her mom: presents in my bags! ; )
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
DAY 3: (Joe) On October 31st, we took an 11:30 PM flight out of LA bound for Fiji. The flight was 10 hours. How did we arrive in Fiji on November 2nd at 6:30 AM? Even with the time-zone difference and the local time taken into account, Johnny Rodgers Band still can’t figure out what happened to November 1st. And it gets worse. Not only did we lose a day but when I called home to NY, I realized that it was still yesterday there. We’re in the future here! Oh yes, Fiji is beautiful and musical. We ran into this Fijian string band on our way to Suva, the largest city in Fiji.This is something I knew about but really wanted to see in person. There are guitarists everywhere in Fiji. Many of them play in string bands like this one. It seems that there’s also a rich singing culture here. People sing at family and friends' parties as a way of life – social bonding. Singing and playing guitar is a form of social currency in Fiji. This is my kind of place – guitar heaven. I wonder how the guitar got to Fiji. And when did it get here?
(Danny) Yesterday, after we played on the radio show at Gold FM, I walked into town to go shopping and met a Fiji man named Rocky. We discussed how blessed we felt to be alive and in such a great place.
He walked with me and showed me how to get to the mall. On the way, he showed me a restaurant on a boat docked in the bay, he said this was his favorite place, so tonight we're going to eat there. 
He also told me about his village and pointed to the cloud covered mountains across the bay. He said he would come to our concert tomorrow if the weather wasn't too bad. Before we parted, he reached into his bag and pulled out a wooden mask he had carved and gave it to me after he carved my name and the date into the wood. 
You hang it over a light bulb and the light shines through the eyes, just as the light shined through his. We were blessed to have met each other and share a connection that goes beyond borders. Everyone we've met has welcomed us and treated us so well. I am blessed.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Another Day in Paradise
DAY 2, continued: (Johnny) BULA BULA! Happiness is sleeping almost all the way through an 11-hour plane ride, waking up in time for fruit, coffee and a smooth landing, all while watching the sun rise over distant island hills as the palm trees "have their hair done" in the breeze (to quote Kay Thompson).
And what a breeze it is. We stepped out of the airport to a distinct and sweet smell in the air. What is that? Sugarcane... a major staple of Fiji's agricultural industry. Acres and acres of sugarcane.
It taunted my nose and made me hungry.
I decided to ride shotgun, so I confidently hopped in and buckled my safety belt. Looking up, I quickly encountered a steering wheel... oops! Guessed wrong. Perhaps it was best I didn't do the driving. Hopped out and into the left side (the “right” side in Fiji) and laughed out loud even as my stomach growled. Luckily, Jone, our new friend and affable host, took us to the Warrick Resort for an incredible breakfast buffet spread with a backdrop out of a Corona commercial.
Perfectly poached eggs, incredibly ripe papaya and French toast to soak up whatever lingered on the plate.
As we made our way along the southern coast on a three-hour drive, we saw children getting ready for school. Some waited at bus stops, some walked in small groups along the grass-lined road.
At most bus stops, there were steaming pots set on burners on the ground. Sweet corn, about 50 Fijian cents a cob... a quick and affordable breakfast.
At other spots, where steam was rising out of the earth, people cooked in lovo style, food wrapped in banana leaves and cooked underground.
As we got closer to Suva, Jone pointed out that the terrain was getting greener due to the heavier rainfall on that side of the island.
We pulled into the hotel, grabbed Danny's backpacker guitar and brushes and joined another new friend and host, Alena, who escorted us to the nearby Gold FM.
Alena has a smile that could make a rain cloud run, honest and true.
We had listened to 100.4 on the FM dial during the drive and heard them play some of our music and announce the upcoming concerts. 
So just like the old days, we all crowded around the mics and did acoustic live renditions of Smoke, Smoke, Smoke and Movin' into Graceland.
Then, back to the hotel to reunite with our luggage and find our rooms.
Today is the Melbourne Cup so everybody has laid down their bets and will gather together to watch the race.
Tonight we're planning to play a few tunes downstairs to lift the spirits of those who backed the wrong horse and celebrate with those whose fates met with fortune.
Everyone we've met here has made us feel at home.
"Bula" is "hello" in Fiji.
"Vin aka" is "thank you."
I haven't learned "goodbye" yet and the warm welcome we are receiving makes me wonder if I ever should.
And what a breeze it is. We stepped out of the airport to a distinct and sweet smell in the air. What is that? Sugarcane... a major staple of Fiji's agricultural industry. Acres and acres of sugarcane.It taunted my nose and made me hungry.
I decided to ride shotgun, so I confidently hopped in and buckled my safety belt. Looking up, I quickly encountered a steering wheel... oops! Guessed wrong. Perhaps it was best I didn't do the driving. Hopped out and into the left side (the “right” side in Fiji) and laughed out loud even as my stomach growled. Luckily, Jone, our new friend and affable host, took us to the Warrick Resort for an incredible breakfast buffet spread with a backdrop out of a Corona commercial.
Perfectly poached eggs, incredibly ripe papaya and French toast to soak up whatever lingered on the plate.
As we made our way along the southern coast on a three-hour drive, we saw children getting ready for school. Some waited at bus stops, some walked in small groups along the grass-lined road.
At most bus stops, there were steaming pots set on burners on the ground. Sweet corn, about 50 Fijian cents a cob... a quick and affordable breakfast.At other spots, where steam was rising out of the earth, people cooked in lovo style, food wrapped in banana leaves and cooked underground.
As we got closer to Suva, Jone pointed out that the terrain was getting greener due to the heavier rainfall on that side of the island.
We pulled into the hotel, grabbed Danny's backpacker guitar and brushes and joined another new friend and host, Alena, who escorted us to the nearby Gold FM.
Alena has a smile that could make a rain cloud run, honest and true.
We had listened to 100.4 on the FM dial during the drive and heard them play some of our music and announce the upcoming concerts. 
So just like the old days, we all crowded around the mics and did acoustic live renditions of Smoke, Smoke, Smoke and Movin' into Graceland.Then, back to the hotel to reunite with our luggage and find our rooms.
Today is the Melbourne Cup so everybody has laid down their bets and will gather together to watch the race.
Tonight we're planning to play a few tunes downstairs to lift the spirits of those who backed the wrong horse and celebrate with those whose fates met with fortune.
Everyone we've met here has made us feel at home."Bula" is "hello" in Fiji.
"Vin aka" is "thank you."
I haven't learned "goodbye" yet and the warm welcome we are receiving makes me wonder if I ever should.
Somewhere, Beyond the Sea
DAY 2, continued: (Danny) After take-off, I scored a whole row of seats to myself and was able to sleep for about six hours. It's hard to figure out the time-zone situation but I think it's 6:00 AM on November 2nd as we land in Fiji at 1:00 PM November 1st in New York City. When we crossed the International Date Line we lost a day? Time really is an illusion. ; )I made my first friend on the trip: Ureta. She's from a small island near Fiji called Kiribati and was coming back from Rome via Los Angeles because she works for one of the big cruise lines. It’s amazing to ask someone who lives on the complete opposite side of the world if they use Facebook and they say, "of course!" Landing in Fiji, we have a three-hour drive to get to our hotel.
There are four pro surfers on board who are going to enjoy the 11-15-ft waves on Fiji. I hope I get a chance to rent a board and hit the water, although those waves are a bit big for this Eastcoaster’s britches. I have a “Surfs Up” app that tells conditions and wave heights at beaches all over the world and saw that there are 17-19-ft waves in the Philippines at the moment. I'll be doing a lot of watching there!
Everyone is up, eating breakfast and happily chatting away. It's so good to be with my brothers again. These guys are my best friends and I’m going to revel in their presence. We're all so exited about this tour of cultural exchange and are planning what to play on the local radio station, Gold FM, later today. We won't bring much gear so I'll probably be playing brushes on a phone book. We could do Smoke that Cigarette, Graceland, Jail House Rock or our new arrangement of Cheek-to-Cheek.
We needed to fill out customs sheets before landing and I was trying to get Brian “Mud Man” to do mine for me so I could keep writing, but he wouldn’t agree.Wow! Landing in Fiji as the sun rises with some lightning flashes to the west. I can't believe we’re here. There are jagged hills and small volcanic mountains flowing down to the sea. Time to deplane, go through customs and start this tour! : )
Hello, Goodbye...
DAY 2: (Danny) Joe and I are eating breakfast here at the Weston in LA. We're checking out Joe's Amplitube on his iPod touch. Dude! It's awesome! He could use it as a back-up for guitar effects on stage. Crazy!
We're flying to Fiji at 11:30 PM LA time but have to be at the airport by 8:30 PM. Today is scheduled as a rest day because things are about to get really busy. I'll be downloading lots of shows to watch on my iPad and iPhone while I have some fast turbo here at the hotel.
The band is getting last minute items, running around the city and eating the local cuisine which we won't be able to taste for a while. 
It seems we're all ready to go and getting ready to say our goodbyes. 
We spent Halloween day in LA and then headed over to the airport for our 11:30 PM flight to Fiji. 
The next time you hear from us, we'll be on the other side of the world.
We're flying to Fiji at 11:30 PM LA time but have to be at the airport by 8:30 PM. Today is scheduled as a rest day because things are about to get really busy. I'll be downloading lots of shows to watch on my iPad and iPhone while I have some fast turbo here at the hotel.
The band is getting last minute items, running around the city and eating the local cuisine which we won't be able to taste for a while. 
It seems we're all ready to go and getting ready to say our goodbyes. 
We spent Halloween day in LA and then headed over to the airport for our 11:30 PM flight to Fiji. 
The next time you hear from us, we'll be on the other side of the world.
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