The Rogue Wave tour has officially started! We played our first show, with Kelley Stoltz and Climber. Three good bands, and an enthusiastic and attentive crowd – a really enjoyable evening all around. There were gremlins, but of course there were gremlins – it’s the first night of tour. By Calgary we’ll be a well-oiled machine.

We did an in-store at Jackpot Records, which is the best record store I’ve been to in a while. Great selection, good prices, gentle incandescent lighting a la a nice bookstore, and the friendliest staff ever! They treated us really well – we each were given a $25 gift certificate and a free shirt. Wow! If we encounter this sort of largesse on the rest of the tour, I will feel extraordinarily fortunate. Come to think of it, I already feel extraordinarily fortunate. I have a great job :-)

My friend Aimee uttered the best phrase this weekend – “sparkly girly mania.” Wouldn’t that be the best band name ever? Or maybe “sparkle girl mania.” Either way, I think we’re on to something.

I spent the weekend traveling with Aimee’s cover band, engineering – we did one proper club date and two private parties. It was so much fun – the band are all such nice people, and they’re great at what they do. Mixing disco music all weekend has cleansed my palate for the upcoming indie-rock onslaught. I took my new FOH rack out for the trip, which was sweet – although, I don’t have most of my gear in it yet, so it was essentially a 60-pound tap delay. Like they used to have in the 30s! But, the hell with efficiency. I can’t wait until the other $700 of gear is in it!

On the drive home, Rob and I were listening to Mitch Hedberg. Wow :-)

Last night I mixed The Sounds! Surprisingly, I hadn’t heard them before. This made me feel pretty lame, because a) they’re brilliant, and b) they’re the kind of band I love. Dancy, punky, tons of attitude, great songs. The singer is a little spitfire, and, man, can she sing. Their manager mentioned that they’re looking for a FOH/TM. Hm :-)

I just got my weekly email from iTunes, and was thrilled to learn that R. Kelly has just released the second installment in his Trapped In The Closet series of music video mini-dramas! Trapped In The Closet may be the best music video mini-drama ever. It may also be the only music video mini-drama ever, but that doesn’t take away from its sheer brilliance. You haven’t fully experienced music video mini-drama until you’ve heard the word “spatula” crooned over a dark R&B beat, as the nosy neighbor opens the door to find R. Kelly, his cheating wife, and her jailbird brother heavily armed in a blood-spattered hallway. Awesome! Highly recommended.

The Thieves were back last night, for another maddeningly underattended show. The ten people who were there were privy to one of the better three-piece rock bands currently touring. These guys have gotten so tight! They’re out in support of a new album, and the new material seems a bit groovier, a bit more laid back in the pocket. These guys kick ass.

I’ve been listening obsessively to the new Black Rebel Motorcycle Club record. It’s so good, it’s almost intimidating. Country roots meets Appalachia meets gospel meets symphonic pop. Can’t … stop … listening … wow!

The Rogue Wave tour preparations are well underfoot. It’s astonishing how much minutiae there is. It will be so nice to get off the computer and into the van :-)