2.1.11 - Los Angeles

Big Dave gives a tour of one of four crew buses!

We were supposed to have a show in Reno on the 30th, but the boss was sick, and decided not to play the gig. I feel for the ticket-holders, but I also have to admit it was nice to have a night off to catch my breath a little. I don't really have days off. When I'm not filming a show, I'm editing. And the next day is another concert.

I decided to spend my night tracking down an In-N-Out Burger. I'd never had one before, and absolutely had to try one because, well, I'm on the west coast! The nearest restaurant was an hour's walk from our hotel, but that was my way of justifying eating some greasy fast food crap. I got to the place after listening through the entirety of edIT's "Crying Over Pros for No Reason," and the inside of the small dining area was exploding with hungry customers. I made friends with a few Australian guys who only had left to visit White Castle to complete their American "Shit Food" checklist. Twenty minutes after ordering I sat down with my tray. This burger was completely worth the effort. The fruits of my labor were manifested with every juicy bite. Animal style, to those who know.

 A holy beacon in the night.

This is probably like porn if you're hungry...

The next day I spent some time with Tommy Clufetos, the drummer in the band. I want to do a video focusing on him, and how he approaches the tour. After taking care of working out in the gym upstairs, we met in his room because his publicist sent him a list of six different interviews to complete during the afternoon with different radio stations, magazines, websites, whatever. Between interviews I asked some questions myself. We ended up talking about his interpretation of success, and it was actually pretty inspiring to me. I discovered we share a very similar philosophy about chasing a goal and being passionate about something. The conversation only makes me want to work harder at this, and make every decision of every day based on growth. He also told me he discovered my blog, so I guess Tommy might be reading this meta sentence right now.

That night I also went on the hunt for LA's best macaroni and cheese, because I'm still a four-year-old and love mac 'n' cheese. Resident reviews pointed me to a place called Lola's, which was only a 30-minute walk from the hotel!

They did that thing...with the bread crumbs. It was a damn good bowl.

Tonight was an absolute zoo at the gig. We played at the Gibson Amphitheater in Universal Studios, and the guest list exceeded 400! Everyone and their mom was backstage, and there were two VIP celeb rooms apart from the normal VIP tickets room. I saw the likes of the original members of Black Sabbath, Howie Mandel, and the hosts of "The Talk." I shook hands with George Lopez and lots of people from Sharon's show. And I met Jack and Kelly Osbourne, who answered a few questions on camera for my episode. Super crazy win!

The Gibson Amphitheater. Great venue for the crowd, hell for videographers.

There was just no good way to navigate this place.

Tonight, being a part of the insanity backstage was a strange experience. It was challenging, inspiring, and eye-opening. For example, upon approaching Jack Osbourne, I reached my hand out to shake his and said,

"Hey, I'm Colin."

Before I could get a chance to explain why I was there, he responded stating that he knew who I was, and he'd heard that I've been doing a very professional job. Weird... Cool... Unexpected. What do you do next when a celebrity knows who you are before you meet them? Continue on, I guess. We talked for a minute or two about cameras, since he deals with video production. He actually directed one of Ozzy's latest music videos for "Let It Die." He then agreed to take a few minutes for my episode, so we escaped the party briefly. Super nice dude, very laid back and wants to please everyone.

At the end of the night I found myself in Ozzy's dressing room with Sharon, Kelly, Ozzy, and George Lopez. They were all hanging out and talking, and I was filming. How weird to be thrown into that situation. It was a super exclusive room to occupy, and there I was. The best part, and I'm glad it went this way, is that the situation was actually very small and comfortable, but it wasn't until after I finished shooting when I said, "Wow, that just happened." It's cool to realize that I don't find myself starstruck, really. The way I see it, these folks are working professionals, just like everyone in their respective careers. Their jobs just get them more national face-time than, say, a pilot or a teacher. Just regular dudes and dudettes.

Also, we received free In-N-Out burgers after the show. Ironic.