1.20.11 - Dallas

I neglected to realize my room does not have a microwave.

Sad elbows.

I had one sent up.

Success!

Each day gets more better good and more surreal on this tour. Tonight we played a show in Dallas, and the atmosphere inside the stadium was so incredible! Everyone was in a great mood, and felt psyched to give up their energy to collectively create a killer show. I feel like Ozzy is getting more and more comfortable with me and my camera. The managers are even more comfortable with me than he is! They kept throwing me on the stage tonight anytime I was near them. They like tossing me around like that. Actually, I've become sort of the black sheep of the crew, which is fine with me as long as it remains in good spirits. They pick on me because I'm a new, younger dude. I might give me crap, too.

 An empty American Airlines Center, center stage view.

During sound check.

 

So this happened: We all have a pass that gets us backstage to dressing rooms, production offices, catering, etc. I lost mine after the Houston gig. Oops. I knew I was mince meat for this. That sort of thing can be seen as a breach of security because someone could just walk backstage without question. I heard once that the entire crew had to be re-issued different passes because one person lost their own. And I don't want to do anything to give someone a reason not to want me around in the future. Clumsy stuff like this could jeopardize my chances of being hired again. After a few hours of searching, nothing came up, so I emailed the tour manager. He told me this was a serious error on my part, but to pay a (very hefty) lost pass fee to get a new one. I walked into the venue and handed my (very hefty) lost pass fee to the guy, and he tells me my pass was sent to the hotel as he didn't know I was coming early today. My manager shows up later with a pass in his hands that has my name on it. Funny... it looks a lot like my pass from before. A little beat up on one corner, same scratch mark in the upper middle part. He says he found it in the van after everyone boarded the plane in Houston after the show. He then handed me my (very hefty) wad of cash and told me not to let it happen again. He and others had a good laugh about the whole thing, and I found it pretty funny, too. Apparently everyone was in on the prank. I definitely learned how valuable these passes are, but more importantly I felt like I had been initiated into a circle of people that might not otherwise treat this situation like a prank to others.

 I decided to check out Slash's set. Fact: Slash is ripped.

I also had the pleasure of meeting the lead singer of a band called The Polyphonic Spree. Yeah, I hadn't heard of them either, but I looked em up on YouTube, and the band plays some great feel-good jams. The singer (Tim DeLaughter), was an extremely nice dude, and was happy to answer some questions for me on camera for the web series. Awesome experience meeting this chap, and I know I'll meet some other celebs in the future. I got an email noting a few, but I'm not allowed to talk about it on the blog, here. Soon enough...

The best part of my night came at the hotel after the show. Everyone split ways when we got back, and about 10 minutes after settling in my room, my phone rang. It was Ozzy's manager, inviting me up to Ozzy's room to shoot some video. Apparently everyone was having dinner! I got to the room, and holy hell was this place a palace. Full size living room, dining room, kitchen. It was like a whole house on top of the hotel! Anyway, there was the band and Ozzy sitting around the table feasting on some steak, and there was one open seat at the head of the table. I took the liberty, and joined in. I hadn't planned on eating, but Ozzy turned to me and asked if I was hungry. Yes. Yes, I am hungry. He told the wait staff to bring me a rib-eye steak, and there it was. Now, I'm a vegetarian, but I wasn't about to turn down a free gourmet steak from Ozzy Osbourne. I dug in. Good gravy, this was a crazy amazing steak! He had actually been raving about this steak all day in the dressing room, and I asked him how many he'd had total since we'd been in Dallas (a day and a half). Seven. He also complimented me on the video work he'd seen from me thus far. Score!

Here I am in my room, uploading footage and blissfully writing this blog. I don't know how I'm going to come back to reality after this whole thing's over. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it I suppose. Until then, I'm going to try to continue making the most of the ride of my life.

1.19.11 - Houston

New video from Omaha!

Yesterday (show day) was a riot. I was in one of those overly good moods, where if you had talked to me, you would have punched me straight in the teeth for being so cheery. I met a lovely bunch of folks in the VIP room, chatted em up, and interviewed em on my camera. They seemed to like me enough, as one woman offered me a beer. "No, ma'am, I'm under age." Cool...

On the plane ride to the venue, Ozzy approached me and said I should get on stage for some shots. I said I was game, and then security was immediately informed that I was allowed on stage. Score! So there I am on the stairs at the side of the stage, not knowing when I should go on. Now? Maybe... Finally, Ozzy's assistant Tony pushes me on, so there I am. On stage. With Ozzy Osbourne. I think I can die now.

During every concert he plays "Crazy Train" (obligatory). When the bridge hits, Ozzy has a bunch of time to run around on stage and throw buckets of water into the crowd for kicks. I knew this was coming, and wanted a shot from behind him while he did this. I'm hanging out at the back of the stage by the drums, waiting for the time to come. The bridge starts. Game time. Ozzy also has his personal bucket he keeps by the drums to cool himself off during the set, which is a few feet away from me right now. He dunks his head in it, picks up the bucket, and looks right at me. Again, this is while "Crazy Train" is playing. He takes the bucket and winds up like he's gonna dump it all over me and my camera, but fakes and heads toward the front of the stage. I went from sad puppy to cackling hyena in record time. It was absolutely hilarious. I didn't see Ozzy until we got on the plane after the show, where I mentioned that, "You scared the shit out of me, Ozzy." He smiled and laughed. Good stuff.

 Houston has an awesome turnout!

After we checked into the hotel last night, I was invited to join Adam Wakeman for a glass of wine. Sure. It was a really nice way to wind down after a long day, and I probed him and the audio engineer with different questions I had about the music industry.

The hotel in Dallas isn't as nuts as the others where we've stayed. That said, it's still an extremely comfortable stay. I don't have any pictures of the room this time, as I've already messed the place up. It's pretty standard, though. Here it is from the outside:

The Ritz Carlton. "Puttin' On the Ritz" is constantly in my head.

Went grocery shopping today to save myself on some serious dollars. Good thing I'm a college student, and have lived off Easy Mac and Chewy Bars for months at a time. This week will be a cake walk. Also, milk, eggs (pre-boiled), Pringles, bananas, and apples.

1.17.11 - Los Angeles

Day off today, for some of us. I spent half of my day thinking about editing, and the other half actually editing. Success, though! Pretty stoked about the third video of the tour, as my footage shows that the band is getting more and more comfortable with me being around with the camera.

No show in L.A. or anything, but Ozzy has a commercial shoot with Best Buy here, so I guess the rest of us are tagging along for a day (not to the shoot, but, to L.A., you know).

The hotel I'm staying at is pretty ridiculous. The room is very open, and there's a gorgeous view of Los Angeles that extends from my deck. I think I'm going to be spoiled for life from all these hotel stays. Trying to soak it in while I can.

My hotel room. Quaint, but everything in here looks really "designer" and expensive.

For when you have to shower...twice as hard.

Only because the robe was included. Wouldn't you?

 

Complimentary breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. Delish, guys!

The maids in this hotel are very nice and prove to be humbly concerned about making sure you are as comfortable as possible. They even asked me if they could still clean my room after walking in while I was taking a nap! Top notch.

Balcony view, 4:30pm. I didn't know L.A. was sorta hazy like this.

I'm a man who loves his daylight, so I moved my desk appropriately. Best editing work station I've ever had!

L.A. skyline. I can't wait to spend more time here!

9:00pm happened, and then I was hungry. Still hadn't left my room since breakfast, and wanted to explore my surroundings a bit. Our hotel is located on the Sunset Strip, so I took a stroll about a mile down looking for some unique, reasonably priced eats. Everything seemed really expensive and dressier than I wanted, until I found a place called "O! Burger" on Santa Monica Boulevard. The "O" stands for organic, as all of their edibles are, including ketchup, buns, and toppings! I walked in just before they closed for the night, and told the guy behind the counter to give me whatever he thought I should eat. Turns out this place has one of the best veggie burgers in the city, and I absolutely stand behind that review. It definitely wasn't a healthy choice, but damn was it good. Here's a mouth-watering image:

This won't do me any favors on our 3-hour plane ride tomorrow. 'Nuff said.

Houston tomorrow, and I'm really excited to experience the south. I've never been to Texas before, and I'm hoping to sample some comfort food and wear some shorts around. Time to work off this burger...

1.16.11 - Omaha

Hey look! It's my video from Minneapolis!

Today ruled! I woke up early enough to go for a run on the treadmill in Chicago. After a quick shower, it was about time to say peace to my lovely hotel room. I brought just enough things on this tour to look like a pack-mule trudging through the lobby on my way out. Turns out I was an hour early with my bags. Thankfully, the van was early too.

Sunrise at 7:00am. You almost thought I started my day this early.

Back inside the lobby I got my bill for the room (just the incidentals). My only charges were for the fax machine, which charged $10 per fax! The ironic part was that I was faxing a receipt to someone to get reimbursed for a purchase, and the receipt was for less than $10. I’m not even mad, that’s just funny.

Everyone was in very high spirits on the plane today. The sun was shining through the windows, which was probably a big contributor to good moods across the board. We hadn’t seen sun since the start of the tour, and I had almost forgotten about it to be honest. Upon sitting down, I found a tray of sandwiches, at which I lunged for one. I also had some delicious pasta with a cesar salad. Most of the flight was spent playing Angry Birds with the audio engineer. Jacked some peanuts on my way out.

Plane food. Pretty rad.

Inside the plane. Band guys.

Omaha. Office furniture capitol of the world. Google it.

Omaha was even colder and windier than Chicago, but provided the biggest turnout so far out of the three shows we’ve done. Something like 8,000 tonight. When I initially got to the venue, I found out that I only had a small corner of a room to set up base camp. It’ll do. I immediately went to the room where all the VIP ticketholders were hanging out. This room exists for every show, and always provides some interesting folks. These are the people I love mingling with. Everyone gets geeked out because I have a camera, and they get real friendly. Some even took pictures with me (why not?).

Tonight I felt comfortable enough with the band to ask if I could be in their dressing room to film some stuff. Drummer Tommy Clufetos said, “Yeah man, that’s what you’re here to do, right? I’m pretty sure none of us give a shit” (as in, they wouldn't mind).

Stoked.

The band members are just hilarious, and Adam Wakeman offered me some English breakfast tea while I was hanging out. I said, “Yup.” He asked me how I wanted my tea, and I had no idea how to respond. In a cup? He then briefed me on different ways English tea was served. Who knew? Folks from England, I guess.

The show was a ton of fun tonight, as it always is. The energy of the crowd is all too contagious, and I can’t keep from smiling ear to ear while shooting.

Quest Center pre-doors. This place is HUGE.

8,000 fans thrust lighters to the sky during "Road to Nowhere." Spectacular sight!

Tonight I sleep in Los Angeles after a 3.5 hour flight. It’s been a long day, but tomorrow I hope to have some time to explore my surroundings. I’ve never been to L.A. before! Our hotel is on the Sunset Strip, and the place was absolutely crawling with nighttime scenesters on our way in. We even passed the venue for the Golden Globes (which was tonight?). I might fall in love with this place.

1.15.11 - St. Louis/Chicago

Not sure when I'll see my first edit online. The video is finished and in the hands of the higher-ups, but it will be up to them to decide when to post it. As soon as I see it, I'll link it here.

Yesterday we were in St. Louis, Missouri, where Ozzy and the band played a ridiculous set. I find I keep getting into the music while I'm shooting, which makes the job a lot more fun, but I have to also remind myself that I'm there to film, not to enjoy myself. With that said, I'm having a few laughs with members of the crowd. People respond well to the camera and the fact that I'm a kid working for Ozzy, so I use this whole gig as a tool to get stories out of people.

I buddied-up with the guys that set up the VIP package for concertgoers, and they told me someone flew to Missouri from Georgia to see the show. I wanted to capture her story on video, but couldn't manage to find her in the audience (I was told she was somewhere in the front row). Instead, I talked to a number of folks who told me all about their own Ozzy history. For some, this was their first show. Others told me it was over 20 for them. Almost any audience member I talk to is more than happy to share any Ozzy-related information with me. They're excited about the show, excited about the music, and I'm the one they get to tell.

I actually love talking to these people. It's a totally consequence-free conversation! If someone is rude, I can move down the line and talk to another one of the 4,000+ people at a given show. When people are polite and interesting, I've hit my target.

"One sec. Would you mind repeating that for my camera? I'm making videos for Ozzy's website and would love to feature your story."

That usually gets people pretty stoked about our interaction. In a way, it's like telling someone they've won a contest. Now they can watch the video online, say they were in a video on Ozzy.com, and show it off to friends and family. How cool!

Apparently there was also a member of the audience who made it on stage during the set. I didn't find out until in the van after the show when the band was talking about it. Apparently he ran behind Ozzy, behind the guitar player, and then jumped off the stage. I'm a little disappointed it wasn't more eventful. The tour is young, though.

Scottrade Center, home of the St. Louis Blues (NHL Team)

My own dressing room (behind that door is my own bathroom, too)! For, you know, when I get dressed and junk...

Today I got to relax a bit more. I went to lunch with keyboardist Adam Wakeman and guitarist Gus G. We got soup in a quaint little joint in Chicago, then hit up a Starbucks afterwords for some warm drinks and pastries. It might have been the simplest, most appropriate January meal I'll eat all month. I also left the camera in the room for this trip. On one hand, a soup run would have been great behind-the-curtain material. More importantly though, I want to do my best to establish a personal relationship with everyone I can on the tour because it breaks down the barrier of the lens between myself and the artists.

I forgot to mention the hotel provides slippers to its guests. Yes, I'm standing on a couch. What of it?

I also got a bit of a workout in yesterday. The gym is on the 20th floor, which was exciting for me, because I've never been to the 20th floor of any building beyond the wanting to say, "Hey, check out that view!" ...Here's the view:

More or less the view from my room, 20th floor edition.

Omaha tomorrow for a show. Slash joins in on the fun (he'll be the opener), then flying to Los Angeles. Everyone on the tour is feeling a little giddy for me since I've never been to LA before. I guess it's supposed to be cool or something, whatever. I also definitely keep stealing food from the flights. I jacked a tuna sandwich, some Peanut M&M's and Oreos yesterday (on top of our meal of a cheese plate (rock solid) and cesar salad (also rock solid)).

1.13.11 - Minneapolis/Chicago

It's about 11:00pm right now. I've spent all day in my hotel room today, except for a trip to Trader Joe's to pick up some groceries. Each day we are given a Per Diem, which is probably Latin or something, but it's a stack of cash to get us through meals for each day, since I no longer have the luxury of the Snyder/Phillips cafeteria. I bought food enough to last me until the end of the week, using less than half of one day's Per Diem. Being a stingy college student definitely has it's benefits in the real world. Here's a neat picture of my neat groceries:

 

Speaking of my hotel room, this place is nuts! I honestly walked in the door last night, dropped my things, and exclaimed joyous callings to the higher powers. I've never stayed in a place like this in my life. Here's some pics:

I kept discovering little treats in the room. Found this TV embedded near the jacuzzi!

My living room. There were magazines in the coffee table. Heck to have a coffee table in the first place is just stupid. And yeah, Colbert is on the television.

This is the view from my window. I'm on the 8th floor, and there's some buildings out there I guess. I've only been to Chicago a couple times, so I still have no idea what I'm looking at.

Pre-stocked fridge. I think that little Tripocana Orange Juice down there is like $7.00.

Snacks on snacks.

The lovely housekeeping staff folded my dirty laundry for me! I was in my room literally ALL DAY today until around 8:30pm, and they somehow knew when I left. When I came back, they had tidied up the place. Amazing service!

Yesterday (Wednesday) was a treat. I was dropped off at my hometown venue to meet up with everyone, and those I met in Grand Rapids seemed happy to see me. Each person I've met since has been super nice. I was even offered a beer at one point. I shot the concert like I did previously, only this time dad was there taking pictures, too. He works as a photographer for the local newspaper in St. Paul, MN. We got to cover an event together for the first time, so that was actually pretty boss to share that.

 

Ozzy slappin' hands. Rich snappin' pics.

After the show I was notified I had 15 minutes to pack everything and get to the van. Fifteen minutes is longer than I once thought, as I was the first person with everything ready to go and ended up waiting for the rest of the band to get ready. I rode in a van with the band, an audio engineer, and the assistant tour manager, while the other van had Ozzy, his personal assistant, and the tour manager. The guys in the band welcomed me with a toast (a few had beers), and proceeded to congratulate each other on a great show (which it was).

We got to the airport and headed out onto the private plane. We all share the main cabin, so Ozzy was literally ten feet away from me. I spent some of my time playing Angry Birds and other iPad games with keyboardist, Adam Wakeman. This thing is like a limo in the sky, I tell ya! The flight was only an hour long, but we were still offered a meal complete with appetizer, main dish (pizza), and dessert. Yes, I took advantage of all free food available. Here's my catered meal from the Target Center:

Salad and junk. Carrot things. Pasta stuff.

Today's day has been spent exclusively in my hotel room editing. The video should be online tomorrow morning (Friday), so be on the lookout for that. Until then, stay tuned!

1.11.11 - Ozzy Tour Eve

It's been strange to see my friends talking about classes on Facebook and not be a part of that. Normally, I would have started yesterday. I think I was scheduled for a film production course and web design for Tuesdays. Whatever, that's a null thought.

My roommate called me the other day and mentioned that upon checking out of my dorm room a few weeks ago, I neglected a lonely banana in our closet, which he recently found in a "mummified" state. I guess I also forgot to leave the unplugged fridge open, so he spent his first 20 minutes in the room scrubbing mold off the inside walls. Oops.

I'll definitely miss college this semester. It was hard to walk away from. Think about it... You establish yourself in an enclosed campus, and you've grown roots. You become a close family with the people around you. Roommates, classmates, members of different clubs, co-workers. I was living with these people, and loving every second of it. To be plucked from that equation while the rest keep going is unsettling.

Right now, life could not be more exciting and nerve-racking all at once. I don't think I quite realize what I'm getting myself into. I mean, in the next few months, I'll gain stories that I'll tell for the rest of my life! These are events I'll be telling my kids about in 30 years. This is the Prince of Darkness himself, the inventor of heavy metal, Ozzy Osbourne for God's sake! But you know what? The guy puts his pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us. He's here to do a job, just like I am, and I intend to act professionally with him. What am I gonna do, drool every time the guy walks past me? With that said, I feel like there's a lot of fun to be had, too. I've got some surprises that I plan on tucking away in my pocket until the time is right. Be on the lookout.


For the camera nerds, here's my setup (and it weighs around 25 pounds, good grief):

It consists of:

• Panasonic AG-HMC150 Camera
• Glidecam 4000HD
• Senheiser MKH416 Shotgun Mic
• Senheiser G3 Combo Wireless Mic Kit
• Kineflo LED Light Mount
• 0.8x Wide-Angle Lens

In addition...

• Manfrotto Tripod
• 535 3-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod
• 504HD Fluid Head
• Macbook Pro 15"
• 2.66GHz Intel Core Processor
• 8GB Internal Memory
• External 2TB Hard Drive (x2)
• Final Cut Pro 7
• Adobe After Effects CS5

It's game time tomorrow, and I've never felt more ready for something like this. My dad is actually covering the concert with me, he's a photographer for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. I joke with him that we should start Marshall and Son's Media Collective, sort of like those father-son barbecue sauce bottling companies. Maybe in another world.

I'm supposed to put up a video every show (which means every other day), so look out for content frequently and consistently. To check out a list of the tour dates, click here! Until then, wish me luck!