1.29.11 - Las Vegas

San Antonio Video! (I think this is the best one I've done so far)

We've switched planes for the rest of the tour, and the new model is a bit of an upgrade. If you've ever heard of that song lyric, "Like a G6," then I'll have you know that a G6 is a model of a private plane, one of the nicest ever. We're in a G5, and leaping leopards, this thing rules! The seats are mega comfy, and I can see myself taking some naps in future trips. I lost my seat in the back due to all our luggage, but I've been moved to the middle of the plane where the band (and sometimes Ozzy) hangs out.

 The new plane also has Wifi, to which I claim credit for the discovery.

The band acted as though we had found El Dorado.

I also met Sharon today, as she wanted to come to Vegas for a couple days over the weekend with Ozzy. Sharon absolutely rules. The whole atmosphere of the plane was so fun and relaxed when she was around. She brought two of her signature little dogs, too. These things are so unworldly cute. They just look like little balls of fur with tiny faces that crawled all over everyone's laps before takeoff. Sharon already knew who I was, and had actually asked how my dinner was the night before. I treated my buddy Adam Sloan, the assistant to the hosts on Sharon's talk show, for dinner in thanks for getting me this job. Apparently Sharon knew I was buying, and advised him to milk me for every penny.

 The interior of the new plane. That's Sharon sitting across from Ozzy in the top left.

Me. Sloan. That was cool and strange to be in LA together.

P.F. Chang's for two. Dan Dan noodles are a serious win.

The Las Vegas show was strange. The crowd seemed lacking, and drunk. My guess is that it's hard to impress a Vegas audience, since there's always 15 different cool shows going on every single night. Ozzy's music has been around forever, so I suppose it wasn't as new and exciting as some of the other performers to which Vegas patrons are accustomed. He made them pay with the foam gun, nonetheless. I was lucky enough to avoid a potential disaster, as one of the cameramen on stage left got drenched about halfway through the set. Bummer.

 Mandalay Bay Theatre. Not quite sold out. I'm disappointed in you, Las Vegas.

I swore to myself that I would go out and see the city, so I did just that last night. I got some editing done during the day, but wanted to grab some nighttime neon lights on camera, so I set out aimlessly wandering Vegas.

 We stayed at the Four Seasons, or as I call it, "That gold-looking building I saw

once in that movie or something."

Hotel room. The bed has one of those unnecessary awnings above it.

My view from the 36th floor! Very cool during sunset.

This place is absolutely crazy! I've never been here before, and it is a total culture shock. I thought I was a city kid by nature, but the amount of shopping, attractive people, and bright lights was almost overwhelming. I had a hard time walking straight because my head was trying to look at ten different things at once. I'm only 20, and any casino requires gamblers to be at least 21 just to be on the floor. I wandered in a bunch of them anyways, just to see how far I could go without being stopped. I never sat down to play, but with the lack of attention I received, I'm willing to bet I could have actually played some Blackjack. I most definitely could have played the slots. It was all too weird. I looked young and I had a professional camera inside a casino! I thought for sure I would be a walking alert sign to any security guard who needed something to do. At least five casinos left me unscathed. I eventually walked all the way to the Stratosphere (from Mandalay Bay) until I decided to take a cab back to the hotel.

I'll definitely want to come back here when I'm old enough to do everything the city beckons of me. I'll want some friends though, as my journey last night was spent alone. Even by myself, I was able to enjoy just looking at all the wild people roaming the sleepless strip. Plus, I got a bunch of footage to remember the night!

1.26.11 - Phoenix

Video from Dallas!

Another from Kansas City!

Yesterday was a day off in Los Angeles. Had a quick workout in the morning, then joined the band for a trip down Melrose. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and I quickly regretted not wearing shorts, just because I had the option. We ended up at a clothing store called Forgotten Saints, which had a lot of things you might expect members of Ozzy's band to wear. Strange leather and denim articles danced off hangers along with their ridiculous price tags. Gus G was there just to have some items altered by the seamstress, but ended up buying a jacket on a whim, which cost far too much for the word "whim," anyways.

 "Shit happens," like this jacket (this is not the jacket Gus G purchased).

We grabbed some Mexican food afterwords, where both Gus G and Tommy (drums) were recognized by the restaurant owner. They took some goofy pictures with the guy after our meal. I also sat in on a conversation that broached their career success. They expressed some disbelief that they were playing with Ozzy on a world tour, and how can you do better than that in the Metal world? It was actually pretty cool to hear. I wonder how much they tell themselves that very thing...

We're at the same hotel in LA from before, but I did a little more exploring yesterday.

This is a rooftop cafe area that I came across. Pretty slick!

Rooftop view. Still haven't seen a cloudy day here...

Today we played in Phoenix, Arizona, where I got the chance to see a few uncles that I haven't seen in person for around 10 years. It was great that the circumstances aligned for us to visit for all of five minutes, as I had more shooting to do. Gave me a little taste of family while on the road. Very cool.

I was actually in a crappy mood today, which probably resulted from a (mostly) sleepless night of editing. I was just tired and frustrated that Ozzy wouldn't let me use my camera light in some dark spots of the venue. I just could not get myself in shooting mode at all. During the set, I stepped outside to give myself a little pep talk. Am I here to prove myself as a powerful force in the concert videography world, or am I going to mope because I'm tired? Case closed.

The rest of the night from there was actually a ton of fun. Phoenix provided the craziest crowd we've seen in 2011, as there were bodies consistently clearing the barricade near the front of the stage. I got the chance to hand a few stray guitar picks to some kids, which always puts a smile on my face. That makes their whole night to have a unique souvenir like that.

I'm swearing off sleepless nights forever. They can do no good.

1.24.11 - San Antonio

New video from St. Louis!

I'm trying to remember happened to me in the recent days. I've been sort of staying up all night editing. It's got a little to do with me waking up at 3pm after show days, and then taking naps at 5pm, and then starting to edit. With a tour like this, most days are exactly the same: Plane. Gig. Plane. Hotel. The set list doesn't change, the acts are always the same, so how do I make a unique video for each show? Challenge accepted. I've begun to know a few members of the crew who have volunteered some time on camera to talk about their life on the road. Doors are opening slowly...

Tonight we were in San Antonio, Texas, where I learned about bread pudding. I mean, I guess I already knew it existed, but I probed the chefs about what the heck it is. Why not ask? I also keep seeing Slash in the catering room. He's the opening act on the tour, and I haven't met him yet. But I DID awkwardly stare at him for a while tonight while eating my chickpea, rice, and asparagus dinner.

 San Antonio was ready for the Oz. I stepped out there for a minute

to orchestrate an obnoxious yelling session for the camera. Super fun :D

I also traded business cards with a few folks tonight, as you never know what can bring you another job. This has been one goal while on the road: get my name into the hands of whoever. One guy in Houston told me he has his own plane and wants to make a documentary about flying around the world and meeting random folks along the way. Another is in a touring band of war veterans, and wants someone to document their journey. One kid tonight traded some snapshots of me working the show in exchange for a spot on OzTV (the dude had a cool story anyways, you'll see).

Business cards = success!

Traveling with an Englishman is all kinds of entertaining. His vocabulary, while I'm sure it's common in the UK, is zesty and refreshing here in America. Adam Wakeman (keyboards) and Ozzy's personal assistant are both English, and they use words like "bollocking," "brilliant," and "cunt." It's just superb. That's all.

The other day I hopped in a Taxi with Gus G (guitarist) to go searching for a backgammon board. Gus wanted to teach Ozzy, and give him the game as a gift. We landed ourselves at the local Target superstore, and found our way to the games. I picked up a set of Bananagrams on a whim, hoping to teach the boys how to play, and lose. On the way out we passed the sunglasses racks. I mentioned that I was the only one on the tour without a pair, and should probably get some to fit in. He picked out some good ones for me.

A Gus G selection. Am I "LA" yet?

Unrelated sun-wear: Ozzy's glasses slid to the back of the plane upon takeoff tonight.

Naturally, we had a bit of fun with them.

I sleep in Los Angeles tonight, and I am too ready for bed. We had a 3.5-hour flight on the way in, and I'm overdue for some rest. Tomorrow I'm supposed to go to Melrose (sp) for some shopping with Adam and Gus G. Need anything?

1.22.11 - Kansas City

Houston Video!

Just got back to the hotel from Kansas City, Missouri tonight. I dumped all my things in my room, then headed up to the Ritz Carlton Rich-Boy Lounge to join some people for drinks. This hotel is just crawling with richy-rich rich folk, and they just seem like an entirely different breed. There's a bar on the main level next to the lobby, and it seems like it's constantly overflowing with fur coats. I'll never understand. Anyway, Ozzy's assistant tried ordering a beer for me, but I asked for a glass of milk instead. That got a good laugh, but I stand by my milk, and it was delicious. Beer's not my thing anyways. It just seems like a thing to have, rather than to enjoy. I dunno...

Most of the conversation delved in stories from tours past. I heard all sorts of things from tours with ACDC and mishaps with previous members of Ozzy's band. These guys have way more history in the business than I thought. It was actually super entertaining to listen to, and it made me question even more how I landed in the same circle with them. I'm a pretty lucky guy to be sipping milk and hanging with rock star tour veterans.

My lunch today from the Ritz Carlton Rich-Boy Lounge. I think I could eat about twenty cups of those pesto noodles (bottom left).

Apparently, there were members of the Westboro Baptist Church protesting the show tonight, but when I went outside to investigate, all I saw were a few dudes handing out Christian flyers. Seemed pretty harmless, but when I asked them about who they were and who they represented, they didn't want to talk. They were actually very curt. Well, I didn't want to waste my time. I headed back in.

Met more friendly folks tonight in the VIP room, and Kansas City seemed more eager than other towns to say a few things for the camera. It's so nice to feed off their excitement for what they're about to witness, it makes conversation so fun and laid back. Plus, each one of those guests paid $1,000 for those tickets, so I always run into some interesting, sometimes strange fans.

Great show, as always, and the band is even getting used to me being on stage. Sometimes, they'll even play off the camera a little for me just to get a laugh or help my shot a bit. Plus, I went and searched a few songs on YouTube the other day to see if I could see myself on stage. Yup! There's my awkward little crouch behind Gus G (lead guitar). Neat!

 This is usually what I see every time I get on the plane to a gig. Underneath these sandwiches, you can see portions of a menu for the meal that's being served on our one-hour flight. Madness.

I also took the liberty to steal from the band's dressing room tonight, which I haven't mustered up the nerve to do yet. They have a big list of items that appear at every show, and very little of the food/drink is eaten/drank. By the night's end, I saw a bunch of untouched things, one of which was an unusually large mound of turkey (yeah, just turkey on a plate), and proceeded to take a small box of Frosted Cheerios and a carton of Coconut water. I guess it's nature's Gatorade, so it's got all the hydration benefits without the jarring chemicals and sugar, plus it's very "in." Cool!

I bet this stuff is like $5.00 normally. Not tonight!

People keep talking of Vegas, and all the shenanigans in which they're going to dip themselves. Sadly, I'm only 20. Next time..

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...