Originally posted on Facebook
As the end of the 57th and 9th tour approaches, I wondered if I should be more emotional. Perhaps it will hit me later. We still have six shows left, after all. Since I was in this mind frame, I asked myself if I had ever been emotional during this tour.
After a week of rehearsals in Los Angeles, we had our very first show in Vancouver, Canada on February 1st. I remember exiting the side door to walk to the front of the Commodore Ballroom. I saw a line of people that went on forever. "Who is playing here tonight?", I asked a random person waiting to get in. "Sting!", they responded with their tone filled with excitement and a touch of judgment signifying that they assumed I lived under a rock.
Photo by: N2 Photography
Sting opened the show with "Heading South on the Great North Road"; an acoustic number about his way out of his hometown to pursue a different kind of life. I had heard it in rehearsals, but as I sat in The Last Bandoleros' dressing room, the lyrics reminded me of the long, treacherous road I took myself.
In a matter of minutes, I was about to validate my dream chasing by playing on the very stage the English icon was performing on. It seemed like that first song was never-ending as time seemed to get lost in my thoughts and emotions. Derek James noticed my expression and asked, "Are you alright?" I said, "We've been doing this a long time..." before fighting back the happy tears and lump in my throat. I couldn't finish my response as it would have opened the flood gates. Derek smiled and nodded before heading downstairs towards the stage understanding that I needed a second.
I grabbed an apple from the table and took a humongous bite. My eyes were closed as I gathered myself while chewing. I took my last gulp and looked up to see my squeezebox right in front of me. I picked it up and strapped it on. "It's time", I said to myself as Sting strummed the last chord.
I performed three songs with The Last Bandoleros (four if you count my guiro skills), and only two with Sting. That was 250 days ago. So much has changed during that span. TLB's were initially slated to open for the Canada and United States leg, but were added to the Europe, Latin America, and Asia runs. Upon doing my best to stay out of the way, I ended up joining Sting for the full tour and now perform the entire set since taking on backing vocal duties.
I should be more emotional, especially since I have a strong feeling that this is only the beginning of more wonderful things to come. Happy, check. Grateful, check. Inspired, check. Emotional, not yet. I do, however, have an apple here in my hotel room. I probably shouldn't eat it.
Photo by: N2 Photography