What a wild ride it was! Now that we’ve finally settled back home and the dust (and snow) has settled, I wanted to share some of the highlights from our Spring 2022 journey. Looking back, it was a tour of “firsts,” mechanical challenges, and some seriously good snacks.
A Frosty Start and the “COVID Project” Reveal
The tour started with a literal ban, or rather, a massive dumping of 25 cm of snow. I had to be up at 5:30 AM to dig the 17-meter tour bus out of my driveway with a tractor! The drive down to Pennsylvania was a white-knuckle experience with slush freezing in the wheel wells, making steering a nightmare.
But once we hit the Pullo Center in York, things heated up. This was a massive milestone for me: after practicing throughout the lockdown, I played the entire show left-handed for the first time to bring more authenticity to our McCartney vibes. My right hand definitely felt it. I started developing calluses in places I’ve never had them before!
Pro tip from the road: If you’re ever in York, look for the local chocolate-covered mints. I may or may not have stuffed my pockets with them in the green room.
Life on the Road (and the High Seas?)
We lived in style thanks to our brand-new bus pantry and a solar-powered coffee maker that let us brew up at any time without starting the engine. As a Dutchman, I made sure to pack my chocolate sprinkles for my morning bread, though the “incredible technology” of the hotel pancake maker was also a big hit with the crew.
By the time we hit Florida, we were swapping snow gear for swimsuits. There’s nothing like seeing that first palm tree to know you’ve made it. Even a flat trailer tire in a hotel parking lot couldn’t dampen our spirit, I just plugged it, pumped it, and we kept rolling.
One of the most “iconic” moments happened in St. Petersburg. Despite the rain, the guys were determined to go surfing. I stayed on the beach and caught a photo of them that looked like an album cover, complete with birds flying overhead at the perfect moment. We celebrated the day with a chocolate fountain at the Alhambra Dinner Theater, a dream come true for my Dutch sweet tooth.
The Desert Leg and Cosmic Finds
The second half of the tour in late March threw us a curveball when the tour bus broke down. Not to be deterred, we rented a massive truck and an SUV to keep the show on the road toward Texas and Arizona.
The vast, stretching roads of the Southwest were breathtaking. We played the Ector Theater in Odessa (where we found a cool wing mural for photos) and eventually made it to Phoenix. I finally got to fulfill a personal dream by visiting the Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona. It was a mile and a half of sheer impact history, and I even managed to snag a specimen of the meteor from the gift shop to bring home.
Reflections
From getting “carded” at a Mexican restaurant (a very flattering moment!) to seeing posters of bands like The Lovin’ Spoonful in the venues we played, this tour was one for the books. We covered thousands of miles, played to incredible crowds, and survived everything from blizzards to bus breakdowns.
Thanks to everyone who came out to see us. It’s good to be home, but I’m already missing that solar-powered coffee!
