Children are cheap labor

I've been put to work. Of course whenever you go home you have to be put to work on some kind of task. After all they are putting you up. So I cleaned out the gutters and the roof.

I'm also showing my mom how to convert videos for her ipod.

I'm sure there will be plenty of other things to do later as well. I love being home. Seriously.

The whip is cracking gotta get back to work,
LOU

Mom and pumpkin

So since I'm at home you'll see more pictures of the family more, at least until new years. So here is my mother and our cat pumpkin.

I found it hilarious that the cat was basically spooning my mom.

Here's another picture.

TTFN ta ta for now
LOU

Tattoo

I did it. It's totally awesome. I love this tattoo. It looks funny in the picture but in person it's awesome. I just have to let it heal over. I am now officially the biggest nerd alive.

I had it done at Independent Tattoo in Selbyville, DE by Tres Denk. This tattoo is nothing compared to some of the fantastic art this guy does. Thanks to Tres and everyone there. They were cool, friendly, and made it a great experience.

Shakin' Hands with Charles De Gaulle,
LOU

Pupusas

You know what I'm talking about. I found a place in Vacaville that makes pupusas. They are quite tasty. The place is located at Nut Tree and Alamo in the Raley's shopping center. I can't wait to go again.

Revuelta baby,
LOU

The Boy

This picture was taken at 7am. I just woke up and he already wants me to throw the ball.

Isn't he adorable though.

Let me sleep Phoenix,
LOU

My view of the christmas concerts

So I just finished up with the band's christmas concert. I ran monitors for nearly all of the shows. It was great I had nearly the whole show on scenes so all I had to do was push one button.

I'm trying to get my wiimote to control the mixer so I can run the show with it. I can't stop geeking out with this stuff.

I set the scene with all the faders up so I could have an armrest

Happy non-denominational Holiday of your choice,
LOU

Pupusas

I forgot to mention this great pupusa place we stopped at on our way home from Anaheim. It's in Buttonwillow. I think it was called Rita's. Leo I know you know the name. It was fantastic. Anyway I just wanted to post the "Sapo" they had at the counter. I love the bracelet made of the dollar bill John Ruff left when we stopped on the way down.


Revuelta please,
LOU

Tattoo

I just made my appointment to get my tattoo back home. Dec. 20th

Here's what I'm getting.



I'm cementing my nerdy-ness forever.

LOU

Ice castle

I still haven't tried the ice castle.
Someting about ice and that area dont mix unless I'm drunk.

I will one day Jason,

LOU

BBQ places

We had some great bbq in riverside CA. A place called raxx bbq. However I could of used a little more water.

So Thirsty,

LOU

It's so cheap I'd be a fool not to.

Mobility+ Day 8

Disney

This was the gig we were waiting for.

Disney hooked me up with an 01v to use as a monitor console. It worked great.

We had a huge audience with plenty of dancing kids and a few adults.

Niko was killing that night. Just nailing it.

The power was a little weird though. They wired it to a 50amp twistlock but they used the same hot for both legs. So our 50amp 240v was actually a 120v 50amp. This made us run at a lower power setup, but it was plenty for the crowd we had.

Audience Count: ~500 at any given time moving in and out.

Zip a dee do dah,

LOU

Mobility+ Day 7

Palm springs. The best gig from absolute hell.

This gig could have been fantastic. We had a great stage our own generator. And a huge audience. But what happens.

MY CONSOLE FUCKING TANKS!!!!

I have no monitor desk.

So Steve pulls his laptop and saves my settings to his console. Great. Sound check was absolutely horrible. I ended up running monitors from steve's laptop.

We made it through though. No thanks to my mackie tt24. That's right I'm calling you out mackie.

Then a dance troop is coming on after us. They need sound. Guess who ends up helping.

We had to wait for them. Their director was fucking late and she had the music for the group.

It was another festival type stage mom type awesomeness. She hand Steve the first CD and says, "Start it at 6:39" Fortunately we were using iTunes to play it.

Then she hands over another CD play this track then this track etc.

Do you have a God damn computer this stuff is not that hard to figure out especially since IT'S YOUR JOB.

I really just want to purge this one from my memory.

Audience Count: 400 but a moving crowd.


Still home before midnight,

LOU

Mobility+ Day 6

Knott's Berry Farm today.

We played on this huge stage. I mean this is the way it's supposed to be. Plenty of power, a great staff of techs, and a somewhat guarenteed audience.

We had a nice little crowd going until we played the mingus tune in the set.

"Oh check out this cool band. Wait is that jazz they are playing. Let's go that way."

I had a good time. It was sunny and sweaty and a little loose. I enjoyed it.

Audience count: in and out but max ~50

horray!

LOU

Mobility+ Day 5

So we played at this high school on the track around the football field. The last thing I was expecting was to see a number of marching bands.

Behold!



This was the view from monitor beach.

I cant believe the amount of non marching band stuff I saw with these marching bands. One of them had a full rhythm section with electric guitars and keyboards and big ass subwoofers.

It was really cool and way different from when I was in marching band.

Great gig we played for a combined total of 40 minutes and we had a huge crowd.

Audience Count: ~800 maybe more

Forward Harch

LOU

Mobility+ Day 4

Well we are in ocean side tonight.

The theatre we're playing in is a 200 seat. Very tiny.

So rather than setup a second console for FOH, Steve sat in the audience and I mixed from the side of the stage and he just let me know what he needed in the house.

It worked.

During the gig I was drinking an awful peanut butter shake. It had boba in it.

Boba are these little dough balls that you sip through the straw. They are about the size of a marble and make the shake absolutely disgusting. I was feeling absolutely horrid after I had it. Thank God for pizza. It made everything better.

Audience Count: 11 NO JOKE!

Ugh!

LOU

Mobility+ Day 3

San Juan Capistrano

It's a nice place. We played on the stage in the park. This park is on some ancient indian burial ground. Creepy.

So we go to setup. Steve finds a 50amp connection. Great!

I go to meter it and only one side is hooked up. This 50amp was just half installed so far. They had a huge christmas tree that they needed power for but I guess you can only hook up one leg of power at a time. Union rules.

So we run extension cords behind the stage. There is an outlet box with plenty of circuits. Only they all tap of that leg thats not connected at the 50 amp connector. Son of a bitch.

So we run the 50amp and only use one leg of it. Hey it worked. Guerilla audio at it's finest.

All this headache was remedied when they fed us at Ruby's Diner. See Troy's blog for some milkshake nirvana shot as well as the hilarity ensued.

Audience Count: ~50

Mmm Milkshake
LOU

Mobility+ Day 2

Our first gig was at a park.

No big deal.

When we go to setup Steve and I realize we both forgot to go down our packlist.
We didnt have wireless mics or IEMs!!!
Oh noes!


Luckily I had a set built into the monitor console which I gave to Paula.

I have to thank Niko for being a real trooper and dealing with a loud wedge in front of an already obnoxiously loud band.

Audience total excluding family and friends: 24

The best part was when the other van had locked the keys inside the van. Fortunately a coat hanger and a slightly cracked window made it a bit easier.

It can only get better right?
LOU

Mobility+ Day 1

I'm back dating these posts so bear with me.

We arrive in sunny Anaheim CA. This will be our home base for this trip. Travel day today. We all go for some dinner. I was feeling Thai. So Troy types into the GPS Thai food. We find a place called Thai and Thai about a mile away. "Let's Go" When we arrive at our destination it doesn't exist.

Damn you GPS!

So we end up at the Sandbox Bar and grille. (The extra e means it's good)

I order some nachos. My one stipulation is "No Jalepenos"

When my nachos arrive. Jalepenos!

The best part is when the waiter tells me that the cook doesn't speak english.

But wait "No" and "Jalepenos" translate exactly the same into spanish.

Let this adventure begin

LOU

Sweet Cheese Danish

All this blogging has got me fixin' to start posting again.

First of all my lovely wife has started a blog : JuliannaKohley.blogspot.com

and Troy has started one. TroyGriffin.blogspot.com

I recently returned from a trip to Nebraska with the band out at Offutt. Being there really made me appreciate what I have out in CA. I cant imagine trying to find gigs around that area.

I also got to be a holder at a raiders game. Here is Leo celebrating his membership in the Raider Nation of York PA



I'm currently on the road with Mobility+. It has been quite a trip so far. I will catch up on the day by day shortly.

Sweet Cheese Danish,

LOU

Lou is so Lazy

I'm terrible with this thing. I never update it.....

UNTIL NOW


I went to Vegas for a Concert band trip. The first evening we were there we went to a restaurant called Diablo. The service was terrible and the people were rude. The devil lady on top of the building was cool though. Later that week I was offered coke outside this very establishment.

Vegas seemed like a cool place at first but it ended up sucking. Jamie decided to bet alot of money the first night and was down quite a bit. Later everyone was frequenting this bar called BJ's which featured cheap Newcastle and scantily clad young women. I did not enjoy it as the women in this bar might as well have been whores. But with a lower cost. Also I just cant talk to women when their is any kind of sexual tension. I cant believe I actually managed to get the great wife I have now.

Everyone else was drooling over these bartenders especially our fearless leader and aaron the grease ball. Those who know these people and are reading this please don't be offended. These are my observations of the situation. And if you are offended I really don't care.

Anyway I say washburn guitars bootsy signature bass while I was there

Haleluia! They call me Casper! Dig!


Fond wishes from Nebraska (I'll tell you later)

LOU

While we were at Vandenberg Billeting I found this great little closet in the hallway. It was raised up about two feet but I could stand up in it. It reminded me of Bender’s apartment on Futurama. If you don’t know get hip to it. Anyway the party I threw in the closet was a little cramped but still a good time.

Later that evening we were hanging around in a dining room waiting to go on. Paula, Niko, and I had our laptops out. All three of us were at the same table and nobody talks to each other. Am I the only one who finds that odd.

Give Fleece a Pants,

LOU

Fairchild AF Ball

More MOTHERFUCKIN' BANDSMEN ON A MOTHERFUCKIN' PLANE

While at the gig i decided to give Niko a field promotion to 4 star general


Ah I love my job

LOU

P.S. One of my favorite quotes

Information is not knowledge
Knowledge is not wisdom
Wisdom is not truth
Truth is not beauty
Beauty is not love
Love is not music
Music is the best.

-Frank Zappa

The world needs more of these places

The giant red wagon

While on the road in fabulous Spokane WA, I ran into this gigantic wagon or perhaps the people are just really tiny. I fear i'm shrink to their size as well the wagon looked huge.

On the Road Again

So we are traveling again and we stop in Weed CA and as I walk into the travel stop I see these three letters lined up almost on purpose. This could be a bad omen of things to come or my main line of dialog on this trip. "FUK"

From Weed with love,
LOU

Rodeo through different eyes

This is a good one. It catches the rodeo vibe. The band people are the only people watching the band. And everyone is drinking.

The look on Dustin's face is awesome.

It was a good time. I especially enjoyed all the guitar hero. Thanks Bob!

Here are some of the lords of rock below.





Tune in next time,
LOU

The 'Stache

I miss the 'stache.

Rodeo The Journey Home

So as usual the last evening we played plenty of wii bowling. I can't believe one of us hasn't torn a rotator cuff or something.

Also as usual there was drinking to be done. This evening I'm rocking the large stubby bottle of Red Stripe. One of my personal favorites.

The next morning hanging out in the same hangar we played the gig in yesterday. I enjoyed the leather chair that was still left out from the ceremony yesterday.
King of the Castle. King of the Castle.

We waited for a few hours here. When finally we were bussed away and rode home in a gigantic C-5.

Ahh home again. I know my Rodeo coverage has been sparse but I hope you've enjoyed

Peace,

LOU

Rodeo Day Seven

The last day of Rodeo was hectic. So hectic that I'm just now talking about it.

Ahh there is no better way to start the day than biscuits and gravy.
We hit this great joint called the reef in Olympia WA. Absolutely excellent.

The closing ceremonies were ridiculous. Think a watered down military version of some tv awards show.

Here are some pics.







Very cool.

In the next hangar over I setup for the rock band to play. I waited for the stage to be setup. Ughh. It took an hour too long. But all went well.

Here is the inside of the hangar looking out at the plane on the flight line.



Since it's after the rodeo I'm obviously less disgruntled than I was while I was there. The palletizing took way too long. But fortunately SrA Morgan? from APS helped us out immensely. Big thanks you are much more patient than I would ever be.




Rodeo broadcasting from the home of the homeless,
LOU

Rodeo Day Six

An uneventful day at tent city. Everything went rather well. I used the drum shield and guitar shield. It helped me get the volume down considerably. The rock band is already loud enough so anything helps.

I'm hanging out here in my hotel room with nothing to do until 2. So here are some of the pictures I took yesterday.

I'm just saying had someone asked to use my chair before just snatching it away, I wouldn't be upset about it. But ass must be kissed.



I don't know how well you can see them but dig those crazy orange shoes.



And our favorite part of the evening. Shredding some licks on our toy ax playing guitar hero.



Rodeo-ly yours,

LOU

BBQ

I find it morbid that BBQ places keep pig statues.

Rodeo Day Five

I had the Jazz band today. Jim Masters held on to this cap and gave it to me. If only I had telekinetic delivery.

So after more generator issues, and some scary conversations with the CE guys we got thing up and running.

The Jazz band really can put on a show of course the folks at Rodeo could care less about the band being there.


Upon returning back to the hotel I was greeted by Leo and his gigantic finger of doom.

We then left to find food around town. Most places were closed but we found a grocery store. Ahh late night beer and fried chicken were would I be without you.

Dreams of rodeo will forever haunt me,

LOU

Rodeo Late Evening Four

This trip has had a lot of wii bowling and a lot of sore shoulders.

Rodeo Day Four

Another fun day at Rainier Ranch. Here's a shot during the "show", notice the dancers.
After some more power issues we got the show running.

After the gig I saw this great rainbow over the flight line. Almost a perfect arch. Isn't that the most fabulous thing ever.


After the gig we also checked out the CCR tribute band they were pretty good. As you can see Troy and Niko are into it. While Chief and DP seem to be discussing something important?

Best wishes from Rodeo Land,

LOU