Hey, all y’all! It’s been an interesting few days this past week. Let me see if I can catch you up to date before the Net connection dies on me again.

1. We blew up the generator engine on the bus. NOT good. Thankfully, we found a very cool mechanic working on a Saturday, He pulled the engine and attempted a repair, Unfortunately, it was not to be. So he is now searching for a rebuilt for us. We should have news in a day or two.

2. Because of the above, we’ve been forced to stay in RV camping parks, so we could get 50 Amp power to run the inside lights and AC units. We’ve actually been very lucky as the days have not been too hot.

3. My Birthday was a BLAST! It began with a great day at Green Valley Studios. They’re located about six miles past Werahwee, PA, out in the sticks. Richard Rupert is the owner/engineer, and he’s just a wonderful guy to work with. Totally knows his stuff, and has created an amazing atmosphere in which to work. I’ll write a separate post on this in the near future.

After the studio, we went to Hull’s Seafood Restaurant for dinner. We’ve been there before, and it’s got a cool, funky vibe. Ryan (AKA Boss Man) told me I was on him for the entire night, and to get anything I wanted. I started off with a GREAT crab dip. Then on to a fantastic steak, cooked just right, which meant it wasn’t cooked much at all. I had to laugh that a seafood restaurant did a better job of sending out a very rare steak than the Lone Star, which sent it out Medium-Well on the first try.

NOTE TO COOKS: You don’t have to eat it, you just have to prepare it the way the customer requests. So stop griping and do your job, OK? I’m just sayin’…

Another thing that made the night special was that Mickey, our guitarist and Music Director, did a couple of tequila shots with me. (He bought one round, Ryan bought the other.) The reason this is special is that Mickey swore off Tequila many years ago. And let me tell you, if you want smoooooooth, Patron is your brand. Again… I’m just sayin’…

After dinner and drinks, I smoked one of my favorite cigars ever – a Fuente Opus X. Man, if you’re into cigars, this is a great one to try. I really appreciated the band letting me smoke it at the table instead of having to go out into the rain.

The night finished off with watching the Family Guy spoof on The Empire Strikes Back – Something, something, something, Dark Side. Now, Ryan had warned me that it wasn’t as funny as the spook on the first movie, and he was right. Having been warned, I was able to  enjoy the show for what it was, and had a great time.

4. We spent Monday back in the studio with Richard, and we’re here again today. We’re finishing up vocals on the sixth song we’ve done for the upcoming CD of patriotic songs. When we’re done with that, we’ll be working on another tune, which will be released separately. I’m not saying more, as I want the song to be a surprise when it hits. Hopefully, y’all will enjoy it as much as we do.

So… that’s about it for now. Y’all stay out of trouble, and I’ll do my best to do the same. See you again soon. Until then,

Keep Thumpin’!

Lane on Bass (v. 54.0)

PS – it’s now the 19th, and we’re in Pittsburgh. Before publishing this, I wanted to add a few shots from the studio. I hope to have more soon, but here’s what I’ve got for now:

Side shot of Green Valley Studio with our bus in front.

L-R: Lane on Bass, Amy Cashion, Mickey Springston, D'Arcy Park, Jared Mathis, Bret Byars, Ryan Pelton

Green Valley is an excellent blend of Old-School Cool and high tech. Owner/operator Richard Rupert just ROCKS!!

L-R: Mickey, Jared, Bret (in drum booth) and Lane doing what they do best.